Resurrections and Judgments

Transcript

GR 350
2/24/1980
Resurrections and Judgements
JOHN 5:28-30
Gil Rugh

The gospel and the 5th chapter in your Bibles. John’s gospel and the fifth chapter. In your bulletin, you should have received an insert that has a chart on one side and brief summary on the other. You may want to get that out and keep it handy—we’ll be referring to it as we move along through our study this morning.

You remember the 5th chapter of John focuses in on a miracle that Jesus performed in healing a man who had been lame for 38 years. This miracle was carried out on the Sabbath which caused great consternation on the part of the Jewish leaders. They were greatly offended that Jesus would violate their traditions. And the real issue boils down to the fact that they are offended with Him as a person, and are unwilling to recognize who He is and the authority that He has as the Son of God.

With verse 19, Jesus begins to give an explanation of who He is and what He does. The problem with the Jewish leaders was that they were concerned more about their religious tradition than they were about the reality of God’s purposes and accomplishments. They failed to recognize who Jesus Christ was and what He could do and with verse 19 of chapter 5, Jesus begins to explain to them exactly who He is and why He has the authority to do what He does.
He not only is Lord over the Sabbath, He is Lord of all because He is One who is equal with God. In this section beginning with verse 19 and it carries really through the rest of the chapter, Jesus is going to be driving home the point that He Himself is equal with God but functions in perfect harmony with God. There is perfect unity and Oneness in that relationship. The Jews had the idea that Jesus was violating God’s purposes for the Sabbath, because as often happens, their concept of religion, their religious traditions began to blend together and they began to see them as what God wanted. It was just the opposite—it was a violation of what God wanted. So, Jesus is portrayed here as the One who is the Lord of the Sabbath as God Himself. He is equal with God but He is not in conflict with God, because they work in perfect agreement. So He is not violating what His Father would want done on the Sabbath. He only does what His Father does. They work together. And so you have that balance—equality and harmony. Equality and order. Because the Son is subject to the Father, but He is subject as an equal as Deity Himself.

Two prerogatives which are the focal point that we will be focusing on this morning—that of resurrection and giving life, and that of exercising judgment. Two prerogatives of deity. That God has reserved for Himself—to give life, raise people from the dead; and, to exercise judgment. And both of these are exercised by the Son.

Verse 21, "Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He wishes." And the Jews acknowledged and recognized that God was the author and source of life. And here Jesus makes the claim that ’I give life just like the Father does, and I give it to whomever I wish.' This will include not only spiritual life, as we've looked at, forgiving of sins and bringing into a personal relationship with God Himself, but also physical life, resurrection from the dead. We'll be talking about that later this morning.

Then in verse 22, we have the subject of judgment. "Not even the Father judges any one, but He has given all judgment to the Son." There are certain prerogatives which are prerogatives of deity alone. God could not delegate to me the authority to be judge of all mankind. That is a prerogative that He has reserved for Himself. The Old Testament makes clear that God is the Judge of all mankind. So the fact that He delegates this authority to the Son does not indicate inferiority on the part of the Son, but equality because the only One that the Father could delegate judgment of humanity to is another person who is deity. And He delegates it to the Son. The delegation does not indicate inferiority. It indicates order. They are functioning in harmony. But the fact that judgment is relegated to the Son indicates the Son’s deity because judgment of humanity is the prerogative of deity alone. Now He could have delegated it to the Holy Spirit—the Holy Spirit is deity as well. But in the perfect plan and order of God, it's His plan that God the Son exercise judgment.

Now. Verses 28-30, we'll be just looking at these and then beyond them to other issues. You note, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice..."—The voice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God—"and shall come forth." Note, all are going to be resurrected. We noted this last week. Everyone who dies will be resurrected back to life. No exceptions. Now. Two divisions—those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life. Those who committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. So everyone will be resurrected. But not for the same purpose. Some will be resurrected to enjoy life in an eternal relationship with God. Some will be resurrected to receive judgment and condemnation. Two kinds of resurrection.

