Eternal Judgment

Let's go ahead and turn to Romans 14, and we'll get into the sermon. We're going to talk about one of the fundamental doctrines of the Church here today. It is listed in Hebrews 6. We will look there shortly. But the Apostle Paul writes in the Church at Rome, the topic of the chapter is the fact that some eat only vegetables, some eat vegetables and meats, and the fact that there were some judging going on back and forth. In verse 4, who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand for God is able to make him stand. Let's go down to verse 10. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So, for every human being, there is a time of being subjected to the judgment of God. There is a time of reckoning for every person who has ever lived or will yet live. There's a time of perceiving reward or punishment. There's a time of being held accountable for the works of this life. Let's look also at Ecclesiastes 12. We oftentimes will quote the second to the last verse about Solomon coming to the conclusion that what really matters in life is fear God and keep his commandments. But let's notice the last verse. Verse 14. Ecclesiastes 12 verse 14, where he writes, For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Now, every one of us has done things in our life we'd like to have washed away. In fact, many of us in this room have had lots washed away. And, of course, the forgiveness of sin is an ongoing process, just like repentance is a process. There was a time when God opened our minds, gave us the attitude of repentance. We didn't have it before, but he gave it to us and it began a process that we began walking. And that continues until the last breath expires. Judgment and accountability and forgiveness, all of these things are ongoing processes in our lives. Let's go now to Hebrews chapter 6. We have focused on, in different messages, a lot of the doctrines listed here. I'd like to take the time today to focus on the last one. But, as we have pointed out before, there is what clearly is a progression in the order of events that happens in our life, as God calls us and begins working in our lives. In chapter 6, verse 1, therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works. So, repentance is where it starts. God gives that attitude. We realize we're wrong. We need to turn around and go the way God would have us to go. And then it says of faith toward God.

And so, much of our walk, day by day, has to be a walk of faith.

Won't be long. We'll start talking about Passover. And everything we do that night is an article of faith. Each symbol we perceive by faith, the broken body, the shed blood, and willingly partake of that. But faith is something that is elemental. And in verse 2 of the doctrine of baptisms. So, repentance then, combined with faith, leads to the point where a person is baptized. And we notice it is in the plural. There are different baptisms. John had a baptism that was more of a profession of a need to repent, of a desire to change. But John also spoke of the one who would come, the one who would follow, that he would baptize with water and with the Holy Spirit. And so, Jesus came, and through him, it came into the church, and the disciples then baptized in his name, but it was an immersion in water. So, baptisms. And of course, there is a baptism of fire as well. Then it says of laying on of hands. So, after a baptism, there is a prayer, as we find the examples in the book of Acts, where with the prayer, there is a laying on of hands. And the minister asks God to impart his spirit to that person. It's a matter that God works through imperfect human beings. Human beings will let us down. No one is perfect. But God works through fault-ridden human beings to bring about his purpose, his plan, his will.

Philip was traveling. He found the Ethiopian, stopped reading the book, the scroll of Isaiah, and he asked him, do you understand what you're reading? And the Ethiopian told him, how can I accept some man should teach me? And so, God often works in our lives through human beings who represent him. Of resurrection of the dead, because a person is baptized, they receive forgiveness, their sins are forgiven, they live, they walk, the Christian walk.

But ultimately, our life ends, and there is a time of resurrection. Whether it is when Christ returns, whether it is at the end of the thousand years, then it says, and of eternal judgment. And so, I want to look here specifically at eternal judgment as one of the basic fundamental doctrines of the church listed here. The Bible speaks of judgment as being a time of great joy.

It should be a time of great relief. It speaks of Jesus in the one parable separating the nations to the right and the left. And those on the right, he welcomes to the kingdom, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And it's a time of great joy. Sometimes in the Bible that is personified, creation itself personified, is shouting for joy that God has come to judge. Now, the world around us has all kinds of ideas. There are those with misconceptions. I remember as a young lad having heard this picture painted of this seemingly endless line of human beings going up to a throne. And at the throne, each person was told heaven or hell. And that was basically the way it was presented. That it was just kind of this snap pronouncement of where a person's eternal eternity was going to lead them. We have those who make jokes out of the idea of God's judgment and laugh it away because it's uncomfortable to think very hard about. There are those who ignore it, hope it'll go away. But judgment is the decision that God makes where we will best fit into his plan as it goes on into eternity. And when it is rendered, it should be a marvelous moment. Some of the parables a person's given to are five cities.

