FINAL JUDGMENT

“In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel” (Rom. 2:16 NKJV).

There are sufficient warnings in Scripture about a future judgment. Our verse gives some specifics about such a judgment. It speaks of the certainty of judgment, the character of judgment, the court of judgment, and the criteria for judgment.

Certainty of judgment – “Will.” That judgment is certain is a familiar theme in Scriptures. Another verse of Scriptures which reinforce this certainty is Heb. 9:27: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The certainty of judgment ought to inspire all to properly prepare for judgment. Meeting judgment improperly prepared will be an eternal tragedy.

Character of judgment – “Secret.” The idea here is that the judgment will be thorough. There will be no covering up of the evidence in Divine judgment. We may hide things from men, but we can hide nothing from God; He knows all. All the facts will be present at judgment time.

Court of judgment – “Jesus Christ.” The judgment mentioned will be in the court of the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the most qualified Person to be the Judge. First, He is qualified by Divine appointment (John 5:22; Acts 17:31). He did not become Judge by political power or favor. Second, He is qualified by His impeccable character. The Lord Jesus is sinless and perfectly righteous. He is not corrupt like many judges of our day. Third, He is qualified by knowledge of the law. A judge must know the law to be a good judge, and no one knows the Divine law like the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Psalm 40:8; Luke 2:46-47).

Criteria for judgment – “According to my gospel.” The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will be the basis for this judgment. Most folks today despise the Gospel. But this does not change the fact that the Gospel will be the criteria by which men will be judged. What a person does with the Gospel will determine their eternal destiny. Rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ means eternity in hell. Accepting the Gospel means eternity in heaven.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The fact that Jesus will sit upon the throne of judgment will be the consternation of His enemies and the consolation of His people!”

John Murray (1898 - 1975)

Scottish American Professor and Theologian

Word Study

Fervent

In 1 Peter 4:8 we read, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (NKJV).

“Fervent” is the Greek word ektenḗs (ἐκτενής = ek-ten-ace'). It is made up of two Greek words: “ek” which means out, and “teíno” which means to stretch. The word carries the idea of an intense strain and unceasing activity which involves a degree of intensity and perseverance. Ektenḗs was used to describe a horse whose legs are fully extended while galloping. It was also used as a medical term describing the stretching of a muscle to its limits. In Grecian athletics, ektenēs described a runner with the taut muscles moving at maximum output, straining and stretching to the limit in order to win the race! Here in 1 Peter 4:8 ektenēs is used to describe the depth of the love to be shared among believers. The admonition is that believers are not merely show fervent love to one another, but to make sure that their love endures against self-seeking interests.

Did You Know…

According to the Book of Romans, God’s invisible qualities been seen since the creation of the world (Rom. 1:20-21).

Bible Quiz

In Old Testament times what was the job of the prophet?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

How many times hotter than usual did Nebuchadnezzar order the furnace for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? 7 times hotter (Dan. 3:19)

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

A Faithful Priest (1 Sam. 2:35) - Prefigures the Lord Jesus Christ as our Faithful Priest (cf. Heb. 2:17; 3:1-3; 7:26-28)

"Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever” (1 Sam. 2:35 NJKV).

Although the priesthood had been promised to Aaron’s descendants in perpetuity (Ex. 29:9), this promise was conditioned on faithfulness, and Eli and his sons had forfeited this claim (1 Sam. 2:30-31; 3:11-14). Had Eli and his family proved worthy, the possession of this right might have been confirmed to them. Like King Saul, they proved unworthy of it, and so lost it forever. This promise was partially fulfilled in Samuel because he functioned as a godly priest, and was also partially fulfilled in Zadok, in the days of Solomon, because he replaced Eli’s family line in the priesthood (cf. 1 Kings 2:35). However, the promise was ultimately fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, the “merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God” (Heb. 2:17, 7:26-28).

Did You Know – Christian History

Allen Francis Gardiner was born January 28, 1794, in Berkshire, England. He was a British missionary and Royal Navy officer.

Gardiner was religiously educated, and entered the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, in May 1808. As a young man, Gardiner had rejected Christianity. But on a voyage to Cape Town, Ceylon, India, Malaysia and China, a spiritual crisis resulted in his conversion to Jesus Christ. This led to him preaching the gospel in Tahiti and South Africa (where he founded Durban). In Chile, he backpacked for over 1,000 miles, handing out tracts, but was rejected as an enemy. The same was true in Indonesia. In 1850, he shifted his attention to the Yagan Indians of Patagonia, the ones Charles Darwin said couldn’t be civilized.

Gardiner’s missionary party, in two small boats, landed in Patagonia, hoping to locate “Johnny Button,” a Yagan who knew some English from previous captivity. But in various encounters, the Indians drove Gardiner and his assistants away. The mission team fled and would not defend themselves with their guns. They wanted to rescue lost souls from damnation, not plunge them into eternity before they could hear about Christ. When they attempted to land in southwest Tierra del Fuego, they wrecked one of their two little boats, the Pioneer, on the rocks. They sheltered in the other at a cove called Spanish Harbor. Becoming sick, they sailed back to Picton Island. At Banner Cove they buried a message beneath a great boulder and painted a message on it: “Dig here below. Go to Spanish Harbor. March 1851.” They hoped their supply ship would see the writing on the rock and dig for the message they had buried in a bottle.

In October, 1851, a British ship read the message and found three of the missionaries dead. They buried them but did not find Captain Gardiner and his friend Maidment. The ship had to beat a hasty retreat because of a brewing storm. The admiralty ordered H.M.S. Dido to investigate. On January 19, 1852, the Dido, following the messages left at Banner Cove, found Captain Gardiner and Maidment dead near the wrecked boat Pioneer. Gardiner’s diary was in his hand. Its last lines, written on the 6th of September were: “By God’s Grace this blessed group was able to sing praises to Christ for eternity. I am not hungry or thirsty in spite of 5 days without eating; Wonderful Grace and Love to me, a sinner...” Fourteen missionaries lost their lives before the first Patagonian came to Christ. Then the transformation in the character of the savages was so great that Darwin himself is said to have become a subscriber to the South American Mission Society which carried the gospel to them.

A Little Humor

Walking up to the couple, the parishioner said, “I understand that you are newcomers, welcome! So glad you are here. By the way, you are in my seat.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Avoiding the Son can be hazardous to your spiritual health!”