Unshakable Hope: Building Our Lives On The Promises Of GodSample

Justice Will Prevail “Judgment Day” is an unpopular term today. We dislike the image of a great hour of reckoning. In many ways, this is ironic. We disdain judgment, but we value justice . . . yet the second is impossible without the first. One can’t have justice without judgment. For that reason, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The apostle John was given a unique perspective of the justice of God. While exiled on the island of Patmos, God gave him a vision of the plans He has for our world. John saw that on Judgment Day, Satan and evil will be dealt with—permanently. Everyone will be judged. All unbelievers will be judged by Christ. All believers will be judged through Christ. Unbelievers will be punished, while believers will be saved by grace and applauded for their works (see Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 20:11–15). None will be excluded from this judgment. This will be “the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16). Why will Christ expose every deed and desire of the Christian heart? Because God’s justice demands a detailed accounting. He will not permit the hint of injustice in His new kingdom. Every citizen will know that every sin has been surfaced and pardoned. Heaven can’t be heaven with secrets or buried pasts, so God filters His verdict through Jesus. But know this: as a believer in Christ, you won’t stand before that bench alone. Jesus will be at your side! You won’t be embarrassed. To the contrary, you will be stunned! Your awe will grow as the list of your forgiven sins lengthens. And God will walk you through your life day by day, moment by moment, issuing commendation after commendation. The same pen that records impure thoughts makes notes of pure ones. God records and rewards your goodness. It’s only fair that He does. And since He is a just God, He will applaud the service of His servants and honor the wishes of the wicked. After all, a just God must honor the wishes of God-rejecters. God has offered His Son as an Advocate. And Jesus will stand at the side of every person . . . except those who refuse Him. This promise matters because it means that what the devil has stolen can be reclaimed! The wicked will not go unpunished. The injustices you’ve suffered will not go unaddressed. So let this promise gratify your desire for justice. God will have the final word. Place your tragedies in the shadow of the cross. Know that God will right all wrongs and heal all wounds. He has prepared a place where life will be finally and forever . . . just. Respond How do you feel when you see injustice in the world? What are you most longing to experience when you consider this promise in the Bible? What is the purpose for God waiting to bring this justice to earth? What does this coming justice and judgment mean for the people for whom you are praying? How does God’s promise of a secure future help you handle the chaos of today’s world? How does it help you to view your present struggles and trials?