"I can do nothing on My own initiative, as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just; because I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me."
This subject on resurrection in verses 28 and 29 is surrounded, verses 27 and 30, with the emphasis on judgment. They go together. Resurrection always involves a judgment, of one kind or another. There are 2 kinds. But every time you talk about resurrection, there will be judgment involved. But a markedly different judgment. Now some have taken from verses 28 and 29, when He talks about resurrection of life and a resurrection of judgment, that there is just a general resurrection. A point in time all those who have died will be brought back to life, they will be judged and that will be it. But the rest of Scripture makes it clear that there is an order and a sequence over a period of time in which resurrections and judgments will occur.

Let me make one note before we make reference to another passage. It says "Those who did good deeds, to a resurrection of life; those who did evil deeds, to a resurrection of judgment." As we'll see, always involved in the subject of judgment are works. But no one is going to go to heaven on the basis of their works. And the emphasis here, those who did good are those who have come to believe in Him. The rest of this chapter will make clear that the issue is believing in Christ, coming to Him that they might have life. Over in verse 40, "You are unwilling to come to Me that you might have life." The issue is those who believe in Christ, rely upon Him as their Savior, His death and resurrection, have forgiveness of sins and are made new persons. Thus the character of God is manifest in and through them. So they are described as those who did good. Without that work of God, there is none that does good not even one, the Book of Romans tells us. Those who do not believe in Him simply manifest the character of their Father the devil. They do evil. And they will be judged in light of their character and sentenced to hell.

Now jump back to the passage we read for our Scripture reading to Revelation chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20. Now the time we're talking about here is the second coming of Christ to earth to set up His kingdom. Revelation 19 talked about the second coming of Christ to earth. In the opening verses of chapter 20, Satan is removed from the scene. Jesus is ready to set up a rule of righteousness over the entire earth, and you'll note verse 4."I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them." So you note, judgment is in the context. "The souls of them who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus..." etc. Emphasizing here primarily those who were saved in the Tribulation and were martyred for their faith. We'll note that period of time in a moment. But note the end of verse 4, "They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection." Important statement. "Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years." And then verse 7 opens up "And when the thousand years are completed. . ." Important. It's mentioned in verse 2, verse 3, verse 4, verse 5, verse 6, and verse 7—this thousand-year period of time. And we’re told that at the beginning of this period of time you have the first resurrection. Then there is 1,000 years and then there is a group of people who will be resurrected. Because there is blessing pronounced on those who are raised before the thousand years. The characteristic is that the second death will not affect them. We'll see that not only by implication but by clear statement that those who are raised at the end of the thousand years will be affected by the second death. What you have here is the resurrection to life and the resurrection to judgment, and now the Scripture is clear. There is a thousand years separating these two resurrections.

Alright. Now you have the chart you received in your bulletin. Let's look at that for a moment. This is a review for many of you since I've given this chart before. But I thought it might help us follow along just to set in our minds the resurrections and judgments that do occur. The first resurrection and first judgment being dealt with on this chart is Christ. At the cross He judged sin. Sin, Satan were judged at the cross. Now He was raised from the dead. And you use 1 Corinthians 15:23 and 24 as the pattern where Christ is called the first fruits. The idea coming out of the Old Testament where the first ears of grain were brought in and presented to the Lord. That was a sign of a coming harvest to follow. Now Christ in His resurrection is the sign and guarantee of subsequent resurrections. So He is called the first fruits. Then we are told after Christ, those that are Christ’s at His coining will be raised. Then the end.

