The Last Judgment: Understanding Eternity and God's Glory
Summary
The doctrine of the last judgment is a pivotal aspect of Christian theology, serving as a lens through which all other doctrines should be understood. The lack of understanding and interest in this doctrine today is largely due to misconceptions about its nature and purpose. If people truly grasped the reality of the last judgment, they would be more inclined to flee from the wrath to come, as exhorted by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles. Many today, however, are preoccupied with their subjective experiences and seek only immediate comfort, neglecting the eternal perspective that life is lived under God's watchful eye and judgment.
There are several reasons for this misunderstanding. Some reject the idea of judgment altogether, viewing it as incompatible with a loving God. This has led to the rise of universalism, the belief that all will ultimately be saved, which diminishes the significance of a final judgment. Others believe that judgment is only remedial, a concept borrowed from secular ideas about punishment, which is not supported by Scripture. Even among evangelical Christians, there is confusion about the necessity of a final judgment, given that one's eternal fate is determined in this life by faith in Christ.
The last judgment is not about determining our fate but announcing it. It is a public event that will occur at the end of time, at the second coming of Christ, when the dead will be raised, and the fate of all will be publicly declared. The purpose of this judgment is the glory of God, as it will be the final assertion of His majesty and justice. The judge will be Jesus Christ, to whom God has committed all judgment. Both believers and unbelievers will be judged, with believers hearing the words of commendation and entering into eternal glory.
The final judgment also includes the fallen angels, who will be judged alongside humanity. While there is a differentiation among believers based on their works, this does not affect their salvation but rather their rewards in glory. The eternal state for believers is a new heaven and a new earth, a perfect world where righteousness dwells, and God makes His dwelling with humanity. This is the ultimate destiny for those in Christ, a life of eternal joy and glory in the presence of God.
Key Takeaways:
1. Understanding the Last Judgment: The last judgment is not about determining our fate but announcing it. It is a public event that will occur at the end of time, emphasizing the glory of God. This understanding shifts our focus from immediate concerns to eternal realities, encouraging us to live with an eternal perspective. [06:38]
2. The Role of Jesus as Judge: Jesus Christ, as both God and man, is appointed as the judge. This ensures fairness and justice, as He understands human experience. Recognizing Jesus as the judge underscores the importance of our relationship with Him and the assurance of His righteous judgment. [12:43]
3. Differentiation Among Believers: While all believers are saved by grace, there is a differentiation based on works, affecting rewards in glory. This encourages us to live faithfully, knowing that our actions have eternal significance. It challenges us to balance the doctrine of justification by faith with the reality of rewards for faithful service. [25:01]
4. The Eternal State: The eternal state for believers is a new heaven and a new earth, a perfect world where righteousness dwells. This vision of eternity inspires hope and perseverance, reminding us that our current struggles are temporary and that a glorious future awaits us. [31:28]
5. Living in Light of Eternity: Understanding the last judgment and the eternal state encourages us to live as children of the light, detached from the transient world. It calls us to focus on our eternal destiny, living in a way that reflects our future hope and glorifies God. [37:36]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Last Judgment
- [00:37] - Misunderstandings About Judgment
- [01:25] - Liberal Theology and Universalism
- [02:43] - Judgment in This Life
- [04:12] - The Purpose of the Last Judgment
- [06:38] - The Public Nature of Judgment
- [08:03] - The Glory of God in Judgment
- [09:52] - Scriptural Basis for Judgment
- [12:28] - Jesus as the Judge
- [17:36] - Who Will Be Judged?
