The Final Judgment: An Introduction
The Final Judgment: |
The issue of Judgement is in the minds of many in areas where people have heard about Christ and the Kingdom but very few have the accurate knowledge on this issue according to the true Gospel of the Kingdom. Many have gone before and have taken the time to teach on these issues according to their light leaving a lot of fear in the hearts of many innocent people. The simple proof of error in most of the teachings that have gone before is the fear and uncertainty that the teachings have brought. The Church of today has shifted from the focus of the Gospel which addresses these issues and focussed on what I call the lighter matters.
The issue of judgement is an issue that came from far back in the Old Testament and is always in people’s consciousness when they think of their fate and destiny.
But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness; he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. [Ps 9:7-8]
The best place to understand the subject from is from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who came to reveal the Father and the will of the Father. Jesus Himself talked of the beginning of the judgement of the world as taught in the first chapter of salvation.
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. [John 12:31-33]
Judgement began with Christ on the cross when Christ went on the cross on behalf of the whole Adamic race. All mankind were in Christ when he was on the cross and were judged on the cross. As I have said earlier eternal judgement is being forsaken by God. No one had ever been forsaken by God before Christ tasted it on the cross. This implies that judgement of the whole human race happened on the cross. No one was not judged on the cross and when Christ died, the word tells us that everyone died with Him.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [2 Cor 5:14]
When Jesus died he went to Hades on behalf of the whole Human race. [1 Peter 3: 18] All this that Christ did on behalf of mankind to save mankind and bring them to safety is the essence of the Gospel. Anyone who believes this Gospel and accept it and is born again will not have to go through what Christ did on their behalf. The Gospel reveals that there was nothing fallen man could do to save themselves and there is still nothing but he paid the price that was asked by divine justice so that anyone who believes in Him will not have to face judgement. The people who preached the Gospel bore witness to what Christ did to face judgement on behalf of all mankind.
He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation — he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name. [John 3:18 AMP]
I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. [John 5:24 AMP]
These two scriptures reveal the essence of the Gospel that has not been emphasised and is still not known and understood by many believers. The two portions clearly illustrate that those who have believed in Christ have been judged already and have no judgement that awaits them. The scriptures then revels the scary part of the Gospel showing that those who have not believed have been judged already and condemned. It only takes a decision to believe and receive the Gospel to change their eternal destiny. Every believer has to understand that there is no judgement that awaits them and have to live freely and with confidence. Every born again person is a New Creation which I have chosen to call THE POST JUDGEMENT GENERATION.
The Final Judgment: An Introduction |
Many believers are living in the dark and are not sure of their eternal destiny. Many of these uninformed believers think their eternal destiny is up to God and think that this will be decided on a judgement that is to come. Everyone who has received Jesus as their Lord has passed from Judgement and will only face this judgement if they are to renounce their Faith, depart from the Faith and turn to believe in any other thing other than the Gospel that they have received.
Eternal destiny is hinged on a single decision, which is a choice to believe in the Lord or not. As long as one stays in the faith, how they will live on earth has no impact on whether they will face judgement or not. Many believers believe that there is a judgement that awaits them but this is not true. This is the Judgement that Christ was talking of when he talked of the cross as the time of the judgement for the world.
What then is it that the bible talks of as a judgement that is to come? There are two judgements that are mentioned that are yet to come yet one of them is not judgement in the true meaning of the word. Let’s go into studying what the scripture says to be ahead of both the believers and those who have not believed and those yet to believe.
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