Again, a time of great rejoicing. Let's go to 1 Chronicles 16, and we'll read verse 1 to begin with. Here we have one of the accounts where the ark is brought up to the tabernacle, the city of David.

And we'll just notice a few high points here. Verse 1, so they brought the ark of God and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. It goes on mentioning the different ones that he had appointed for the service of ministry of the singing of praises when this happened. Down to verse 8, we have the beginning of this psalm that David had written and given to them for singing. Verse 8, O, give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.

Let's go on over toward the end of verse 31, toward the end of the actual psalm that they're singing.

Verse 31, let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad, and let them say among the nations, the Lord reigns. Let the sea roar in all its fullness, let the field rejoice in all that is in it.

Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. So this is one of the places where creation itself is personified as rejoicing, that God is coming to judge. And yet human beings tend to look at judgment as being something very negative, very negative, and something that many times is dreaded. Let's also tie in John 3, verses 16 and 17. We will commonly see John 3, 16, on the signs in front of churches.

But we should also focus on verse 17, because it reminds us that God is in the business of saving.

God wants to bring as many sons or daughters into his eternal family as he possibly can. John 3, verse 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world. God's not in the punishment business. We should not be either. God's in the forgiveness business. We should be in the forgiveness business. But that the world through Him might be saved by sending one to pay the price.

It gives the world, as he's speaking of here, the opportunity. It depends on what each individual does, but the opportunity of being saved is a part of the very family of God. Let's look at 1 Timothy 2. In looking at a doctrinal topic, we'll turn to more scriptures here today, which is good for us. We should see it from the Word of God. But in 1 Timothy 2, verse 3, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. That's what God desires. So from Genesis 1, verse 26, when God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness, it was God's desire that every last human being would be saved in that sense, meaning inherit his very eternal family. Now, we realize that everyone will not, but that's their own individual decision, largely. But God has a plan whereby all are given the opportunity to be spiritually judged, to have their eyes open, to have access to the truth. Even those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ in this life, there is a time waiting for them. Let's consider a few questions about judgment, eternal judgment. First of all, let's consider who will be judged.

Who will be judged? And for that, let's go to Jude. A little book of Jude. Jude, and read verses 14 and 15. Jude, verse 14. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, thought it goes back a long time.

Back in Genesis 5, it tells of many names from that line after Adam, and Enoch is one who walked with God. Prophesied about these men also. Now these men up above, he had spoken of the presence of evil, of wickedness in the earth, but he also was interweaving it with the reality of the unrighteous, the rebellious demons. These men also sang, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints. Now that would refer to the first coming of Christ. It's amazing the scope of what Enoch covered here in two or three verses. To execute judgment on all. To convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. All human beings, male or female, bond or free. All races, all ethnicities. Or to borrow from the title of a Clint Eastwood movie, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Yes, you know that. Everyone will face the judgment of God. Who is the judge? Who is the judge? Let's look at Psalm 50, and then we'll come back to the Gospel of John. Psalm 50, and we begin in verse 4. Psalm of Asaph. Verse 4, he says, he shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Gather my saints together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

Let the heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

Now here, it's calling together God's people, and then it mentions the saints.

God is judge. We can add a bit more to it in John's Gospel, because judgment is to everyone. John 5, verse 22, for the Father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the Son. And now let's go to John 9, verse 39. Jesus said, for judgment I have come into the world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be made blind.

So adding these together, and there are many other scriptures in Revelation, for instance, with the time when the graves are open, they all stand small and great before God, and they are judged from what is written in the books, from the books of the Bible. And God is wanting to add names to the book of life, as that tells us. But Christ is the judge of all humanity. He's the one who has been here. He is the one who is today our intercessor. He's the high priest who works on our behalf. He understands. He's been here. He's walked this earth. He has been tempted in all points, as we are yet without sin, the book of Hebrews tells us.

