“Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”
The psalmist now circles back to repeat several of the first ideas in the psalm, showing again that verses 1–2 are foundational to every promise given. He repeats the covenant name LORD (in Hebrew, Yahweh). He repeats the idea of dwelling in him as a person dwells in a home. He repeats the idea that God is Most High and that he is a refuge.
He repeats these ideas and not the others from verses 1–2 as a shorthand reminder that we should draw all the ideas in these two verses back to mind.
He says, “Because you have made,” indicating that Yahweh becomes our dwelling place and refuge when we make him so. Dwelling in the LORD day by day, moment by moment, is a choice. It is a choice to trust him and believe he is the Most High, the Almighty. We choose to believe his Word and live accordingly. We choose to regard his Word as reality, though spiritual realities are invisible.
So the all-encompassing, blanket promise that the psalmist is about to pronounce is based on that life-changing choice.
He speaks of “The Most High, who is my refuge.” For the second time in the psalm, the psalmist brings himself into the picture (see verse 2). By this he indicates he is speaking from experience. The Lord has proven himself to the psalmist for a long time. These principles are tried and true.
Psalm 91:10, No evil befall you
Verse 10 promises, “No evil shall be allowed to befall you.”
The word “evil” covers every bad thing mentioned or unmentioned in the psalm. After having noted several specific examples of evils from which God protects a person—fowlers and their snares, pestilence, arrows, night terrors, destruction—the psalmist now covers all bases. Any evil you can imagine or encounter. As Jesus taught us to pray, “Deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
And then the psalmist uses a word pregnant with theological implications: “allowed.” No evil can strike a person unless it is “allowed.” Who must allow it? The Most High, the Almighty refuge and fortress, the God in whom we can trust (see vv. 1–2). That is what it means to be the Most High, Almighty God. Absolutely nothing can happen unless he allows or does it (Mat. 10:29).
When Scripture refers to God as the Most High and Almighty one, it does not mean approximately so, or “Very High most of the time,” or “in the top ten of mighty ones.” No. Scripture speaks in absolute terms. God is the only Most High, all the time. Absolutely everything that happens in the universe, galactically large or atomically small, he must allow or do.
If you believe that, you will not fear. If you do not believe it, fear will be your regular companion, perhaps even your tormenting lord.
Psalm 91:10, No plagues of judgment
Verse 10 continues, “no plague come near your tent.” This is the first time the psalm uses the word “plague.”
When we hear the biblical word plague, what comes to mind are the ten plagues God sent on Egypt and its idols to judge them and compel them to release Israel from slavery (Exodus 11:1; 12:13).
Moreover, Scripture uses the word plague to describe God’s judgments on Israel itself when they later rebelled against him in the desert (Exodus 32:35), as well as later times in the history of the nation (Exo. 30:12; Num. 11:33; 16:47; 25:8; 31:16; 2 Sam. 24:21).
Plague described punishments Israel would incur if they transgressed the rules of the tabernacle of God in their midst (Numbers 8:19).
So plague is a word tightly connected to divine punishment for sin.
What Psalm 91:10 promises, therefore, is forgiveness and escape from punishment. Like all the other promises of the psalm, it can be claimed by those who make the true, Most High LORD, who has revealed himself in the Bible, their dwelling place, the God in whom they trust (vv. 1–2).
New Covenant Developments
Several hundred years after Psalm 91:10 was written, God gave further revelation to Israel of what that trust entailed. He sent his Son Jesus to earth, who lived a perfect life, went willingly to the cross to die for the sins of mankind, rose again from the dead to overcome death on our behalf, and ascended to the right hand of God as Savior and Lord of the Universe. And he gave this promise:
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18)
The protection of Psalm 91 comes to those who draw near and stay near to God through faith in Jesus Christ. It comes to those who confess their sins (1 John 1:5–10) and repent of evil (Acts 2:38), in obedience to Jesus Christ. In this way, they receive forgiveness and escape the plagues—the judgments of God—on evildoers.
