Judgement: 3 Judgement of the Believer
By Mark Farquharson
People believe incorrectly that believers will not be judged. This is incorrect believers are Judged. When people see judgement in the bible they automatically assume that it involves punishment. They assume that believers will not get punished, and therefore believers are not judged. The thinking is judgement only applies to unbelievers.
However there are many judgements that do not involve punishment. There are judgements at Dog Shows, the top dogs get prizes. It is wrong to automatically assume that judgements in the bible are always punishments. There are numerous judgements against Israel in the bible, and these resulted in Israel getting punished, but that does not mean, that all judgements are like that. There are favourable judgements. The other point about judgements is that they are corrective. When Israel was judged, a number of times there enemies came and took them away from their land. This was corrective because each time they had turned away from God and followed other gods. Later they world remember God, and turn back to him. When this happened God would deliver them.
Disciplined by the Lord
2Corinthians 5:10-11 For all of us must be manifested in front of the dais of Christ, that each should be requited for that which he puts into practice through the body, whether good or bad." Being aware, then, of the fear of the Lord, we are persuading men, yet we are manifest to God. Now I am expecting to be manifest in your consciences also." {CLV}
Romans 14:10-11 Now why are you judging your brother? Or why are you also scorning your brother? For all of us shall be presented at the dais of God, for it is written: Living am I, the Lord is saying, For to Me shall bow every knee, And every tongue shall be acclaiming God!" {CLV}
All shall be present at the dais of God, but not at the same time. Thus first those who are chosen, the predestine members of the body of Christ. Then all the rest of mankind at the White Throne Judgement. The dais is where everyone is judged, but they do not have to be there physically to be judged there.
Many think that both are a physically presenting, by that I mean that the person in body goes and stands in front of the Lord, Jesus Christ. I am not saying there will not be an actual presenting in the future when the White Throne Judgement comes, but the presenting of the chosen is different. Those who take it only as a physical presenting look for only a future fulfillment of the judgement of believers.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 For if we adjudicated ourselves, we would not be judged." Yet, being judged, we are being disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world." {CLV}
When the faithful are being judged they are being disciplined by the Lord. However if they could adjudicated themselves they would not be judged. Thus if the chosen could discipline themselves they would not be disciplined by the Lord. This disciplining of the Lord is so that they will not be condemned with the world. The disciplining was happening when this written sometime in the first century, that is they were being judged at that time, even thou they were not actually at the dais of Christ. The judging of the body continued to happen over many centuries and is still happening today at this time. It will come to an end when Jesus returns, for the judgement of the rest of mankind will start soon after his return. The disciplining must happen now, because it is the faithful who will judge the world in the future eons.
1 Corinthians 6:2 Or are you not aware that the saints shall judge the world? {CLV}
This disciplining happens now so that they are not disciplined with the rest of the world. It is Christ the head and His body, the Chosen, who will chasten and correct the rest of mankind in the eons to come. After the Great White throne Judgement eon, the judging of the nations continues, Judgement does not end with the throne judgement. They will rule over all the nations in the eon to come and the eon after the judgement. Having been fully disciplined they will discipline the nations.
Hebrews 12:5-8 And you have been oblivious of the entreaty which is arguing with you as with sons: My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord, Nor yet faint when being exposed by Him." For whom the Lord is loving He is disciplining, Yet He is scourging every son to whom He is assenting." For discipline are you enduring. As to sons is God bringing it to you, for what son is there whom the father is not disciplining? Now if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, consequently you are bastards and not sons." {CLV}
Whom the Lord is loving He is disciplining. The Chosen are sons of God, who are enduring discipline. The Lord is scourging every son of God. If you are without discipline, then you are not a son of God. That means you are not a Son of God at the moment. God is the father of everyone, but He does not consider you a son at the moment if you are not enduring discipline.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I am saying to you that he who is hearing My word and believing Him Who sends Me, has life eonian and is not coming into judging, but has proceeded out of death into life." {CLV}
Those who here the word and believe now, those who are discipline now, are not judged with the nations, but have life eonian. That is instead of being in the second death, the Lake of Fire, they have life, in the kingdom. They have proceeded out of death, that is spiritual death, anyone who is not one of the chosen is considered to be dead, even thou they maybe physically alive.
