"When Does God Judge Us?" Mt:25:31-46

Overview

When Does God Judge Us?

Scripture speaks plainly about a reality our culture would rather ignore: every person will stand before God. Paul declares that God "has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness, by a man whom he has appointed," giving assurance by raising him from the dead Acts 17:31. The Judge is Jesus Christ himself. The contrast between his first coming in a Bethlehem stable and his second coming "in his glory, and all the angels with him" Matthew 25:31 could not be more striking. On that day, all nations will be gathered, and the Shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats—the saved from the lost—assigning them to one of only two eternal destinations: the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, or eternal fire Matthew 25:32–46. We are eternal beings. There is no third option, no annihilation, no opting out: "all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10; see also Romans 14:10).

So when does judgment occur? The public verdict on the Last Day is the formal announcement of a judgment already rendered at the moment of death. God needs no research; he knows his own. This should sober anyone tempted to shrink God down to a manageable size—an amused, retired deity, or a friendly figure asking to connect on social media. The God of Scripture is holy, just, and perfect, and no sinner cloaked in his or her own righteousness can stand before him. If we imagine we will be saved by our works—even by the six acts of mercy named in Matthew 25—we have already failed, for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23.

But notice the wonder of the text: when the King welcomes the sheep at his right hand, not a single sin is mentioned. They are simply "blessed by my Father." Why? Because they "are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" Romans 3:24–25. The sheep are separated before their works are mentioned. Their feeding, welcoming, clothing, and visiting are not the basis of their salvation; they are the fruit of a living faith, for "faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" James 2:17. Where Christ has given faith, the works follow as naturally as breath.

This is the gospel that turns the world upside down: God has befriended us in Jesus. "No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends" John 15:15. Claimed in the waters of baptism, clothed in Christ's righteousness, and sustained by Word and Sacrament, the believer can face the day of judgment not with dread but with longing. Examine your trust: is it in your own record, or in Christ crucified for you? If it is in him, then judgment day holds no terror. We can pray, with the whole Church, "Come, Lord Jesus"—and mean it.

Transcript

To open your Bible, please, with me to the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew for our study this morning. 0s

Throughout this summer, we have been dealing in the sermon series, questions and answers. 8s

We've been taking a look at a various question each and every week, and we've covered quite a few questions and answers, born of the scriptures. 15s

Why do we worry so much? Does God change? 25s

How do we know when we're a mature Christian on and on when the questions? Well today, we come to the last question in this series as we bring the series to a close. 30s

And this sermon 44s

This sermon has a particular warning attached to it. 46s

We're all used to warning labels, right? The sermon has a particular warning label to it. 51s

Warning. What you are about to hear is countercultural. Warning. What you are about to hear is 59s

considered irrelevant by most people in our society. Warning. What you are about to hear has to do 71s

with life, eternal, and in particular, one's eternal destiny. The topic, judgment, and the 85s

question. When are we judged? When are we judged? Matthew the 25th chapter is a perfect place to look and examine this question because it's dealt with in 99s

quite specific detail. Look when they please at chapter 25 of Matthew verse 31, Jesus is speaking. 119s

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne 128s

of his glory. Acts 17 chapter records this. He has fixed a day on which he will have the whole world judged in righteousness. By a man 139s

whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. 152s

So who is the judge on judgment day? But it's the one who has been raised from the dead. Jesus Christ. 161s

Notice the contrast in imagery here. When you think back to the birth of Jesus in the humble 170s

surroundings of the stable. And now you have the second coming of Jesus Christ in all of his 177s

magnificence and all of his glory. The contrast between Bethlehem and the day of days of the second coming of Jesus Christ 187s

is stark is it not? And all of the nations will be gathered before Jesus as he manifests his 201s

glory in its forms. Next verse verse 32, all the nations will be gathered before him and he will 216s

create people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep 225s

at his right hand and the goats at the left. This is a Greek idiom here. When it's used in 233s

distinction between the right and the left it means the position of honor which is the position of the 242s

against the position of this honor which is the position of left. So the here here is going to 248s

understand that an idiom is being used. It's the shepherd separation of the sheep from the goats. 255s

The saved from the unsafe. Those of honor on the right the sheep in distinction with those on the 263s

left in this honor the lost. Verse 34, then the king will say to those at his right hand, 272s

come, you that are blessed by my father in the harit that kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 283s

of the world. That's an echo of Ephesians the first chapter. Remember the Ephesians the first chapter, 293s

it says that we were chosen in Christ before the very foundation of the world. God has is elect and 300s

God will redeemed and will save his elect. It's Ephesians one. Now Jesus here. It's the echo of 310s

that which poll will later write. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 321s

come you that are blessed by my father and herit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 327s

of the world. I was hungry you gave me food. I was thirsty you gave me something to drink. I was a 332s

stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of 339s

me. I was in prison and you visited me. Six specific acts are highlighted. The sheep have manifested 345s

these acts and then later we see the same six acts but it is judgment against the goats. 357s

The unseemed those on the left who have not manifested these specific expressions of these works. 370s

