Introduction

A central tenet of Christianity is that, for human beings, physical death is not the end of consciousness. Each and every human being who has ever lived will, after death, face an individual judgment by God.

This is, or should be, a completely awe-inspiring prospect. God’s judgment will take account of everything (thought, word and deed) that the person did during their earthly life, but it will hinge pre-eminently upon the person’s attitude towards Jesus Christ. Moreover, God’s judgment, once delivered, is irreversible. It will determine the person’s fate for eternity (Matthew 25:31-46).

Of all the teachings of Christianity that have fallen from favour in contemporary Australia, these are among the most frequently misunderstood and most vehemently attacked. That is why we have included this topic in the current CEC unit. Most Australians today do not “get” divine judgment.

Modern-day sceptics often complain along these lines: How is it “fair” that God (even if such exists) would judge any person favourably merely for having “believed” in God’s existence during their earthly life? Or – even more unthinkable – that He would judge any person unfavourably merely for having not so “believed”? The reward for a believer (eternal life in Heaven) would be grossly disproportionate to any “achievement” of the person during their earthly life. The punishment for an unbeliever (eternal suffering in Hell) would be grossly disproportionate to any “crime”.

A slightly more sophisticated sceptic might add that God is supposed to be loving. Indeed, that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). He or she would then ask: How can these notions be reconciled? The God of judgment that Christians worship is not loving, but arrogant, vindictive and cruel. Therefore, so this objection runs, “I prefer not to believe at all”.

These are formidable-sounding objections, and they need firm, measured, biblical answers. In doing so, it is essential to strike a balance between hope and fear. This unit attempts to meet those challenges, in two parts.

The first part focuses upon judgment and Hell. The tone is necessarily quite sombre. We unashamedly wish to evoke a sense of “reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:17; Matthew 10:28, Romans 3:18). The primary resource is a podcast/video featuring Gerard O’Brien and Roy Williams. Gerard and Roy raise and discuss many of the main secular objections to divine judgment, especially adverse judgment. Roy has also prepared a written list of short answers to common objections. The additional resources section contains material on an issue which is especially contentious, even in evangelical circles - the nature of Hell.

The second part of the topic will focus on Heaven. The tone there is much more joyful! We examine the “nuts and bolts” of what eternal life may actually entail, scotching in the process some popular misconceptions about Heaven.

Heaven

QUICK ANSWERS TO NINE OBJECTIONS ABOUT JUDGEMENT

Objection 1: There is no judgment to fear because there is no God. There is no afterlife either. Death is the end of consciousness.

How can you be so sure? Are you really so sure? Be honest with yourself. If you are wrong, you are risking your fate for eternity!

The vast majority of human beings through history have believed in some form of God. If you’d like to know all the arguments for God’s existence, I can run through those now or give you some materials to watch or read.

But let’s focus on what happens after death. The vast majority of human beings through history have also believed in some form of afterlife. Jesus stressed that there is one.

Surely you wonder about this, at least occasionally? Most human beings, if they are being honest with themselves, harbor doubts about the afterlife. The Bible says that this is so because God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

According to Shakespeare, doubt about the afterlife is one reason why suicide is not much more prevalent. Shakespeare described death as “the undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller returns”. He added that death “puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of.” (Hamlet)

Objection 2: Judgment is a bad thing. It’s intolerant!

Your complaint is really about judgmentalism – by imperfect, hypocritical human beings who rarely know all the facts. The Bible denounces that sort of judgment (Matthew 7:1-3).

But fair, impartial, well-informed judgment is quite different. Think about it. Would you really want to live in a world without any human judgment? How can there be justice without judgment?

We rightly insist on justice being meted out in our courts of law. All of us, in their daily lives, routinely pass judgment on others (family, friends, work colleagues, etc.) and sometimes for reasons of genuine love (e.g., a parent or school teacher correcting a child for their own good).