Now. Those that are Christ's at His coming—and really, in the first resurrection we will have a quality of resurrection. It's not just one resurrection, but it's a kind of resurrection because Christ is part of the first resurrection. But His resurrection already occurred 2,000 years ago, and yet others are to be resurrected yet. But it's all part of the first resurrection. It's a kind of resurrection, a quality of resurrection; it's a resurrection to life. Now who is included in the first resurrection? Christ—He's first in order; then the Church—those who come to believe in Jesus Christ as personal Savior, from Acts chapter 2 down to that point in time called the Rapture when the resurrection occurs. They make up the Bride of Christ; they are a special, unique group. Now this is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4. And in 1 Thessalonians 4 in particular, we are told that in this point in time, every person who has come to believe in Jesus Christ (since Acts chapter 2) will be bodily raised from the dead, and caught up to meet Christ in the air. Now you have to be clear on what death is for this all to make sense. The Bible is clear that what happens at death is a separation occurs. We mentioned spiritual death—spiritual death is when a person is separated from God. That's spiritual death. Those who have not come to believe in Jesus Christ are spiritually dead—they are separated from God. The Bible says physical death occurs when a person is separated from their body. Jerry mentioned that we had two from our number who died this past week. The Bible is clear that what happened is these individuals left their body. James 2:26 says "The body without the spirit is dead." At the point of physical death, a person leaves his body. They do not cease to exist—they are just as alive and conscious as they have ever been. They are simply not residing in this physical body any longer. These two who died this past week have not ceased to exist—they are alive and conscious and aware right now. They are not living in their bodies that is all. Now at that point of physical death, when a person leaves their body, they go immediately either into the presence of God in heaven or into a state of torment and suffering in a place called hades. One of two places. Now in the passages in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, we are dealing with those who have really come to believe Jesus Christ died for them and they are relying upon Him alone. They have been in the presence of God in heaven. Now at this point in time, Christ descends in the air and He calls their body from the grave. And it is raised in a glorified state, and they move back into that body. Now the glorified body—what is that body like? It’s been laying in the grave for a day, for a week, for a month, for a hundred years, for a thousand years. Now God is going to call it back together, and I take it that is no problem for God. You know, we have all kinds of questions--if someone dies and is burned up or their body returns to dust or it happens in the sea and it's carried all over—it's not a problem with God to bring that body back to life and He’s going to. What kind of body will it be? Look at the back of your chart.

The way we get some insight into what our resurrection body will be like is to look at the body of Christ because He is the only person who has ever received what is called a glorified body. There are other people raised from the dead—He's going to raise Lazarus in John chapter 11 after being in the grave 4 days—Christ is the only person who has received a glorified body. A body prepared and suited for God's presence in heaven, never to die again. Anyone else who was ever raised from the dead had to undergo physical death again. Lazarus being an example. What is the body that we are going to receive for eternity going to be like? Well, we look at some of the indications of the body of Christ and we get an idea.

Point 1: It was the same body that was crucified and buried. The question comes, Well, what does it matter with this body? It's going to be this same body that you're sitting in this morning. Now don't let that cause you any concern! Some of us thought we might do better next time around! It's going to be this body, but it's going to have all imperfections removed. It's a glorified body, it's glorious in its character. It's suited for the glory of God's presence. It's the same body. This is indicated by the fact that Christ's body had the nail prints in His hands and feet and the wound in the side. Now our bodies won't have scars or any marks that we may have received in this life. The body of Christ bears these marks because they have special significance to us because they are the special reminders for eternity of the price of our redemption. The Son of God, being crucified on a cross; but it does indicate that it was the same body that was crucified on a cross that was put in the grave that was raised back up to life. Also, He was recognized pretty easily after His resurrection except on occasions where it was His purpose to keep those who He was talking with from recognizing Him. They were supernaturally prevented from recognizing Him. But otherwise, they clearly recognized it was Him.

Point 2:It was a body that had material substance. It was not the kind of body that you sometimes get the idea from a television program or movie like a ghost—just a vapor and you grab onto it and it’s gone. No. This body is going to have substance. Jesus ate food, and I've given you verses you can look at in your leisure. Luke chapter 24 He had fish with the disciples. So the glorified body is going to be able to sit down and eat. It won't need food to sustain it but it will have the ability to eat. It's a body that can be handled and felt. The disciples could hold onto Him, feel Him, grasp Him. It had substance, and it is also a body that has flesh and bones. Now note that point. From Luke 24, a body that has flesh and bones. Some cults will try to get you on this who don't believe in the resurrection body. 1 Cor. 15 says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. It does not say that the resurrected body and flesh and blood. It says the resurrection body has flesh and bones—blood is that which sustains the physical body, evidently the resurrection body will have no blood. It will not be sustained in the same way that this body is sustained.

