• Self-Evaluation (1 Corinthians
11:28). Believers
practice self-examination, prayerfully and
honestly assessing their own spiritual
condition. The church helps in this endeavor
to purify the Body of Christ (Matt.
18:15-17). Self-judgment requires each
believer to be spiritually discerning, with
a goal of being more like Christ (Eph.
4:21-23).
• Divine Discipline (Hebrews
12:5-11). As a father
lovingly corrects his children, so the Lord
disciplines His own; that is, He brings His
followers to a place of repentance and
restoration when they sin. In so doing, He
makes a distinction between us and the
world: “When we are judged in this way by
the Lord, we are being disciplined so that
we will not be finally condemned with the
world” (1 Cor. 11:32). Whom Christ loves; He
chastens (Rev. 3:19).
Judgments
to Occur in The Future:
• The Judgment Seat of Christ (2
Corinthians 5:10). Resurrected
believers will be judged for their works.
Salvation and sin is not in view at this
judgment, as that was paid for by Christ,
but only faithfulness in Christian service.
Selfish works or those done with wrong
motives will be burned up (the “wood, hay,
and stubble” of 1 Cor. 3:12). Works of
lasting value to the Lord will survive (the
“gold, silver, and precious stones”).
Rewards, which the Bible calls “crowns”
(Rev. 3:11) will be given by the One who is
“not unjust; he will not forget your work
and the love you have shown him” (Heb.
6:10).
• The Great White Throne
Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This final
judgment of unbelievers for their sins
occurs at the Second Coming of Christ,
before the creation of the new heaven and
earth. At this judgment, unbelievers from
all the ages are judged for their sins and
consigned to the lake of fire.
• The Judgment of the Nations
(Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus will sit in
judgment over the nations. This judgment is
also called the judgment of the sheep and
the goats because of the imagery Jesus uses
in the Olivet Discourse. Those who showed
faith in God by treating people favorably,
giving them aid and comfort are the “sheep”
who will enter into the Kingdom. Those who
followed the Antichrist’s lead and
persecuted God's people are the “goats” who
will be consigned to hell.
• The Judgment of Angels (1
Corinthians 6:2-3). Paul says that
Christians will judge angels. We aren’t
exactly sure what this means, but the angels
facing judgment would have to be the fallen
angels. It seems that Satan’s hordes of
demons will be judged by the redeemed ones
of the Lamb. Some of these demons are
already imprisoned in darkness and awaiting
judgment, according Jude 1:6, due to their
leaving their proper dwelling place.
* Historically, all these other
judgments mentioned have been understood as
different aspects (or phases) of the
Judgment on the last day. At this final
Judgment, all of heaven and earth is finally
judged and declared either worthy or
unworthy of eternal life.
• Degrees of Punishment and
Rewards (Revelation 22:12). “Behold, I am
coming soon, bringing my recompense with me,
to repay each one for what he has done."
Christ will come to repay everyone for what
he has done (Rev. 22:12-13), rewarding
faithful servants and punishing every
evildoer. “Recompense” (Greek: misthos,
“wages, reward”) indicates degrees of reward
for believers and punishment for unbelievers
(Luke 12:47-48; 1 Cor. 3:14-15).
One of the Holy Spirit’s tasks in
this world is to convict the world of the
coming judgment (John 16:8-11). When a
person truly understands his sin, he will
acknowledge his guilty position before a
Holy God. The surety of judgment should
cause the sinner to turn to the Savior and
cast himself on the mercy of God in Christ.
Praise the Lord that, in Christ, “mercy
triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).
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