Your protection is in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you trust him?
And if he wills it, will you suffer for him? That is another development in the New Covenant. While Psalm 91 promises blanket protection, the New Testament qualifies that somewhat, saying, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12) and “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Nevertheless, when we are persecuted, the Lord assures us he will protect us from ultimate evil: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18).
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)
How can we reconcile being perfectly forgiven with giving an account for evil deeds on Judgment Day, as 2 Corinthians 5:10 teaches?
Imagine a family with ten spoiled children. Each day the ten children mistreat their mother, each other, and their house and possessions. Every night the Father returns home from work, hugs each one, and ignores all the wrongs they have done. He tells them how much he loves them and acts as though nothing bad happened. Day after day, year after year, no child ever receives correction or discipline.
Wouldn’t you say something is wrong with that home? Wouldn’t you say something is faulty about that Father’s love? Everything in our sense of right and wrong tells us the head of the home should hold the children accountable and make things right. He should not, with a patient smile, just sweep wrongs under the rug.
2 Corinthians 5:10
On the cosmic scale, that is part of the reason why even forgiven, justified souls will give account to Jesus Christ for every sin of their lives. Scripture does not tell us exactly what that accounting will entail, but Scripture says it will happen. Ashamed of sins, we wish it were not so, but deep down we know it must be true.
Last week we established that it is so by carefully studying 2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:10–15. In today’s post we will seek to reconcile this reality with the inarguable, seemingly contradictory fact that believers in Jesus are perfectly forgiven, justified, blameless, accepted, and saved by grace from all condemnation. How can it be that justified souls give an account for sin—not in the sense of being punished for sin but in the sense of talking with Jesus about them in some way—on Judgment Day?
Not an anomaly
First, we need to see this paradox appears elsewhere in the New Testament.
Exhorting Christians who were suffering persecution, the apostle Peter writes, “It is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). Peter regarded the suffering of these Christians as ultimately an expression of God’s judgment. But why would forgiven, justified believers in Jesus for whom there is no condemnation experience judgment?
Similarly, Peter writes, “If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (1 Peter 1:17). But why would a forgiven, blameless, justified soul need to fear God’s judgment? How can our Father be our Judge? How can he judge us according to our deeds if he treats us as though we have never sinned (which is a definition often used for the word justified)?
Similarly, Jesus himself says to his church, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). But why would Jesus reprove and discipline people who claim to be Christians saved by grace and are therefore blameless, forgiven, accepted?
See also Romans 14:10–12; 1 Corinthians 4:5; James 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:6 (3–7); 1 Corinthians 11:27–32.
Your status in Christ versus your conduct
Again and again throughout the New Testament it is undeniable that God deals with his people on two levels. On one level, he treats us according to our status in Christ: forgiven, justified, sanctified. On another level, he deals with us according to our conduct, as we actually are living, in need of admonishment, discipline, training and so on. Both levels are necessary. Though they seem contradictory, neither cancels out the other.
I think this same duality explains what will happen on Judgment Day for a Christian. There are good reasons why Jesus will talk with us in detail through the good and bad of our lives, yet at the same time we will stand before him as his beloved, forgiven, fully accepted saints, free from all condemnation.
So, what are some of the good reasons why forgiven souls will give an accounting to Jesus for both the good and evil in their lives?
Why forgiven souls give account
I believe the purposes for the Lord’s careful examination of a Christian’s life on Judgment Day include the following.
1. Our works will prove our faith (or, in the case of hypocrites, tragically prove the opposite).
James 2:17–18, 22, 24 says: “17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works…. 22 You see that faith was active along with [Abraham’s] works, and faith was completed by his works;… 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
2. Having our sins brought into the light as forgiven will magnify the Lord’s grace and mercy.
Psalm 25:11 (NLT) “For the honor of your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins.”
3. Having both our good and evil deeds brought into the light will be good for us. The light will bring healing and wisdom. God calls us to account because of his love.