Point 3: It was a body without previous limitations. Not restricted by physical barriers, able to come and go at will. He appears in a closed, locked room, so I think the resurrected body is going to be a blast! We're just going to come and go unrestricted! Just here and there, without limitations. But nonetheless, I take it we're going to know each other in glory. We may look at one another and say, 'Boy, I hardly recognized you without all the imperfections! But now that you mention it, I can tell!' Like someone who hadn't been here for a while and came and they had their beard shaved off, and I said 'Boy, I don't think I would have recognized you at first!' Well, that's the way it's going to be when they take away these imperfections, etc. But it's going to be this body. It's going to be us in a glorified body. So that's the body we're talking about.

Look back over to the chart. In this first step, called the Rapture of the Church—when believers from Acts chapter 2 down to that point are raised is the Rapture of the Church. Now that's when those who have believed up to that point are raised bodily from the grave. They have been in the presence of God in heaven. They will move back into their glorified bodies and reside there for eternity. Another interesting fact, at that point in time everyone who is alive on earth who has believed in Jesus Christ will also receive their glorified bodies—1 Corinthians 15 focuses on that event. So if it would occur right now, every believer in this room would just bodily disappear, be caught up to meet Christ in the air and in that instant of time (called an atom of time in 1 Cor. 15) in a moment—translation of the Greek word, moment. Smallest particle of time. We shall be changed. And we shall experience that process of glorification that will suit us for God’s presence bodily for eternity.

Now that's the first stage in the second coming of Christ. Two parts— first coming to gather His Bride, the Church. Then there is a 7-year period called the Tribulation. And then there will be the second stage to earth. But you remember that connected with resurrection is judgment. So the believers, the Church that is raised in the first step from 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 now are to be judged. BUT, we've been saying 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ I don't have to worry about being judged for my sins because Christ died on the cross. He took my punishment. He took my condemnation; He took my judgment. But the Bible is clear that I must now stand before the judgment seat.

Let's look at this. It's a different kind of judgment seat. It's a different kind of judgment and we want to mark it off as distinct. Those who were part of the first resurrection were judged, but they are judged in a totally different way than those who are raised at a later date are.

Couple of passages—look at Romans 14. Romans the 14th chapter. Verse 10 says "Why do you judge your brother? Or again, why do you regard your brother with contempt?" Incidentally, in the context here—people pull these kind of verses out about judging—it’s talking about whether or not a Christian ought to eat a ham sandwich. That’s the kind of issue, the kind of food you eat. Some felt they couldn't eat certain kinds of food. Others felt they could. It's trying to judge in areas where the Word of God allows flexibility and freedom. It has nothing to do with speaking to the issue of whether a person is going to heaven or hell. God has already spoken on that issue. Judgment has already occurred. But note the last part of that verse. "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God." Now he is talking to Christians here, to believers. And he says we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. As many of you are already aware, the word here for judgment seat is Bema, B-E-M-A. It is only used of the judgment that Christians, that believers, will appear before. It was the expression—the Bema seat— was the raised platform where athletic rewards would be rewarded. Familiar with it from like the Olympic events that are transpiring. Where when someone has won a medal, they appear before the Judge. They don't appear before the judge expecting to be condemned and judged for something wrong they have done. They come expecting the reward they have earned, and that's the kind of judgment seat we are talking about. It would be the same expression used back for the Greek athletic games in biblical times. Those who won in the contest, won in the Olympics, would come before the Bema seat and receive their reward.

