How Will You Be Judged?

Pastor DaronCrossLife Blog

We judge all the time. 

When you’re driving and approach an intersection, you judge whether or not it’s safe to turn. When you’re shopping on Black Friday, you judge between two TV’s as to which is the better deal. When your two kids come down the stairs crying and fighting, you gather some quick evidence and then judge what went wrong and who’s at fault. 

Judging isn’t necessarily sinful and evil. But we can get it wrong. You can blame the wrong child or leave the turkey in the oven too long. 

Think about video replay in sports officiating, assisting officials in close calls because as good as they are, sometimes officials have a limited perspective and would get it wrong without video replay. 

Jesus has the authority to judge, and he’ll never get it wrong. Jesus will come again at the end of this world’s existence and it will be the final separation of those who spend eternity in heaven and those who spend eternity in hell. Every single soul will be judged. Nobody gets a pass. And there will be only two sentences—heaven or hell. 

What will happen to people who live in parts of our world where the message of the Bible is absent and they didn’t have a chance to believe in Jesus? What will happen to the souls of babies who have died? What will happen to those who have drifted from church or deny the truths of God’s Word by choosing their own lifestyle? What will happen to you? 

The Bible says that Jesus will always get it right, “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth” (Isaiah 11:3,4). 

Jesus won’t judge you like people judge you, based on their limited perspective, personal bias, gossip around school or online profile. Jesus won’t judge you by what you see in the mirror, by the unfair criticism of a spouse or parent, or by the mistakes and sins of your past. 

His justice is the righteousness that he won for you by his perfect life, not your personal righteousness. His decision is mercy, forgiveness and salvation. His judge’s bench is a wooden cross where he satisfied justice for the sins of the world.

PRAYER: Jesus, when I am unfairly judged, harshly criticized, or I am too hard on myself, be my Judge. You always decide in your righteousness that I am holy and loved, forgiven and filled with purpose. That’s a judgment I can live with, now and forever. Amen.

FURTHER MEDITATION: What determines who will be in heaven and who will be in hell? Jesus teaches: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17,18).