Romans 8:28 says, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
In Revelation 3:19 Jesus says, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.”
4. God will be glorified as the perfect Judge, just and fair. Judgment Day will be in all history one of the two greatest manifestations of his holiness, righteousness, wisdom, mercy, salvation, and judgments, the other being Christ’s death on the cross. We will know God’s name far better because of Judgment Day. It will be the greatest display of justice in human history, as well as the greatest display of forgiveness. It will leave us astounded, marveling, worshiping, rejoicing, in awe of God our Savior.
Psalm 9:16 says, “The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment.”
The stark difference between God’s children and God’s enemies on Judgment Day
Although we will talk with the Lord about our sins on Judgment Day, we will not stand before God as lost souls stand before him giving account. We will stand before him with all the benefits of our status in Christ. We will stand before him on Judgment Day as the beloved. We will give an account like a son or daughter gives account for wrongdoing to a beloved father, not like God’s enemies who hate God and proudly reject Christ.
The contrast between God’s children and God’s enemies on Judgment Day will be stark:
God’s enemies stand before him alone with no one to help them. But God’s children stand before him with the Judge himself as their advocate, mediator, high priest, atoning sacrifice, and Savior.
God’s enemies will experience his demeanor toward them as he recounts their sins as one of wrath and fury. But God’s children will experience his demeanor toward them as he recounts their sins as a merciful demeanor, like a father correcting his child. First Thessalonians 5:9 says: “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God’s enemies will be condemned at the end of their judgment to suffer the full punishment of their evil forever. But God’s children at the end of their talk with Jesus will not be condemned (Romans 8:1), but rather, fully forgiven. For them, judgment will end in grace.
God’s enemies will receive no rewards, but only differing levels of punishment based on the degree of their evil. While God’s children will receive extravagant rewards for even the least of their good deeds and will depart from Judgment Day solely with rewards, not penalties.
God’s enemies will be cast into the Lake of Fire. But God’s children will enter the beautiful new heaven and earth and will enjoy their rewards forever.
God’s enemies will pay for their sins forever. But God’s children will never again have their sins remembered. They will be separated from them as far as east from west—for good, forever.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: Fallen souls try to hide sins and avoid God’s light. They deceive themselves to think they can keep their evils secret.
God’s way: God not only forgives us perfectly, he also judges us perfectly. God is light and therefore he brings all things, all sins, all secrets into the light. God’s light is always good.
Life principle: Judgment Day will be a day of divine light shining on all things, a divine light that will heal us and magnify God’s mercy.
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)
The most momentous day of your life will be the day you give account to God.
If we believe in Christ, we enjoy perfect forgiveness, but that raises a question. If God forgives our sins, why do we still give account for them on Judgment Day?
That even forgiven Christians answer for evildoing is the apostle Paul’s clear teaching in 2 Corinthians 5:10. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (ESV).
Let’s look at this verse closely. (Being a weighty subject, this article is longer than most, but I thought most readers would appreciate having it in one place rather than divided into several posts.)
All will give account
“We”
The context clearly shows that Paul is referring to himself and all Christians. In the preceding nine verses he has been teaching about what happens to Christians when they die.
“must all appear”
We must show up. It is like being the defendant in a lawsuit. We are required to appear in court. No exceptions.
“before the judgment seat”
So the purpose of this event is judgment. A judge seated on the judgment seat will preside. Even though our sins are forgiven, that does not mean we avoid Judgment Day.
“of Christ”
The judge is none other than our Savior, who has shed his blood on the cross for our sins. That is very good news. He is also our High Priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses and has experienced every form of temptation we have (Hebrews 4:15). He loves us and gave himself for us (Galatians 2:20).
“so that each one may receive what is due”
The purpose of this event is to give us our due, to give us what we deserve.
