The Final Judgment

”The Final Judgment” (Matthew 25:46)

Introduction: The day of the Lord is coming at a time when Jesus said no man would know the day nor the hour. Because of this, Jesus was constantly warning His disciples to be ready. He said, ”THEREFORE BE ON THE ALERT, FOR YOU DO NOW KNOW WHICH DAY YOUR LORD IS COMING. BUT BE SURE OF THIS, THAT IF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE HAD KNOWN AT WHAT TIME OF THE NIGHT THE THIEF WAS COMING, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE ALERT AND WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED HIS HOUSE TO BE BROKEN INTO. FOR THIS REASON YOU BE READY TOO; FOR THE SON OF MAN IS COMING AT AN HOUR WHEN YOU DO NOT THINK HE WILL. WHO THEN IS THE FAITHFUL AND SENSIBLE SLAVE WHOM HIS MASTER PUT IN CHARGE OF HIS HOUSEHOLD TO GIVE THEM THEIR FOOD AT THE PROPER TIME? BLESSED IS THAT SLAVE WHOM HIS MASTER FINDS SO DOING WHEN HE COMES. TRULY I SAY TO YOU, THAT HE WILL PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF ALL HIS POSSESSIONS. BUT IF THAT EVIL SLAVE SAYS IN HIS HEART, ’MY MASTER IS NOT COMING FOR A LONG TIME,’ AND SHALL BEGIN TO BEAT HIS FELLOW SLAVES AND EAT AND DRINK WITH DRUNKARDS; THE MASTER OF THAT SLAVE WILL COME ON A DAY WHEN HE DOES NOT EXPECT HIM AND AT AN HOUR WHICH HE DOES NOT KNOW, AND SHALL CUT HIM IN PIECES AND ASSIGN HIM A PLACE WITH THE HYPOCRITES; WEEPING SHALL BE THERE AND THE GNASHING OF TEETH” (Matt. 24:42-51). Jesus warned His disciples to be ready at all times because they did not know when He was to return. His coming would be like a thief in the night, unexpected. Those servants of Christ who are ready at His return will be richly rewarded and will enter into the wedding feast with Him, but those who are not will be assigned a place with the hypocrites where the pain and agony of their torment is so great that the souls of the damned are constantly weeping and gnashing their teeth. It important that you too be ready when the Lord comes again, for the Bible tells us that there will be no second chances. It is commonly taught today in many churches that after the rapture at Christ’s coming there will be a seven year period of tribulation, during which time those who were not ready for Christ’s return will go through hell on earth. Many, they believe, at this time, who refused to believe in Christ, will come to their senses and be converted. They will have a second chance to turn to Christ and be saved. But the problem with this belief is that the Scriptures are constantly reminding us that once the Bride Groom comes, the door is shut. As the parable of the Ten Virgins reminds us, when those who were unprepared came to the door and said, ”LORD, LORD, OPEN FOR US,” the Lord replied, ”TRULY I SAY TO YOU, I DO NOT KNOW YOU” (25:11-12). He again warns His disciples, ”BE ON THE ALERT THEN, FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW THE DAY NOR THE HOUR” (v. 13). You, therefore, must be ready as well, for after He comes, all opportunity to repent and believe is forever gone. Then the Lord will move immediately to the final judgment and the sentencing of your souls, and the souls of all men for all eternity. This judgment is what we will want to look at this evening. This is what we are to be ready for. And what I want you to see is, After the resurrection of all the dead, and the transformation of all the living, comes the final judgment in which the final destinies of all mankind will be pronounced. First I want you to see the judgment of the righteous and the infinite blessedness bestowed on them; and secondly, I want

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you to see the judgment of the wicked and the infinite horror which shall be heaped upon their heads. I.

First, I Want You to See that the Righteous Shall Be Judged First. A. After the Resurrection, Our Text Tells Us that All of the Nations Will Be Gathered into Two Groups. 1 . The time of this judgment is the Second Coming of Christ, "BUT WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES IN HIS GLORY, AND ALL THE ANGELS WITH HIM." a. We saw last week that the resurrection occurs when Christ returns. b. There will only be one such return of Christ when all of the dead in the tombs shall hear His voice and come forth (John 5:28-29). 2.

B.

At that time all of the nations will be gathered and separated . a. The nations here refers to everyone who has ever 1ived. b. Among them, there are the sheep, who are Christ' s, who have been gathered from all nations, tribes, kindreds and tongues, and the goats, who are those who never received the knowledge of the truth so as to be saved. C. The righteous sheep will be put on His right hand, which in the Bible is always the place of blessing. d. And the wicked goats will be placed on His left hand, which in the Bible is the place of cursing. e. As you can see, there are none who are not judged. All nations of both the living and dead are separated into these two groups. f. And you should see from this that the Bible only recognizes one kind of distinction in the N.T. age, that of the sheep and the goats. He does not judge anyone by their race, or color, or language, and neither should we.