It is an amazing picture that we have and notice the two destinations that are highlighted. 384s

Verse 34, the first part. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, come 397s

you that are blessed by my father inherit the kingdom for you from the foundation of the world. 405s

That's the glory, the beauty and the reality of heaven itself. And you have the second destination. 416s

Verse 41. Then he will say to those at his left hand, 424s

you that are accursed depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 430s

We are all eternal beings and when life ends this side of either heaven or hell, 442s

we only have one of two destinations. It's either heaven or this hell. 452s

And every person will be in one of those two destinations. There's no annihilation, 461s

there is no where the simply one goes out of existence when one dies. No, we are eternal beings. 473s

And we will live in one of two places. We will live forever and when you compare that against 481s

the brevity of our years here, forever is a long time, is it not? We will live forever 491s

either in heaven or hell, one of two destinations. 500s

Remind of a sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards. Edwards lived in the 1700s. He was a pure 512s

ten preacher. He preached a sermon that has really gone down in the history books as a quite 518s

famous sermon. The title of his sermon was sinners in the hands of an angry god. 526s

What Edwards was concerned about was those in his congregation that he was concerned about their 537s

eternal destiny. Because simply because one is part of a congregation does not mean that one is saved. 543s

We see that there will be a separation of the wheat and the tears and Edwards was concerned 551s

with regard to those in his congregation. They may have come every single Sunday, 559s

weren't believers. He just came because it was habit. Maybe they were raised that way, 566s

but they weren't believers. They saw the church as a fellowship club. They saw a place where maybe 574s

you could make some business context. However, they understood the church, Edwards knew that 582s

everyone that is a part of a church is destined for the glory of heaven. So he preached a sermon. 589s

sinners in the hands of an angry god. Edwards did in that sermon. 599s

He painted the picture of the judgment of God. He talked about the reality of hell and the reality of 608s

them. And the picture that Edwards painted was so poignant that literally people were 618s

fainting during the sermon. As he preached on the dire situation that one would be in 629s

to stand before God on judgment, they cloaked in one's own righteousness. The dire situation 640s

of understanding that you could somehow redeem yourself and not need a Savior. 652s

He painted it in picturesque language. And that sermon talks about the majesty of God and the 660s

sovereignty of God and the holiness of God and the perfection of God and the grace of God 670s

in Jesus Christ. And he urged the congregation to repent before it was too late. 679s

And the sermon was aimed at those who didn't know Christ in his own congregation. 690s

He was an amazing, amazing sermon. The holiness perfection 703s

magnificence and splendor of God. Fast forward centuries, Tuesday day. 714s

I was watching TV the other evening and an advertisement for a sitcom came on. 733s

There was a line in the advertisement for the sitcom that gets at the heart of what the sitcoms all 742s

about. And the line was this and I share it with you. That to be humorous. There's nothing 749s

tended by the writers as supposed to be humorous but the church should cry over it. 761s

And the line was this. What would you do if the Almighty invited you to be on Facebook? 769s

Hold that in distinction with Edwards sermon. We're the majesty and glory and perfection of God is revealed and the reality of God. 800s

The ability of two destinies for each person and a pastor's concern for the heart of the sheep 814s

that he is privileged to serve and hold that in distinction with a portrayal of God. 822s

Inviting people to join him on Facebook. 834s

It is part of the sinfulness of humanity where we try and pull God down to size our size. 845s

Where we try and pull God down to where he becomes the Lord of the scheduling leftovers. 864s

What a distinction between Edwards and the sitcom. 879s

Why rewind just a few decades ago. Remember the movie's O God George Burns? Isn't it fascinating 887s

that they cast a comic to portray God kind of popping in and out of the various scenes, 896s

smoking a cigar with a little twinkle in his eye? Really, really amused at the antics of his 904s

creation, but really profoundly detached in retirement and enjoying it. 914s

Edward centers in the hands of an angry God in the call to repentance and a sitcom 926s

about God inviting to be on Facebook where God is beholden to whether or not we say yes. 935s

See beloved, we will all stand before God on judgment day. We will all stand before him. 953s

And it will not be God who has his iPhone in his hand, but it will be Jesus Christ in his 963s

magnificence. He comes the first time to save. He comes the second time. 974s

Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians the 5th chapter. It says for all of us must appear before 987s

the judgment seat of Christ. It's an echo of Romans the 4teenth chapter. For we will all stand 995s

before the judgment seat of God. Verse 32 of our text, all the nations will be gathered before him. 1002s

There is no one of us, not a one of us that can simply opt out and not show up. We are summoned 1010s

and brought before notice how Jesus has referred to as the king. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4th 1018s

chapter in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead. 1026s

Judgment day, the day when Christ comes again and calls us before him, judgment day will simply be 1036s

the formal and public announcement of when judgment has already occurred. So here's the question. 1045s

When does judgment occur, it occurs on judgment day, but when did judgment occur before? 1054s

