Sinners in every generation will not escape judgment if they fail to repent and receive God’s salvation. A day is coming, during the great white throne judgment, when all sinners will appear before God for judgment. Those who died without repentance prior to the judgment will go to hell, a place of punishment, while their bodies remain in the grave. However, at the time of judgment, their bodies will resurrect to unite with their spirits and souls. Then, they will be “judged… according to their works.” Eventually, they will be “cast into the lake of fire” forever.
But for the believer, on the day of resurrection, the spirit and soul, which had been with God, will be joined with the resurrected body and the complete man will live in heaven forever. If a beloved child of God dies, believers should not sorrow as those who have no hope. Instead, they should be comforted by the fact that such a person is in the presence of God.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” God is a great and incorruptible Judge who will judge all sinners that ever lived on earth. He will seat on His impeccable judgment throne.
“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.” The judgment seat of Christ is impeccable. It is pure, righteous and without any miscarriage of judgment. Sinners will appear before the impeccable, righteous judgment seat of the Lord. Hence, our duty, as believers, is to warn them of the impending judgment of all who die without salvation. As we perform this responsibility, we should also be conscious of His judgment because He is the silent Listener to every conversation, the quiet Observer and Recorder of every action. No doubt, “he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”
The sentence of God on the guilty will be irreversible. There is no other place to appeal that judgment. The Scripture affirms that the whole world is guilty before God (Romans 3:10-19). Except a person repents before he dies, there shall be an irreversible judgment upon him. God is a righteous and holy Judge; He weighs our actions, behaviours and thoughts, whether they are good or evil. He is not just the Judge of a section of the society, group of people or nation; He is the Judge of all the earth who “shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” Therefore, believers must proclaim nothing else, but His revealed judgment. He wants “all men everywhere to repent” because He has “appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained…”
Christ is the innocent Substitute for the guilty, full of grace and truth. He grants us His grace, which transforms us and takes away our punishment. Although He died, it was not for His sins; He was innocent. As our Substitute, He suffered for the sins we committed and bore our judgment. Repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus is the only way of escape from God’s impending judgment. All who are cleansed by His blood should abide in Him, “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.”
• Further reading (King James Version): Revelation 20:11-15. Revelation 20:11,13; Daniel 7:9,10. Revelation 20:11,13; Daniel 7:9,10; 2 Corinthians 5:10,11; Psalm 96:10-13. Genesis 18:25; Psalm 9:8,17; Amos 3:2-4,8; Acts 17:30,31. Matthew 27:4,19,24,46; Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:5-10.