- [21:23] - Judgment of Fallen Angels
- [23:48] - Differentiation Among Believers
- [27:29] - Works and Rewards
- [31:28] - The Eternal State
- [35:17] - Living in Light of Eternity
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Doctrine of the Last Judgment
Bible Reading:
1. Acts 17:31 - "For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
2. Hebrews 9:27 - "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."
3. Revelation 20:11-15 - The Great White Throne Judgment.
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Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what is the primary purpose of the last judgment? [08:03]
2. How does the sermon describe the role of Jesus Christ in the final judgment? [12:43]
3. What is the significance of the "public" nature of the last judgment as mentioned in the sermon? [06:38]
4. What differentiation among believers is discussed in the sermon, and how does it relate to their works? [25:01]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the understanding of the last judgment as a public event impact the way believers perceive their current life and actions? [06:38]
2. In what ways does recognizing Jesus as the judge influence a believer's relationship with Him and their understanding of justice? [12:43]
3. What might be the implications of the differentiation among believers based on their works, and how does this align with the doctrine of justification by faith? [25:01]
4. How does the vision of a new heaven and a new earth inspire hope and perseverance among believers? [31:28]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current understanding of the last judgment. How does this understanding influence your daily decisions and priorities? [06:38]
2. Considering Jesus' role as the judge, how can you strengthen your relationship with Him to ensure you are living in alignment with His teachings? [12:43]
3. Think about the works you are currently engaged in. How do they reflect your faith, and what changes might you need to make to ensure they have eternal significance? [25:01]
4. How does the promise of a new heaven and a new earth affect your perspective on current struggles and challenges? What practical steps can you take to maintain this eternal perspective? [31:28]
5. In what ways can you live more as a "child of the light," focusing on eternal realities rather than transient concerns? [37:36]
6. Identify one area in your life where you might be seeking immediate comfort over eternal significance. What steps can you take to shift your focus? [01:08]
7. How can you encourage others in your community to understand and live in light of the last judgment and the eternal state? What role can you play in fostering this understanding? [37:36]
Devotional
Day 1: Living with an Eternal Perspective
Understanding the last judgment shifts our focus from immediate concerns to eternal realities. The last judgment is not about determining our fate but announcing it, as it is a public event that will occur at the end of time, emphasizing the glory of God. This understanding encourages us to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our lives are lived under God's watchful eye and judgment. By embracing this eternal viewpoint, we are reminded to prioritize our spiritual growth and relationship with God over temporary comforts and distractions. [06:38]
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are overly focused on immediate comfort? How can you shift your perspective to consider the eternal significance of your actions today?
Day 2: Jesus Christ as the Righteous Judge
Jesus Christ, as both God and man, is appointed as the judge, ensuring fairness and justice. This role underscores the importance of our relationship with Him and the assurance of His righteous judgment. Recognizing Jesus as the judge reminds us that He understands our human experience and will judge with compassion and truth. It calls us to deepen our relationship with Him, knowing that our lives will be evaluated by His standards of righteousness and love. [12:43]
"For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father." (John 5:22-23, ESV)
Reflection: How does knowing that Jesus will be your judge affect your relationship with Him today? What steps can you take to strengthen this relationship?
Day 3: Rewards for Faithful Service
While all believers are saved by grace, there is a differentiation based on works, affecting rewards in glory. This encourages us to live faithfully, knowing that our actions have eternal significance. It challenges us to balance the doctrine of justification by faith with the reality of rewards for faithful service. By understanding that our works will be evaluated, we are motivated to serve God wholeheartedly, knowing that our efforts will be recognized and rewarded in eternity. [25:01]
"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it." (1 Corinthians 3:11-13, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific way you can serve others this week, knowing that your actions have eternal significance and will be rewarded by God?
Day 4: Hope in the Eternal State
The eternal state for believers is a new heaven and a new earth, a perfect world where righteousness dwells. This vision of eternity inspires hope and perseverance, reminding us that our current struggles are temporary and that a glorious future awaits us. By focusing on this promise, we are encouraged to endure hardships with the assurance that God has prepared a place of eternal joy and glory for those who are in Christ. [31:28]
"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Peter 3:13, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can the promise of a new heaven and a new earth give you hope and strength to persevere through your current challenges?
Day 5: Living as Children of the Light
Understanding the last judgment and the eternal state encourages us to live as children of the light, detached from the transient world. It calls us to focus on our eternal destiny, living in a way that reflects our future hope and glorifies God. By embracing this identity, we are motivated to live lives that are distinct from the world, characterized by love, righteousness, and a commitment to God's purposes. [37:36]
"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)
Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to live as a child of the light, reflecting your eternal hope and glorifying God in your daily life?
