God will bring everything into judgment and render perfect justice.
Caroline Skinner and Samantha Springer write:
“The telephone rang just past 3 o’clock on an April morning, piercing the silence of the darkened Long Island home where James McGlone and his wife slept. When he picked up the phone, McGlone was drowsy and disoriented, but the voice on the line made his stomach drop, jolting him awake.
“The late-night caller said McGlone’s nephew was in legal trouble and needed immediate financial assistance. He’d been in a car accident that had caused the other driver—a pregnant woman—to lose her baby. Thinking his nephew’s future was on the line, McGlone didn’t hesitate to send the cash.”1
McGlone, retired and in his 80s, sent $22,000, nearly all of his life savings. But the call was a scam, and his money was now gone for good.
The Federal Trade Commission reported that in 2019 scams cost people age 60 and over almost $149 million.
What kind of person is willing to steal the life savings of the elderly?
What kind of world do we live in where thieves can get away with it so easily?
The gospel of final judgment
The world we live in is an evil place where it appears that evil people usually get away with evil deeds. That is a depressing scenario. The message of the gospel, however, is that scenario is false.
The apostle Paul says there is coming a “day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Rom 2:16, ESV).
According to the gospel—the good news—no one will get away with anything. On the contrary, what we learn from the gospel is that God himself will make all things right. That is what Judgment Day will be: the day when God—the Final Judge—makes all things right, when he brings all evil deeds into the light, when every evil deed receives its recompense.
Hitler and every other despot will get what he deserves. Scammers will get what they deserve. Sex traffickers will get what they deserve. Pickpockets, liars, rapists, and murders will get what they deserve.
The gospel affirms that God is the Final Judge of every human soul. He will settle the score and make all things right. Judgment Day is payback time.
The perfect judge
But you and I also will get what we deserve.
That is where things get uncomfortable. For we all have done evil things, and God does not ignore them any more than the deeds of scammers.
That again is where the gospel comes in. At the center of the gospel is the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was judgment day. Not Final Judgment, but momentous, all-important judgment, the day when all things were made right for God’s people.
The good news is that for God’s people “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Jesus took the judgment we deserved. The good news is God is the perfect judge, and he will get the final judgment perfectly, exactly right, to the utter amazement and wonder of his people. At the judgment, every mouth will be stopped. Every insolent tongue will become mute. No one will be able to accuse the great Judge of misjudging anyone.
Who is the judge on the throne at the final judgment?
And here is the surprising thing. Just as Jesus was at the nexus of momentous, all-important judgment as he hung on the Cross, so he will be at the nexus of the momentous, all-important judgment that occurs on that Final Judgment Day. For on that day he himself will be the Judge rather than the judged.
Jesus said, “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). He also said, “The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27). (See also Acts 10:42; 17:31)
At the center of it all, Jesus will sit on the throne of Judgment and reveal every secret, every sin, every good and righteous deed. He will be the one who pronounces rewards for his followers or condemns unbelieving, wicked souls to perdition.
A loving judge
This is the good news for believers in Jesus. The Judge we face on that final day will be the one who loves us and died for our sins. He knows us by name. The Judge will be our Savior, our High Priest, our advocate. The Judge will be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of his people. On that Final Judgment Day, when you stand at the center of it all, if you trust in Christ, you will look into the loving eyes of Jesus.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: People of darkness act as though there were no such thing as Final Judgment Day. They ignore it.
God’s way: There is a God in heaven who judges righteously. In the end, God settles the books. He brings to account every person’s every intention, word, and deed. The good news of the gospel is, he also wants to save us.
Life principle: Live every day in light of Judgment Day.
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1. Caroline Skinner and Samantha Springer, “Imposter scams use new tech and techniques to steal retirees’ life savings,” NBCNews.com. (12-15-19)
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)