THE ESSENTIALS

Judgments

Key Doctrines for Starting and Finishing Strong

LESSON 10 | Part 2

“Mortal man, however inimical he may be, cannot carry his enmity beyond death, but the power of God is not confined to

such narrow limits. We often escape from men; we cannot escape the judgment of God.”

JOHN CALVIN

In this lesson, we will study one essential subject:

• What is really known about the Day of Judgment?

• How many judgments are there in the Bible?

• What does the knowledge of God’s judgment meant to motivate us to do?

Are the following statements true or false? (circle one)

• God will not judge the sins of believers. T F

• Judgment Day is meant to motivate us to get the most out of life. T F

Be on the lookout for the answers to these questions as we study the Word of God.

Review: What is known about the day of final judgment?

A. The Day of Judgment will be administered by _______________________ and the saints are allowed to

share in this work (2 Cor.5:10; Luke 22:28-30; 1 Cor.6:2-3; Rev.20:4).

B. In the Day of Judgment, _______________ will be judged (1 Cor.6:3; 2 Pet.2:4; Jude 6).

C. In the Day of Judgment, ________________________ that has ever lived, both believers and unbelievers,

will be judged (Matt.25:32; 2 Cor.5:10; Rom.14:10b-12).

D. In the Day of Judgment, the standard used will be the ________________ will of God (John 12:44-48;

Rom.1:18ff).

E. The Day of Judgment is not death; it is rather a great event that will take place at the end of the

world or at the end of time (Rev.20:11).

F. The Day of Judgment will be something of a formal event, in that individual names, not groups of

people, will be summoned. Each individual soul will be called to give an account. Books will be

opened and sentences pronounced (Rev.20:11-15).

G. The Day of Judgment will be legal. God is seen as a Judge sitting on His throne (Rev.20:11). This is

why books are opened and used. It will be a day of perfect accounting.

H. The Day of Judgment will be a visible and public event (Rev.20:12; Eccl.12:14).

I. The Day of Judgment will be final. It is a day that we are all facing and toward which we are all

approaching.

1. Gentiles will be judged by the light they have in their conscience (Rom.2:12-14), which Paul in

Romans 2:15 called. “the work of the law written in their hearts.” Jews will be judged by the Old

Testament. The basis of final judgment for the unbeliever will be his sins, which are also called

his works (Rev.20:12).

2. Christians will be judged according to the Gospel they claim to believe and there will be degrees

of judgment and reward (Luke 12:47-48). The believer will be judged for his works, not his sin (2

Cor.5:10; John 5:29).

3. Evil secrets will be revealed and all that has ever occurred will be evaluated. Scripture leads us to

believe that the sins of believers will be revealed, but they will be revealed as pardoned sins.

(Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p.72)

J. According to John 5:27-29, the Final Judgment will be executed in connection with the future

resurrection.

K. According to Matthew 16:27, the Day of Judgment will occur after the Second Coming of Christ (Cf.

Matt.13:37-43, 24:29-35, 25:31-46).

Discussion:

• The purpose of final judgment is to magnify the wisdom and the glory of God. What has God taught

you about Himself in judgment?

How Many Judgments Are in the Bible?

There are seven judgments in the Bible. One was completed in the past, and six are future themes of

unfulfilled prophecy.

#1—The Judgment of Sin in the World

In Christ, our sins were judged once and for all. The believer in Christ is accordingly freed from the guilt

and penalty of sin because Christ has accepted the guilt and paid the penalty of sin.

A. When John saw Jesus coming to him in John 1:29, how did he describe Jesus?

____________________________________________________

B. According to 1 John 3:5, what was one of the reasons that Jesus came?

____________________________________________________

The phrase “take away” means either to take upon Himself or to remove by bearing it. How did Jesus

do this, according to these verses?

1. 1 John 2:2: ____________________________________

2. Galatians 3:13: _________________________________

3. 2 Corinthians 5:21: _____________________________

#2—The Judgment of Satan

This judgment has a two-fold fulfillment: one aspect of this judgment has happened, and the other will

be fulfilled in the future (Rev.12:7-9, 20:1-3, 9ff).

