The Scriptural Warning of Judgement

Part 1 of this series set up an end times backdrop I think is needed to properly understand this parable. For this part, I shall attempt to answer the following question:

As a reminder, the Parable of the Tares is about final judgement, a topic discussed in detail by the Lord Jesus. But in these dark days in which any kind of wickedness is acceptable and even celebrated, most people reject the scriptural truth about God’s final judgement upon the wicked. Judgement is rarely a topic even discussed in our increasingly deceived and “woke” church.

What is your understanding of God’s judgement of the world? Do you understand what the bible says about salvation and the coming judgement of the unrepentant? In 30 years as a Christian myself, I cannot think of anytime the coming final judgement of God has been a topic of teaching in any church I have attended, so its not surprising that even Christians who are supposed to understand and follow the bible don’t even know what it says about judgement. If we did, perhaps our motivations and priorities would change.

Jesus Himself spoke about final judgement as much as he spoke about salvation and the Kingdom of God. The “negative” teaching about judgement is avoided even though it’s a detailed and explicit teaching in the bible. In fact, from the first sin of Adam and Eve in the garden recorded in Genesis 3 to the final reality of the Kingdom of the Father as described in the prophets, the Apostles, and Jesus Himself in the New Testament, the bible is as much about judgement as it is about salvation. The warning of final judgement is like the barricades sitting in front of the “dead end” road. The message, properly understood: “if you continue down this road, it will not end well; turn around while you still can”. Its wise to heed the warning – if we don’t, then whatever happens will be on us.

The bible has warning after warning about judgement. This is not a popular message with the woke “don’t judge me” crowd. Even John chapter 3 which has one of the most quoted verses in the bible (John 3:16), is a balanced discourse about salvation and judgement. This totally makes sense since there cannot be salvation without judgement.

If there is no judgement, then salvation is not necessary. But the fact remains that the biblical doctrine of final judgement is explicit and real. Most of the Book of Revelation is about the coming final judgements as a prerequisite to the “Kingdom of the Father” as Jesus describes the Kingdom of God in the Parable of the Tares.

Here is what Jesus says about final judgement in his explanation of the parable:

The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:41-42

Is God’s Love and Mercy in Conflict With His Holiness?

In conversation I have occasionally with people about salvation, many Christians have settled on a philosophy of universal salvation. The rationale is unbiblical of course, and very superficial. It usually includes one or more of the following perspectives:

• Jesus died for everyone so we are all going to heaven.
• Anyone with a sincere heart following their own faith as best they can will be saved.
• If you are a “good person” you will go to heaven.
• Why would an infinitely merciful and loving God send anyone to hell? That wouldn’t be very loving.
• God will not judge someone who has never heard of Jesus Christ. If they are sincere and good then they will go to heaven.

I think most of these popular notions flow from biblical illiteracy and a resulting inability of people to reconcile the love of God with the Holiness of God. This is primarily because of two reasons: 1) people are operating under a cultural philosophy of love rather than a biblical understanding of love, and 2) there is no understanding at all of the Holiness of God. Its been completely lost because its not addressed in the church. It is the righteousness and holiness of God that demand the requirement for justice, from whence flows (will flow) His judgement.

So what’s the answer to this apparent dilemma between God’s primary attribute of Holiness -perfect moral purity – and His love? There is no conflict. God has perfectly resolved His love with His righteousness and holiness through the atoning death of Christ upon the cross. Jesus came to pay the penalty we all deserve because of our sin. But we still must repent and receive Him into our lives. That’s the deal on the table for all of us. Without repentance and trusting in Christ, we remain under condemnation:

The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

John 3:18 (emphasis is mine)

Here is how to properly understand the love of God: the definition of His love is Jesus Christ – that all are invited by His love into His coming Kingdom through faith in His Son. Does anyone remember John 3:16?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

This short verse spoken by Messiah Himself, is the definition of God’s love: not that He would exclude judgement but that He would provide not only an escape from judgement but eternal life for those who believe.

The bible speaks at length about the love of God. It even introduces the concept of “perfect love”. The Apostle John who recorded the verses above in the gospel that bears his name speaks of perfect love as the love of God which comes only through Christ and will one day be complete in those who believe.

 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has  for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

1 John 4:15-18

Because the love of God is perfected in us who believe in Christ, we who believe have no fear of judgement. But those who reject God’s love by rejecting Christ, the fear of judgement one day will come just as judgement will come. The only thing we can do is recognize that judgement is coming, fear God, and trust in Christ.

God cannot and will not allow people who have rejected Christ to enter into His Kingdom. Without Christ, there can never be a perfection of His love that casts out the fear of judgement, and so the judgement remains. Here is what Jesus said about why there will be judgement:

Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:19

Salvation is not universal, but the invitation to salvation is. A person is “saved” only on God’s terms, which have always been to repent and believe in Christ. It is the universal invitation of God to all people that demonstrates His love. Some will accept the invitation – whoever believes – and they will know the love of God that casts out the fear of judgement. Most people will reject the invitation and so condemnation remains on them. That is indeed consistent with the love of God. Why?

Jesus is the light of the world. How would entrance into heaven of those who love darkness be loving to those who loved the light? Would not the salvation of all regardless of faith or choices or behavior render faith and even the atoning death of Jesus on the cross meaningless? Hypothetically, if God’s love means the wicked enter into heaven then the whole prophetic path from Genesis to Revelation is irrelevant because nothing would have changed. If everybody gets a pass regardless of their choices and behaviors in life, then the Kingdom of God would become a corrupt kingdom because of corrupt, unregenerate people who have and will always choose darkness. That is not how this all ends. There will be final judgement at the end of the age. The whole plan of redemption is to separate the wicked from the righteous and to remove all the causes for sin. That is the bottom line of the Parable of the Tares.

The only question for any person is this: which group are we in? Which group do we choose? The wicked? Then judgement remains. But the good news is that the love of God is extended to all of us as an invitation to enter into His perfect love through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This can be true for you right now. Please visit the Steps to Eternal Life page.

Next, I need to further expand on the cultural distortions of God’s love and the error it produces. Also, what does Jesus mean by “end of the age”? Is this end of the church age? What is it that defines this milestone in God’s plan of redemption according to Jesus Christ? Incredibly important question, its answered in the parable (properly understood), and ties directly into this matter of final judgement.