In this Judgment, Which Is the Same as the Great White Throne Judgment, Mentioned in Revelation 20, Jesus Tells Us that The Righteous Will Be Judged First. 1 . That which is the basis upon which they are judged, interestingly enough, is not their profession, but their works. a. Jesus tells us that they are blessed because, "'I WAS HUNGRY, AND YOU GAVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT; I WAS THIRSTY, AND YOU HAVE ME DRINK; I WAS A STRANGER, AND YOU INVITED ME IN; NAKED, AND YOU CLOTHED ME; I WAS SICK, AND YOU VISITED ME; I WAS IN PRISON, AND YOU CAME TO ME.' THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL ANSWER HIM, SAYING, 'LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY, AND FEED YOU, OR THIRSTY, AND GIVE YOU DRINK? AND WHEN DID WE SEE YOU A STRANGER, AND INVITE YOU IN, OR NAKED, AND CLOTHE YOU? AND WHEN DID WE SEE YOU SICK, OR IN PRISON, AND COME TO YOU?' AND THE KING WILL ANSWER AND SAY TO THEM, 'TRULY I SAY TO YOU TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, EVEN THE LEAST OF THEM, YOU DID IT TO

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ME’ ” (Matt. 25:35-40). These sheep, who are standing before the throne, are commended for what they did, not for what they said. C. What they did was minister to Jesus personally, but Jesus as He dwells in His people. They didn’t merely talk about it. d. This is not talking about their acts of kindness in general, but their acts of kindness to their brethren. e. Though we are required by Scripture to do good unto all men, we are especially required to good to the household of faith. b.

2. But it is not as though their works saved them. That is not the point at all. Rather, their works reveal what kind of a person they are. a. Jesus said in Matthew 7:16-20, ”YOU WILL W O W THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. GRAPES ARE NOT GATHERED FROM THORN BUSHES, NOR FIGS FROM THISTLES, ARE THEY? EVEN SO, EVERY Goon TREE BEARS Goon FRUIT; BUT THE BAD TREE BEARS BAD FRUIT. A GOOD TREE CANNOT PRODUCE BAD FRUIT, NOT CAN A BAD TREE PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT. EVERY TREE THAT DOES NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE. SO THEN, YOU WILL W O W THEM BY THEIR FRUITS.” b. Their works reveal what is at the root of their hearts. The good person does good works, and the bad person does bad works. They are there for all to see. c. It is important to realize, however, that Jesus is not here referring to absolutes. It is not that the good tree never bears any bad fruit, but in both cases it is referring to a pattern of life. The good tree will habitually bear good fruit. And this is what is going to distinguish the good tree from the bad on the day of judgment. C. Their Works Will Reveal that They Are Christ’s, And They Shall Be Rewarded Accordingly. 1 . Their works also form the basis of their rewards which shall be graciously granted them in Christ. a. Paul says that God, ”WILL RENDER TO EVER MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS” (Rom. 2:6). b. He further says, ”EACH MAN’S WORK WILL BECOME EVIDENT; FOR THE DAY WILL SHOW IT, BECAUSE IT IS TO BE REVEALED WITH FIRE; AND THE FIRE ITSELF WILL TEST THE QUALITY OF EACH MAN’S WORK. IF ANY MAN’S WORK WHICH HE HAS BUILT UPON IT REMAINS, HE SHALL RECEIVE A REWARD” ( 1 Cor. 3:13-14). c. These works of the saints really do not earn anything, but Christ will graciously reward each of His saints ”ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.” 2. And then the Lord will bestow on His people many wonderful blessings. a. After they face their judgment, and are openly