Quotes
If men and women only realized the truth about this last judgment, well then, of course, they would flee from the Wrath to come as they were exalted to do by John the Baptist and by our Lord himself and by all the apostles in their preaching. It is therefore, I feel very definitely because of the failure to grasp this that men and women are so concerned about their own subjective moods and states and just want something that will help them in this world without realizing that the whole of the time they live and have their being under the eye of God and in a sense under the Judgment of God. [00:32:20]
There are those of course in general who dislike the whole idea of judgment altogether, those who take the so-called liberal view in theology. They abominate this whole conception of judgment. They say that's been the difficulty in the past, that God has been pictured as a judge, and they say the whole thought of judgment is just alien to any idea of God as a god of love. So they just don't believe in it at all. [00:82:00]
The important thing is this: it does not represent it as something which is going to determine Our Fate. It is simply the great occasion on which Our Fate will be announced when the verdict will be promulgated. It isn't the occasion on which the verdict will be arrived at. Now, I think that that is where the last group that I refer to get into trouble. They seem to think somehow that the idea of judgment must of necessity involve this, that people will come to the Judgment with their Fates uncertain and undetermined. [00:293:28]
The last judgment will be right at the very end at the second coming when the dead shall be raised in the manner we saw last week when our bodies shall be resurrected and it will be this great public occasion when the fate of all will be pronounced with all hearing it and all listening to it when the whole world will be assembled together and the fate of every single individual will be pronounced and announced. It is therefore the public promulgation of the Eternal and the final judgment. [00:434:87]
The purpose is the glory of God. It is the final assertion of the glory of God in the presence of those who have not given him the glory. You see, you must say that the Bible says it, and for this reason, the essence of sin is that it refuses to give glory to God. Satan stood up against God and he was attempting to detract from the glory of God, and the glory of God is supreme. [00:482:03]
Judgment will be given by the Lord Jesus Christ so that there is a sense in which you can say that God will judge, but that he has deputed the actual judging to the son in the same way that in some passages of scripture you read that God the Father Is Our Savior who is the savior of all men especially them that believe. Yes, he is the savior, but he saves through the son. [00:752:51]
There are some who say that it is only the unbelievers who will be judged and that the Believers will not be judged because they say that they've already passed from judgment to light and that therefore this can only apply to the unbelievers. But surely that cannot quite be right for this reason: to start with, the resurrection as we saw last week is of the evil and the good together and at the same time. [00:1066:40]
We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ and give an account of the Deeds Done in the body whether good or bad. Now, he's writing there obviously to Christian people and has only Christian Believers in his mind. What is this, someone may ask? Well, the answer is this surely that we are taught clearly in the scripture that there is a differentiation amongst Believers. [00:1428:15]
Our works do make a difference and they do count so that though we are all saved, it does not mean that we'll be identical or in identical positions. Take out Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 15 one star differ from another star in glory. They're not all identical and Christian people will not all be identical. Don't misunderstand me at this point. We shall all be in glory. [00:1498:96]
The great object of redemption is to help us to see the final faith of those who have believed, those who are in Christ, and here it is in all its Glory. You've got it to perfection in that 21st chapter of the Book of Revelation. Remember it's in symbols again, but what a picture it is: a new heavens and a new Earth. Peter has spoken of it in his Second Epistle in the third chapter and there shall be a new heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. [00:1860:63]
We shall dwell in the kind of condition that is described in this Revelations 21: no sorrow, no sing, a perfect State of Affairs. Again, we must avoid speculation, but it does seem to me to be quite clear that our heaven in a sense will be living in this perfect world that God will make his Tabernacle with men. The New Jerusalem descends, you remember, onto the Earth, and it is there we shall live in this wonderful City, this New Jerusalem. [00:1996:79]
May God grant us Grace to see these things so clearly that we shall ever live in their light, that we shall ever live lightly and Loosely therefore to this passing condemned World which is finally to be destroyed. May we live as children of the light and Children of the day as children of God as those who are going to see him, to be with him, to share his eternal glory with him. Amen. [00:2246:31]
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