God is a Judge. The Bible is full of his judgments on people and nations in history, and it looks ahead to a Day of Judgment when each person will be face God. Jesus himself will be the Judge. Paul writes, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done in the body, whether good or bad” (1 Corinthians 5:10).
Every person who has ever lived will be ultimately accountable to God for everything they have done.
Many parts of the Bible give this refrain:
“For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Jesus, in Luke 12:2-3).
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” (Romans 2:5-11)
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Paul preaching in Athens, Acts 17:30-31)
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
Judgment Day is an uncomfortable idea. Many people deny that a God of love can also be a judge. Many people are afraid of God’s judgment. However, God’s just judgment of sin is essential to his nature. Furthermore, for believers in Jesus, Judgment Day is good news. Here are five reasons why:
Judgment Day will not be a day of condemnation for believers. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1a). Jesus himself said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24).
Judgment Day frees us from shame. Shame comes in part from trying to hide our sin. But we know that at judgment day it will all be exposed anyway. Russell Moore explains in his book The Courage to Stand:
“When we are united to Christ, we are no longer to cringe before the thought of Judgment Day. That’s because we no longer have the pressure to make the case for our own innocence. Our case is thoroughly debunked. At the cross, God has already revealed our guilt. In our repentance from sin, we have already agreed with his verdict, and our ongoing confession of sin reaffirms that agreement. Judgment day happened for us, in a very real sense, already, at the Place of the Skull outside the gates of Jerusalem two millennia ago.” -Russell Moore, The Courage To Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul (B&H, 2020), p. 84.”
Judgment Day assures us of ultimate justice. Evil will not be allowed to exist forever. In this light, the thought of Judgment Day provides comfort when we hear about, see, or experience terrible evil. Judgment day is necessary because God is a god of love, truth, and holiness. Not in spite of it.
Judgment Day helps us forgive freely. When we know that our enemies are ultimately accountable to God, we are free to forgive and love them. Paul made this point clearly in Romans 12:19: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord.”
Judgment Day will be a day of reward. As believers in Jesus, all our sin has been judged on the cross. So what will we be doing before the Judgment seat of Christ? Receiving rewards and commendation for what we have done for the Lord. This can motivate us to “store up treasure in heaven” (Matthew 6:19)
Further Resources
See this video on a closely related biblical theme, “The Day of the Lord”
Call on the coming Judge to be your present Savior. As Judge, he is the law, but as Savior he is the gospel. Run from him now, and you will meet him as Judge then – and without hope. Seek him now, and you will find him. – J.I. Packer, Knowing God
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
How often do you think about Judgment Day? How does it make you feel?
Do you think the idea of God’s judgment fits with what the Bible says about him as a God of love? Why or why not?
Do you have assurance that at the Judgment Day you will not be condemned? Why or why not?