“for what he has done in the body”
We deserve something for what we have done in our body during our life on earth. God created us as moral beings to live in a moral universe where every moral action—that is, every human action that is either right or wrong—is accountable to him, for he is a perfect moral being who cares infinitely about right and wrong. As Creator and Lord, he takes final responsibility for giving every human what they deserve, so that his perfect justice is served.
“whether good”
Good deeds receive rewards. This is the purpose of Judgment Day for a Christian. We receive these rewards as our due not because we can earn them but because God has graciously promised them. Scripture says, “Whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8).
Jesus regularly spoke about rewards for good works. For example, when enduring persecution, “rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). And, “Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). And, give money to the needy so that you may “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).
All these rewards are given out on Judgment Day. The purpose of Judgment Day for a Christian is to honor and reward us for our good deeds.
“or evil”
Nevertheless, here we return to where we began this post. Not only do we receive rewards on Judgment Day, we also apparently give some sort of accounting for the evils we have done.
Obviously this seems like an enormous contradiction. God forgives us perfectly through our faith in Jesus, because of his atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus has paid completely for our sins (1 John 1:7). God promises to forget our sins (Hebrews 8:12). He says we are blameless, justified, free from accusation (Colossians 1:22; Romans 3:24). He says we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). He says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). As he breathed his last, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
With the entire New Testament teaching all this clearly, how could it be that on Judgment Day Christians give an accounting for evil deeds?
Is 2 Corinthians 5:10 the only place the New Testament teaches this?
No, it is not.
Christian leaders will give account
First Corinthians 3:9–15 describes in more detail how the evils done by Christians are taken into account on Judgment Day. Here the apostle Paul wrote about the experience of some saved Christians who go through Judgment Day like people escaping a house on fire, yet they still end up in heaven.
The people being judged are pastors and Bible teachers who succeeded Paul in the churches he planted. Paul says God will judge the faithfulness of their ministries. But the principles of that judgment apply to all Christians. Paul compares the leaders’ ministries to the work of building a house. They are like carpenters who follow the cement contractor who put in the foundation. He compares the relative faithfulness of their work to building with materials that are either high quality (gold, silver, precious stones) or lesser quality (wood, hay, straw).
[10] According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. [11] For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— [13] each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. [14] If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10–15, ESV)
“the day will disclose it” (v. 13)
“The Day” is clearly Judgment Day, the final day at the end of this age when he calls each person one by one to stand before him and give an account for their lives.
“each one’s work will become manifest” (v. 13)
On Judgment Day, our deeds are disclosed. Again, this is true even for Christians.
Jesus said, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:2–3)
Paul writes, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5) The last line in this verse shows that the people whose deeds are brought into the light includes Christians, for lost souls receive no commendations (Romans 8:8).
“it will be revealed by fire” (v. 13)
This is speaking figuratively. The fire represents God’s all-knowing and perfectly holy evaluation of one’s works. It is like the penetrating gaze of the risen Jesus, whose “eyes were like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14)
“the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (v. 14)
Scripture repeatedly says God will judge us by our works.
Jesus 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 Romans 2:6; Revelation 20:13; 22:12.)
All our thoughts, motives, words, and deeds will pass through the “fire” of God’s holy evaluation.
“If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives…If anyone’s work is burned up” (vv. 14–15)
What either survives or is burned up is one’s work. Again, Paul is specifically describing God’s judgment of the work of Christian leaders who succeeded him in churches, but the general principle is that God judges our deeds, thoughts, motives, words. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
Heb 4:12–13 “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Again, the “we” in “we must give account” is we who believe in the Lord.
Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37). Thankfully, Christians will not be among those condemned but will be in the group that is justified. But notice that our words are judged.
On Judgment Day, the deeds, thoughts, motives, and words of Christians that are evil are burned up.
“If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward” (v. 14)
What is at stake? Rewards. God will reward whatever he approves, even what seem like the most insignificant actions.
“Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
In one parable about a master evaluating and rewarding his servants, Jesus pictures what it will be like when he rewards his people: The master said to his servant, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).