Now, while we're here in John, let's look at chapter 12, verse 48, because another question we can ask is, what is the standard for judgment? And of course, that is the Word of God.

He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him. The Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. So Christ, as the God of the Old Testament, inspired what Moses wrote in those early books, and he inspired various prophets. He inspired Queen Esther, or whoever actually wrote that book. He inspired prophets of old, and sometimes Gentiles, or the governors for Gentile kings like Nehemiah. And what is written down all the way through to the last book, the book of Revelation, is by the inspiration, and in that sense, they are the words that Christ has spoken. And these are what are opened for judgment. We'll see later a Scripture in Revelation 20. But as we look at this topic of eternal judgment, we, in a general sense, we have two categories for judgment. But under each one, we can break it down further, and we should. On the one hand, you have the created angelic sons of God. On the other hand, you have humanity. The category is under each one. Let's start with the created sons of God. Lucifer was told you were perfect in the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. We have the category of Satan and the demons. There will be a judgment upon them. There will be a judgment upon the righteous angels as well. Let's see, actually, as we are here in chapter 12 of John, let's go up to verse 31. Verse 31. Here he is. It's just days before the Passover, and that was the final Passover. And he says in verse 31, Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And, of course, as Christ makes that statement, he's looking across not just what he was about to do to give himself as the Passover lamb, the sacrifice for man's sins, but across the ages, through the age of the church, where individuals will be called here and there, through the thousand years, through the white throne judgment period, looking across the ages. And the time comes as Christ returns when Satan himself will be removed and the demons with him. They'll be placed in the bottom of pit or in the abyss, depending on the translation you read. They'll be locked up for a thousand years, but then released for a little while, just to underscore the power that they do have and how quickly they can stir up individuals to rebel against God.

Let's go to James chapter 2 and look at verse 19. This is a chapter where James is making a beautiful argument about faith and works, and some look to works and some look to faith, and he said, I'll show you my faith by my works. I'll show you my faith by the way I live life.

But in the midst of that, it's interesting that he comments just ever so briefly about the demons, and they have an absolute, complete, perfect faith that God exists. They've gone through war in heaven before. There's something yet ahead that terrifies them. James 2 verse 19, you believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. Tremble. Now, let's look at 1 John 4 verse 18, and notice what it says here about fear and love. Verse 18, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. Now, keep that in mind. With fear, there is torment. A person tormented is one who has fears. And with that in mind, let's back up to Luke 8. Luke 8, here is an example where Christ steps off of the boat onto land and He is immediately confronted. He is confronted by a man and must have been quite a sight. And yet, we find the conversation is not with the man, it's with what was possessing the man. Luke 8 verse 26, then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. So, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, from the area of Capernaum and to the south down to Tiberius, where they oftentimes worked. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And He wore no clothes, nor did He live in a house but in the tombs. When He saw Jesus, He cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.

Now, there are similar accounts or parallel accounts where the demon from within a person would cry out something to the effect that, Are you here to torment me ahead of my time?

They recognize there is a time of judgment, a time of accountability, and it's fearful. And because it's fearful, it torments them. Are you here to torment me ahead of my time? Well, we could go on and on with the demon world, but I think we have seen enough. We are familiar with Revelation 20 and being chained a thousand years, then let go, and then cast in the lake of fire.

But then there are places where we'll be... In fact, let's go to Jude before we leave this category. Let's look at Jude 6. Because he does address the fact that at least there's a little bit, it's kind of fuzzy, but gives us a little bit to consider as far as what may happen to those of the demon realm with their prince, Satan the Devil. Jude 6, and the angels who did not keep their proper domain. So they didn't keep their first estate, I think another translation says, but left their own abode.

He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Now, he mentions Sodom and Gomorrah, and he mentions Michael contending with Satan for the body of Moses. And he mentions the way of Cain, but in verse 12, he speaks of these spots in your feasts. Notice verse 13, raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame, wandering stars.

