All must face the Judge!

During a court trial, the parties are allowed to present their cases using approved legal procedures. If a jury is present, they are then tasked with exploring the evidence presented during the trial even further to come up with a verdict. One day (very soon) all of humanity will appear before the Judge Jesus Christ in a court trail in heaven. The Bible is very clear about this, there will be a day of judgement for believers and unbelievers. There shall be a first resurrection, and the believers will stand before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ. The judgment seat of Christ is not designed to punish believers, but rather to reward them for their faithful service. All of us will give an account of what we have done after trusting Christ as Savior. Therefore, the judgment seat of Christ is a judgment of believers works after salvation. "10For we (believers will be called to account and) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad (that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities)". - 2 Corinthians 5:10 AMP.

Then there shall be a second resurrection, and the unsaved will be raised and will stand before God’s judgment. Do not confuse this judgment at the White Throne with the judgment seat of Christ, where believers will have their works judged and rewarded. At this judgement, there will be only unbelievers, and there will be no rewards. At the final judgement before the White Throne of God there will be one Judge (Jesus Christ), a penalty (second death, eternal separation from God) and there will not be a jury to come up with a verdict. The verdict of those standing before the throne will be done by the Judge Jesus Christ. "25I assure you and most solemnly say to you, a time is coming and is (here) now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live.26For just as the Father has life in Himself (and is self-existent), even so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself (and be self-existent). 27And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is a Son of Man (sinless humanity, qualifying Him to sit in judgment over mankind). 28Do not be surprised at this; for a time is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29and they will come out those who did good things (will come out) to a resurrection of (new) life, but those who did evil things (will come out) to a resurrection of judgment (that is, to be sentenced)". - John 5: 25-29 AMP.

"11And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them (for this heaven and earth are passing away). 12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. 13And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds. 14Then death and Hades (the realm of the dead) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire (the eternal separation from God). 15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:11-15 AMP.

John described that heaven and earth will flee away and no place will be left for sinners to hide! All must face the Judge! The Judge is Jesus Christ, for the Father has committed all judgment to Him. These lost sinners rejected Christ in life; now they must be judged by Him and face eternal death. No sinner will escape. Jesus Christ will judge these unsaved people on the basis of what is written in the books. What books you may ask? For one thing, God’s Word will be there. "48Whoever rejects Me and refuses to accept My teachings, has one who judges him; the very word that I spoke will judge and condemn him on the last day." - John 12:48 AMP. Every sinner will be held accountable for the truth he or she has heard in this life.

There will also be a book containing the works of the sinners being judged, though this does not suggest that a person can do good works sufficient to enter heaven. "5He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit," - Titus 3:5 AMP. Why, then, will Jesus Christ consider the works, good and bad, of the people before the White Throne? To determine the degree of punishment they will endure in hell. All of these people will be cast into hell. Their personal rejection of Jesus Christ has already determined their destiny. But Jesus Christ is a righteous Judge, and He will assign each sinner the place that he deserves.

There are degrees of punishment in hell. "20Then He began to denounce (the people in) the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent (and change their hearts and lives). 21“Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon (cities of the Gentiles), they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God). 22Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for (the pagan cities of) Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven (for your apathy and unresponsiveness)? You will descend to Hades (the realm of the dead); for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you."- Matt. 11:20–24 AMP. Each lost sinner will receive just what is due him or her, and none will be able to argue with the Lord or question His decision. God knows what sinners are doing, and His books will reveal the truth.

The Book of Life will be there, containing the names of God’s redeemed people. "27and nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations (detestable, morally repugnant things) and lying, but only those (will be admitted) whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life." - Revelation 21:27 AMP. No unsaved person will have his or her name in the Lamb’s Book of Life; only true believers are recorded there. When the judgment is finished, all of the lost will be cast into hell, the lake of fire, the second death. Many people reject the biblical doctrine of hell as being unchristian, and yet Jesus clearly taught its reality. "46Then these (unbelieving people) will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God (will go, by His remarkable grace) into eternal (unending) life." - Matthew 25:46.

Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin. Hell is also a witness to man’s responsibility, the fact that he is not a robot or a helpless victim, but a creature able to make choices. God does not send people to hell; they send themselves by rejecting the Savior. "16For God so (greatly) loved and dearly prized the world, that He (even) gave His (One and only Son, Jesus, God’s only Son, the One who is truly unique, the only one of His kind) only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him (as Savior) shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world (that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world), but that the world might be saved through Him. 18Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him (as personal Savior and Lord) is not judged (for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation); but the one who does not believe (and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord) is judged already (that one has been convicted and sentenced), because .he has not believed and trusted in the name of the (One and) only begotten Son of God (the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him)." - John 3:16 -18 AMP.

Hell is also a witness to the awfulness of sin. If we once saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as hell exists. In light of Calvary, no lost sinner can condemn God for casting him into hell. God has provided a way of escape, patiently waiting for sinners to repent. He will not lower His standards or alter His requirements. He has ordained that faith in His Son is the only way of salvation. "6Jesus said to him, "I am the (only) Way (to God) and the (real) Truth and the (real) Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6 AMP. The White Throne Judgment will be nothing like our modern court cases. At the White Throne, there will be a Judge but no jury, a prosecution but no defense, a sentence but no appeal. No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness. Before God can usher in His new heavens and earth, He must finally deal with sin, and this He will do at the Great White Throne.

You can escape this terrible judgment by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. By so doing, you will never be a part of the second resurrection or experience the terrors of the second death, the lake of fire. "24I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word (the one who heeds My message), and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life (that is, eternal life actually begins the believer is transformed), and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed (over) from death into life." - John 5:24 AMP.

Have you trusted Him and passed from death unto life?