Of the Judgment

 Of the Last Judgment. Ch. 33. WCF.

    The confession here waits till the end of the work to talk about the Last Judgment. " God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in 

righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given 

of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, 

but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before 

the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and 

deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, 

whether good or evil"

JI Packer summed up what I liked best, " To know that nothing happens in God's world apart from God's will may frighten the godless,  but it stablizes the saints."

" Because He hath appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead."  Acts 17:31

1. God will make all things right in righteous judgment at the last day.  We had talked about Providence from the confession and saw that even the terrible events of our world are put in God's plan to bring about His purposes.  The judgment is a part of that providence.

I was listening to Chuck Swindoll on the radio last week and heard a story about the wife who died and arrived at Peter's gate.  He asked her to spell a word to get in.  Love he said.  She spelled it correctly.

 Her husband who was still living when she died re-married long before when he divorced her.  He found a cute nurse he lived it up with . They enjoyed the good life, won the lottery and traveled a lot.  He was on a trip to Cancun, Mexico with her and died after falling. He appeared at the gate of heaven.  Peter said that he needed the wife to fill in for him because he had something else to to that day.  The wife saw her ex husband at the gate.  He said, " How can I come in?" She said you have to spell a word.  What is it he asked.  She said, " Czechoslovakia "

We are encouraged as Christians by God's care and providence for us through our lives and the life to come.  The Heidelberg Catechism is one of my favorites .  It says:" How does the knowledge 

  of God’s creation and providence help us?

 A. We can be patient when things go against us,1

   thankful when things go well,2

   and for the future we can have

   good confidence in our faithful God and Father

   that nothing in creation will separate us from his love.3

   For all creatures are so completely in God’s hand

    that without his will

    they can neither move nor be moved.4"

Another goes this way, " Q. How does Christ’s return

  “to judge the living and the dead”

  comfort you?

 A. In all distress and persecution,

  with uplifted head,

  I confidently await the very judge

   who has already offered himself to the judgment of God

   in my place and removed the whole curse from me.1

  Christ will cast all his enemies and mine

   into everlasting condemnation,

  but will take me and all his chosen ones

   to himself

   into the joy and glory of heaven"

2.  The WCF says in the last two parts about the judgment that at that point there will be separation , the believer and the unbeliever.  The Gospel Mt 25:31-46 talks about the visiting of those in prison, clothing the poor and taking in the stranger.  If you did  do this to the least of these you did it unto me our Lord says. 

The unrighteous will go to everlasting punishment , but the righteous into life eternal. vs. 46 

3.  Lastly I note that the Confession says that the Day of the Return of Christ is unknown to all.  We should be watchful not knowing the Day.

II Pet. 3:11, 14; II Cor. 5:10-11; II Thess. 1:5-7; Luke 21:27-28; Rom. 8:23-25.  

Matt. 24:36, 42-44; Mark 13:35-37; Luke 12:35-36; Rev. 22:20. 

Peter tells us that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night...Seeing that the earth will be burned up we should be holy in our practices and in godliness.

Mt 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Conclusion: JI Packer summed up what I liked best, " To know that nothing happens in God's world apart from God's will may frighten the godless,  but it stablizes the saints."

The Nicene Creed which we repeat and affirm " He shall come again, with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end."