This page has five passages, six verses in all. It is interesting to watch these lists grow in the future notebooks (I copied the lists into the beginnings of the next two or three notebooks so I could keep adding to them)... Once I am there with the blog, I plan to link through from each notebook to the other. I'll be using the NASB, my current translation, even though this is based on NKJV. One last note, on spelling. Judgement was a spelling word at some point in my school career, and I was taught that it was optional to drop the e. The conventional spelling drops the e. Guess it's time to learn to do that. Let's jump in.
- And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, — Heb 9:27
- 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. — 2 Co 5:10
- "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. — Jn 5:28-29
- "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. — Jn 12:48
- For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, — Col 3:6
One thing that I'm noticing about this list is that out of everything the Bible teaches about the judgment and Judgment Day, these represent the simpler concepts, rather than the difficult passages about what exactly happens when we die or what sort of body we will be raised with. There is also a progression between the thoughts here. Judgment happens after death, to every man. We are judged by Christ based on the life we lived, and will reap what we have sown. (Gal 6:7). This judgment will happen when Jesus returns and the dead are raised. We will be judged based on the commandments of the Word, and those who have been disobedient will receive God's wrath.
At first, I thought this page was for collecting a list of verses that talk about the judgment, but it seems to be instead designed to teach someone the basics about the judgment. Towards that goal, I now think that the Colossians passage is at best a weak addition, as the reward for disobedience had already been mentioned, and at worst a distracting ending, because the context of the verse is not focused on teaching about the judgment. As I reflect further on this, I think I also planned to use this page to respond to the cry of "Don't judge me!" or "The Bible says not to judge."
So now, I want to address both of those situations: teaching someone what the Bible says about the judgment, and responding to "Don't judge me."
For the first, I think you could do well by staying within John. Already, with the two passages quoted above, you have the jist of the message: We die, then are raised, and judged based on our actions as compared to the standard of God's word. By starting earlier in John, we can show that Jesus's first journey to earth was not for judgment, but to provide a way of salvation.
"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.
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
"He 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.
"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." — Jn 3:16-21
I really appreciate how this is worded in the NASB. Failure to believe in Christ means that our soul is doomed. If we believe, we can then choose to walk in His light through obedience or walk in darkness through disobedience, and we will be judged for our walk when He returns.
"The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 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." — Jn 3:35-36
In John 4, we learn that there is eternal life, and Jesus is the source of it. By starting earlier in chapter 5, we can also establish that Jesus will be the judge and that His authority comes from God.
"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
"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. — Jn 5:22-24
With those first five chapters of John, the same basic ideas about judgment can be easily expressed, using Jesus's own words, and keeping in one general context. A further study of judgment, and eternal life through Jesus, can then be explored by continuing in John.
For the second scenario, which I believe was the key motivation for this page, I think a key verse to point to is "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." — Jn 7:24
Still in John, still Jesus's words. Here we are commanded to judge, yet we see two types of judging: unrighteous-according to appearance, and righteous-which would be according to God's word. In the often quoted Matthew 7, it is easy to tell that hypocritical judgment is also an example of unrighteous judgment.
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged.For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. — Mt 7:1-2
Later in the chapter, Jesus actually commands righteous judgment as he tells us to be watchful for false teachers:
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. — Mt 7:15-20
We are to look at the fruits of others to see if they are following God's commands and if they are teaching us the truth. Others can look at our fruits to see if we are obedient and showing the Light of God in our lives. For us, the goal is love and encouraging each other to serve God. We are not declaring the destination of others, but are told to watch ourselves and warn each other if we see a brother caught in sin. (Jude 21-23) When Jesus returns, He will look at the fruit of the lives of all men with the ultimate righteous judgment, and we will reap as we have sown.
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