INTRODUCTION

1. Many things in this world are uncertain, but the end of the world is clearly defined as a day of judgment.

   1. The apostle Paul referred to the certainty of this day and its Judge in Acts 17:30-31, when he said,

      ³⁰"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, ³¹because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

   2. This judgment is an inescapable appointment for every person (Heb. 9:27).

2. Many passages of Scripture address the coming day of judgment, and this lesson is intended to provide a brief summary of them.  Let us read some of these passages together and then summarize their messages.

   1. Matthew 7:21-24; 24:36; 25:31-46

   2. John 5:22-30; 12:48

   3. Romans 2:5-16

   4. 2Corinthians 5:10

   5. 1Thessalonians 5:1-11

   6. 2Thessalonians 1:6-10

   7. 2Peter 3:7-15

   8. Revelation 20:12-15

       

THE JUDGMENT

1. The judgment is coming at a time that we cannot know in advance.

   1. In the context of Matthew 24, Jesus taught that there would be signs that indicated the coming destruction of Jerusalem (vv. 1-35), but there will be no such signs for the end of the world (vv. 36-44).  It will come suddenly like the flood in the days of Noah.

   2. "Now as to the times and the epochs" (1Thess. 5:1), it is not for us to know.  Many men make predictions, but no man knows when the Lord will come.

2. Every person will be judged according to his deeds.

   1. The judgment is simple: God "impartially judges according to each man's work" (1Pet. 1:17).

   2. This message resounds throughout the passages we have read (Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:29; Rom. 2:5-16; Rev. 20:12-15).  It could not be clearer than 2Corinthians 5:10, which says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

   3. While it is true that we cannot save ourselves by our own works, we will be judged by them.  Very simply, our good works will be judged favorably, and our evil works will be judged unfavorably.

3. The word of God is the standard by which each person's deeds will be judged.

   1. Jesus said that entrance into the kingdom of heaven is contingent upon our doing the will of the Father (Matt. 7:21).  His will is known to us by His word.

   2. Jesus stated plainly, "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day" (John 12:48).

4. Jesus will be the judge of every person.

   1. The judgment seat belongs to Christ, and every person will stand before Him (2Cor. 5:10).

   2. The Father "has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22-30). When all the dead are raised, Jesus will execute His judgment.

   3. As far as we know, this will be our first contact with the Lord face to face.  The outcome of the judgment will determine whether this will be our last contact with Him, for those who are judged unworthy will be told, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matt. 7:23).

5. Those who have been faithful to God will be spared from the wrath of judgment through Jesus.

   1. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life" (John 5:24).

   2. Through faith in Christ, we may be forgiven of our sins, justified (made righteous) in the sight of God, reconciled to God, and spared from wrath (Rom. 5:1-11; Col. 1:13-14).

   3. In the judgment, Christ will not remember the sins of those who are in Him through His new covenant (Heb. 8:7-12).

       

PREPARING FOR THE JUDGMENT

1. We must repent, have faith in Christ, and obey the gospel.

   1. As Paul said in Acts 17:30, "God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent."  He is patiently waiting for all men to do so (2Pet. 3:9).

   2. The prescription for salvation from the wrath of God in the judgment is given in John 3:16-18:

      ¹⁶"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  ¹⁸He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

   3. Salvation is available to believers when they obey the gospel.  John the baptist said, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

   4. Faithful obedience to Christ is a matter of keeping His commandments.  The Scripture commands, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

   5. If we are to be saved, then now is the time for us to obtain Jesus as our Advocate (1John 2:1-2).  When the judgment day comes, it will be too late.

2. We must be alert and ready at all times, which means conducting ourselves in holiness, godliness, and righteousness.

   1. This constant state of readiness is taught in 1Thessalonians 5:1-11.  The "Lord will come just like a thief in the night" (v. 2), so "let us be alert and sober" (v. 6).

   2. The Lord's parables in Matthew 24:45-25:13 and Luke 12:35-48 also teach this lesson.  Because we do not know when the day of judgment will come, we must be ready for it always.

   3. In 2Peter 3:7-15, we are given a spiritual perspective on the world.  This world will be destroyed in the judgment, so "what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!" (vv. 11-12).

   4. This is what it means to be alert and ready for the Lord. "Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless" (2Pet. 3:14).

       

CONCLUSION

1. Regardless of who you are or what you believe, you will experience the judgment day just as we have studied here.

2. Are you ready to stand in the judgment?  If not, then there is no more urgent need than for you to prepare now through Christ Jesus.