The Testing of Your Faith
When a person is spiritual born, they start to be judged. This is not to do with punishment, the believer is not being punished for their sins. When they commit sins after they are saved, they are covered by grace, there is no punishment.
Romans 5:20-21 Yet law came in by the way, that the offense should be increasing. Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds, that, even as Sin reigns in death, thus Grace also should be reigning through righteousness, for life eonian, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." {CLV}
Believers are not punished for their sins that they did before they were saved. All sins ever committed by the whole world have been paid for. Jesus Christ paid at the Cross, not just for believers past and future sins, but for the sins of the whole world.
1Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His vast mercy, regenerates us into a living expectation, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead, for the enjoyment of an allotment incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, kept in the heavens for you, who are garrisoned by the power of God, through faith, for salvation ready to be revealed in the last era, in which you are exulting; briefly at present, if it must be, being sorrowed by various trials, that the testing of your faith, much more precious than gold which is perishing, yet, being tested by fire, may be found for applause and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ, Whom, not perceiving, you are loving; in Whom, not seeing at present, yet believing, you are exulting with joy unspeakable and glorious, being requited with the consummation of your faith, the salvation of your souls." {CLV}
This passage is talking about true believers, those who have been chosen by God. These are the ones who will enjoy an allotment, that is kept in the heavens for them, that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading. However before they can enjoy the allotment, they have to endure various trails, that test their faith. Their faith is more precious than gold. This faith is tested by fire, so that they may be found for applause and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. This unveiling happens when Christ returns to the earth at the end of this eon.
Titus 2:11-15 For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity, training us that, disowning irreverence and worldly desires, we should be living sanely and justly and devoutly in the current eon, anticipating that happy expectation, even the advent of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gives Himself for us, that He should be redeeming us from all lawlessness and be cleansing for Himself a people to be about Him, zealous for ideal acts." Speak of these things and entreat and expose with every injunction. Let no one slight you. {CLV}
The chosen are being trained in this eon for their work ahead in the eons to come. Our Saviour Jesus Christ is “cleansing for Himself a people to be about Him, zealous for ideal acts.” The Chosen are to “Speak of these things and entreat and expose with every injunction.”
Revelation 22:14-15 Happy are those who are rinsing their robes, that it will be their license to the log of life, and they may be entering the portals into the city. Outside are curs, and enchanters, and paramours, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone fabricating and fondling falsehood. {CLV}
Even now true believers are spiritually rinsing their robes, and they will have the license to the wood of life. Log is translated from the Greek word “xulon” which literately translates as “wood.” The Greek “dendron” is the main word for tree. More on the wood of life later in part 7. They will be entering the portals into the city, New Jerusalem. One day all mankind will be in the city, for all mankind will in the future will believe in Jesus Christ and rinse their robes. However those who are Christ’s when he returns, will get into the city first. Over time the rest of mankind will also rinse their robes, and get into the city. For more on how the Tabernacle relates to the eons read my article: “God's Plan of the Eons”
Son or Slave?
Galatians 4:6 Now, seeing that you are sons, God delegates the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" 4:7 So that you are no longer a slave, but a son. Now if a son, an enjoyer also of an allotment from God, through Christ." {CLV}
Some translations use the word servant instead of slave.
Some people use these verses to claim that they are no longer slaves/servants, they are a son of God. Any calling of the servants does not apply to them as sons. These Christians claim that any scriptures applying to the slaves/servants does not apply to them. This however is incorrect, sons can be servants.
Paul here in Galatians is speaking of the relationship between God and the Chosen of God. The spirit of the son of God, has been delegated to the sons into their hearts. It is to God that they are no longer servants, but now are sons of God.
However the sons of God have a different relationship to Christ, and it is to Christ they are servants/slaves.
Can someone be both son and slave?