Now, remember that in Revelation 1 verse 20, Jesus was standing among candlesticks, but also there were stars, there were various symbols there and the stars were identified as being angels. Wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now, Peter's second epistle, he would add a little bit more, but it just makes us wonder if they're going to be removed.

We don't know how God will do that. Give them nothing to do. Be cooped up with a bunch of thieves and murderers and liars and perverts and cheats. Which does not sound very appealing. Let's look at the two-thirds of these created angelic sons, and this would be the righteous angels. And let's go to Hebrews 1. The righteous angels are here to assist those who are the heirs of salvation. The first chapter of Hebrews is fascinating. It begins by just reminding us that God has spoken to us in different ways.

He has spoken to us by prophets across the ages. And a little later, he speaks of angels. There are times when, for instance, Mary was told by the angel she would be a child. Here's what you'll name him. Here's what he will do. You have angels that appear to Daniel to give him interpretations and prophecies to write down. So, angels are these servants. But, he points out, God never called them sons.

And in the next chapter, he makes it clear that for right now, human beings are a little lower than angels. For right now. But there will be a time when humans are given all things. Hebrews 1 verse 14, speaking of angels, are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? In growing up in the royal family over in England, in the royal family, it seems like it's my whole life it's been in the news.

And Prince Charles is several years older than I am. But every so often, as he grew up, he would be in the military, or he'd be somewhere on this relief project, or he would be representing the crown and go to Australia, or go to Canada, some type of official visit on behalf of the Queen. And, of course, he's had his ups and downs in his personal life. And Charles and Diana had the boys, and so there's a next in line. I don't know how it's going to work out, but Charles must be...

I didn't check his age. He must be pushing 70, late 60s, anyhow. Who would have thought 40 years ago his mother, the Queen, will still be on the throne. She's way up in years, and she went on... she was on the throne a few months before I was born. So that's impressive to me. Peanuts to some of you here, but it's impressive. But you think when when Charles...

of course you had Andrew, Anne, Margaret, you had several, but Charles, as the Prince of Wales, he received training. They all received training, but he would have had tutors, teachers. I don't know if it would be accurate to say they had nannies, au pairs, different ones who were there teaching them, providing for them, because he has spent a lifetime being trained in what it will be like to become king.

Now, again, with his own life, I don't know how it works over there, and we'll maybe find out one of these days the Queen won't live forever, although she's lived a long time, and whether he can be skipped over and the crown go to his oldest son, Harry. I don't know that. But the same would be true with that generation. I said, Harry, that's the second son. He's the one that got engaged the other day. He's going to get married. William, so the older of Charles and Diana's boys, he'd be the next in line, and his whole life and growing up, he too has been trained and taught. And I like to think of these tutors, that tutor will have a phenomenal role, but will never sit on that throne. And angels are like that with the heirs of salvation.

They intervene. Who knows how many times God has sent an angel to spare our life.

Maybe there have been times when God has sent an angel to give us an answer, and we're not even aware of it. But they're here, ministering servants to serve those who will inherit salvation. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 6 and read verses 2 and 3. And this is a chapter where in Corinth you had some going to the courts of law, rather than working it out between themselves, and Paul was chastising them, and rightfully so. There are things, petty little things, of this life that don't amount to chicken feed, that we ought to be able to work out among ourselves, and yet so many times it seems like it's a problem. But to them it was a problem to the point that one was suing the other and going before the world's magistrates. Chapter 6 verse 2, do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Will judge. Future tense. And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Then in verse 3, do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? Now, I looked at a number of translations there on verse 3, and they tend to have the same basic thought. We will judge angels. The old Moffat translation had it rendered, do you not know that we are to manage angels? It does make us wonder if as human beings go out to renew, rebuild the earth, if we are guiding the efforts, maybe we're the the line foreman or the job site foreman, and we are directing the efforts of those, and it would include the angels and how they go and work in rebuilding. Let's leave that side of alone the angels. Let's go on then to human beings. We have humanity, and here we can break it down, and we should break it down to three categories, because there are those who have never had access to the truth that you and I have been given. Those who have never known the truth.

