The Believers Three-Fold Judgements

The Believers Three-Fold Judgements

Text: Hebrews 9:27.      

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement.”                                                

There are Five Judgements in all found in the Bible.

1.    THE JUDGEMENT OF SIN (CALVARY).

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) Galatians 3:13.

2.    THE JUDGEMENT OF SELF (DAILY).

          “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” 1 Corinthians 11:31-32.

3.    THE JUDGEMENT OF SAINTS (AT THE RAPTURE).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:10. 

4.    THE JUDGEMENT OF SINNERS (GREAT WHITE THRONE).

          “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” Revelation 20:11-13.

5.    THE JUDGEMENT OF NATIONS (SHEEP AND GOATS).

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left” Matthew 25:31-33.

The first THREE apply to us:

THE PRESENT BELIEVER’S JUDGEMENT IS THREEFOLD:

1. PAST Judgement as a Sinner.

2. PRESENT Judgement as a Son.

3. FUTURE Judgement as a Servant.

These judgements are not like the other judgements, because it will not be like a trial, where one is found innocent or guilty. But it should be a time of reward (or even loss).

1.    OUR JUDGEMENT AS A SINNER.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” Isaiah 53:6.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5:21.
“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed”
1 Peter 2:24.

a.     Subjects: All that accept Christ Jesus as Saviour.

b.    Time: Around 30 A.D.

c.     Place: The Cross at Calvary.

d.    Judgment: Christ’s finished work.

e.     Results: Justification for the believer.

This judgement is in the PAST, we can see this in these verses:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life” John 5:24.

“There is therefore now no condemnation (judgement) to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” Romans 8:1-2.

          Have you ever noticed the parable of the rich man in hell and Jesus on the Cross? One is in hell and the other is the Victor over Hell.

RICH MAN IN HELL:            VS               CHRIST ON THE CROSS:

1. Agony of Separation.             -                   Christ Separated from Father.

2. Agony of Thirst.                     -                   Christ said “I Thirst.”

3. Agony of Darkness.                -                   Christ had 3 hours of darkness.

4. Agony of Eternity.                 -                   “It is finished.”

2.    OUR PRESENT JUDGEMENT AS A SON.

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” 1 Corinthians 11:28.
“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” 1 Corinthians 11:31-32.

This judgement is in the PRESENT. We are not in sin, but if we do sin, we have an advocate in Christ Jesus:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:8-9.
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.

And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” 1 John 2:1-2.

          As soon as the sinner accepts Christ as his/her personal Saviour they pass from sinners to sons (daughters) of God, they are brought back into that relationship that God desired from the beginning when God walked and talked with Adam. For Christ paid the penalty of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden.

          We sin because of our father Adam that is our old nature. But in Christ Jesus we are “born again” into His nature. The old nature and the new nature still battle within us, but we are now no more strangers to God, but sons and daughters.

          Our duty then as “sons” is to judge ourselves before a Holy God. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9.

3.    THE BELIEVERS FUTURE JUDGMENT AS A SERVANT.

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,  each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

a.     Subjects: Believers “works.”

b.    Time: After the Church is caught out.

c.     Place: Judgment Seat of Christ.

d.    Judgment: Our works in God.

e.     Results: Reward.

This judgement is in the FUTURE. In 2 Corinthians 5 I read “we” appears 26 times (someone must have had a lot of spare time), and in every instance it means “believer” and it is addressed to the “Church.”

This judgement is not like any other judgment, because it will not be like a trial, where one is found innocent or guilty. But it will be a time of reward (or even loss). All those that come to Christ in faith are saved, but not all serve the Lord faithfully, for the greatest honour in serving Christ is to hear those words “Well done good and faithful.”

At the end of the games the successful contestants would assemble at the “Bema Seat” and the winners would receive a “crown of laurel leaves,” while others would have nothing. Like todays medals of gold, silver or bronze. There is much which passes for Christian service which is merely human, and does not count in our eternal reward. But for those that deserve a “reward” it will be the “crowning day.”

There are FIVE crowns spoken about in the New Testament:

1.    The Crown of Life.

This is the “martyr’s crown, and is mentioned in:

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” James 1:12.

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” Revelation 2:10.

          This is for those that are faithful unto death. They that are faithful facing prison, etc. even death for their faith. (So many over these last few years).

2.    The Crown of Glory.

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” 1 Peter 5:2-4.

You could say the pastor’s crown, for those that serve the Lord well.

3.    The Crown of Rejoicing.

“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved” Philippians 4:1.
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20.

          The soul winners crown. Those brought to Christ Jesus by us will be our crown of rejoicing.

4.    The Crown of Righteousness.

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” 2 Timothy 4:8.

          This is the crown of those who “love His appearing.”

5.    The Victor’s Crown.

“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.

          This is the victor’s crown given to those who do not yield to fleshly lusts, who do not turn back from the Master’s service, who have not loved the things of the world.

Conclusion: Let us be faithful to the Lord.