The Final Judgment
"It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment." (Heb. 9:27.) In these sobering words the inspired writer of Hebrews brings us face to face with two appointments that every man shall keep: death and the judgment.
When we consider the final judgment as set forth in the Bible, we are at first impressed with the fact that it is universal. Paul told the men of Athens that God now commands all men everywhere to repent "because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:31.) The same writer declared to the Romans that "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Rom. 14:10.) The Son of God himself stated that "all nations shall be gathered before him to be judged." (Matt. 25:32.) To this Peter adds, "the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17.)
Not only is the judgment universal in scope, it is also individual in application. As Paul expressed it, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:12.) To the Corinthians he wrote, "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." (2 Cor. 5:10.) The individual is accountable only for himself. The basis upon which the individual is to be judged as he stands before Christ is two-fold: he is to be judged by his works, and his works are to be judged by the word of God.
The word of God is to be the standard of judgment. Men will be measured by it, and by nothing else. Many have made the mistake of thinking that if they lead good moral lives, being honest, moral, upright in their dealings with their fellow men, God will accept them; they feel their morality will make them acceptable in God's sight. This is not true. The Bible plainly teaches otherwise. Cornelius, for example was a moral man, and was also a very devout man. He feared God with all his house, gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. But he was not saved. He had to send for Peter and hear "words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." (Acts 10:6; 11:14.) Man's acceptability before God is based upon his relationship to and obedience of God's word.
Paul stated, "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (Rom. 2:16.) And Jesus had declared earlier, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48.) Thus we have the standard of judgment — God's holy word.
The second basis of man's judgment is to be his works, as they are measured by the word. One of the most sobering passages in all the record says, "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 the things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Rev. 20:12.) The idea that any man may escape the consequences of the life he lives here is completely dispelled by Paul when he says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Since man is to be judged by his thoughts, words, deeds, the things he has done, and the things he has left undone, it behooves every one of us to study the word of God that we might know the will of God, and thus might be found acceptable with him.
Of course no man can be acceptable with God until he has obeyed those commandments of God by which he becomes a child of God. It would be ridiculous for a person to talk of being ready for the judgment until his past sins have been removed through obedience to the gospel of Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us that though Christ was a Son, "yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Heb. 5:8,9.) To whom is Christ the author of eternal salvation? Only to those who obey him!
If man wishes to be saved he will render obedience to the gospel by believing in God and in Christ as His Son. (Heb. 11:6; John 8;24.) Having found such faith through the word of God, man will repent of all his past sins. (Luke 13:3; Acts 2;38; 17:30.) As a result of this change of attitude by repentance, man will confess his faith in Christ before men. (Matt. 10:32,33; Rom. 10:10.) After making that good confession, man will then be buried with Christ through baptism, "baptized into his death," "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins." (Rom. 6:1-4; Mark 16;15,16; Acts 2:38.)
One other fact needs to be impressed concerning the judgment: it is final. Sometimes in this life men appeal judgments rendered by human courts and are successful in getting reversals. But such is not the case with this judgment of God. The awful, terrible finality of this judgment is stated in Matthew 25 in three ways; the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents, and the description of the awful scene in the final words of the chapter in these jarring words: "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." (Matt. 25:46.) In view of this dreadful finality of the judgment, Paul writes, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Cor. 6:11.) Wisdom would demand that we prepare for that judgment while we still have time and opportunity.