Look over in 2 Cor. chapter 5, this expression is used again. 2 Cor. 5 and we've been talking about death a little bit, just eluding to it. The opening verses of 2 Cor. chapter 5 are key verses on what happens at death to a person who is a believer. We just want to pick up with verse 9, "Therefore we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." Whether I'm at home in this body or whether I leave this body, I want to be pleasing to Him. "For we must ALL appear before the judgment-seat of Christ (the word BEMA there) that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." You say 'Wait a minute, I thought I wasn't going to be judged for my sin. I thought Christ died for all my sin. Now you tell me I am going to be recompensed for the bad that I've done.' But it's interesting. There are several words that could be used for 'bad' in Greek. There are 2 words that could have been used to denote evil or sinful in the context of bad. The word here is the word ’phaulos.'
Its connotation basically is ’worthless', of no value. And the judgment that we will appear before will reward us for those things which are worthwhile, the good, and we will not be rewarded for those things which are worthless. So as we stand before that judgment seat, we will be rewarded for the worthwhile things, the worthy things. But the worthless things there is no reward for. I take it this encompasses all those things, all those areas of life which are so multitudinous which have no value. We couldn’t look at those things and say that is sinful in and of itself. It simply has no eternal value. This is a concern as much or more than the concern about Christians who are involved in sin that is awful but how subtly the lives of believers have become filled with worthless things. We ask one another questions like, What is wrong with it? The basic question is, What value does it have in light of eternity? At this judgment seat, there will be no reward for worthless things. You may be able to say it wasn’t sinful directly, but I filled my life with something which was worthless. It had no eternal value. This is the way the world acts. They fill their lives with activities, not always wrong. They just have no real value. And the tragedy is that so many of us believers have filled our lives with things that have no real eternal value. And that’s awesome in light of the fact that you and I are going to appear before a judgment seat—we are going to be rewarded on the basis of worthwhile things. Those things done in light of eternity. And here is where motives will be involved and attitudes. Not that I preach the Word of God but why I preach. The times I preached so people would exalt me, honor me, that I would get acclaim, that I would get better pay, that I would get this or that, no reward for that. That was worthless. It is of no value. The things I filled my time with when I was just passing the time of day. No value. I was interested to read one outstanding commentary by a man who is a leader in one of our evangelical seminaries. He said so much of things like our jobs will fall into this category, where we've given our lives to our jobs and to acquiring our homes and other things—position, prestige. And you know what? In eternity, it won't matter a bit. It won't matter how I served Jesus Christ, whether I was president or janitor. It won't matter whether I was a multi-millionaire or I was as poor as could be. It will matter how I served Jesus Christ. And worthwhile or worthless.
Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, one other passage on this judgment. In verses 12-15, we only have time to elude to it, here we're told that how you build and the analogy is with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw— each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it. Talking about the judgment day. "It will be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward." We're only talking about those who have built upon the foundation of Christ. That's the starting point. Those are the only ones getting rewards. He presupposes that in verse 11, there is no other foundation that can be laid down except Jesus Christ. He is the only foundation. Those who are not building on Him will have no rewards at all. But those who are building upon the foundation of Christ, true Christians now, you can build with worthless things—wood, hay, stubble. They cannot endure the fire. You can have a big pile of straw, it's not as valuable as one little diamond, one little precious stone. You say, look I've got 4 acres of straw. But look, I've got one little box of diamonds. What's worthwhile? Well, it's clear. What will stand the test of fire? Well, that's the issue here. But note verse 15. "If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved..." The issue is not salvation. Salvation comes through personal faith in Christ. The issue is rewards for eternity. You say, Well as long as I get to heaven, I don’t care! Well, I take it God wouldn't tell us about it if it wasn't worthwhile. You say, Well I just love the Lord and I just want to serve Him. Well, the Bible lays out for us crowns for the believer.
And it says that we are going to be rewarded with crowns for our service for Him. They are called Stephanos. We get the name Stephanie, the Greek word Stephanos, word means a crown. And it’s a victor’s crown. Two kinds of crowns— there’s a diadem. That's the crown of a sovereign or a ruler. In the song we sing 'Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him...' Jesus Christ is the only One who has right to wear the diadem. He is the sovereign, the ruler. The Stephanos is the crown of the victor. In the Olympics today, we give out the gold medal. In biblical times, you would have received a crown, a temporal wreath crown. That was your victor's crown. And the way the medals are today, your Stephanos. The reward for your victory. The Bible says we will be given these as believers for faithfulness in service. We say, Well, that's interesting. So what are we going to do for all eternity? Well, we're going to show off our crowns. And I'm going to invite you over to my house and show you, look at my trophy case and look at the crowns I got. And you're going to say, Well, come on over I got 2 more! Not at all—that's our carnal idea. Revelation chapter 4 tells us what we are going to do with these crowns. We are going to cast them down before the Throne of God. The crowns that we receive tie with our ability and privilege of glorifying God for eternity. So is it worthwhile? The privilege of glorifying God for eternity? And I should fill my life with worthless things? I should fill my life with the trivia that the unbeliever fills his life with? Should I have nothing more important to do with my life than to become a president or an executive, have a big house or a big salary? In eternity, who cares? But there are things that do matter for eternity. That's my faithfulness in service.

