Every One of Us Will Be Judged... But When?

Every human being who has ever lived will be judged. You, me, the man down the street, Europeans, Asians, Africans, Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. People who died last week and people who died 3,000 years ago.

Various non-biblical cultures have their own ideas about life after death. Christians, Jews, Muslims have their ideas about death. Without recounting all the variations the basic concept is that a person will be judged after they die and receive some sort of reward, or punishment based on what they did in this life.

Most of what is taught about the afterlife and in particular about judgment is foolish non-sense.

The only reliable source of information regarding the afterlife and in particular about judgment is the bible. Many people think they know what the bible says about judgment but really don't. The average person's belief about what they think the scriptures say has more in common with human folk-tales that the actual recorded word of God.

Today we are going to review the biblical teaching on judgment.

Hebrews 9:27 the bible says everyone will be judged. But judgment is not a single event, it is a process. Judgment has distinct steps which lead to a final conclusion in a fair and equitable way. The necessary steps are the same for all people, but the timing of the steps is different for those who believe and are baptized into Christ, and those who are not.

The Timeline for Non-Believers

The vast majority of people who have ever lived and died have not had access to God's truth, not had access to forgiveness through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, or received the holy spirit. The process of judgment for such people is:

1. They are born flesh and blood, after about 70-100 years they die. They remain in this state of death which is likened in scripture to sleep.
2. Christ returns at the time appointed by the Father. These non-believers who have died remain in death. They are not resurrected when Christ returns.
3. While they remain asleep, Christ establishes the rule of God on earth for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:4-5
4. After the 1,000 years are over they are resurrected (back to flesh and blood), so they can enter into the process of judgment before God
5. At this time they now are given access to God's truth, they can receive the holy spirit. With all the necessary ingredients available to them they are evaluated using the standard of God's word Revelation 20:11-13.
6. A final decision is made whether they are suitable for eternal life [they are either written into the book of life, or destroyed in an all consuming fire] Revelation 20:15.

Further Evidence For Understanding Judgment As A Process

When you read a bible verse and it says the word judgment it could be one of several Greek words related to the process of judgment. The main ones are

Krisis, which refers to the period of evaluation.

Krino/Krima, which refers to the decision reached (one is a noun form, the other is a verb).

Here are some examples of where the word krisis is used. I picked these verses because they relate to the timeline applied to non-believers: Matthew 12:41-42, 10:15, 11:24. Of course these all lead up to a final decision or krino which is the word used in Revelation 20:13.

The word used in Hebrews 9:27 which we read earlier is also krisis... a period of evaluation. So, the bible says it is appointed once for human beings to die and after that to enter into a period of evaluation leading to a decision.

Those Who Are Christ's At His Return

If a person has believed, repented, accepted Christ, been baptized, received God's holy spirit they have a hope of resurrection at Christ's return. But, the bible tells us their resurrection will be different from that of unbelievers... both the timing of it, and the nature of it.

John 5:24 Jesus tells us that believers are not resurrected to begin a period of evaluation (krisis). Believers go straight from death to life. The decision on whether they are suitable for eternal life has already been made.

John 5:25-29 Jesus speaks of two different resurrections: a resurrection unto life, and a resurrection unto judgment. Note: many bibles render the word krisis as "condemnation" here (KJV, NKJV, NIV) even though everywhere else in this section krisis is translated judgment. I consider this an egregious example of translator bias and confuses understanding of the judgment that follows death.

Three Key Points About The Resurrection to life

1. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 some few believers appear to never die in the flesh
2. 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 those who are in Christ receive the gift of eternal life upon resurrection. So, the decision about there suitability for eternal life has already been made.
3. As we read earlier in Revelation 20:6 the people of the first resurrection are not subject to the judgment "the rest of the dead" who are raised from their graves after the 1,000 year rule of Christ.

All those who are part of the resurrection unto life have already been judged 2 Corinthians 5:10. The time of judgment for believers is NOW 1 Peter 4:17. Note: the word krima is used here since the final verdict is made complete during your present life.

The Resurrection Unto Judgment for Believers

God's judgment is fair and just. No one gets to skip through the process of judgment. God does not break the rules for you.

