There are people who do not believe that God exists or, that they shall one day be personally judged by a Creator for what they have done in life. Because of this philosophy of unbelief, individuals find freedom to eat, drink, and be merry, knowing that one day they shall die. Such people are not concerned who they hurt, as long as they are happy.
Christians are not of this persuasion. The Christian faith teaches that God is the Creator to whom each person will one day stand to give an account for the things done in the body, both good and bad. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
Conscientious Christians ask themselves, “How will God judge me?”
A good starting point in determining the answer is to engage in self-examination. The Royal Command comes, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. 13:5).
With a sanctified imagination, consider that the Court of Heaven is now in session, by way of a preview for the Day of Ultimate Judgment. Draw near and hear the indictment of your own conscious. Answer truthfully, “Have you ever committed any of the following transgressions against God’s holy Law?” “How do you plead?”
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10).
Romans 1:26-32 Mark with an “X” if Guilty
___ Vile affections
includes homosexuality
includes bestiality
___ Filled with unrighteousness
___ Fornication
includes lesbianism
___ Wickedness
___ Covetousness
___ Maliciousness
___ Envy
___ Murder
includes hatred in the heart
includes abortion
___ Debate
___ Deceit
___ Whisperers
___ Backbiters
___ Haters of God
includes atheism
includes agnosticism
___ Despiteful
___ Proud
___ Boasters
___ Inventors of evil things
___ Disobedient to parents
___ Without understanding
___ Covenant-breakers
___ Without natural affection
___ Implacable
___ merciful
1 Corinthians 6:9,10
___ Fornication
includes pornography
___ Idolaters
___ Adulterers
___ Effeminate
___ Abusers of themselves with mankind
___ Thieves
___ Covetous
___ Drunkards
___ Revilers
___ Extortioners
Galatians 5:19-21
___ Adultery
___ Fornication
includes pedophilia
includes necromancy
___ Uncleanness
___ Lasciviousness (wantonness, sensuality)
___ Idolatry
___ Witchcraft (drug use)
___ Hatred
___ Variance (quarrelsome, contentious)
___ Emulations (envy, jealousy)
___ Wrath
___ Strife
___ Seditions (dissension, division)
___ Heresies
___ Envyings
___ Murders
___ Drunkenness
___ Revellings (partying, rioting)
Consider Ephesians 5:5
___ Whoremonger
___ Unclean person (impure, lewd, demonic)
___ Covetous man who is an idolater
Consider Revelation 21:8
___ Fearful (cowardly)
___ Unbelieving
___ Abominable
___Murderers
___ Whoremongers (sexually immoral)
___ Sorcerers (demonic magic)
___ Idolaters
___ Liars
The question is asked by every thoughtful person. “Will I go to heaven when I die?” “How will God ultimately judge me?”
The answer depends on how you want to be judged.
God has revealed there are two bases on which He will judge the world. The first way God will ultimately judgment a person is by way of the new birth, and a person’s relationship to Jesus Christ. A personal relationship with Jesus is possible because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
When a person repents of sin, confessions Christ is Lord, and call upon Him for salvation, then that person is removed from the list of the damned, and their name is listed in what the Bible calls, the Book of Life.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev. 20:12).
Scripture teaches those whose names are written in the Book of Life shall have their works evaluated, but their souls shall be saved by grace, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
No matter what a person has done, all sins are forgiven, to be remembered no more by God. When the Accuser comes to rob the heart of peace because of sin, the Christian can look to the Cross of Calvary and remember that “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
After listing many sins of the flesh, the apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11).
A person can be justified, or declared righteous, in the sight of God became of God’s own promise. Listen and hear God say, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25).
Though a person may sin grievously after salvation, and many do, God has promised to be faithful and gracious, upon repentance and confession. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
God will judge a person according to their gospel obedience who hear His Son, Jesus, as He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29).
However, there is another way God will judge individuals for Revelation 20:12 says, “and the books were opened”. The word “books” is in the plural which means that while there is a Book of Life, there is another book which might be called the Book of Works. “And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
There are many people who see themselves like the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray.
“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12).
The belief of the Pharisees is obvious. He saw himself to be a good person, especially when compared to others.
In like manner, many see themselves as a good person, even though they are guilty of so many transgressions in life. Individuals sincerely believe their good deeds out weight any bad they have done. So, they say to God in essence, “Judge me by my works, apart from Christ. I am a good person. I am a doctor. I am a lawyer. I am a social worker. I help people. I have been a good mother, wife, husband, or father. I am generous and giving. Judge me.”
God will do exactly that. Such souls shall be weighted in the balance of divine justice and found guilty. The gates of heaven shall be closed against them, while the mouth of hell shall be opened wide to receive them. Why? Because the righteousness of the non-Christian is as filthy rags in the sight of God.
So, the question comes. “Do you want to be judged by your good works as set forth in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Christian Science, Judaism, or Mormonism?” Or, “Do you want to be judged by your relationship to Jesus?”
Choose you this day whom you will serve. Many have already made a choice.
There is an estimated 1.8 billion Muslims in the world.
There over 1 billion Hindus in the world.
There are approximately 6 million followers of Confucianism.
There are between 200-500 million adherents to Buddhism.
There are about 14 million Mormons in the world, nearly the same number of Jews.
There are about 100,000 members of Christian Science.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
There is an estimated 2.2 billion Christian in the world which makes Christianity the largest religion on the planet.
Christianity is a religion based upon a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the only living Lord. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
“The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands.” ~ Martin Luther
The Arminian takes matters into his own hands by declaring that salvation depends on his own free will, instead of relying only on the free grace of God.
The Muslim takes the matter of salvation in his own hands by being a devout follower of Allah and honoring Mohammed.
The Buddhis seeks Nirvana by embrace the Four Noble Truths and then following the Eightfold Path.
In the matter of salvation, the gospel invitation is to look to Christ, by faith alone, and live. Let the Christian say in the Day of Ultimate Judgment, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the Cross I cling.”
Forsake the false religions of the world that lead you to think you shall be saved by your good works, and flee to Jesus, whose atoning work on Calvary is the only way of Salvation God will honor.
