Judgment: It's for Real (part 3)
Amos 6:12 Shall horses run
upon the rock? will one plow there
with oxen? for ye have turned judgment
into gall, and the fruit
of righteousness into hemlock:
Some say that the judgment is a figment of our imagination.
Some say that God would not judge the world and sinners
Some say that the doctrine of judgment
was put together by
devious men to keep people doing what
they wanted them to do.
Some people believe that the judgment
is good news. Or can be.
judgment scenes on cathedrals etc.
Let's look at the concept of judgment a moment.
As I alluded to in the first sermon
of this series, judgment is
the most prevalent theme in the Bible.
Is there anyone who
agrees with me on this? Judgment,
judge, and judging are
mentioned over 750 times in the Bible.
And that does not count
the allusions to judgment. That
is far more times than the
second coming is mentioned.
You remember. Judgment began
in the Garden of Eden. Cain was
judged (marked) for the crime of killing
his brother. It was
manifested in the flood. It's beauty
was shown in the
translation of Enoch. The Egyptians
felt it when their Pharaoh
defied God. And we are still in
the first 2 books of the Bible.
I could go on.
The ultimate judgment, was that of
Jesus Christ on the cross,
who was judged there for our sins.
He knew the depths of
separation from God. He died eternal
death so we could pass
through judgment when we accept him.
Today I want us to look at the concept
of judgment in a general
way in the Bible.
When you think of judgment,
how many of you think of the
picture of a lone man standing with head
bowed before thousands
of holy beings who are sitting behind
a tall golden barricade.
Beside the man stands an angel or Jesus,
depending on the
particular representation, and towering
over him is the throne
with God sort of leaning over the edge
peering down at the
distraught sinner. Any of you have that
vision of judgment?
Is that a correct view of judgment?
Must we as Christians
stand before God in that manner?
Or could it be that we have
already stood in judgment before God?
As far as we are concerned, the Bible
is clear that the works
that we do in the flesh are important
as far as out eternal
destiny goes.
You may be surprised to know that
in the Bible judgment is as
often seen as positive as negative.
Today, I guess I'll ask if you want
the good news first, or the
bad news. Well, I'm going to give
you the bad news first.
Rom 14:10 "But why do you
judge your brother? Or why do you
show contempt for your brother? For we
shall all stand before
the judgment seat (throne - bema ) of
Christ."
2 Cor 5:10 "For we must all
appear before the judgment seat (
bema- throne ) of Christ, that each one
may receive the things
done in the body, according to what he
has done, whether good or
bad.".
"For God shall bring every work
into judgment, with every
secret thing, whether it be good, or whether
it be evil" (Eccl.
12:14). For "the Lord shall judge his
people" (Heb. 10:30).
Psa 1:5 "Therefore the ungodly
shall not stand in the
judgment, nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous."
2 pet 3:7 But the heavens and
the earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved
unto fire against the day
of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
1 Pet 4:17 "For the time is
come that judgment must begin at
the house of God: and if it first begin
at us, what shall the
end be of them that obey not the gospel
of God?"
Now not one of us wants to be judged
in our present condition.
We know that we are guilty of all of the
sins that Satan accuses
us of. All must be judged.
We are judged by our works. If we
are judged guilty in the judgment, then
we are going to be
burned by fire. Is all of that Biblical?
Did we not just read
that. Not only that, but more than
that, judgment begins with
those who claim to be the followers of
Christ, according to
Peter.
Then how in the world can we find a text like this in the Bible?
Psa 7:8 "The LORD shall judge
the people: judge me, O LORD,
according to my righteousness, and according
to mine integrity
that is in me."
Can you honestly relate to that?
How about this one?
Jer 10:24 "O LORD, correct
me, but with judgment; not in thine
anger, lest thou bring me to nothing."
Ps 54:1 Save me, O God, by thy name,
and judge me by thy
strength.
John 5:22 ""For the Father
judges no one, but has committed
all judgment to the Son,"
5:27 "And hath given him authority
to execute judgment also,
because he is the Son of man."
But you say, Pastor, I thought that
WE did not come into
judgment
John 9:39 "And Jesus said,
For judgment I am come into this
world, that they which see not might see;
and that they which
see might be made blind."
John 5:24 ""Most assuredly,
I say to you, he who hears My
word and believes in Him who sent Me has
everlasting life, and
shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into
life."
Now are you confused? David
asks for judgment. Jeremiah asks
for judgment. Jesus said that he
came into the world for
judgment. And he also said that
if you believe in him, you do
not come into judgment.
Before we explain, perhaps we need to
look at the positive side
of judgment.
Psa 9:1 "I will praise You,
O LORD, with my whole heart; I
will tell of all Your marvelous works."
Psa 9:2 "I will be glad and rejoice
in You; I will sing praise
to Your name, O Most High."
Psa 9:3 "When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish
at Your presence."
Psa 9:4 "For You have maintained
my right and my cause; You sat
on the throne judging in righteousness."
Psa 9:5 "You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the
wicked; You have blotted out their name
forever and ever."
Psa 9:6 "O enemy, destructions are
finished forever! And you
have destroyed cities; Even their memory
has perished."
Psa 9:7 "But the LORD shall endure
forever; He has prepared His
throne for judgment."
Psa 9:8 "He shall judge the world
in righteousness, And He
shall administer judgment for the peoples
in uprightness."
Psa 9:9 "The LORD also will be a
refuge for the oppressed, A
refuge in times of trouble."
Psa 9:10 "And those who know Your
name will put their trust in
You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken
those who seek You."
Psa 9:11 "Sing praises to the LORD,
who dwells in Zion! Declare
His deeds among the people."
