Facing the Judge Lesson 10

God has always existed as judge over His creation. But we need to understand how He judges, when He judges and why He judges. Knowing how, when and why He judges helps us understand the judgment described in the Bible. When God determined to punish Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, Abraham recognized that God is the judge of men’s actions (Genesis:18:20-25). In this case God passed judgment, issued a verdict and carried out the sentence.

The judgment of God is also described in the Bible as a process, not strictly the rendering of a verdict or passing of a sentence. For example, Peter tells us that “the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God” (1 Peter:4:17). From this we can see that judgment is an evaluation process that has already begun for those who are a part of God’s Church. This evaluation ultimately leads to a rendering of a decision or verdict.

Few thoughts could be more sobering: Every person who has ever lived must face a full accounting of his life before God, the righteous Judge (2 Corinthians 5:10). Does this alarm you? If so, take heart! Millions have found the Judgment news of this Study Guide thrilling and assuring. In the book of Revelation, on four diﬀerent occasions, mention of the Judgment brings praise, thanksgiving, and rejoicing (Revelation 11:16-19; 15:2-4; 16:5, 7; 19:1, 2). The Bible refers to the Judgment more than a thousand times. Almost every Bible writer speaks of it. Its importance cannot be overemphasized.

Questions

Click on the question to reveal the answer:

1. What will the Judgment be like in heaven? Daniel 7:9, 10

The Bible answer is: Awe – inspiring

God is presiding over the proceedings and is assisted by thousands of beings who stand before Him. His glory is described as ﬁre surrounding Him and proceeding from His presence. Verse 10 says, “the court was seated, and the books were opened.”
2. How many record books are involved? Revelation 20:12
3. What kind of records are in the books? Malachi 3:16
4. Can anything be hidden from God? 1 Corinthians 4:5
5. Who is the Judge? John 5:22

The Bible answer is: The Son of God

Although the Father presides, it is Jesus who does the judging of each case. It was He who became a human being, experienced the temptation and harassment of Satan, went through the trials of life in a sinful world, and was able to develop complete trust in God as we humans must learn to do. He is therefore the logical choice to judge our cases.
6. Who will be our Defense Attorney? 1 John 2:1
7. How can we be sure Jesus will defend us before the court? Matthew 10:32, 33

The Bible answer is: If we confess Him – He will confess us

Just to profess a belief in Him is not enough. To acknowledge Christ before others obviously means more than simply admitting that He exists. It means that we have received Him as the Lord and Saviour of our lives, that we have renounced sin and its deadly power, and that our lives reﬂect His principles. And He has promised that if we confess Him to others, He will confess us in the courts of heaven.
8. What evidence will be used in the Judgment?” Matthew 12:36, 37

The Bible answer is: Every idle word

We will be judged by our words as well as our actions, and it is vital that none of the evidence be suppressed. There will be no secrets, no manipulation or distortion of facts. All evidence will be presented without bias or discrimination. This is why the complete record of each life is so important.
9. What standard will be used to judge the world? Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14

The Bible answer is: The Ten Commandments

The principles of God’s law are eternal and complete. The Ten Commandment Law of God is called the Law of Liberty, or a law that gives freedom (James 2:10-12). It is the law of love – supreme love to God and the same love for fellow human beings as we have for ourselves.

The Bible describes a Judgment scene that involves the whole world. Everyone who has ever lived on earth has a case pending before the Judgment bar of God. The decision of heaven’s court will forever seal the destiny of every person.

Response questions:

Can you see that the purpose of the Judgment is to convince the court that God’s people are safe to save?

Is it your desire to have Jesus Christ as your Defense Attorney by acknowledging Him as your Lord and Saviour now?