How many billions have lived and died? They've never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.

Maybe they lived their life worshiping the sun, moon stars, trees, plants, or maybe they looked to Buddha or some of the Indian gods, Shiva and all. Confucians, putting him high on a pedestal. We have those who have never known the truth. We are told there will be some thrown into a lake that burns with fire. So there are those who willfully, knowingly reject God's word.

Now, that's for God to decide. I can't give you one name. I think we ought to be very careful with that. That's above our pay grade. Big time. Even some like Cain, even some like Judas. Do we really know what was in their heart of hearts? Do we know that they were even converted?

I think in Judas's case, we realize he wasn't. Because the other 11, along with the other disciples, about 120, received the Holy Spirit some weeks later in what he did. In fact, it did tell us that at certain points, Satan entered into him. So how much is Judas responsible for, and how much of it is the action of Satan working through him? So I think we need to be careful with that. And then the third category is today's church.

We're being judged right now. Humanity. We have, first of all, those who have never known the truth.

They were blinded. We find in Romans 11, for instance, it talks about blindness on Israel until certain steps of God's plan would come to fulfillment. Let's look at Revelation 20.

Now, after at Mrs. Ashley's request, after the feast, when we got back, I did give my eighth-day sermon. And we looked at some of these categories. And those who have not been judged spiritually, I like to just call them the waiting. They're the waiting. The vast percentage are waiting. They have not had access to God, to His calling, to His Spirit. They haven't been enlightened in that regard. Romans 20, of course, we have the early verses, the chaining of Satan, binding for a thousand years. Verse 4, we have the thrones and we have the latter verse. It says, they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So the saints are spoken of here, having been resurrected, and now they reign with Christ. In verse 5, it can be a little difficult, but I don't believe it needs to be. It's good to just think of the first sentence as if it has parentheses around it, because it says, the rest of the dead. In verse 4, it just said, there will be those who will live and reign with Christ a thousand years. And other scriptures tell us that with the final trumpet, the shout of the archangel, the dead in Christ will rise, and then the saints, the living saints, will be born into the family of God. But the rest of the dead, everybody else, did not live again until the thousand years were finished.

Now then it says, this is the first resurrection. Now it's not the one after the thousand years, it's referring back to verse 4, those who live and reign with Christ through the thousand years.

This is the first resurrection. But let's drop down to verse 11, because the thousand years does occur. And then we have Satan released a little while. Then we come to a time, verse 11, then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. All right, the Greek word there for books is biblia. From that we get our word Bible. The books of the Bible were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And surely that would be for the hope and the prayer of adding as many names as possible. And the dead, all right, those who had been dead, who are now standing before God, the small and great, the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades, the grave delivered up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one according to his works. So here we have this vast number who have never known. They now have their day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6 verse 2, for he says, and he's quoting from back in Isaiah 49, in an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation. And we've done it before. I don't want to go back to Isaiah, but there are places there where it's the indefinite article, if we go back to the Hebrew that is quoted here. And you and I are having our chance today.

The dead in Christ. You know, if we think of James, the brother of John, who was killed by Herod Agrippa. He's a part of the dead in Christ. And Paul, who was executed, and Peter, who was crucified upside down. They're a part of the dead in Christ. And I suspect Mary, the mother of Christ, and the other Mary is a part of that great body. And you and I have known different ones in this life who have died, and we have ever reason to believe and expect. They're a part of that great body. But we have everybody else. Everybody else who has not had their day.

Now, there is no second chance. There is a chance. They have not had their first chance. It's not talking about God giving them a second chance. But in some regards, I did an internet search before the feast and working on that sermon, and I found just asking, how many people have lived on the earth and got totals from 70 billion to about 120 billion? That's a lot of people. A lot of people. And how many billions lived over in China or Mongolia or up upper India, or, you know, some of the more remote parts of the earth and have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. And there are those who would say that a righteous, just God will throw them into a lake of fire. No, no, they just haven't been judged yet. Now, we have another category among human beings, and that is those who willfully reject God. Now, willfully is not the same as willingly. And again, remember the example of David, where Nathan the prophet went to him, and what he was said, what was communicated to him when Nathan said, you are the man, it woke him up, and he said, I have sinned against the Lord. Well, what had happened?