In truth, human beings yearn for just judgment. We all are enraged when “righteous men get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men get what the righteous deserve” (Ecclesiastes 8:14)

So, what is the scarier prospect: that God will ultimately administer perfect justice, or that the grossly imperfect “justice” meted out by human beings on earth is the best we can ever hope for?

Objection 3: I’m a pretty good person. God would not presume to judge individuals like me.

For the purpose of honest argument, please can I ask you to assume that the God in which Christians believe actually exists – i.e., a Supreme Being who created the Universe (Genesis 1), who knows everything about you (Psalm 139), and who speaks to you as an individual through the wonders of nature and through your conscience (c.f. Romans 1:19-20, 2:14-16).

Now, therefore, would you not agree that the notion of divine judgment is entirely logical – and, what is more, entirely fair? At any rate, there’s nothing to be gained from complaining about it.

Why? Because it is God the Creator who “sets the rules” of His universe, not human beings (cf. Job 38). The clay pot can’t talk back to the potter who created it. God’s “rules” have been planted in your conscience, and are clearly laid down in the Bible. And because God knows everything, His judgment about you will be totally informed.

Also, try to be completely honest with yourself – are you really such a good person? Admit it – aren’t there things you’ve done or said or thought, big and small, of which you’re ashamed? Aren’t there things you’ve not done which a better person would have done? Let’s assume you’re a better person than most - isn’t there at least one thing which deserves judgment?

Objection 4: God’s judgment would not be fair because His moral standards are too high. He might know all about me, but He couldn’t empathise with me.

I repeat: there’s no point complaining about the standards that God has set.

But there’s another answer to your objection. This is one reason why the Christian God is so amazing. God can empathise with how hard it is for any human being to comply with His moral standards, because God lived on earth as a human being in the person of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 5 BC- c. AD 30). Jesus experienced temptation and suffering of every kind (Hebrews 4:15).

It’s vital to grasp what Christians believe about the New Testament: that it’s a totally reliable written record of what Jesus and his immediate followers did and taught. Among other things it teaches that Jesus will be our ultimate judge (John 5:22, John 5:27; Romans 2:16) and that Jesus is fully qualified for the role (2 Timothy 4:8). The New Testament also contains many examples of Jesus in “judgment mode”. There is no need to guess about how Jesus will approach the task.

Objection 5: Okay, God or Jesus has every right to judge me. And I admit that I’m far from perfect. But a God of love and empathy still would not judge me – and maybe anyone – adversely.

Yes, God is a God of love. But lovingness is not His sole attribute – the Bible teaches that God is also holy. Holy means “morally pure”.

God’s holiness is such that He cannot simply ignore or “tolerate” human sin. (Habakkuk 1:13) A great Christian writer (A.W. Tozer) explained it this way: “Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. … God has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His universe.”

The hard truth is that because everyone has sinned – albeit to a greater or lesser extent – everyone stands in danger of being judged adversely by God. (Psalm 14; Romans 3:23) As another great Christian writer (Francis Schaeffer) once put it: “How could a perfect God say, ‘Just sin a little bit?’”

Objection 6: Okay, I stand at risk of adverse judgment. But surely the “test” won’t be whether I believed in God or not? I don’t believe God exists – but that’s because there’s not enough evidence. What’s so bad about that? Even if there is some kind of divine judgment, surely God will just balance the good I’ve done against the bad.

Would you really want to be judged by a balancing of the good and the bad you’ve done? Would anyone? A lot of people would long ago have passed a point of no return. Questions of motive, means and opportunity come into it too. With all due respect, I suspect that you and many others overrate the “good” you’ve done and underrate the bad. I know I do.

But the biggest problem with your position is that you are massively underrating the importance of God. You say there’s not enough evidence – but have you really, seriously, conscientiously studied all the evidence? What evidence do you need?