Just let me mention the crowns and where they are found in Scripture.
Five specific Stephanos crowns are mentioned as promises to the believer, and we don’t have time to turn to the passage. You can jot it down if you're interested in looking at them later. 1 Corinthians 9:25—an incorruptible crown for mastery over the old man. Second, 1 Thessalonians 2:19—a crown of rejoicing for leading men and women to Jesus Christ. Sometimes called the soul winner’s crown, the crown of rejoicing. James 1:12—a crown of life for enduring trials. We look at our trials differently. God is giving us opportunity to store up crowns in His presence as we go through trials. What a privilege as He brings trials into our lives. The opportunity to persevere and store up crowns in His presence. 2 Timothy 4:8—a crown of righteousness for loving His appearing. And 1 Peter 5:4—a crown of glory for feeding the flock of God, tied to the ministry of the elders in 1 Peter 5.

So those are 5 specific crowns, victor’s crowns, promised in the New Testament. You ought to study them, read over them. They have to do with eternity for us as believers.

Now back to the flow of our chart. This will occur then—believers from Acts chapter 2 down until the Rapture. Their bodies are raised from the grave if they have died. If they are still alive, they are snatched up to meet Christ in the air. Then they appear before the Bema seat to receive their rewards from Him. Now, there is a 7-year period of tribulation on the earth, covered by Revelation chapter 6:19. Then Christ returns to the earth. Jump to Revelation chapter 20 again. At that point in time, the Old Testament saints like David and Abraham and Moses, etc. are raised from the dead along with any who have come to believe in Christ and been martyred during the 7-year Tribulation. They are raised at that point in time. They are still part of the first resurrection, they are believers. So the first resurrection includes Christ, then it includes those who are members of the Bride, the Church from Acts 2 to the Rapture, then it includes Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints. Those 3 different times, 4 different individuals. Christ, the Church, Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints. Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints are raised when Christ comes to earth to set up His kingdom, and they are rewarded at that time as well as Revelation 20 verse 4 says. Along with Daniel 12:1,2. And they rule and reign with Him through the Millennium. Now. At the end of the thousand years, there is another resurrection. We have raised to life every single person who has ever believed in the salvation that God has provided, who relied upon their Savior and Him alone. But what about all those people who have never trusted Him? They are raised at the end of the thousand years. And in Revelation chapter 20 down to verse 11. We know verse 7 tells us this is after the thousand years are completed. There are some events in verses 7-10. Then to verse 11. "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. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds." You note.
Two kinds of books here. The books that contain all their works, and the Book of Life. And they are judged not according to the Book of Life but according to their deeds. But you'll note, everyone at this judgment is going to hell. The Book of Life is there because those whose names aren't in the Book of Life are going to hell. They are simply being judged according to their works to determine where in hell they will be sentenced. That's clear in verse 15. "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." So it's not a matter that they will judge my works and if they put enough good works the scale will tilt, and I'll get to heaven. Because the penalty for sin is death, it's not good works. You don't have enough good works to balance the scale, and besides God says you don't have any so you can't even get the scale started. Everything is on the negative side from God's perspective.

This is the last resurrection and the last judgment of Scripture. When every unbeliever is raised. You note there are no exceptions. The dead, in verse 12, the great and the small. There's nobody too important. There's nobody too insignificant. You note how they're all leveled right here. Nobody had enough influence to miss the judgment. Nobody was too insignificant to be passed over. Every single person who did not come to believe is brought before this judgment to be sentenced to hell. You note, death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. That simply is a way of saying, everyone who had died and everyone who was in Hades—because everyone who dies who is an unbeliever goes to Hades and awaits this judgment to be finally sentenced to hell. They are thrown into the lake of fire. You say that's the end of them then, they are consumed and burned up. No. One of the characteristics of the resurrection body is that it is not susceptible to decay, to death or dying. It cannot be destroyed.

Now we get a glorified body that will live forever in the presence of God. They get a body that is just as durable. But it is suited for eternal suffering. We get a body that is suitable for eternal glory. They get a body that is suited for eternal suffering.

