RUSHWAVE: Establishing Believers in the Christian Faith

from The Judgment God Desires to Withhold

Chapter 3: The Reality of Man’s Accountability to God

Everyone will personally answer to the all-knowing, all-powerful God for his works.

Jesus and His apostles taught every man is accountable to God for his works and will be judged accordingly. This judgment will occur after death, involves the totality of all those things done while alive on earth, and serves as the basis of each man’s eternal state. The reality of this accountability, and the various aspects of God’s judgment associated with it, are repeated over and over again in scripture. Several aspects of this judgment are worthy of note.

God’s judgment is according to man’s deeds. God examines each man’s life, passes a verdict and effects sentencing. Consider the many scriptures that not only affirm the reality of God’s judgment, but also teach that man’s works form the basis of that judgment.

It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. Hebrews 9:27
He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Acts 17:31
And the dead were judged …according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead …and they were judged, according to their deeds. Revelation 20:12-13
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27
The righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds. Romans 2:5-6

God judging every man “according to his deeds” means God simply responds to the evidence presented before Him. If the works are praiseworthy, there will be praise, and if blameworthy, there will be blame. In one sense it is man who determines his own judgment, not God. For it is man who by his works earns what is coming to him, and is judged accordingly.

God’s judgment is universal. Absolutely no one is exempt from it.

He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Acts 17:31
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne … and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Revelation 20:12-13
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ 2 Corinthians 5:10.
For the Son of Man is going to come … and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27
The righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds. Romans 2:5-6

These scriptures make it clear every person who has ever lived, is living now, and is yet to live is answerable to God. Their works will be examined by God Himself. There are no exceptions.

God’s judgment is rooted in His knowledge of all things.

God knows all things. 1 John 3:20
You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men. Acts 1:24
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. Psalm 139:2-4

When God examines man’s works, there is absolutely no misinformation. There are no false witnesses, for He Himself is the witness. There is no misinterpretation of the evidence, for He is infinitely wise and intelligent. There is no failure to understand the context of the situation; He knows the spatial position of every particle in each context. With the infinite, all-knowing, ever-present, eternal God, there is absolutely no possibility of forming an incorrect judgment due to misrepresentation, misinterpretation, or misunderstanding of the evidence. God knows what each man has done, when he did it, why he did it, how he did it, and the circumstances surrounding his doing it.

God’s judgment is just. It is not whimsical, arbitrary or biased. It is completely and utterly fair and righteous.

He will judge the world in righteousness. Acts 17:31
Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments. Revelation 16:7
God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice. Deuteronomy 10:17–18

God knows all things perfectly, but that knowledge in itself does not necessarily mean the assessment of evidence will be just. Even on a human level, if an earthly judge is presented with accurate evidence but is either biased or prejudiced against the defendant, the verdict and sentence in the trial will not be just. The judge will either show favoritism and forego justice by not imposing the proper penalty, or he will act in prejudice and impose a penalty that is unwarranted or excessive. Therefore to correctly and accurately judge, one must not only have a clear knowledge of the evidence, but also a heart which is pure.

God’s judgments are just because He Himself at the core of His being is just and righteous. He therefore not only has a perfect understanding of the evidence, but He also has no bias one way or the other in the examination of that evidence. So when every man stands before God to give an account for his works and deeds, God’s judgment of those works will be just, righteous, fair, and perfectly fitting.

There is a day where you and every man will stand trial before God. The trial will be according to your works — you will answer for every single thing ever done in your earthly life. The evidence in the trial will be indisputable; absolutely nothing will be overlooked or misrepresented, for the all-knowing, ever-present God will Himself bear witness. And the verdict of the trial will be just; the righteous, holy God will form His verdict without partiality, and it will reflect what is deserved.

from The Judgment God Desires to Withhold

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