Judgments of God

Love: antidote for judgment

God is love. When we take up permanent

residence in a life of love, we live in God

and God lives in us. This way, love has

the run of the house, becomes at home

and mature in us, so that we're free of

worry on Judgment Day—our standing in

the world is identical with Christ's. There

is no room in love for fear. Well-formed

love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling,

a fearful life—fear of death, fear of

judgment—is one not yet fully formed in

love.1 John 4:17

Everyone is judged by Jesus at the end

of the age

1. But when the Son of Man comes

in his glory, and all the angels with

him, then he will sit upon his

glorious throne. Matthew 25:31

2. He has set a day when the entire

human race will be judged and

everything set right. And he has

already appointed the judge,

confirming him before everyone

by raising him from the dead. Acts

17:30

Until that judgment day, the world is

not judged

1. For God sent not the Son into the

world to judge the world; but that

the world should be saved through

him. John 3:17

2. You judge me by human

standards, but I do not judge

anyone. John 8:15

3. And if any man hear my sayings,

and keep them not, I judge him

not: for I came not to judge the

world, but to save the world. John

12:47

God and Jesus are in agreement about

judgment day

1. For neither doth the Father judge

any man, but he hath given all

judgment unto the Son; John 5:22

2. The Father handed all authority to

judge over to the Son so that the

Son will be honored equally with

the Father. Anyone who dishonors

the Son, dishonors the Father, for

it was the Father's decision to put

the Son in the place of honor. John

5:20

3. I can of myself do nothing: as I

hear, I judge: and my judgment is

righteous; because I seek not mine

own will, but the will of him that

sent me. John 5:30

Believers are not to judge with human

understanding

1. Who are you to condemn someone

else’s servants? They are

responsible to the Lord, so let him

judge whether they are right or

wrong. And with the Lord’s help,

they will do what is right and will

receive his approval. Romans 14:4

2. Judge not according to

appearance, but judge righteous

judgment. John 7:24

We can’t even judge ourselves correctly

1. As for me, it matters very little

how I might be evaluated by you

or by any human authority. I don’t

even trust my own judgment on

this point. 1 Corinthians 4:2-4

2. And this is the message I

proclaim—that the day is coming

when God, through Christ Jesus,

will judge everyone’s secret life.

Romans 2:16

Standards for judgment of the world

A. According to what truth was made

available to them

1. When you knock on a door, be

courteous in your greeting. If they

welcome you, be gentle in your

conversation. If they don't

welcome you, quietly withdraw.

Don't make a scene. Shrug your

shoulders and be on your way. You

can be sure that on Judgment Day

they'll be mighty sorry—but it's no

concern of yours now. Matthew

10:12

2. If any household or town refuses

to welcome you or listen to your

message, shake its dust from your

feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the

truth, the wicked cities of Sodom

and Gomorrah will be better off

than such a town on the judgment

day. Matthew 10:14-16

3. Then Jesus began to denounce the

towns where he had done so many

of his miracles, because they

hadn’t repented of their sins and

turned to God. Matthew 11:20

B. According to how they responded

to what they knew

1. But anyone who does not believe

in him has already been judged for

not believing in God’s one and

only Son. And this is the

judgment, that the light is come

into the world, and men loved the

darkness rather than the light; for

their works were evil. And the

judgment is based on this fact:

God’s light came into the world,

but people loved the darkness

more than the light, for their

actions were evil. John 3:18-19

2. But all who reject me and my

message will be judged on the day

of judgment by the truth I have

spoken. John 12:48

3. 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

4. And Paul and Barnabas spake out

boldly, and said, It was necessary

that the word of God should first

be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust

it from you, and judge yourselves

unworthy of eternal life, lo, we

turn to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46

C. According to actions

1. Don't act so surprised at all this.

The time is coming when

everyone dead and buried will

hear his voice. Those who have

lived the right way will walk out

into a resurrection Life; those who

have lived the wrong way, into a

resurrection Judgment. John 5:28

2. For the Son of Man will come

with his angels in the glory of his

Father and will judge all people

according to their deeds. Matthew

16:27

3. He will judge everyone according

to what they have done. Romans

2:6

4. You're not getting by with

anything. Every refusal and

avoidance of God adds fuel to the

fire. The day is coming when it's

going to blaze hot and high, God's

fiery and righteous judgment.

Make no mistake: In the end you

get what's coming to you—Real

Life for those who work on God's

side, but to those who insist on

getting their own way and take the

path of least resistance, Fire!

Romans 2:2

Standards for judging believers

A. According to how we’ve judged

others

1. Do not judge others, and you will

not be judged. Matthew 7:1

2. For with what judgment ye judge,

ye shall be judged: and with what

measure ye mete, it shall be

measured unto you. Matthew 7:2

3. You may think you can condemn

such people, but you are just as

bad, and you have no excuse!

When you say they are wicked and

should be punished, you are

condemning yourself, for you who

judge others do these very same

things. Romans 2:1

A. According to how we treat others 1. Let us not therefore judge one

another any more: but judge this

rather, that no man put a

stumblingblock or an occasion to

fall in his brother's way. Romans

14:13

2. For if you eat the bread or drink

the cup without honoring the body

of Christ, you are eating and

drinking God’s judgment upon

yourself. 1 Corinthians 11:28-30

3. You were running superbly! Who

cut in on you, deflecting you from

the true course of obedience? This

detour doesn't come from the One

who called you into the race in the

first place. And please don't toss

this off as insignificant. It only

takes a minute amount of yeast,

you know, to permeate an entire

loaf of bread. Deep down, the

Master has given me confidence

that you will not defect. But the

one who is upsetting you, whoever

he is, will bear the divine

judgment. Galatians 5:7

4. And a final word to you arrogant

rich: Take some lessons in lament.

You'll need buckets for the tears

when the crash comes upon you.

Your money is corrupt and your

fine clothes stink. Your greedy

luxuries are a cancer in your gut,

destroying your life from within.

You thought you were piling up

wealth. What you've piled up is

judgment. James 5:1

5. All the workers you've exploited

and cheated cry out for judgment.

The groans of the workers you

used and abused are a roar in the

ears of the Master Avenger. You've

looted the earth and lived it up.

But all you'll have to show for it is

a fatter than usual corpse. In fact,

what you've done is condemn and

murder perfectly good persons,

who stand there and take it. James

5:4

6. If we give up and turn our backs

on all we've learned, all we've

been given, all the truth we now

know, we repudiate Christ's

sacrifice and are left on our own to

face the Judgment—and a mighty

fierce judgment it will be! If the

penalty for breaking the law of

Moses is physical death, what do

you think will happen if you turn

on God's Son, spit on the sacrifice

that made you whole, and insult

this most gracious Spirit? This is

no light matter. God has warned us

that he'll hold us to account and

make us pay. He was quite

explicit: "Vengeance is mine, and I

won't overlook a thing" and "God

will judge his people." Nobody's

getting by with anything, believe

me. Hebrews 10:26

7. Knowing the correct password—

saying 'Master, Master,' for

instance— isn't going to get you

anywhere with me. What is

required is serious obedience—

doing what my Father wills. I can

see it now—at the Final Judgment

thousands strutting up to me and

saying, 'Master, we preached the

Message, we bashed the demons,

our God-sponsored projects had

everyone talking.' And do you

know what I am going to say?

'You missed the boat. All you did

was use me to make yourselves

important. You don't impress me

one bit. You're out of here.'

Matthew 7:21

In Summary: And anyone who

believes in God’s Son has eternal

life. Anyone who doesn’t obey

the Son will never experience

eternal life but remains under

God’s angry judgment. John

3:36