He had looked across over at someone bathing, and there was lust involved, and then he acted on that, and there was adultery was conceived. And then there was deceit and plotting. How do we get the husband to go back and spend the night with her as soon as possible? And then how do we get the husband to be killed in battle? And then finally, he gave the decree. And God wiped that clean. God washed that clean, but He said there's a price that will be paid with the baby that is born.

Part of what Nathan said to him was, you have despised the commandment of God. David knew what he was doing, but he willingly gave in to temptation. That is not the same as when we read the word willfully. Willfully, having had the Spirit of God, having had our eyes truly opened, and then knowingly reject God and walk away. Let's go to Hebrews again. Hebrews 6, beginning in verse 4.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened.

You know, kind of like the Apostle Paul, or Saul, as he was called.

He's going about his day on the way to Damascus, and he ended up losing his vision, but then his eyes were opened, and he could see. And have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame. Now, there are sins we all have our own. There are sins, there are struggles we have, we ask God's forgiveness, and it's given.

And we struggle, and we may go down the same path, and make the same mistakes again.

And we go to God. Its attitude is paramount. We want to walk God's path, but we don't always do.

Paul wrote about that. The good that I would, I do not. The evil I don't want to do it. I do it. Let's look at chapter 10, Hebrews 10. It words it a little differently, adds a little bit more to it.

Verse 26. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Verse 29. Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God under foot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, a common thing and insulted the Spirit of grace. Verse 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And so here is this category.

They, as an act of their own will, they will fully refuse to submit to God. They will not go God's way. They have had their eyes open and have seen both ways and both ends very clearly.

And a wrong character is set in place that will not change, that cannot change.

Malachi, the last chapter, Malachi talks about the wicked becoming the ashes under the feet of the righteous. And that's where the lake of fire comes in. But I want to keep going onto another category, and that is today's church. And let's go over to 1 Peter 4, because this is our primary focus. That when we get up and we look at that person in the mirror, that person is the one who has his eyes open, her eyes open. We're looking at the Word of God. We understand, we comprehend, and we are being judged today. That's what Peter tells us here. 1 Peter 4, verse 17. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. Because, you know, Peter was there that day when the Spirit of God was poured out, and it began a process. He's the one who quoted from the prophecy of Joel about the time when God will pour out his Spirit. And that process has continued, and it will only intensify as time goes on. And if it begins with us, first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? So here we have underscored that in the church, the church age, those of us who have had our eyes opened, we're being judged spiritually. This is our chance. Today's church is being judged, and God gives us time. God gives us different amounts of time. Some live a long, long time. Look at John 70 years, probably, in his Christian call.

And then you've probably known those. I've known some where they've been baptized, and maybe they're up in years, and maybe they're not, but within a year they die. And they just say there's this little window of time where God judged them. But we leave the judgment to God and let Him read hearts that we're not able to judge anyhow. But the rendering of our judgment should be the greatest moment of our lifetime. I mean, think of that. We'll look in a minute at Matthew 25. Separating the left and the right to those on the right being welcomed to the family of God. Well done, good and faithful servants. What a wonderful thing that will be. And I think God's in the business. He wants all to be saved. He wants all to come to knowledge of the truth. And sometimes we let this cloud get over us, and we go through life thinking that somehow we're not going to make it. Somehow we're not good enough. But God knows what He's doing. He's judging us day in and day out. He's looking. He realizes we're going to fall down and make mistakes. So many of us here have children and grandchildren. And when we see, especially when they get toward adulthood and they make serious mistakes, it is very hurtful, painful for us. But it lets us feel a little bit of what our Heavenly Father goes through every time when He watches us make a mistake. And obviously, like the story of the prodigal son, the father, every day his eyes were looking over to the horizon. And one day somebody was coming. And with great joy, He welcomed back that son who had wasted his inheritance. But we are judged by our works here in 1 Peter 1.