Once again, please can I ask you to assume that the God in which Christians believe actually exists – i.e., a Supreme Being who created the Universe (Genesis 1), knows everything about you (Psalm 139), and speaks to you as an individual through the wonders of Nature and through your conscience (cf. Romans 1:19-20, Romans 2:14-16).

Then imagine, that on Judgment Day, Jesus asked why you rarely if ever took the trouble to seek Him out, or to understand what He wanted of you. Do you honestly believe that “I didn’t get around to it” or “It didn’t interest me’” or even “the evidence didn’t persuade me” would be a satisfactory answer? No – your conscience can certainly tell you that much. The Bible says that everyone is “without excuse” (Romans 1:20)

Objection 7: I know some Christians who are horrible people. Okay, I know some nice ones too, but according to you they are sinners like me. So why do Christians go to Heaven? Surely not just because they believe that God exists?

You’re right. Christians are sinners too – even the best of us. We deserve to be judged by God adversely.

But a person is not a Christian merely because they believe in the existence of God – let alone because they say they do. That really would be unfair! God has not set “the bar” so low.

Faith is much more than mere intellectual belief (James 2:20). Faith is putting your full trust in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Real Christians demonstrate their faith constantly by the way they live their lives. I’m very happy to talk to you about what real faith is. It’s challenging but amazing - a wonderful way to live.

Objection 8: Do good people of other religious faiths go to Heaven? Do innocent babies? Do children who haven’t been raised as Christians? If they don’t, that’s so unfair! Lots of people have never heard of Christianity or are too young to understand it.

These are tricky issues, I admit. Christians have held different positions on them over the centuries.

But let’s examine a few of your assumptions. First, are there really many, or any, truly “good” people in the world – of whatever religious faith? There are certainly none who are morally perfect, or anything like it. Second, in the twenty-first century, are there really many people who have never heard of Christianity? It’s extremely hard to say that about any adult Australians today.

I’ll tell you what I believe, based on the Bible: ultimately, God will judge everybody justly. He will take all circumstances into account (age at death, upbringing, nationality, level of knowledge, etc.).

In the meantime, the focus of all Christians must be to tell as many people as possible about the Gospel. That’s the overwhelming message of the New Testament (cf. Matthew 28).

Objection 9: Okay, maybe genuine Christians go to Heaven. But surely the unsaved will not suffer eternal conscious torment in Hell? Surely I won’t suffer like Hitler or Stalin? If that’s what Christians believe, the whole thing is too ghastly for words.

Well, many Christians do believe in eternal conscious suffering. It’s a frightening idea to contemplate, yes. But if you assume that it’s true, it’s all the more reason to take Christianity seriously.

But don’t think that God will not discriminate between different categories of sinners – He will. That applies to Christians too, by the way (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

And I’d urge you not to be misled by stereotyped images of people literally burning up in fires, or boiling in oil, for squillions of years. That is not the Christian idea of Hell. The essence of Hell will be knowing that you deservedly missed your opportunity for eternal life in Heaven and that you will be separated from God forever. That it was your choice. That you got what you wanted – life without God (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-9).

Some Christians hold a somewhat different idea of Hell. It’s still awful and final. But it does not involve the unsaved suffering eternal conscious torment. Rather, on this view, the unsaved will simply be “annihilated” – destroyed. At some stage after receiving their adverse judgment – and perhaps after enduring some suitable period of conscious punishment – they will cease to exist.

Whichever you look at things, the stakes are enormous. What is certainly at stake is the gift of eternal life in Heaven. The unsaved will lose out on that gift.

SIX WAYS TO TURN DISCUSSION TO THE GOSPEL

Don’t take my word it

If you doubt anything I’ve said, I’d ask you to consider an infinitely greater authority than me: Jesus of Nazareth.

Who could be better qualified to talk about what happens after death than the only human being in recorded history who returned to life after he was dead? The founders of Christianity staked everything on that fact. (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

And who could be better qualified to teach about divine judgment than the only human being in recorded history who claimed to be God Himself? Indeed, to top it off, Jesus also claimed to be the one who will judge us (John 5:22, John 5: 27).