Look in verse 10 of the same chapter. "The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Strongest way you can say eternity in the Greek language. "Unto the ages of the ages."
Day and night, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for trillions and billions of years! There's no end. You say, I can't grasp that. A loving God going to sentence people to hell forever, I just can't believe it. You know why people don't believe it? Because they lose sight of what Jesus said in John chapter 5. That His judgment is just. He is not only a God of love, He is a God of justice. And in love He provided redemption for mankind. But many are unwilling to have His redemption. Unwilling to respond to His love and they will become recipients of His justice. It’s perfectly fair. It’s perfectly right. What could a just God do with people deserving of hell but sentence them to hell if He is to maintain His justice.

Look back in Revelation chapter 14, verse 11. The same kind of description. "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night.." That’s the description of what it is going to be like— torment forever and ever, day and night. I can’t grasp it. I can’t conceive of it, that there will be no end to it. That they won’t be able to look at it and say they at least get a break, in 40 billion years, there’s no break, no let up. You say I just can't conceive of it. I can’t either. I can't grasp it but I can grasp this much of it even with my finite mind—that it is an awful, awful description. I have no conception of the eternal glory that is going to be in the presence of God for billions and billions and billions of years. But I know it’s real because God told me.

One thing, when you come to resurrection and judgment, you have to take God's Word for it. Because there is no one else to tell us, and He tells us there is going to be resurrection and there’s going to be judgment. He says the decisions we make now regarding Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection that alone determines when you will be resurrected and at what judgment you will stand.

Now you note. Everybody here is going to be resurrected. Everybody here will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Some will stand before the BEMA seat to receive rewards from Him. Some will stand before Him to be sentencec1 to hell. But everyone is going to be resurrected; everyone is going to be judged.

One passage in closing, Acts chapter 24. It's an awesome passage. Paul is addressing Felix. It's interesting. Felix is a man of wealth, a man of importance, a man of prestige, but I wonder today if you were going to change positions with Paul or Felix, who would you rather be? Paul the prisoner, the nobody humanly speaking? Poor, irrelevant as men would look at him? Or Felix? And note, at the end of verse 24, Felix heard Paul speak about faith in Christ. "And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, 'Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you.'" Two years passed, Felix talked to him but as far as we can tell, Felix never believed. Tragedy. To be confronted with the reality of judgment and yet not believe. It says the books are opened and the judgment is there. I take it will be recorded for some who come to this auditorium and do not believe in Jesus Christ, that on this date in this place you heard that Jesus Christ died. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and yet you chose not to believe. You chose to trust your own filthy works. You chose to trust your own doings and not Mine. It is only just that I sentence you to tell. The same kind of thing Felix has to look forward to. He heard but he chose not to believe. He is condemned in his own sin.

A tragedy that you would come and hear, and eternity hangs on that one issue. Jesus Christ, God's Son, in love died to pay the penalty for your sins. Why do you not believe? Isn't it amazing? God doesn't ask man to pay his money. To do anything but trust His Son, and yet we are so stubborn in our sinfulness that we are determined to do it our own way. God guarantees that someone day judgment and justice will be meted out. What a joy it is to know that the judgment and condemnation has been taken by Jesus Christ. I'm not looking forward to condemnation. I'm looking forward to the rewards that will be given to those who belong to Him. And that ought to be the governing guideline for your life as a believer.

Is your life filled with worthless things? Are you consumed with your service for Him in light of eternity ahead? Let's pray together.

Father, thank you for the greatness of your salvation. Lord that you chose to author a salvation that is sufficient to cleanse, to forgive sinful fallen humanity.

Lord, I pray for those who are here and heard this message, Lord, and have not believed. I pray that in grace and mercy your Spirit might work in their life to draw them to Jesus Christ and the salvation that is in Him.

For those of us who have believed, Father, pray that we might honestly and openly before Him examine our lives, Lord, the trivia, the worthless, frivolous things that occupy so much time and attention. Lord, may our lives be arranged around eternity in light of the fact that we shall be rewarded in the presence of Jesus Christ for our faithful service for Him, for we pray in His name