The believer goes through their resurrection unto judgment when they are raised up from the waters of baptism Romans 6:3-11.

If you have been baptized and received the laying on of hands by a minister of God's Church then you have already experienced death and your resurrection to the flesh for the purpose of entering into judgment. You have received the understanding and power that comes through God's holy spirit. You have all the facts and your time of judgment begins.

The Biblical Timeline of Judgment For Believers Compared to non-believers

1. The rest of humanity... the people of Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Sodom, China, Africa, America, people who dies yesterday and people who died 3,000 years ago will rise up from their graves at the end of the 1,000 year rule of Christ. This is a resurrection to flesh and still subject to the consequences of a negative decision. You are risen from your watery grave NOW! The resurrection that you experience through baptism is your resurrection to flesh and to judgment.
2. When the rest of humanity rise up in physical bodies they will be given access to the holy spirit. It will give them help and understanding they need for a fair assessment before God. You have already received the spirit of God and the understanding it brings through the laying on of hands after baptism.
3. They will enter into the process of judgment (krisis) after that time we call the second resurrection. YOU have entered into that process of judgment NOW.
4. A final decision will be made about "the rest of the dead". Their names will either be written into the book of life, or destruction in all-consuming fire. The results of your time of judgment [eternal life, inheritance, reward] will be made known at the time of Christ's return, before not after, the 1,000 year rule of Christ.

Believers do not escape judgment. It just comes upon them sooner. Your time of judgment is now. The span of time between when you are raised up after baptism to the day you draw your last breath is your time of judgment (krisis). The final decision (your krima) is announced when Christ returns and faithful believers are raise to a spiritual body with everlasting life.

Now let's take a look at how your judgment proceeds. 6 Points:

#1 You Are Actively Involved In Your Own Judgment Process

1 Corinthians 11:28-32, Galatians 6:4

#2 You are Judged By What You Do

Galatians 6:7-9 sowing to the spirit means growing in the fruits of the spirit. This is the context if you look at the preceding verses in chapter 5. Sowing to the spirit also means living your life by the commandments.

Romans 3:31 the holy spirit guides you in what it means to uphold the law Romans 7:14, 22-23. The spirit loves the commandments of God the flesh does not.

Romans 8:5-11 if you do not follow the lead of the spirit in regards to the commandments then are you really Christ's? What will be yours when He returns?

#3 Your Evaluation Involves Some Testing

A few curve-balls will be thrown at you to see what you are made of 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5

#4 We Appear Before Our Judge In Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13 note the emphasis on forgiveness which is how we deal with times when we fall short because of that struggle between flesh and spirit. Also addressed is avoidance of temptation, and overcoming evil in our lives. These are important elements of judgment.

#5 How You Judge Matters Concerning Others Affects How You Are Judged

Matthew 6:14-15, 7:1-5

#6 The Final Decision Is Christ's

1 Corinthians 4:3-5 you cannot just let yourself off the hook John 5:22 no one is more qualified than Christ to conduct the evaluation and render the final verdict. He is an eternal part of the God family, yet He has tasted life in the flesh, He was raised up in baptism, He has known suffering, resistance of temptation, He is the first in resurrection from flesh to spirit… and He is your judge.

Learning To Judge Righteously

You are involved in the process of your own personal judgment so that you might learn how to become a righteous judge yourself. Part of the inheritance that come with the first and better resurrection is the responsibility of judgment.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3, Revelation 20:4

Our Father Creator is teaching us to judge righteously by judging ourselves rather than turning us loose to practice on others without having first learned how.

One of the greatest lessons in righteous judgment is

1. knowing all the facts
2. the proper exercise of mercy.

What better scenario for us to have full access to all the facts, motives, and intent than in judging yourself? What better scenario for us to be willing to forgive and practice mercy than in judging yourself?

Conclusion

John 9:39 Jesus tells us that He came to bring judgment into the world. Through His ministry and His sacrifice people like you and me can enter confidently into the process of judgment. Through His sacrifice forgiveness is possible, through the holy spirit we can grow in grace and understanding.

Let us all consider soberly what it is that we are involved in. For those who are baptized and have received the holy spirit your time of judgment is now.