MorningStar Ranch Ministries

Lesson Six

JUDGMENTS

In the Scriptures, we are instructed in how we should be "handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). This is most essential when studying the judgments. Do not endeavor to make all the judgments conform to the theory of one "general judgment." The "general judgment" theory is the invention of religion, and is not taught in the Word of GOD. There are five separate judgments revealed in the BIBLE, and they differ as to time, place, and purpose. Yet, they all have one thing in common: the LORD JESUS CHRIST is the Judge (John 5:22).

Everyone... from Adam to the last man to be born on this earth... will stand before the LORD JESUS CHRIST to be judged.

In the first judgment, the sins of the believers have already been judged in CHRIST on the cross.

In the second judgment, the believer is to judge self, or be judged by the LORD JESUS CHRIST and disciplined.

In the third judgment, all believers must appear at the "judgment seat of CHRIST" where their works are to be judged.

In the fourth judgment, all nations are to be judged at the Second Coming of CHRIST.

In the fifth judgment, the wicked dead are to be judged at the great white throne.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE BELIEVER'S SINS

"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."

John 5:24

In this verse, our LORD tells us that the believer "does not come into judgment." Our sins were judged in CHRIST on Calvary and every believer "has passed out of death into life." This is present salvation. CHRIST paid for out sins. HE was judged in the believer's stead. The believer will not come into judgment because:

JESUS CHRIST paid the penalty, and on the grounds of HIS substitutional death, the believer is separated from his sins forever (Ps. 103:12).

The sins of the believer have been wiped out and GOD has promised that HE "will not remember your sins" (Is. 43:25).

Our LORD suffered for our sins, "the just for the unjust," that we might be saved and never come into judgment as sinners (1 Peter 3:18).

The believer will never be condemned with the world, because CHRIST was condemned in his place. "HE made HIM... to be sin on our behalf" (2 Cor. 5:21). CHRIST was made a curse for us on the cross, and on our behalf redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). "HE has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of HIMSELF" (Heb. 9:26). The believer will not come into judgment because his sins have been purified (Heb. 1:3).

THE JUDGMENT OF THE BELIEVER'S SELF

"But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged"

1 Corinthians 11:31

The judgment of the believer's self is more than judging things in the believer's life. When the believer judges self, the good and the bad in his life come to light; and he will confess the bad (1 John 1:9) and forsake it (Is. 55:7). However, it is not enough just to judge sin in the believer; he must judge self.

To judge self is to practice self-abnegation (ab-ni-gay-shun, to deny to oneself; renounce), for when the believer sees self as GOD sees him, he will renounce self. It is replacing the self-life with the CHRIST-life (Col. 3:4). CHRIST is the believer's life.

To judge self is to deny self. This is more than self-denial. Self-denial is denying one's self of the gratifications of the flesh. If we practice self-denial only, it is treating the symptom and not the cause. But when we deny self, we are attacking the cause, for in self (that is, in flesh) "nothing good dwells" (Rom. 7:18). To deny self is to take up our cross and follow CHRIST (Gal. 2:20).

To judge self is to lose the self-life, and find the CHRIST-life (Gal. 2:20).

To judge self is to no longer be self-conscious, but become CHRIST-conscious (Matt. 28:20).

To judge self is to no longer be self-controlled, but to become CHRIST-controlled (Acts 9:6).

To judge self is to no longer practice self-esteem, but to esteem others better than self (Phil. 2:3). To judge self is to become selfless.

III

THE JUDGMENT OF THE BELIEVER'S WORKS

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of CHRIST, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:10

The believer's works will be judged at the "judgment seat of CHRIST," which is referred to many times in the BIBLE. A careful reading of 2 Cor. 5:10 with the context reveals that only believers will appear at the "judgment seat of CHRIST." Their works will be judged, not their sins, for we have already seen that all sins of the believer have been judged in CHRIST on Calvary, and "There is now no condemnation for those who are in CHRIST JESUS" (Rom. 8:1).

This judgment will take place "in the air," following the first resurrection. "The dead in CHRIST shall rise first" (1 Thess. 4:14-18). There will be a thousand years between the saved and the unsaved (Rev. 20:4,5), and there will be a thousand years between the ""judgment seat of CHRIST" where only the saved will appear and the "great white throne judgment" where only the unsaved will appear.

At the judgment sear of CHRIST, the believer will give account of himself to GOD. Therefore, we should look to our own works, and not judge the works of others (Rom. 14:10-13). (Motivation)

It is a most humbling thought to know that some day the believer will face all of his works... "good or bad." Some will be ashamed (1 John 2:28) and some "suffer loss" -not the loss of salvation, but the loss of rewards (1 Cor. 3:11-15). So whatever you do, do it to the glory of GOD (Col. 3:17).

THE JUDGEMENT OF THE NATIONS

"But when the SON of Man comes in HIS glory, and all the angels with HIM, then HE will sit on HIS glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before HIM; and HE will separate them form one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

Matthew 25:31,32

This judgment is not the judgment of the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15). A careful comparison of the two judgments will establish the following facts:

The judgment of the nations will take place "When the SON of MAN comes in HIS glory... then HE will sit on HIS glorious throne." The great white throne is never called "the Throne of HIS Glory" (Rev. 20:11-15).

At this judgment, HE will judge the living nations (Joel 3:11-16). At the white throne judgment, HE will judge the wicked dead.

At this judgment, there will be no resurrection of the dead. At the great white throne all the wicked dead are raised: "The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades (the grave) gave up the dead which were in them..."(Rev. 20:13).

At this judgment, the judge is GOD "the King" judging the living nations in HIS earthly kingdom. At the great white throne, the judge is GOD, judging only the wicked dead.

At this judgment, there are no books opened. At the great white throne, the "books were opened."

At this judgment, there are three classes judged: "sheep... the saved (Rev: 7:9_17); the "goats" the unsaved (2 Thess. 1:7-10); "tribes" the elect of Israel (Rev. 7:1-8; also Rom. 11:25-28). At the great white throne, there is only one class: "the dead."

At this judgment, the King gives the kingdom to those who have eternal life. At the great white throne, there are no saved and kingdom; they are all "thrown into the lake of fire."

THE JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED

"And I saw a great white throne and HIM who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them."

Revelation 20:11

The great whit throne judgment will follow the thousand-year reign of CHRIST. This is the final judgment, and only the wicked dead are to be judged. According to Revelation 20:5, the believers were resurrected a thousand years before this judgment, and their works were judged at the "judgment seat of CHRIST" (2 Cor. 5:10).

At this judgment, the wicked dead will seek a hiding place from the face of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the judge. But there is no hiding place.

At this judgment, the "dead, the great and the small" will stand before GOD. But the greatness of the great will be of no value. "There is none whose does good, there is not even one" (Rom. 3:12).

At this judgment, the "book of life" will be opened. Why the "book of life" if there are no saved at this judgment? The wicked will be shown that GOD in HIS mercy provided space for them in the "book of life," so that they are without excuse (Rom. 1:18-20).

At this judgment, the dead will be judged "according to their deeds." GOD is a just GOD; and since there are degrees of punishment in hell, some will be punished more than others will (Luke 12:42,48).

At this judgment, there will be no acquittal, no higher court to which the lost may appeal. It is lost, and lost forever; it is damned to all eternity, and that without hope. There is a Hades (Luke 16:19-31), and in Hades, there is no hope, no sympathy, no love; even the love of GOD does not extend beyond the portals of Hades.

Now proceed to Lesson 7