In a similar parable, Jesus said the master told the good servant, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17). Jesus wants us to know our rewards will be extravagant. Judgment Day will have its temporary fiery moments, but it will have great and enduring joys.
“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss” (v. 15)
For the Christian leaders and their ministries in view, what is burned is their unworthy works. These works receive no rewards. The sacrifice and toil come to nothing, which is a great loss.
When we consider the broader judgment of the entire life of a Christian, what will be burned up are all the deeds, words, motives, and thoughts that are evil. They will come to nothing, receiving no reward, no commendation, which is a great loss, a painful collection of wasted opportunities.
“though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (v.15)
Paul reassures readers. Sincere Christians who do poor work for the Lord will be saved. They will enter heaven. Their failures will be burned up on Judgment Day and left behind. Sincere believers will enter the joys of heaven.
The same is true for all Christians regarding all their evils.
But Judgment Day will definitely have emotional pain. It will be as though believers are going “through fire.” I suggest that means God will sift through a Christian’s works one by one, identifying failures, and people will have to acknowledge what the Lord is revealing.
Then the Lord will pronounce these failures as atoned for by the blood of Jesus. And then will be fulfilled the promise that God will forget our sins and evildoing. He will never bring them up again through all eternity. “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).
Judgment Day will bring closure. For true Christians, it will conclude in complete salvation.
What about the last judgment? Will our sins be remembered? Will they be revealed? Anthony Hoekema puts it wisely like this: “The failures and shortcomings of…believers…will enter into the picture on the Day of Judgment. But—and this is the important point—the sins and shortcomings of believers will be revealed in the judgment as forgiven sins, whose guilt has been totally covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.”
Picture it like this. God has a file on every person (the “books” of Revelation 20:12). All you’ve ever done or said (Matthew 12:36) is recorded there with a grade (from “A” to “F”). When you stand before “the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10) to be judged “for what [you have] done in the body, whether good or evil,” God will open the file and lay out the tests with their grades. He will pull out all the “F’s” and put them in a pile. Then he will take all the “D’s” and “C’s” and pull the good parts of the test out and place them with the “A’s”, then put the bad with the “F’s.” Then he will take all the “B’s” and “A’s” and pull the bad parts out of them and put them in the “F” pile, and put all the good parts in the “A” pile.
Then he will open another file (“the book of life”) and find your name, because you are in Christ through faith. Behind your name will be a wood-stick match made from the cross of Jesus. He will take the match, light it, and set the “F” pile, with all your failures and deficiencies, on fire and burn them up. They will not condemn you, and they will not reward you.
Then he will take from your “book of life” file a sealed envelope marked “free and gracious bonus: life!” and put it on the “A” pile (see Mark 4:24 and Luke 6:38). Then he will hold up the entire pile and declare, “By this your life bears witness to the grace of my Father, the worth of my blood, and the fruit of my Spirit. These bear witness that your life is eternal. And according to these you will have your rewards. Enter into the everlasting joy of your Master.”
Our way and God’s way
Our way: We naturally want to escape having to give an account for our evil actions.
God’s way: The Lord is the final and perfect Judge because he is perfectly moral, and he will not allow his creation to be a place where evil is ignored.
Life principle: Knowing that we will give account for both good and evil actions produces in our hearts a proper reverence (2 Corinthians 5:11) that keeps us close to Christ and far from sin.
I invite you to read my weekly posts about knowing God and his ways better. —Craig Brian Larson
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.
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)
Jesus never labeled human nature as merely inappropriate.
How athletic coaches evaluate
players reveals as much about the coach as it does about the players.
For example, one professional
basketball coach can evaluate a college player he is thinking of drafting as
“lightning quick, a pure shooter, great vertical leaping ability, a can’t-miss
future star.”
A coach from another team can
evaluate the same player as “talented but lacks character, lazy at practice,
selfish with the ball, has a big ego, disliked by his teammates.”
