Sermon Tone Analysis

Eternal Judgment

Key Verse: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint the student with the basic Scriptural truths concerning the final judgment of believers and of non-believers.

The judgment of God is PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.

There is a past judgment for believers—the judgment at the CROSS.

John 3:16 (NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 3:18 (NKJV) “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 5:24 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

Hebrews 10:10-14 (NKJV) “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

Colossians 2:13-15 (NKJV) “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.

And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

There is a present judgment for believers described as the CHASTENING of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (NKJV) “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

The present judgment of believers is not a judgment of condemnation but a judgment of sanctification.

God’s judgment of His children is for correction and discipline as a father corrects and disciplines his child for their good and not for their destruction.

Hebrews 12:5-11 (NKJV) “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect.

Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

1 Peter 4:17-18 (NKJV) “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now ‘If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?’”

Future Judgments Include:

1) The judgment of believers (1 Corinthians 3:8-16; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10

2) The judgment of the living nations at Christ’s return (Matthew 25:31-46)

3) The judgment of cities (Matthew 10:15)

4) The judgment of generations (Matthew 12:41-42)

5) The judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30)

6) The judgment of Babylon (Revelation 17:1-19:4, 11-12)

7) The judgment of the Beast, the False Prophet, and their armies (Revelation 19:11-21)

8) The judgment of the unsaved dead (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8)

9) The judgment of Satan and the fallen angels (Matthew 8:29; 25:41; Luke 8:31; Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:7-9; 20:1-3, 7-9)

Focus of this lesson

This lesson will focus on the eternal judgment of both the saved and the unsaved.

It is appointed unto men to DIE once and then face God’s JUDGMENT.

Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”

There will be no second chances.

There is no second life.

There is no reincarnation.

The Nature and Role of God the Father as Judge

1) He will do what is right (Genesis 18:25)

2) His ways are justice (Deuteronomy 32:4)

3) He will judge His people (Hebrews 10:30)

4) He is a just Judge (Psalm 7:11)

5) He is a righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8)

6) He is the Judge of all (Hebrews 12:23)

7) He will judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 9:8)

8) He will judge the world righteously (1 Peter 2:23)

9) He is a God of justice (Isaiah 30:18)

10) He loves justice (Isaiah 61:8)

11) He will judge those who are “outside”, i.e., “unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 5:13)

12) He is a strong Judge (Revelation 18:8)

God the Father has delegated all judgment to His SON who He has ordained to be Judge.

John 5:22-23 (NKJV) “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

Acts 10:42 (NKJV) “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”

Acts 17:30–31 (NKJV) “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.

He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Through the Incarnation Jesus the God-Man shared in the nature and experience of mankind.[1]Because of His unique identification with men living in this fallen world, God ordained that He also preside as the righteous Judge over all mankind.[2]

The Nature and Role of Jesus Christ as Judge:

1) He judges as He hears from the Father (John 5:30)

2) His judgment is righteous (John 5:30)

3) He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31)

4) He does not seek His own will but the will of His Father (John 5:30)

5) He does not judge according to appearance but with righteous judgment (John 7:24)

6) His judgment is true (John 8:16)

7) He is not alone in His judgment (John 8:16)

8) He does not seek His own glory (John 8:50)

9) He has laid down His own life for those He will judge (John 3:16; 10:11)

The Lord has prepared His THRONE for judgment.

Psalm 9:7 (NKJV) “But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.”

The Lord’s throne rests upon the foundation of RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE.

Psalm 89:14 (NKJV)“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before You.”

Psalm 97:2 (NKJV) “Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”

All men are fallen and are already CONDEMNED in their sin until they believe in Christ.

John 3:18 (NKJV) “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 3:17–18 (NKJV) “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Jesus did not come to condemn sinners but to save them if they will turn to Him and believe.

Sinners are already condemned in their sin.

Sinners remain condemned in their sin by refusing to believe.

The Judgment of Believers

2 Corinthians 5:10-11 (NKJV) “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.”

Every believer will one day stand before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.

The Judgment Seat of Christ for believers will take place at Christ’s RETURN.

Revelation 20:4–6 (NKJV) “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.

Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.

Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”