After Life for the Righteous What 1 Kingdom

After Life for the Righteous: What? 1. Kingdom of Heaven 2. Heaven (Paradise) 3. New Heavens, New Earth

After Life for the Unrighteous: What? 4. Life before Death: Sin Wrath Judgment 5. Life after Death 1 Judgment Seat Lake of Fire

After Life for the Unrighteous: What? 6. Life after Death 2 Judgment Seat Lake of Fire

1. Judgment Seat Revelation 20: 11– 15 (NKJV) The Great White Throne Judgment 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

2. Who gets to go into the Kingdom of Heaven? Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life

3. Who gets to go into the Lake of Fire? Revelation 21: 6– 8 (NIV) 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. ”

I. Those who despise his mercy offered by the cross II. Those who reject his mercy offered at the cross

I. Those who despise his mercy offered by the cross Calvinism (Sovereignty of God) v Arminianism (Free-will of Man)

Armenianism Jesus died for all God predestines (according to foreknowledge) Free-will - Each person is the one who decides if he wants to be saved or not. Possible to lose your salvation

T. U. L. I. P. Total Depravity – Man is totally sinful due to the inherited sin nature Unconditional Election – No consideration of merit Limited Atonement - Jesus died only for the elect, the rest are elected to go to hell (“God’s horrible decree”)

T. U. L. I. P. Irresistible Grace – Elect cannot resist God’s call to salvation Perseverance of the Saints (Once Saved Always Saved)

Principle of Justification (Gabe/Aufgabe) “a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” (James 2: 24)

Romans 2: 1– 11 (NLT) God’s Judgment of Sin You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things.

3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.

8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

Basic Principle of Divine Judgment God will “give to each person according to what that person has done”

Paul was not teaching how we are made right with God but how God judges the reality of our faith. God judges faith by the difference it makes in how a person actually lives.

Actions determine destiny “A man’s destiny on Judgment Day will depend not on whether he has known God’s will but on whether he has done it. ” A. M. Hunter

The same Spirit who liberates from legalism also legislates against fleshly license. Believers must not give in to their sinful nature, and “anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. ” Galatians 5: 21

Hebrews 10: 26– 31 (NIV) 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, ” and again, “The Lord will judge his people. ” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2 Peter 2: 20– 22 (NKJV) 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit, ” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire. ”

Roman Catholic Beliefs “Universal immortality is assumed; For those who are beyond pardon, Hell; For those who are pardonable, Purgatory; For those whose pardon is accomplished, Paradise. ”

“As we survey the whole Christian scene, we see most ‘Christians’ on their way to hell. On the world scene, all non-Christians—no exceptions— are on their way to hell. ” (Gerster, 1990).

II. Those who reject his mercy offered at the cross a. God is a righteous judge

“The final judgment … will be, and will be seen to be, perfectly right, utterly just, unequivocally proper, and receptive of the fullest approval of every conscience. No single human person will be dealt with in a manner that is even fractionally in diminution or in excess of what, in God’s loving and holy presence, will be seen to be just. If one may so put it, not one individual will spend one millisecond longer in hell than is their just desert. ” (Milne, 2002, p. 157)

b. Final judgment is conditional on rejection of Christ John 12: 47– 48 (NIV) 47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

Luke 10: 16 (NIV) 16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me. ” John 3: 36 (NIV) 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. ”

John 3: 16– 21 (NIV) 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 8: 50– 51 (NIV) 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. ”

Acts 13: 46 (NIV) 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

2 Thessalonians 2: 9– 12 (NIV) 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Summary: Rejection of Jesus Christ’s offer of salvation will condemn a person to the Second Death at the Final Judgment. Directly: Hearing the Gospel preached and rejecting it Indirectly: Deliberately choosing evil (violating the conscience within you – image of God – includes willful backsliders)

Romans 1: 18– 20 (NIV) 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

c. The Big Question What about those who have never heard the gospel, yet in their limited knowledge have lived ‘godly’ lives?

Acts 10: 1– 4 (NKJV) Cornelius, a Roman centurion, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. An angel appeared to him “Cornelius! Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. ”

James 2: 18 (NIV) 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. ” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

4. Application: gabe and aufgabe (the gift to believe, and the gift to live out that belief responsibly)

1 Corinthians 9: 24– 27 (NLT) 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Philippians 3: 7– 11 (NLT) 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Philippians 3: 17– 20 (NLT) 17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

2 Peter 1: 1 -11 (NIV) 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Making One’s Calling and Election Sure 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to selfcontrol, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Next week: 7. Life after Death: What? Hell – Who & How Long?