LESSON ELEVEN - FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES - ETERNAL JUDGMENT
Perth Fellowship
LESSON ELEVEN
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES
Let us now see the sixth doctrine,
ETERNAL JUDGEMENT (ETERNAL CONDEMNATION) (Hb.6.1-3)
This is not merely a judgement as we understand in the English literature but it is eternal condemnation (See Amplified Bible, Sathyaveda Pusthakam).God has put the eternal condemnation of the unsaved souls as one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. This is to create the essential fear of God in man. God wants man to have the true fear of God (Ex20.20) so that he will lead a life free from sin (Prov8.13, Ps97.10).
Bible says “It is appointed for man to die once and then judgement”. Heb9.27
Man was created in the image of God and as God is eternal, man is also eternal in his existence (Gen1.26).Man was not created to die but to live eternally. This eternal life was conditional and subject to his obedience to God. When he disobeyed God, he lost the eternal life and became eternally dead.
As we know God is willing to forgive man and give back the eternal life to those who make Jesus (the eternal life 1Jn5.20) the Lord of their lives. Those who accept it, will live with God eternally and those who deny this, will have to spend their eternity, away from God in the lake of fire. Every human being has to choose one of these two options.
For some people it is highly improbable for a loving God to send the man to eternal lake of fire. God is not interested in sending anybody to the lake of fire, rather He has given the humanity a way out to escape from the punishment. A righteous God cannot oversee sin but has to punish for it. If we learn from the scripture, we can find that those who deny the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ is under God’s wrath (John3.36).
One of the important things that the apostles taught was the wrath of God, to be revealed in the last days (1Thes1.10, 5.9). When man disobeyed God and believed the lie of Satan man became the enemy of God in their hearts. (Col1.21).So when man refuses the promise of escape from the wrath of God, in God’s justice man has to receive the eternal wrath or the eternal damnation. Every Christian must know this as a basic doctrine of Christianity. Those who take this teaching seriously would lead a life with fear of God. Lord himself taught about the eternal nature of punishment. (Mark9.40-48, Rev20.10, 11-15)
There are several judgments mentioned in the Bible, all of which pre figure the eternal judgment. Our God is a God of justice. “A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom (Ps45.6). It is the Lord Jesus Himself who is the Judge of all the earth. “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John5.22). Jesus alone is worthy to open the scroll (Rev5.5). Here is a list of significant judgments in their likely chronological sequence.
JUDGMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED
The judgment of Adam and Eve (Gen3.14-24)
God banished the first couple from the Garden of Eden for violating His clear command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This judgment affected all of creation. (Gen3.17-18, Rom8.20-22)
The
judgment of the antediluvian world (Gen7.17-24)
God sent a worldwide flood in judgment of mankind’s sin in Noah’s
time. The flood destroyed all of mankind and the animal world, except for Noah
and his family, whose faith led them to obey God’s command to build the ark.
The judgment at the Tower of Babel
(Gen11.5-9)
Noah’s post-flood
descendants remained in one location in defiance of God’s command, (Gen9.1) so
God confused their language causing them to disperse over the earth.
The judgment of Egypt and their gods
(Ex7-12).
The ten plagues against
Egypt at the time of the exodus were “mighty acts of judgment” (Ex6.6,7.4) against
a stubborn, cruel king and an idolatrous people and their gods (Ex12.12).
The judgment of believers’ sins
(Isiah53.4-8).
Jesus took this judgment upon Himself by His
crucifixion and death. “He suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might
taste death for everyone” (Hb2.9). Because our sin was judged at the cross,
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom8.1).
Believers should practice self-examination, prayerfully and honestly assessing
their own spiritual condition (1Cor11.28, 29). The church helps in this
endeavor to purify the Body of Christ (Mt.1815-17). Self-judgment requires each
believer to be spiritually discerning, with a goal of being more like Christ (Eph4.21-23).
Divine
discipline (Hb12.5-11).
As a father lovingly corrects his children, the
Lord disciplines His own. He brings His followers to a place of repentance and
restoration when they sin. Thus He makes a distinction between us and the
world. “When we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so
that we will not be finally condemned with the world” (1Cor11.32). Whom Christ
loves, He chastens (Rev3.19).The ultimate goal of all discipline is to acquire
more and more holiness (Hb12.10) and to become Christ like.
JUDGMENTS TO OCCUR IN THE FUTURE
The judgments of the tribulation period
(Rev6-16).
These terrible judgments are pictured as seven
seals opened, seven trumpets blown, and seven bowls poured out. God’s judgment
against the wicked will leave no doubt as to His wrath against sin. Besides
punishing sin, these judgments will have the effect of bringing the nation of
Israel to repentance.
The Judgment seat of Christ (2
Cor5.10).
Resurrected (and raptured) believers in heaven
will be judged for their works (Luke14.14). Sin is not in view at this judgment, as that
was paid for by Christ, but only faithfulness in following the Lord. Selfish
works or those done with wrong motives will be burned up (1 Cor3.12). Works of
lasting value to the Lord will survive. Rewards, which the Bible calls “crowns”
(Rev3.11) will be given by the One who is “not unjust; he will not forget your
work and the love you have shown him” (Hb6.10).
The judgment of the nations (Mt25.31-36).
After the tribulation, the Lord Jesus will sit
in judgment over the Gentile nations. They will be judged according to their
treatment of Israel during the tribulation. This judgment is also called the
judgment of the sheep and the goats because of the imagery Jesus uses in the
Olivet discourses. Those who showed faith in God by treating Israel favorably
(giving them aid and comfort during the tribulation) are the “sheep” who will
enter into the Millennial Kingdom. Those who followed the Antichrist’s lead and
persecuted Israel are the “goats” who will be consigned to hell.
The
Great White Throne Judgment (Rev20.11-15).
This final judgment of unbelievers for their
sins occurs at the end of the Millennium, before the creation of the new heaven
and earth. At this judgment, unbelievers from all the ages are judged for their
sins and destined to the lake of fire.
In Job8.3 Bildad asks, “Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what
is right?” . “He is the Rock, His works
are perfect, and all his ways are just” (Dt32.4), and God’s judgments will make
His perfection shine forth in all its glory (Isiah5.16).
One of the Holy Spirit’s tasks in this world is to convict the world of coming
judgment (Jn16.8-11). When a person truly understands his sin, he will
acknowledge his guilty position before a Holy God. The surety of judgment
should cause the sinner to turn to the Savior and cast himself on the mercy of
God in Christ. Thank the Lord that, in Christ, “mercy triumphs over judgment” (Js2.13).
It may be concluded that all these judgments prefigure the eternal judgment and the basic Christian doctrine is the eternal condemnation of the unrepented soul.
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