Verse 17. If you call on the Father who, without partiality, judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. God judges each one's work.

God does not judge it partially. He is an impartial judge. Our works are the embodiment of the way we live life. It's what we do. It's who we are. What we do is more important than what we say. It involves our obedience, our acts of service, our sharing, our allowing the fruits of the spirit to flow through us, our support in, our involvement in the lives of others in the congregation, the work of the church in preaching the gospel. We realize that salvation is a free gift. It comes by grace. It is unearned, undeserved, unmerited. We can never earn forgiveness. We cannot earn grace. It is God's gift. But we are rewarded according to our works.

And so God weighs and God judges and He assesses. Production. What we produce as far as fruit is something that God looks at. What are we producing in our lives? On that Passover night, Christ talked about, I am the vine, you are the branches, and talked about pruning. But He said, Your Father has ordained you that you bear much fruit. So God wants to see, what do we produce? What is left behind in our wake? We have parables like the parable of the pounds and the one was given to each individual. And then God assessed what they did with what they started with. They all started with the same thing. But with the one, there was great production. And with the other, quite a bit. And then there was the one who hid what He had in a napkin and buried it in the earth. And He was cast out because He did nothing with the investment God had given to Him. We have judgment based upon ability. Everyone does not have the same ability. There are some who have a phenomenal gift of encouragement and kindness. There are those who have just a tremendous, what, ability in technical areas. I think back to the building of the tabernacle tent, the days of Moses and Aaron. And here is, oh, Bezalil. There is another one mentioned. These craftsmen who had great talent, but God magnified and enhanced that. So they were able to form and fashion the very accoutrements that went into the tabernacle. There are those who have one gift and another, and God looks to see what do we do based upon what we were given.

And, you know, we live in this blessed country. We may question that from time to time, but we really are a blessed country. We have peoples who live in various parts of the earth, Africa, and parts of Asia and South America, where they have very, very little, and they look upon us from this country as every one of us being rich. And you can't change their mind because they realize we've got a refrigerator in the house. And probably most people have a washer and a dryer or a line, but you can't convince them that we aren't a very blessed people. And we've been given a lot. Luke 12, about verse 48, of whom much is given, much will be required.

And so God assesses what we do based upon the gifts, the talents, the abilities He has given to us.

He assesses us based on the amount of time. And I kind of referred to that a while ago, but I think of the parable of the householder with the vineyard, the field. That's not it. I call it the parable of the 11th hour. Some went out early in the day, worked all day long. Some went at, you know, mid-morning. Some went at noon. Some went mid-afternoon. Some went as late as the 11th hour, and they went out and they only worked for an hour. Some would work 12 hours. They were all paid the same. And of course, those who worked 12 hours complained. And we probably would too.

And the owner said, I can do with what's mine as I will, as I please. And yet, what it's teaching us is, in the calling of God, some have long, long callings. And if we have several decades, it should give us every advantage. But it doesn't always. Should give us every advantage, to have more time to deal with some of the contrary poles of human nature. We all have a sin or two that I suppose we'll struggle with big time. And we have all these other ones that will come along if we let down. Others only have a little window of time. They hit the ground running and maybe in a couple of years, their life ends. And God judges us. God judges us based on how we deal with other people, how we judge others. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, judge not that you be not judged. He wants us to learn to be in the forgiveness business. If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive yours. Our words, the words that you speak, same will be used against us in the Day of Judgment. Well, let's go to 1 John 4 and we'll wrap it up over here.

And begin in verse 15. 1 John 4 verse 15, Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he is God.

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment, because as he is, so are we in the world. I like that phrase that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment. Judgment oftentimes is something people fear, especially when they're guilty. But God is looking at our lives, God is assessing, he is weighing our lives against the law of God. And hopefully, as he sees us going and visiting, going, seeing those in prison, going, and providing for those in need, we'll be like those separated to the right hand where Jesus says, Well done, good and faithful servants. Enter into the joy of the Lord.