The time we die, right? The time we die. For we are immediately immediately, immediately 1064s

in paradise or heating, immediately. The day of judgment, when the Lord calls us fourth from our 1074s

graves, on that day it's simply the formal pronouncement of the judgment that's already made 1084s

at death. And God doesn't have to do any research. He knows exactly 1095s

our destiny on that day. If we think that we will be saved by works, that's a terrifying 1105s

prospect. Remember God is not one befriending us on Facebook. God is not George Burns. 1119s

God is not the idol that sometimes we create in our own mind where God simply is amused at our 1130s

antics. God is holy and just and he is perfect. And so to think that we could stand before him 1138s

on judgment day, cloaked in our own righteousness as if we can somehow stand in the presence 1147s

of the perfect one and make ourselves ill, if not perfectly, except for him, we understand the 1157s

absurdity of that, right? For the sinner cannot spend, but a moment in the very presence of God. 1165s

He would simply be incinerated in front of him. If we think that we can redeem ourselves by the 1176s

deeds that are portrayed in Matthew chapter 25, we are sorely mistaken for just take those six. 1185s

We've all fallen so far short of those. Left to ourselves, standing before a holy God, 1195s

sinners in the hands of an angry God, angry because sin, that's terrifying. 1206s

But notice, notice in our text for today, there is something so wonderful. One can't put it 1218s

towards. There is something so gracious that it just washes over us like cool waters on a beach 1228s

or a fresh breeze that envelops us. It is so beautiful and wonderful. 1241s

God has befriended us. You know what to be honest with you? I'm just not going to be watching 1257s

that show, but I'm fascinated by the advertisement. I'm fascinated by it. Because later on in 1269s

advertisement, the star of the show says this, God befriended me and it turned to my whole world upside down. 1276s

God befriended me and it turned the whole world upside down. 1290s

Beloved, God has befriended us in Jesus. Listen to this wonderful grace. Look again at 1298s

verse 34. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, come, you that are blessed by my 1307s

father and here at the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was hungry. 1314s

You gave me food. I was thirsty. You gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. You 1319s

welcomed me. I was naked. You gave me clothing. I was sick. You took care of me. I was in prison 1324s

and you visited me. Notice here the separation of the sheep from the goats has already occurred. 1330s

Before there's any mention of what they did. It's already occurred. 1341s

Before there's already any mention. Notice those on the right, those in the place of honor, 1348s

the sheep, the redeemed, the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord, those on the 1355s

right not one sin is mentioned. Not one. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in the 1362s

Romans 3. Since all have sinned and full short of the glory of God, notice the word all. 1378s

There now justified by his grace as a gift. Remember what is justification mean. It means being made 1387s

just as if you never sinned. We have been made just as if we never sinned by his grace. 1394s

That's the undeserved love of God as a gift. Through the redemption that means the 1401s

buyback to be purchased back through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a 1408s

sacrifice of a toement, a toement means at one meant by his blood. So again, all of sinned and 1416s

placed as a gift through the buyback, the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward 1430s

as a sacrifice of a toement to make us at one with him to bring us back into the relationship 1436s

that we have severed because of sin by his blood. Jesus on the cross taking the sin dead upon 1444s

him the wrath of God for sin falling upon the Savior so that those cloaked in the righteous 1453s

garment are moved to the right. The world declared innocent, not guilty, forgiven through the blood 1463s

of Christ and then noticed what it says effective through faith. The personal reception of that great 1475s

victory. That faith just as our whole redemption absolute gift. The separation of the sheep and the goats 1485s

that referenced to the six works, that's referenced after the separation has already come. 1499s

We're saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, not saved by works Romans 3, 1510s

where we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 1517s

James 2, so faith by itself if it has no works is dead. So when Jesus turns to the sheep and the 1525s

goats and says, you did this and he personalizes it and so you did it to me and you didn't do this 1537s

and he personalizes it so you didn't do it to me. That's not a judgment in the end by works. 1547s

It's an acknowledgement that the very actions of the sheep is simply the manifestation of the faith 1559s

in the Lord Jesus Christ that they have. What we study last week, where there's faith, there's 1568s

what? There's works, can't help itself, it expresses itself. At judgment then, at our death, 1578s

it's is their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ or not. That faith is entirely gift. 1587s

That faith given to you in your baptism sustained by the gracious God through Word and 1596s

sacrament, that day that we stand before Him, the mention of the deeds is simply reflection of the 1602s

cause of. Notice what Jesus calls us. John 15th chapter. Jesus says, I do not call you servants any 1625s

longer because the servant does not know what the master is doing here it comes. But I have called you 1634s

friends. Call you friends. Love it have confidence for the day when you will stand before God 1647s

Almighty. Have confidence for that day. In fact, long for it. We cry as a church come Lord Jesus 1658s

and we want Him to come now, don't we? We can stand before God Almighty in the absolute 1667s

confidence because we have been claimed in the waters of baptism, cloaked in His righteous garment, 1675s

having been given the gift of faith and a God who sustains that gift of faith through Word and 1681s

sacrament. And so we cry out in absolute confidence, come Lord Jesus because Jesus 1687s

has befriended us. He's befriended us for real, for real. 1697s