Psa 9:12 "When He avenges blood,
He remembers them; He does not
forget the cry of the humble."
Psa 9:13 "Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from
those who hate me, You who lift me up
from the gates of death,"
Psa 9:14 "That I may tell of all
Your praise In the gates of
the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in
Your salvation."
Psa 9:15 "The nations have sunk down
in the pit which they
made; In the net which they hid, their
own foot is caught."
Psa 9:16 "The LORD is known by the
judgment He executes; The
wicked is snared in the work of his own
hands. Meditation. Selah"
Psa 9:17 "The wicked shall be turned
into hell, And all the
nations that forget God."
Psa 9:18 "For the needy shall not
always be forgotten; The
expectation of the poor shall not perish
forever."
Psa 9:19 "Arise, O LORD, Do not let
man prevail; Let the
nations be judged in Your sight."
Psa 9:20 "Put them in fear, O LORD,
That the nations may know
themselves to be but men. Selah"
What do you see in judgment here?
Take some time to talk this
over.
Now I want you to turn to John 5.
look at verses 44-47 and
discuss what this tells us about judgment.
John 5:44 ""How can you believe,
who receive honor from one
another, and do not seek the honor that
comes from the only God?"
John 5:45 ""Do not think that I shall
accuse you to the Father;
there is one who accuses you; Moses, in
whom you trust."
John 5:46 ""For if you believed Moses,
you would believe Me;
for he wrote about Me."
John 5:47 ""But if you do not believe
his writings, how will
you believe My words?""
What do you learn about judgment in this passage?
2 Chron 20:12 O our God, wilt thou
not judge them? for we have
no might against this great company that
cometh against us;
neither know we what to do: but our eyes
are upon thee.
13 And all Judah stood before the
LORD, with their little ones,
their wives, and their children.
Ps 72:2 He shall judge thy
people with righteousness, and thy
poor with judgment.
3 The mountains shall bring peace
to the people, and the little
hills, by righteousness.
4 He shall judge the poor of the
people, he shall save the
children of the needy, and shall break
in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee as long as
the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon
the mown grass: as showers
that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous
flourish; and abundance of
peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from
sea to sea, and from the
river unto the ends of the earth.
ps 76:8 Thou didst cause judgment
to be heard from heaven; the
earth feared, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment, to
save all the meek of the
earth. Selah.
Ps 96:13 Before the LORD: for
he cometh, for he cometh to
judge the earth: he shall judge the world
with righteousness,
and the people with his truth.
Ps 97:1 The LORD reigneth;
let the earth rejoice; let the
multitude of isles be glad thereof.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about
him: righteousness and
judgment are the habitation of his throne.
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth
up his enemies round
about.
4 His lightnings enlightened the
world: the earth saw, and
trembled.
5 The hills melted like wax at the
presence of the LORD, at the
presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the people see
his glory.
Is 1:16 Wash you, make you
clean; put away the evil of your
doings from before mine eyes; cease to
do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment,
relieve the oppressed,
judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together,
saith the LORD: though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be
as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient,
ye shall eat the good of the
land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye
shall be devoured with the
sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it.
Is 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed
with judgment, and her converts
with righteousness.
is 26:9 With my soul have I
desired thee in the night; yea,
with my spirit within me will I seek thee
early: for when thy
judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants
of the world will
learn righteousness.
is 30:18 And therefore will
the LORD wait, that he may be
gracious unto you, and therefore will
he be exalted, that he may
have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a
God of judgment: blessed
are all they that wait for him.
Is 42:1 Behold my servant,
whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom
my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit
upon him: he shall
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be
heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break,
and the smoking flax shall
he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment
unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged,
till he have set
judgment in the earth: and the isles shall
wait for his law.
Is 59:11 We roar all like bears,
and mourn sore like doves: we
look for judgment, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is
far off from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied
before thee, and our
sins testify against us: for our transgressions
are with us; and
as for our iniquities, we know them;
Jer 9:24 "But let him that
glorieth glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am
the LORD which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness,
in the earth: for
in these things I delight, saith the LORD."
Jer 11:20 "But, O LORD of hosts,
that judgest righteously,
that triest the reins and the heart, let
me see thy vengeance on
them: for unto thee have I revealed my
cause."
Jer 22:3 "Thus saith the LORD;
Execute ye judgment and
righteousness, and deliver the spoiled
out of the hand of the
oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence
to the stranger, the
fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed
innocent blood in this
place."
Jer 23:5 "Behold, the days
come, saith the LORD, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch, and
a King shall reign and
prosper, and shall execute judgment and
justice in the earth." 6
"In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell
safely: and this is his name whereby he
shall be called, THE
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Ezek 5:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD;
This is Jerusalem: I have
set it in the midst of the nations and
countries that are round
about her.
6 And she hath changed my judgments
into wickedness more than
the nations, and my statutes more than
the countries that are
round about her: for they have refused
my judgments and my
statutes, they have not walked in them.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;
Because ye multiplied more
than the nations that are round about
you, and have not walked
in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments,
neither have
done according to the judgments of the
nations that are round
about you;
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;
Behold, I, even I, am
against thee, and will execute judgments
in the midst of thee in
the sight of the nations.
9 And I will do in thee that which
I have not done, and
whereunto I will not do any more the like,
because of all thine
abominations.
10 Therefore the fathers shall eat
the sons in the midst of
thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers;
and I will execute
judgments in thee, and the whole remnant
of thee will I scatter
into all the winds.
15 So it shall be a reproach and
a taunt, an instruction and an
astonishment unto the nations that are
round about thee, when I
shall execute judgments in thee in anger
and in fury and in
furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken
it.