John declared that the faithful are children of God:
1John 3:1-2 Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God! And we are! Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him." Beloved, now are we children of God, and it was not as yet manifested what we shall be. We are aware that, if He should be manifested, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him according as He is." {CLV}
Later he declared that the faithful are the slaves of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:1-2 The Unveiling of Jesus Christ, which God gives to Him, to show to His slaves what must occur swiftly; and He signifies it, dispatching through His messenger to His slave John, who testifies to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever he perceived." {CLV}
Paul stated that those who have faith are no longer slaves, but are sons:
Galatians 4:7 So that you are no longer a slave, but a son. {CLV}
However he said of himself that he was a slave of Christ Jesus:
Romans 1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, severed for the evangel of God" {CLV}
It is to God they the elect are sons, but to Christ Jesus they are slaves. For Christ has purchased the chosen with his blood on the cross, having paid their debts in full to God. If a man pays of the debts of a slave to the owner of that slave, then he has purchased the slave, the slave is his. Thus they no longer are slaves to God, they do not owe a debt to God, they are free from this debt to God, and can now be declared sons of God. This does not mean they have to pay Christ, or owe Christ a debt. For Christ Jesus has taken the sins away from the faithful and has taken away the sins from the world.
If the Chosen are Sons to God and slaves to Christ, then are they not still slaves of God, since Christ is part of the Trinity? Christ is not our Father, God is our Father. Thus while the faithful are the sons of God, they are the servants to Christ. For Christ is not God, the Trinity is not true. For more on there being no Trinity refer to the article: “Trinity Is God three Persons”
Those who build on the foundation of Jesus Christ
1Corinthians 3:5-8 What, then, is Apollos? Now what is Paul? Servants are they, through whom you believe, and as the Lord gives to each." I plant, Apollos irrigates, but God makes it grow up." So that, neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is irrigating, but God Who makes it grow up." Now he who is planting and he who is irrigating are for one thing. Yet each will be getting his own wages according to his own toil. {CLV}
Paul and Apollos are servants, all believers are servants.
1Corinthians 3:9-11 For God's fellow workers are we. God's farm, God's building, are you." According to the grace of God which is being granted to me, as a wise foreman I lay a foundation, yet another is building on it. Yet let each one beware how he is building on it." For other foundation can no one lay beside that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." {CLV}
Believers are God’s fellow workers, God’s farm, and God’s building. All believers, servants should beware of how they are building on the foundation.
1Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, each one's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work - what kind it is." If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages." If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire." {CLV}
The foundation here is Jesus Christ. The work is tested, by fire and if it remains, the person will get wages. Gold, silver and precious stones, represent the work that will remain. When gold and silver are heated they melt, but the elements gold and silver do not change, and once they are cooled down, they are still the same. Precious stones are not effected by fire. If the work is burnt up he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved. Wood, grass, and straw represent work that will be burnt up. It is only believers who are building on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Some believers are not building all that much on the foundation of Christ, for it is burnt up. Others are building much better on the foundation, and their work remains, they will receive wages. Those who receive wages are the faithful to Christ, they have built on the foundation the gold, silver and precious stones. More on what the faithful get, will be covered in the parables part of this series.
Who then are the ones who are not building that much? For some build only wood, grass, & straw which is burnt up. These works that are burnt up are built on the foundation, but they are works of the flesh, not works of the nature of Christ. A lot of the work produce by the harlot church is of this fleshy nature that will be burnt up. I am not talking about sins here like lying, drunkenness, or adultery. What I am meaning is the so called good works that they claim to be doing and claim to have done. These are built on the foundation, in His name, but they are not produced by His spirit, they are products of the flesh.
Loads of Christians over the centuries have gone to church and given their hard earn money over to the church. This money has been used to fund all sorts of things over the centuries, from huge cathedrals, to ever increasing mega-churches, to Christian communities, to the luxury life styles of the preaches, and their million dollar homes. These are all products of the scheming, imaginative and greedy minds of the people who think up these schemes. These works are not ordain by God and are abomination to Him. All these works will be burnt up by the fire. Many men who have received great applause of the multitudes will stand before Christ and witness all their works being destroyed by the fire, they will be left with nothing. They will receive no recognition from Christ, for he will avow to them “I never knew you! Depart from Me, workers of lawlessness!”
No one is saved or destroyed as a result of the work they do on the foundation. And no one is saved or destroyed as a result of the judgement of the works. The faithful servants have already been saved. The unfaithful ones are not destroyed by the fire, for the fire is testing their work, later they are actually saved through fire.
The unfaithful are the ones who are building with the stuff that gets brunt up. That is the unfaithful servants are not building anything that will remain. There are many Christians who will be surprised when their work is burnt up and they join the unbelievers in the Lake of Fire. However they will be saved, for it states that the one who forfeits shall be saved, yet thus, as though fire. The unfaithful have there part in the Lake of fire, yet it does not destroy them, it saves them! Even thou they have done tons of worthless, and vain religious works and have nothing to show for it, they are still saved. For the Fire does not destroy them, it purifies, cleanses and disciplines them.