A. According to 1 John 3:8, what is another reason why Jesus appeared?

_________________________________________________

B. When did God judge Satan? (Read Ezek.28:16; Is.14:12,15) __________________________________________________

C. What are the works of Satan? (Read John 10:10) __________________________________________________

D. What weapons does the devil use to accomplish his works, according to these verses?

1. Revelation 12:9: __________________________________ (See also John 8:44)

2. Revelation 12:10: _________________________________ (See also 1 Tim.3:7)

E. According to John 12:23, 27, 31-33, where did God judge Satan?

__________________________________________________

F. According to Colossians 2:15, how did Jesus’s death judge Satan? (See also Heb.2:9; 2 Tim.1:10)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

G. Of what does the Holy Spirit convict sinners that pertains to this judgment? (Read John 16:8-11)

______________________________________________________________________________________________

H. This judgment has already happened. It is completed. However, the devil is still on the loose. 1 Peter

5:8 tells us he is like a “roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” When will he be ultimately

destroyed? (Read Rev.20:1-3, 7-10) _____________________________________________________________________________________________

#3—The Judgment of Believers

A. The judgment of believers is called the Bema Seat of Christ where we will give account for our work

to either receive reward or lose what we could have gained (1 Cor.3:14-15; See also 1 Cor.4:5; 2

Cor.5:10).

B. According to 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, why must believers appear before the judgment seat of Christ?

_______________________________________________________

C. At this judgment, what will be judged?

1. 1 Corinthians 3:13: ____________________________________

2. Matthew 12:36-37: ___________________________________

3. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2: ___________________________________ (See also Matt.25:14-30)

4. 1 Corinthians 4:3-5: ___________________________________

5. Hebrews 4:12-13: ______________________________________

D. What is Christ looking for?

1. The joyful acceptance of persecution (Matt.5:11-12)

2. Financial generosity (Matt.6:19-21; Luke 16:15)

3. Faithfulness in our vocation (Col.3:22-24)

4. Love for the unlovable (Luke 6:27-28, 35)

5. Doctrinal integrity (2 John 1:7-8)

6. Investment in people (1 Thess.2:19; 1 Cor.3:6-8)

7. Longing for Christ’s return (Luke 12:35-38; 2 Tim.4:7-8)

8. Acceptance of suffering (1 Pet.1:6-7; Heb.6:10)

E. What is the good news about this judgment? (Read 1 Corinthians 4:5)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The issue at this judgment will not be the believer’s sins, but his works. The focus will not be on how

much we have done for Christ, but rather what we have done and how we have done it. The works

that are most acceptable are those done with the conviction that there is no merit in us, but in Christ.

God looks for the works that He Himself has wrought in us.

#4—The Judgment of Israel

There is coming a specific time on planet earth that has never occurred before. Jesus said in Matthew

24:19, “...woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days!” This period is

called the Tribulation period (cf. Matt.24:21; Mark 13:19; 1 Thess.2:16; Rev.3:10,6:17,7:14).

A. The judgment of Israel during the tribulation period is known as a time of

______________________________ (Jer.30:7; See also Ezek.20:33-38; Mal.3:2-5; Rev.12:6, 16-17).

B. What is the reason for this period? (Read Ezek.20:33-38; Mal.3:2-5).

_____________________________________

The judgments during this period are connected with the Lord’s return. The Tribulation is a time of

national judgment to prepare a remnant to enter the millennium kingdom. Tied to this judgment will

also be the judgment of the Nations.

#5—The Judgment of the Nations

The judgment of the nations precedes the millennium kingdom (Joel 3:11- 17; Matt.25:31-46;

2 Thess.1:7-10).

#6—The Judgment of Unbelievers

The judgment of the unsaved dead will be after the millennium at the Great White throne (Rev.20:11-15;

21:8).

#7—The Judgment of the False Religious System

A. The judgment of the false religious system called Babylon.

“THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS...” (Rev.17:1-7; 19:2)

B. The judgment of the antichrist (the beast), the false prophets, and their armies will be at the time of

the Second Coming of Christ (Rev.19:19-21).

Reflection:

The doctrine of judgments is all over the pages of Scripture and God does not blush or stutter about it. What

is it meant to motivate us to do?

