DEFINING THE FINAL JUDGMENT
In obedience to and in the spirit of Ephesians 4:15 to “...speaking the truth in love,” I post this sobering thought about the final judgment. I offer it in love and concern for everyone. Hebrews 9:27 assures everyone “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
From the verse in 2 Corinthians, we know exactly what this judgment will be. No surprises. No false charges and no lying witnesses. Just God on His high and lofty throne along with you and me and our life’s testimony. We see the proof of this in the Book of Revelation chapter 20 and verse 12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
It is me and my life’s testimony—nothing of anyone else. Just me with my record being read to me for which I must give an account before the Eternal, all-knowing God. Line by line, every action, deed, word, etc., will be made known. This judgment is not for God to know; He is already all-knowing. The exposure is for my sentencing, whether to life everlasting or a place in an eternal hell. It is all based on the record of the things I have done in my lifetime and not one thing more. To the Christian, I admonish you to “...lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us...” (Hebrews 12:1). To any poor unsaved soul I plead, do not run from conviction, for that conviction is the “...godly sorrow (that) worketh repentance to salvation...” Romans 10:13 says of God’s mercy to lost souls is “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
You are going to be at the judgment seat, either saved or lost, to eternal life or eternal death. Write in the testimony of your life and let it be read on that great and notable day that you repented of sin and received God’s reward of eternal life. Hear the Word of the Lord.