I. The Judgment Of God
A. Some Deny That God Will Judge
1. Universalism
a. There are those who deny that God will ever judge anyone.
b. They suggest that God will somehow, someway, convince all people to accept Christ, either in this life or in the next. All people go to heaven.
c. That concept is called “Universalism”, and has been recently popularized by
Rob Bell, in his book entitled “Love Wins”.
‘A staggering number of people have been taught that a few select Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better. It’s been clearly communicated to many that this belief is a central truth of the Christian faith and to reject it is, in essence, to reject Jesus. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear.’~ Rob Bell, Love Wins
d. That is emotionally appealing, but untrue. Universalism is unbiblical.
2. Annihilationism
a. Others suggest that the penalty of sin is annihilation. Ceasing to exist.
b. There is an abundance of scripture that contradicts this idea.
c. Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
d. See also Mark 9:45, 47; Matthew 18:8, 25:41, 25:46; Luke 12:5.
3. The Emotional Objection
a. On an emotional level, there can be much in us that objects to eternal suffering.
b. An eternity of suffering seems unfair by many human standards.
c. Yet those that object to God’s judgment are quick to judge others.
d. They decide what is right & wrong, and what the penalty should be.
e. Many presume to have accurate judgment but want to deny God that same right.
f. God certainly he sees more clearly than we do.
g. God rightly discerns evil and rightly pronounces judgment on it. h. It is foolish to say God doesn’t judge rightly and that our judgment is accurate.
i. Consider the expert judges in Olympic gymnastics. They discern what the
common man doesn’t even know to look for. God discerns sin perfectly.
j. Christians need to believe the truth about eternal judgment, not based
upon our logic or emotion, but upon God’s Word. We believe or we don’t.
B. God Will Judge the Wicked
1. V. 6- When God judges the wicked, it is not an unrighteous thing, but a righteous thing.
a. Justice is always a righteous thing. It might be sad, but it is right.
b. The justice of God ought to be a reason to give praise to God.
c. Revelation 11:15-18 15Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
d. Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.
e. Christians do not take pleasure in the death and judgment of the wicked, but we do rejoice in God’s holy judgment. We do not rejoice that they suffer, but we do rejoice in God’s justice.
f. Hiebert- “A world in which justice was not done at last would not be God’s world at all.”
g. That they were troubling these believers was not the cause of their judgment but was
a manifestation of their rejection of God.
h. People are not judged solely for troubling Christians, but for rejecting God’s pardon
through Christ and preferring spiritual darkness instead of light.
i. John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
j. Romans 9:14 Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
2. V. 8- In this passage, we read of two groups that will be judged.
a. Those who do not know God. Romans 1:18-31- God is “knowable”.
b. Those who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ
i. Those who hear the Gospel but reject it.
3. V. 9- Characteristics of the time of judgment.
a. Everlasting destruction, away from the presence of the Lord.
b. Away from the glory of His power.
c. If people want a life without God, then they will get an eternity without God.
d. Matthew Henry- This destruction will be everlasting. They shall be always dying, and yet never die. Their misery will run parallel with the line of eternity. It must needs be so, since the punishment is inflicted by an eternal God, fastening upon an immortal soul, set out of the reach of divine mercy and grace.
II. When Jesus Comes
A. Rest For The Righteous V. 7
1. When Jesus comes for His church, it will be a time of rest for all Believers.
2. The troubling will end, as the church will be removed.
3. Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
4. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
B. He Will Be Glorified & Admired V. 10
1. When Christ comes, he will be glorified in His saints.
2. He will be admired among all Believers of the Gospel.
a. This speaks of all the people ever saved.
b. Our eyes will, for the 1st time, view Jesus with nothing blocking His glory.
3. We shall see Him as the glorious God, and admiration will naturally take place.
4. This will happen because these people believed the Gospel.
a. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.
b. God has chosen the preaching of the Gospel as the means to save people.