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“After This”

Hebrews 9:27

Yes, there is an “after this!” — “After this the judgment.” Because the righteous Lord loves righteousness, he always deals with all moral creatures upon the basis of strict righteousness, both in the execution of his wrath and in the exercise of his grace (Psalm 11:7). The Judge of all the earth must and shall do right (Genesis 18:25).

Inescapable Fact

The certainty of judgment and eternity, the certainty of eternal salvation and of eternal damnation are things inscribed by God in the conscience of man. You may suppress them and even deny them. But these are facts from which no one can escape, facts all men are conscious of, facts that none can with honesty deny.

And the Judgment Seat of Christ is described for us in very simple, clear, pointed words in Holy Scripture, words that cannot be misunderstood (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Revelation 20:11-15).

God Always Just

The Lord God, the triune Jehovah, is always just. If God sends you to hell, he will do so upon the grounds of absolute, unquestionable righteousness. If he is pleased to bring you into the everlasting bliss and glory of heaven, he will do so upon the grounds of absolute, unquestionable righteousness. The holy Lord God will never violate, or even bend his holy law. He will not compromise his justice. And when he gets done with us, every creature in heaven, earth, and hell will declare, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments” (Revelation 16:7).

Great White Throne

God the Holy Ghost describes that awesome, glorious throne of judgment, before which we all must appear in the last day, as “a great white throne,” to set forth the power, holiness, and sovereignty of the One who sits upon it. It is called “great” because it is the throne of the omnipotent God. It is called “white” because it is pure, spotless, righteous, and just. Nothing proceeds from this throne but justice and truth. It is called a “throne” because the Judge who sits upon it, before whom we all must stand, is the holy, sovereign Lord God. — It is “Christ who died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.”

No Fear

In the last day, when time shall be no more, we all must appear before the august, great, white throne to be judged of God, to be judged according to the strict and exact righteousness and justice of the thrice holy God!

Yet, while the Word of God constantly warns the wicked of the terror of divine judgment and the everlasting wrath of God, the Day of Judgment is never described as a terror to the believer, or even as a thing to be dreaded by us. Rather, for the believer, the Day of Judgment is always set forth as a matter of anticipated joy and glory.

On this earth God’s saints are constantly misjudged. His servants are maligned and slandered by reprobate men. But in that last great day, God almighty will vindicate his people, and he will vindicate his servants (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).

I am not dreading that day. I’m looking forward to it! And I do so with peace. If, as a believer, a sinner saved by God’s free and sovereign grace, through the sin-atoning blood and perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, you understand what the Bible says about that great day, you will look forward to it too.

For all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ, judgment is over. We were judged for our sins at Calvary (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:1). And we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. In the person of our Savior, in union with him, we perfectly obeyed God. We are “justified by the faith of Christ” (Galatians 2:16). In the Day of Judgment the triune Jehovah shall show all the universe the righteousness and justice of our everlasting salvation “to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Jeremiah 50:20).

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s