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acquitted of all of their guilt and received by Christ, they also will join Christ in judging the reprobate men and angels. Paul says, ”OR DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THE SAINTS WILL JUDGE THE WORLD? AND IF THE WORLD IS JUDGED BY YOU, ARE YOU NOT COMPETENT TO CONSTITUTE THE SMALLEST LAW COURTS? no YOU NOT KNOW THAT WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS? HOW MUCH MORE, MATTERS OF THIS LIFE?” ( 1 Cor. 6:2-3). The saints will become judges. b. After they have judged other men and angels, then they shall be received into heaven, the eternal kingdom of God. Out text tells us, ”THEN THE KING WILL SAY TO THOSE ON HIS RIGHT, ’COME, YOU WHO ARE BLESSED OF MY FATHER, INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD” (v. 34), and then the righteous will go away into eternal life (v. 46). C. There, they shall forever be freed from all the sin in this life and its accompanying misery, that Christ ”MIGHT PRESENT TO HIMSELF THE CHURCH IN ALL HER GLORY, HAVING NO SPOT OR WRINKLE OR ANY SUCH THING; BUT THAT SHE SHOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS” (Eph. 5:27; cf. Rev. 14:13). d. And then they shall be perfected and will enter in to the very blessed company of the saints and angels who dwell. as the author to the Hebrews tells us, on Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22-23). e. But the greatest blessing of all will be the beatific vision, the blessed sight of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who died on the cross for our sins, He who is glorified and exalted far above all principality and power. We shall behold Him for all eternity. Now we see Him only in a mirror dimly, but then we shall see Him face to face, and when we do, we shall be like Him ( 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 13:12).

II.

Secondly, I Want You to See the Judgment of the Unrighteous. A. After He Has Blessed the Righteous With Their Reward, Then the Unrighteous At His Left Shall Be Judged. 1 . They too shall be judged according to what they have done. a. Notice in this passage their corresponding works of omission: those things which they didn’t do. b. Jesus says that they are cursed ”’FOR I WAS HUNGRY, AND YOU GAVE ME NOTHING TO EAT; I WAS THIRSTY, AND YOU HAVE ME NOTHING TO DRINK; I WAS A STRANGER, AND YOU DID NOT INVITE ME IN; NAKED, AND YOU DID NOT CLOTHE ME; SICK, AND IN PRISON, AND YOU DID NOT VISIT ME.’ AND THEY THEMSELVES WILL ANSWER, SAYING, ’LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY, OR THIRSTY, OR A STRANGER, OR NAKED, OR SICK, OR IN PRISON, AND DID NOT TAKE CARE OF YOU?’ THEN HE WILL ANSWER THEM, SAYING, ’TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU DID NOT no IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID NOT DO IT TO ME’” (Matt. 25:42-45).

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B.

2. Their works as well will indicate what kind of persons they were. a. ”THE BAD TREE BEARS BAD FRUIT”, Jesus said (Matt. 7:17). b. By their persistent life of withholding mercy that was due, as well as many other works of wickedness, they demonstrate that they were far from the grace of God. C. And they were far from His grace for no other reason than that they would not come to Christ that they might have life. Christ Shall Then Pronounce His Judgment Upon Them. 1 . As with the righteous, their works shall be the basis upon which they shall be punished. a. All who are judged here will have the full knowledge that they have sinned against God (Rom. 2:15-16). (i) ”ALL WHO HAVE SINNED UNDER THE LAW WILL BE JUDGED BY THAT LAW” (Rom. 2: 12-13). (ii) And those who do not have the Law shall be judged by their consciences, for God’s Law is written on that as well. ”FOR WHEN GENTILES WHO DO NOT HAVE THE LAW DO INSTINCTIVELY THE THINGS OF THE LAW, THESE, NOT HAVING THE LAW, ARE A LAW TO THEMSELVES, IN THAT THEY SHOW THE WORK OF THE LAW WRITTEN IN THEIR HEARTS, THEIR CONSCIENCE BEARING WITNESS, AND THEIR THOUGHTS ALTERNATELY ACCUSING OR ELSE DEFENDING THEM, ON THE DAY WHEN, ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL, GOD WILL JUDGE THE SECRETS OF MEN THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” ( w . 14-16). b.

Those who have sinned against greater light will receive a greater punishment, but even those who have sinned against less must still suffer eternally in hell. Again, we are told in Luke 12:47-48, ”AND THE SLAVE WHO I(NEw HIS MASTER’S WILL AND DID NOT GET READY OR ACT IN ACCORD WITH HIS WILL, SHALL RECEIVE MANY LASHES, BUT THE ONE WHO DID NOT W O W IT, AND COMMITTED DEEDS WORTHY OF A FLOGGING, WILL RECEIVE BUT FEW.”

2. And after being judged, they shall be conveyed by the angels into the fiery lake and be tortured forever and ever without end. a. They shall have their portion in the furnace of fire which burns throughout the rest of time. (i) ”THEN HE WILL SAY TO THOSE ON HIS LEFT, ’DEPART FROM ME, ACCUSED ONES, INTO THE ETERNAL FIRE WHICH HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS’” (v. 41). (ii) ”AND IF ANYONE’S NAME WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, HE WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE” (Rev. 20: 15). b.