Not All Believers are Part of the Body
While there is only one body of believers, not everyone building on the foundation are part of this body. Most believers who are building on the foundation are not true believers in Christ. They believe in themselves, not in Christ. For they believe that they themselves chose to be saved. That they where saved by there choosing, not by Christ. While they are believers, while they are Christians, they are not true believers in Christ. They do build on the foundation, however they are blind to the fact that they are building only wood, grass, & straw.
How do we know that it is the unfaithful servants who are producing the work that is burnt up?
Matthew 7:15-20 Take heed of those false prophets who are coming to you in the apparel of sheep, yet inside they are rapacious wolves." From their fruits you shall be recognizing them. Not from thorns are they culling grapes, nor from star thistles figs." Thus every good tree ideal fruit is producing, yet the rotten tree noxious fruit is producing." A good tree can not bear noxious fruit, neither is a rotten tree producing ideal fruit." Every tree not producing ideal fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Consequently, from their fruits you shall surely be recognizing them." {CLV}
A good tree, that is the faithful servant, is producing ideal fruit, that is perfect fruit. Fruit is the work that a servant does, thus a good tree, produces perfect works. Yet the rotten tree is producing noxious fruit, that is fruit that is poisonous, not in a physical way, but in a spiritual way, that is false doctrines, and other stuff that lead people away from the truth and away from God and Christ. A good tree can not bear noxious fruit, that is a good tree has no noxious fruit. A rotten tree can not produce the perfect fruit. That is it can do no good works. These trees that are not producing ideal fruit are cast into the fire. That is they are cast into the lake of fire.
The good trees produce the idea fruit, that is there work is the gold and silver, precious stones, that is NOT burnt up by the fire, and remains. They can not produce anything bad that is burnt up. Which means the wood, grass, and straw, that is brunt up is produced by the bad trees that are cast into the fire. These ones cast into the fire are saved by the fire.
The fire for all faithful servants will have already past, as their faith is tested by fire, during their present life, before they get to the judgement seat, before their wok is tested.
However the fire that saves the person who’s work is burnt up, is after the judgement of that persons work. The fire that is after this Judgement of works is the Lake of Fire. It is the Lake of Fire that saves them.
Many Christians Will NOT Make it into the Kingdom
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone saying to Me 'Lord! Lord!' will be entering into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who is doing the will of My Father Who is in the heavens." Many will be declaring to Me in that day, 'Lord! Lord! Was it not in Your name that we prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many powerful deeds?'" And then shall I be avowing to them that 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, workers of lawlessness!'" {CLV}
Not everyone who says to Jesus Christ, 'Lord! Lord!', will entering into the kingdom of the heavens. It is only those who do the will of the Lord’s Father, that is the will of God, who will be entering the Kingdom of the Heavens. Many Christians will claim to have done powerful deeds in His name, including prophesying and cast out demons, but the Lord will avow “I never knew you! Depart from Me, workers of lawlessness!”
Many who believe that all mankind will be saved, don’t believe that all creation will be saved. However I don’t believe that this will disqualify them from the kingdom. Have read some of their stuff it does seem that they are part of the chosen company of saints. It is that for what ever reason they have not been shown the truth in this area.
There are many Christians out there who don’t believe that all mankind will be saved. They would have their god condemn most of the human race to a torturous hell forever. Most if not all of these people will not make it into the kingdom. However the scriptures state that you just have to believe that Christ died for your sins. Thus it seems some may make it. That said most will not, the path is narrow, it is not the large highway. There are many Christians out there today, unfortunately for them, the many will not make it, only the few will make it into the kingdom at the judgement.
Those who work is burnt up are the ones who do not make it into the kingdom, at the judgement. They are the ones claiming to have done powerful deeds. However the fire tests the work, for what kind it is, and their wood, grass, and straw is burnt up, and they are cast into the fire. However they are saved by fire, and will make it into the kingdom after they have done their time in the Lake of Fire.
Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2010-2011 & 2021
Back: 2 The Judgement of Sins
Back: Judgement Series