We gather from this that the
first coach thinks the team with the most talent wins. The other coach thinks
talent plus character plus teamwork wins.
Jesus’ assessment of human nature
Similarly, God’s assessment
of human nature reveals as much about God as it does about humans, and how we
evaluate human nature does the same.
The gospel according to much
of humanity is that human beings are basically good. If a person believes in
some God or follows some spirituality, doesn’t commit any big evils such as
murder, and tries to treat others the way he or she wants to be treated, then
they will enter heaven someday.
This is the preschool soccer-coach
God. He has low expectations. He yells “good job” over and over again from the
sidelines. He gives out trophies and medals just for showing up.
The gospel according to the
God of the Bible is very different. Jesus showed God’s view of humanity when he
said to his disciples, “9 Which one of you, if his son asks him for
bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give
him a serpent? 11 If you then,who are evil, know how
to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in
heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9–11, italics added).
Notice, in this teaching on
prayer, the Lord’s evaluation of human character. He said mankind is “evil.” Evil is a strong word. Jesus didn’t say
people are imperfect, flawed, prone to do inappropriate things now and then. He
said mankind is evil. This shows that he evaluates mankind with a more
demanding yardstick than we use. We learn much about God here.
What the great flood reveals about human nature
Moreover, Jesus wasn’t just
saying his disciples were evil; he was describing humanity. This is confirmed
by many other Scriptures.
For instance, God explained
why in the time of Noah he decided to send the great flood on the earth that
would destroy everyone but Noah and his family. “5 The LORD saw that
the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6
And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to
his heart. 7 So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have
created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and
birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them’” (Genesis 6:5–7).
Notice in verse 5 the words wickedness,
every, only, and continually. Again, what we learn here about his
assessment of mankind’s corruption tells us much about God. His standard is
higher than ours. He is not like the preschool soccer coach. He expects
something from us. He expects much.
The ultimate assessment of human nature
The fullest description of
why Jesus calls humankind evil is found in Romans 3:9–23:
“We have already charged that
all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: ‘None
is righteous, no, not one; 11no one understands; no
one seeks for God. 12All have turned aside; together
they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ 13
‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom
of asps is under their lips.’ 14 ‘Their mouth is full of curses and
bitterness.’ 15 ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16
in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they
have not known.’ 18 ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ 19
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the
law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held
accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will
be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,
although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For
there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God.”
What God expects
These verses called attention to several virtues that God
expects—requires—of humans:
Sinless obedience to the law of God. Perfect
righteousness. (v. 9, 10, 20)
To understand God’s ways and requirements (v.
11)
A life of seeking the Lord (v. 11)
Never turning aside from the Lord’s path (v. 12)
To do good always (v. 12)
Perfect honesty, no deception (v. 13)
Living continually at peace with others,
including in speech (v. 13–17)
The fear of God, evidenced by careful attention
to his commandments (v. 18)
Character and actions that continually display
the glory of God, that is, perfectly display the character of God (v. 23)
Gulp! Double gulp!! God’s requirements for mankind are way,
way higher than the preschool, soccer-coach model. God literally requires moral
perfection and a life completely oriented around him.
The better we know God’s expectations, the more we understand
why the gospel is good news. When we see how bad we are, we grasp how wonderful
is the news that God sent his Son Jesus to die for all the ways we have fallen
short of God’s requirements.
Our way and God’s way
Our way: We measure mankind morally by the yardstick
of mankind, comparing ourselves to others and comparing people to people.
God’s way: The gospel teaches us that God measures
mankind by comparing us to himself. He compares us to the standard of perfect
righteousness, holiness, and wholehearted love for God. To rescue us from
condemnation, he had to send his Son to become a man, die as a substitute for
our evil deeds and evil nature, and save us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
We cannot measure up any other way.
Life principle: You cannot decide for yourself what you think God requires of you. You must decide based on what he reveals in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Bible.
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)
