Login » Sign Up! » Search

Your Judgment Day is Confirmed

Get the discussion questions for Your Judgment Day is Confirmed

So how do you like taking tests? Personally, I can't get enough of them. I think it's the coolest feeling in the world knowing that you're going to be put on the spot, and if you're not ready you'll end up looking like a complete moron.

moron n : a person of subnormal intelligence [syn: idiot, imbecile, half-wit]

I also enjoy the days and hours leading up to an exam. Rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, and shortness of breath only add to the sweetness of the whole experience.

But maybe that's just me. Most people I know don't look forward to tests. There's something about your brain or body undergoing inspection that can shake even the stoutest of souls.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but you have a huge test coming up. It's bigger than the biggest test you could ever imagine in your wildest dreams. The scary part is that there is no way you can get out of it. You cannot call in sick, get a note from mommy, or take a vacation to the Fiji Islands.

But don't feel singled out. Every person on earth is scheduled to take this 'final'.

It's called judgment day, and it's coming to an eternity near you.

Don't believe in it? Well, it's a free country - but I have a letter from one of Jesus' best friends that proves it enough for me. The Apostle John was transported into the future and told to write down what he saw. Here's the scene:

I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there--before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death--Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

This judgment is for people who rejected God's free gift of salvation through Jesus. All they had to do was take a few seconds and place their trust in Christ as their only hope of escaping judgment and going to heaven. Instead, they stubbornly decided to live life their own way, which is what they are now being judged for:

"Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived."

This is the final exam for unbelievers called the Great White Throne Judgment. People's lives will be played on the heavenly IMAX screen with billion channel Dolby. Scene after scene of each man and woman rejecting Christ over and over every day of their existence will prove to all the universe that they are truly guilty and have chosen to spend eternity apart from God. This is all prosecution because there is no defense...and the saddest part of all is that this exam could have been aced if only once they would have said 'yes' to Jesus.

So you say you have said 'yes' to Jesus? Awesome...but don't forget that you have a final exam as well. It's called the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the Bible describes it this way:

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

Don't worry, this isn't a Santa Claus deal where everyone finds out who's been naughty and nice. The Judgment Seat of Christ is more about things you did for yourself versus things you did for God. Here's what God's Word says about this final exam:

But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. (I Corinthians 3:13-15)

Here's the deal: all Christians are basically construction workers, building God's Kingdom. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, everything we did to honor and glorify God (like share our faith, serve others, etc.) will pass the 'test' of God's holy fire. The things that are left over are our rewards for serving Jesus. Everything we did just for ourselves (make money, try to look good, ignore others' needs, etc.) will burn up like a cotton ball in hell.

Do they even have cotton balls in hell?

If they do, they won't last long. And neither will all the things that you thought were so 'important' on earth when judgment day comes.

If I were you, I'd start 'studying' for this inevitable exam. Make God your Papa, Jesus your passion, and the Holy Spirit your power. Live each day as if your test might come tomorrow. Quit spending your time chopping wood for the blazing, burning, bonfire that will show the truth about every Christian's life.

I'd love to write more, but I gotta go study for a test...

Wait a minute, aren't we in the same class?

Head: What you need to know about this truth

There is a judgment day for both Christians and non-Christians. The Great White Throne Judgment judges all non-Christians for their willful rejection of Jesus Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ tests the works of all Christians as far as what they did for the King and His Kingdom: selfish works burn up, godly works are rewarded.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Scared. There's just no other way to put it. I'm overwhelmed with joy over heaven, but I'm as terrified as a turkey before Thanksgiving when I think of judgment day. Think about the most nervous you have ever been before a test and multiply that times a million. You and I are going to give an account before God and everyone for the time, talents, and treasures we have been loaned by God. Sometimes it's a good thing to be scared...like if you see a lion charging you, that's a good time to be scared. Same thing: there's a judgment day charging you, so use your fear to motivate your thoughts and actions towards serving Christ. If you do, you'll be in good company, because here's what the Apostle Paul wrote:

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies. It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord that we work so hard to persuade others. (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

I'm also scared for those who don't know Jesus. I have been given the privilege and responsibility of warning them about the coming terror, and so have you. Next time you see your unsaved friends and family, picture them standing before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

This is not a test you want to put off studying for, because in some ways it is like a "pop quiz" - your chance to get ready for it could be taken away at any moment. Start today to store up treasures in heaven that will last forever (Matthew 6:20 ). How do you do this? Easy - stop living just for yourself! You don't even draw a breath without the permission of God, so what gave you the idea that your whole life is yours? I believe the two questions that will be on the final are:

1. Show how you loved God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (i.e. prayer, worship, Bible study, etc.)
2. Show how you loved your neighbor as yourself (i.e. evangelism, discipleship, service, etc.)

Start filling in the blanks today and you won't be sorry tomorrow!