God delights in mercy and grace than in wrath and judgment. According to David, it is better to ask God to judge you than a man. This is because He will have mercy on you in the course of the judgment, more than a man would – 2 Sam. 24:14,
“And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for His mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.”
Yes, even in judgment, God characteristically wants to show mercy – Jas.2:13, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
Jesus our Judge
God has delegated the future judgment of believers to Jesus Christ – Jn. 5:22, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”
The reason is mainly to enhance the honour of Jesus – Jn. 5:22b-23a, “… committed all judgments unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father…”
Being a partaker of human infirmities, Jesus is also able to bear with our infirmities and temptations. Remember that Jesus is in Heaven for us as a man. This will make Him a compassionate judge to us in future – Jn. 5:27,
“And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” It is therefore to the advantage of mankind that, God has delegated the judgment of believers to Jesus. As a Son of man, Jesus will show mercy to mankind.
This delegation also goes to show that the judgment-of-mankind function of God is unpleasant to Him.
Jesus is the Word
Jesus’ nature, like God’s, being so merciful, has made Him transfer practical future judgment from His Person to His Word – Jn. 12:48,
“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
Jesus transferred future judgment to His word to further favour us, because the standards of God’s judgment are clearly spelt out in His Word which He has already given to us. Therefore, through His Word, we can know these standards ahead of time, and be able to make the mark.
So now, let us turn our attention at examining the Bible to find out the general basis of the future judgment of believers.
How do you judge others?
God’s judgment will be according to the truth of His Word – Rom. 2:1-3, “Therefore thou art inexcusable O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”
The same truth of God’s word by which you measured others will be applied to you – Matt. 7:1-2, “…For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” – vs. 2a.
There are people who are so hard on others. They criticize everything and everybody; from their parents to their bosses, to presidents of nations and men of God; even to Jesus Himself.
My friend, lay down your stones because those standards will be used for you. Whoever you are, you cannot shoot your mouth at people and be free from God’s judgment.
Whatever you demand from others, make sure you are not guilty of them in your own way. God is not a respecter of persons – Rom. 2:11.
How practical are you?
God’s judgment will be according to your works or practical life – Matt. 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His Angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.”
“…and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works”- Rom. 2:5b-6.
Apostle Peter also says: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work…” – 1 Pet. 1:17
So my friend, it is great to have good plans, vision and intention for God, but God is concerned about what you are practically doing for Him now.
When it comes to your practical life, the great things you will do in future or the great things you did in the past is not as relevant as what you are doing now.
So, do not just glory in the past, or in your future. What you are doing now is what God is most concerned about – Eze. 33:10-16.
Yes, you may have had a wonderful beginning, but what are you doing now? And my friend, you could have had a bad past, but what you are currently engaged in is what is important to God.
Therefore, move on with life instead of being bogged down with the past – Heb.3:13-14, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;”
How is your secret life?
God’s judgment will be according to motives, thoughts and heart – Rom. 2:16, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”
Another Scripture says: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart: and then shall every man have praise of God.” – 1 Cor. 4:5.
Our motive for what we do and say is critical in getting God’s approval. Men may say how great we are for what we have said or done, but will God say the same thing? God is not just interested in you doing the right thing, but doing it with the right motive.
Yes, He will praise your practical life depending on the hidden motive with which we lived.
You know, the right motive is being minded to draw attention to Jesus, and not to your self – Jas. 4:3. It is thus to do things mainly because you love God and not for your benefit in its-self – 1 Cor. 9:17-18.
What are your standards?
God’s judgment will be according to His standards of righteousness, not yours – 2 Tim. 2:5, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”
It is not enough to just work hard ‘for’ God. You must do it His way. Beloved, God has got standards in doing things. When Jesus was on earth, He was careful not to compromise or adulterate God’s standards.
For example, contrary to the accepted religious standards of His day, Jesus radically established God’s version of righteousness, murder, adultery, swearing, love etc in His very first public sermon – Matt. 5 and 6.
Yes, God also has His own version of faithfulness, hard work, life, prosperity, marriage, the gospel, morality etc for man. Whereas human standards in these elements of life deteriorates with the passing times, God’s version of them, which was set for mankind by Jesus, remain the same.
Therefore, what men may now consider as an excellent marriage, or a good life, may not be like that at all before God.
What Jesus considers as murder, or adultery, as in Matthew chapter 5, remains the same; no matter how mankind scientifically calls them now or even excuse them.
Moreover, things that influence man’s judgment, like ‘race’, gender, religion, profession, wealth, tears, appearance, position etc will not influence Jesus’ judgment.
What light is available?
Furthermore, God’s judgment will be according to the light available during one’s time – Rom. 2:12-16, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” – vs.12.
The light or revelation of God has been given progressively. It started from the creation of the world till this time, when we have the full Counsel of God written as Bible and made available for ‘every one’ to acquire.
This is unlike in the first century, when the Bible was not mostly owned individually as it is today. So, God will judge us based on the availability of information about Him that we could get or not get in our time – Lk. 12:47-48,
“And that servant, which knew his Lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
Leaders therefore, will be judged with greater strictness because much grace and knowledge has been committed to them. If you are a leader, do not think you are doing well before God, just because you are better in doing something than your subordinates.
Yes, man of God, you will be judged differently from your followers. They may make the mark that is set for them, whilst you may not make the one set for you – Jas. 3:1, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation “or judged with greater strictness.
The knowledge of God that has been made accessible to us by the death of Jesus cannot be compared with that at the time He had not died.
This is because our Lord’s death tore open the veil that shielded the Presence of God from the ordinary person; thus making God reach-out directly to all mankind and vice-versa.
So generally, God will judge us according to how easy or not we could access His information about our lives – Matt. 11:20-24,
“Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgment, than for you.” – vs. 22. Chorazin and Bethsaida had more exposure to Jesus whilst He was in Israel than the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Yet they never responded to Jesus as would have Tyre and Sidon under the same exposure.
So, Jesus said He was going to be tougher on them, compared to His judgment on Tyre and Sidon.
The principle here is akin to what we are discussing now, namely that: we will be judged according to the measure of exposure and understanding that was made available to us.
It’s between you and Jesus.
Moreover, Jesus’ judgment will be on individual basis. In other words, no one’s ancestry, righteousness or unrighteousness will affect the other –Eze. 18:1-4, 20.
Yes, it is only Jesus’ righteousness that can be passed on in this life, and that is what will be recognized in the believers judgment – 1 Jn. 4:17,
“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.”
My friend, you can have boldness during the judgment as a believer. This can happen only when you are like Jesus. And, you get to be like Jesus by faith in the divine exchange on the cross, where Jesus took your sin and its derivatives and gave you His righteousness and its derivatives – 2 Cor. 5:21,
“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”.
