In this lesson, students learn that Jesus will return on Judgment day.
Devotion
KJV 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
The point is that we are saved by grace alone, but we will all be judged by our works. The Judgment is about works, not faith, or else how will God judge the heathen?
The scales of justice must be equal for Christians and non-Christians at the judgment. Otherwise, there would be two different standards of judgment, the Christians being judged by their faith and the heathen being judged by their works.
The heathen can't be judged by faith because they don't have any faith. Both Christians and the heathen will be judged equally by their works.
Both the heathen and the Christians will be judged by their works at the Judgment. The heathen will have no works because they had no faith. Heb 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The Christians will have good works because they have the full righteousness and work of Christ given them by grace alone through faith in Christ. Christians will also have actual good works in which they participated that God accepts because God gives all Christians good works to do, works which He accepts according to Eph. 2:10 above.
Therefore, the end of the Athanasian Creed is absolutely correct. It presupposes the faith of the believer and the unbelief of the heathen. The existence of, or lack of, good works will be evident to all at the Judgment. Not only without faith is it impossible to please God, it is impossible to be saved, according to Mark 16:16.
Think of it this way: Good works come as standard operating equipment on every Christian that God makes."
(John 5:25-27) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
Not long ago we read a religious article titled “The Most Neglected Doctrine in the Church Today.” Guess what the doctrine was—Christ’s Second Coming and the Last Judgment.
A couple sentences from the article read: “While this vital doctrine [of divine judgment] is recalled in most churches on a weekly basis through the words of the Apostles’ Creed—‘And He shall come again to judge the living and the dead’—few congregations or clergy give it much time or attention. Yet no doctrinal theme is mentioned more often within the pages of Divine Writ than the doctrine of judgment.”
Offered as answer to what may be behind the inclination to ignore such a foundational Christian doctrine was this: “The tendency these days to avoid ‘negative or offensive’ doctrines which tend to turn people off.”
On the contrary, for those who know the Bible truths about the doctrine of the End Times and the Savior’s Second Coming, it is a most welcome Bible teaching.
The above Gospel reading is one place the Lord Jesus Himself refers to and expands on that coming last Great Day. Think also of the Savior’s many parables, a number of which conclude with the teaching that while the unbelieving are banished to a place where there is unending weeping and gnashing of teeth, those who believe in the salvation He won for us poor sinners are ushered into eternal glory. Far then from that Day being one of fear and dread, the Lord Jesus teaches His own disciples to “look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).
How blessed we are to know that the One “given… authority.to execute judgment” is the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus, who came into the world to be at the same time our Redeemer and our Savior.
O’er the distant mountains breaking
Comes the redd’ning dawn of day.
Rise, my soul, from sleep awaking,
Rise and sing and watch and pray.
‘Tis your Savior, ‘Tis your Savior,
On his bright returning way.
(Christian Worship, 220:1)
(Daniel 12:1-3) At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
This holiday time of year it seems even the secular world likes to “romanticize” angels. Angels don’t exist just to dance on the head of a pin or whatever, but to carry out God’s commands, as His messengers, and in particular to “stand watch over” and be guardians of God’s people.
As the psalmist also writes, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (91:11).
The Archangel Michael is mentioned here as God’s champion to deliver God’s people in all the troubles accompanying them in the End Times. And who will be so delivered? “Every one who is found written in the book”—the book of life in heaven.
Note also this: even death will not have the final word! “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
On the one hand, the same God who destroyed the world in the Flood and rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah will banish the unbelieving to “shame and everlasting contempt.” On the other hand, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”
What a glorious future awaits the “wise,” those whose trust and confidence was not in their own merit or self-righteousness, but solely and alone in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Stars of the Morning, so gloriously bright,
Angels in heaven, resplendent in light,
These, where no darkness the glory can dim,
Praise the Thrice Holy One, serving but Him.
Still let them aid us and still let them fight.
Lord of angelic hosts, battling for right,
Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour,
We with the angels may bow and adore.
(Lutheran Service Book, 520:1, 4)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. 36 I was lacking clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or lacking clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “The King will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you did not give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, lacking clothes and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not take care of me.’
44 “Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or lacking clothes or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’
45 “At that time he will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 46 And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Questions.
v. 34 inheritance comes before works.
v 41 hell was not prepared for human beings
v. 42 the undone works are a symptom the problem is lack of faith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD3Zr7JOUdM
2 days before Good Friday
William Blake's The Day of Judgment printed in 1808 to illustrate the Robert Blair's poem "The Grave"