Their torment shall be away from the presence of the

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Lord and of all of His saints and holy angels. (i) Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, "THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED FROM HEAVEN WITH HIS MIGHTY ANGELS IN FLAMING FIRE, DEALING OUT RETRIBUTION TO THOSE WHO no NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS. AND THESE WILL PAY THE PENALTY OF ETERNAL DESTRUCTION, AWAY FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND FROM THE GLORY OF HIS POWER, WHEN HE COMES TO BE GLORIFIED IN HIS SAINTS ON THAT DAY." (ii) It is eternal destruction, it is not annihilation. They will have to endure the agonies of hell forever and ever. As Jesus said, "THESE WILL GO AWAY INTO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT" (v. 46). c. And in this eternal punishment, they shall experience the most excruciating pain and agony for all eternity, for though they may be separated from the blessed presence of the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, they are not separated from the presence of God, for He is everywhere at once, and it is His very presence in the fullness of His wrath that creates the furnace of fire which will burn for all eternity.

III. A.

Uses. God Calls Us Through This Passage This Evening to Examine Our Own Works to See What the Nature of Our Heart Is. 1 . How do you treat your brethren in Christ? a. Do you love them, do you care for them? b. When you become aware of their needs, do you say to them, "Be warm and filled," or do you give them what is necessary? 2.

How do you treat your neighbors? a. Are you doing good to all men, not just the household of faith? b. Didn't Jesus say, "LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF"? c. Do you really love your neighbor as yourself?

3. What is the character of your life? by good fruit or bad fruit?

Is is characterized

a. Is your life a continuing pattern of godly works which are becoming more and more pronounced? b. Or would one have to look hard and long to find any good fruit on your tree? 4. Remember, you are not saved by your works, but your works do reveal what kind of a person you are. a. You or I or anyone else are only saved by believing and trusting on the Lord Jesus Christ, which means that you must also turn from your sins. b. Your works cannot save you, they can only demonstrate what is already true about your life. c. And this is why Jesus said to His disciples, "BY THIS IS MY FATHER GLORIFIED, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH

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FRUIT, AND SO PROVE TO BE MY DISCIPLES” (John 15:8). d. And so what kind of a person are you? B.

The Reason that You Must Examine Your Works Here This Evening, Is So that You Will Be Ready When Your Lord Returns and He Takes You into Judgment, and There the Truth Is Known. 1 . Christ could come at any time. His return is imminent. 2. And when He comes the door to salvation will be forever shut to you if you have not entered it. There is no seven year Tribulation following where you will have a second chance. 3. Are you ready for your Lord’s return? And when He returns will you be ready to go out to meet Him as the wise virgins were? a. Make sure that you are found in Christ on that day, for many, the Bible tells us, who believed that they were in Christ, will find out that they were seriously mistaken. Jesus said, ”MANY WILL SAY TO ME ON THAT DAY, ’LORD, LORD, DID WE NOT PROPHESY IN YOUR NAME, AND IN YOUR NAME CAST OUT DEMONS, AND IN YOUR NAME PERFORM MANY MIRACLES?’ AND THEN I WILL DECLARE TO THEM, ’I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (Matt. 7:22-23). b. Jesus said that this would be true of not a few, but many! C. I can’t tell what’s in your heart, nobody can but God. d. Even you may be wrong about the condition of your soul. e. You must always be sure that you judge it according to the Scriptures, and not by your ideas, for the Scripture is an infallible guide to lead you into all the truth, while your mind may easily lead you to hell. 4. But lastly, are you helping your friends, your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for judgment? a. You doubtless have many that you know who are not believers in Christ, or those who say that they are, but their lives do not show that their professions are true. (i) They might even be the nicest people you know. But no one has ever been saved on account of their niceness. (ii) If they are outside of Christ on that day, they will be forever lost in the lake of fire. b.

People of God, this day is coming. Nothing that you or I do can forestall it even for a moment. (i) One day you will be standing before the throne of God to be judged, as well as all whom you know. (ii) The thought of this should weigh heavier on your heart and mind than anything else in the world. (iii) When you are with others who are outside of Christ, does your heart ache knowing what is

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(iv)

(v)

(vi) (vii)

(viii)

going to happen to them if they are apart from Christ on that day? Knowing this do you seek to bring Christ to them, or do you treat them as though they were in no danger whatsoever? Do you seek with all your might to live godly before them, to speak to them about the condition of their souls, to pray earnestly that God might yet deliver them from their sins for His glory? If you continue to be silent, then they may very well curse you on the day of judgment, because you did not warn them. Do not be silent; tell them about their sin and their only hope of escaping judgment. Call out to God for those without Christ. Call out for yourself, that God would give you the strength to make a difference in their lives. And make sure that you are ready to meet the Lord as well, when you too stand before Him on that day. Amen.