Eternal Judgments

Driven by Eternity: Making Your Life Count Today and Forever
by John Bevere

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Many today are not building their lives on the eternal-God's Word-but rather cultural thinking, tradition, assumptions, and emotional feelings about who God is. This doesn't just apply to people who are not Christians, but to many believers as well. It's a scary thing to believe something temporal as being the eternal truth. If this is done, your foundation is faulty and setting you up for a sure fall. You'll believe a lie and are in a deceived state.

I am amazed at how many people I meet who base their lives on what's not eternal. Some will tell me of God and their belief in His Son, but whom they declare just isn't the One revealed in His Word. The deception runs deep. How can they believe what they have simply imagined within their own minds, shaped by a society that has already been declared contrary to God's nature? Jesus said:

He who ... does not receive My words, has that which judges him-the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. John 12:48-49 (emphasis mine)

There is a Judgment Day, which has been appointed from the foundation of the world (Acts 17:31). That day will not bring new revelations of truth; rather, it will measure all things by what has already been spoken. His Word, which we currently possess, will judge us in that last day. It is eternal. It is final. There are no exceptions, alterations, or revisions. Wouldn't it benefit us to know and live by what He says, rather than assume what He said?

The judgments made in that day are called eternal (Heb. 6:2). In other words, the decisions made that day, which will be based on how we lined our lives up with His eternal Word, will determine how we spend the rest of eternity! There will never be any changes to those decisions, for they are called eternal judgments.

So many, both believers and nonbelievers, are ignorantly allowing the appointed judgment to hasten toward them without cause for investigation. They've taken a false hope in concepts that are not found in the Bible. Some think God will take into account all the good they've done and if it outweighs the bad, they will find favor. Others who profess a new birth experience have thought that they will not stand before Jesus as Judge because He is their Savior. They believe they are exempt from any form of judgment. They will be most surprised. Then there are some who think everything will just pan out. They are trusting in an unscriptural mercy.

None of these concepts are what the New Testament reveals and teaches. These notions and many others that people have devised in their own imaginations are temporal, not eternal, and will not stand in that day. There will be stunned men and women, and I personally think there will be more professing Christians than unbelievers who are shocked on Judgment Day.

Confidence at the Judgment

We don't have to go into judgment with fear, but we can go with confidence:

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.

1 John 4:17, NLT

Notice the words "as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. "The key that will give us confidence on Judgment Day is the love of God being made perfect (or matured) in us. Now here is where many in the church falter. They see the love of God in the light of the temporal, not the eternal. There is love and goodness, which are admired by society and many in the church but determined by human measures, and are contrary to the love of God. Let me illustrate a few that are common.

"We love each other so much and are planning to get married." This is often stated when two people are having sex outside of marriage. Not only is this sin even if they do follow through and get married, but many times I've witnessed those who make such statements end up not getting married. They've forgotten the clear exhortation, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral" (Heb 13:4, NIV). Notice He does not say, "The adulterer and sexually immoral who don't attend church." No, it is all who practice this lifestyle.

"I know it wasn't quite the truth, but it will help close the deal and we will make sure that they get fair treatment." Businesspeople often say this when they want to secure a sale that they really believe is good for the people but they need to twist the facts a little to get the customer to move forward. Not only is this the sin of lying, but almost always the deal is very good for the one making the statement. Have they forgotten the warning that states, "All liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)-[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 21:8, AMP).

Copyright © John Bevere, 2006

About the Author

John Bevere is passionate to see individuals deepen their intimacy with God and capture an eternal perspective. An international bestselling author with award-winning teaching materials, as well as a speaker at conferences and churches, John cohosts The Messenger TV program airing in 216 nations.