A. Get serious about witnessing. Lost people are going to a place where you would not want to send

your worst enemy, let alone your friend. So, get on the phone, write a letter, make a lunch

appointment, or do whatever you need to do to share God’s Gospel with that person.

B. Get committed to discipleship. What we do in this life is preparation for the next.

C. Get acquainted with His agenda. Although the world seems like it’s doing its own thing, know that

God is in total control and He will reign. Will you reign with Him? (2 Tim.2:11-13)

D. Make every effort to be found at His coming in personal purity and spiritual holiness. Do not wait

until the signal comes to get ready. Be ready. (2 Pet.3:11-14)

E. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation (2 Pet.3:15). This means that we are to

remember that any delay in our Lord’s coming is so that many others will be gathered to Him. He is

giving us an opportunity to go and give them an opportunity to come in, so it must be our loving

and intense concern that none be left out (2 Pet.3:9).

F. Abide in Him by making sure that you unblock any channel of faith, obedience, and fellowship with

Christ—get rid of those things that hinder faith, obedience, and fellowship (1 John 2:28). Are you

abiding in Him?

G. We must stay awake, alert, and armed. There are two reasons why people are taken by surprise

when a burglar breaks in. The first is that he comes unexpectedly during the night, and the second is

the householder is asleep. We can do nothing about the first reason, but we can about the second.

The solution to our problem lies not in knowing when the thief will come, but in staying awake and

alert. Our behavior, then, must be daytime behavior. Let us not sleep or yawn our way through life,

nor live in our pajamas.

Closing: Application questions: Being a Doer of the Word

• 2 Timothy 3:16—“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching [what is right], for reproof [what is

not right], for correction [how to get right], for training in righteousness [how to stay right]; so that the man of

God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

1. What did I learn (“teaching”)?

2. Where do I fall short (“reproof”)?

3. What do I need to do about it (“correction”)?

4. How can I make this a consistent part of my life (“training”)?

Answer Key:

Are the following statements true or false?

• F

• F

Review: What is known about the day of final judgment?

A. Christ; Himself

B. angels

C. every man

D. revealed

How Many Judgments Are There?

#1 The judgment of sin in the world

A. as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

B. to take away sin

1. by becoming the propitiation for our sin

2. He became a curse for us and took on God’s wrath and punishment for our sin

3. He became sin on the cross

#2 The judgment of Satan

A. to destroy the works of the devil

B. in eternity past

C. steal, kill, and destroy

D.

1. lies and deception

2. accusation

E. at the cross

F. God’s plan of salvation was completed, conquering sin, death, and Satan

G. Sin, righteousness, and judgment

H. After the millennium (1,000-year reign)

#3 The judgement of believers

B. that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or

bad

C.

1. works

2. words

3. stewardship

4. motives

5. all things

E. each man will receive his praise from God Himself

#4 The judgment of Israel

A. Jacob’s distress

B. judgment

Holy Habits Weekly Devotion

This week’s memory verse: Revelation 21:8—“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable

and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with

fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

This week’s holy habit: Journaling

Journaling can be a powerful tool for Christians. Writing promotes a healthy memory and it furthers learning

and comprehension. Taking the time to write our thoughts down causes us to reflect more and in a deeper

way. Whether handwritten, drawn, or typed, your journal can become an awesome resource that can be

referred to or shared as often as needed. It is yours, and should reflect your personality―add photos,

quotes, articles/links, color, or decorations if you like. Just as each of us has a personal style of

communication, your journal is essentially a personal conversation with God.

DAY 1 Read Luke 2:19.

• Write down your praises for a promise that resonates in your heart.

DAY 2 Read Psalm 111:2.

• Write down ways that you can make practical application of a truth you learned. Be sure to include

in your writing how and when you will apply that truth you learned.

DAY 3 Read Proverbs 4:20-23.

• Write about how you can use your gifts and talents to bless the body of Christ. How can your gifts

and talents be used in a greater way for kingdom purposes?

DAY 4 Read Proverbs 4:25-26

• You have written about your areas of struggle. Now, briefly outline a plan for personal growth.

DAY 5 Read Judges 8:34.

• Write down three to five things that you value about your faith. What is something that you would

want everyone to experience about Christ on a personal level?

© April 30, 2017 The Church at South Mountain

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