These claims are astonishing but they are well documented in the Gospels and confirmed by lots of other evidence. Billions of people for almost 2000 years have believed them, and placed in their faith in Jesus accordingly. Why not read the Gospels for yourself?

There’s a solution!

The idea of divine judgment truly would be appalling if God had not offered us any ground for hope. If God’s favourable judgment was conditioned solely on our perfect adherence to His moral law, we would all be doomed. That might well be hard to reconcile with the notion of a loving God

But we do have grounds for hope; very strong grounds. God is also a God of wisdom, justice and mercy. The good news (the Gospel) is that God has anticipated what is far and away the biggest problem for human beings – that we are unable not to sin. That is why God sent Jesus to die for us on the cross – to atone for our sins, once for all. (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18)

What do I have to do?

You may be wondering: How, exactly, do individual human beings benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? How, as it were, do we “tap into” it? The answer is to put your faith in Jesus and to continue in that faith come what may. (Acts 16:30-31, Colossians 1:19-23)

It works like this. Through faith in Jesus, we enjoy the promise of God’s grace: we are “justified” in His sight. At the Final Judgment, our sins will not be counted against us (2 Cor. 5:18-19); better still, because of our union with Jesus, His perfect holiness will be imputed to us (Rom. 3:20-22; 2 Tim. 4:8).

To sum up. By putting your faith in Jesus, and persisting in that faith come what may, you can obtain assurance of favourable judgment by Jesus – and the gift of eternal life.

To those who ask: “But how do I know that anything that Jesus said is true? Especially what he said about his being God, and the possibility of eternal life with Him?”

Well, perhaps the best historical evidence for Jesus’ divinity is the Resurrection – which Jesus predicted. Those who saw, touched and spoke with the risen Jesus created the Christian church as a direct result. By the way, the New Testament teaches that Jesus’s bodily resurrection is the “model” for that of all believers.

Jesus suggested another way to test his claims: “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17) Billions of believers for over two thousand years have made that choice and come to understand the wisdom of Jesus’ words. Try it yourself!

To those who ask: “How can I attain the gift of eternal life?”

There is a simple binary choice to be made. Jesus Himself could not have been plainer: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36) To “believe in” Jesus is to trust him in all things.

To those who ask: “So, all I’ve got to do is say I believe in Jesus, and I’ll get to Heaven?”

No. Jesus warned about this: “Not everyone who says to me, 'LORD, LORD,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”. (Matthew 7:21) In other words, once you have made a decision to believe in Jesus – which means to trust him – you must actually do that, come what may. The best evidence that you really trust Jesus is by obeying his commands for holy living. You won’t do it perfectly, but you must always be trying.

Revelation 21:6-8 He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.’

GROUP OR PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

1. Do you live each day with the prospect of God’s judgment in mind, especially when you find yourself judging others?

2. What do you fear the most? Death? Illness? Bankruptcy? Singleness? Divorce? Loss of prestige? Have you taken to heart Jesus’ warnings (see, e.g., Luke 12:4-5, Luke 13:23-25) that our preeminent fear should be of Him, in His capacity as our righteous judge?

3. Evangelical Christians rightly reject any suggestion that salvation can be earned by good works. Yet the New Testament makes it plain that Jesus’s judgment will be “according to works” (cf. Matthew 25:31-45, Romans 2:6, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, Hebrews 12:14; see also Proverbs 24:12, Jeremiah 32:19). What is your attitude toward the prospect of judgment by Jesus according to works? How do your works to date – in particular, your efforts at evangelism and discipleship – stack up?

4. What is your understanding of the fate of the unsaved?

5. What things are you looking forward to the most about Heaven?

6. Are you heeding Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:19-21? “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

DIGGING DEEPER

This page was posted on: 19/02/2021