Why a Last Judgment if we're forgiven?

“He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead”

– Nicene Creed

“It is an insignificant matter that I would be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself,” Paul said. “I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord,” (1 Cor. 4:3-4).

Paul sounds pretty arrogant here. How could he say that nothing could be held against him? Well, Paul was confident in Christ and boasted in the cross, (2 Cor. 3:4-6; Gal. 6:14).

Paul concluded that when the Lord comes, "he will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.” But then what? “Then each one’s praise will come from God,” (1 Cor. 4:5).

How come we will be judged if our sins have already been forgiven?

Good question. But a better question would be: Have we realized the consequences of our own actions? Were things made right when we harmed others? Although forgiven, we still made a big mess for ourselves and others. And we may still suffer from the guilt of our actions.

The drug addicts for example, may have momentarily self-medicated the childhood trauma. But the effects of the drugs had devastating effects, and now they feel shame for the people they hurt. Their families have forgiven them, but they still have to reckon with the addiction and be made free from the cravings of the drug.

So first Jesus will “reveal the counsels of the hearts,” but then God will give us “praise.”

Judgment is therefore something we should embrace. We should, as the Nicene Creed states, “look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.” Or we should, as Jesus said, come to terms with the fact that the sacrifice that will be seasoned with salt, or the fire that God will season everyone with, “is good,” (Mark 9:49-50).

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love,” (1 John 4:17-18).

We should have boldness in the day of judgment? What? Let’s flesh this out.

God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained,” (Acts 17:31).

It should give us great comfort that Jesus will judge the world. And that He will do so in righteousness. And so when He comes, there will be a “restoration of all things,” because His judgments are restorative, (Acts 3:21). Therefore the Psalmist cheerfully proclaimed: “Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness,” (Ps. 96:13).

Forgiveness was accomplished at the cross. Our guilt was removed. But sin’s consequences will also be purged when we meet Christ. Malachi prophesied that the Refiner’s fire will purge us of dross and bring out the gold of our true selves. He imagines a Launderer’s soap that will cleanse us, (Mal. 3:2-3). Christ fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy, but the nature of God’s judgment will still be the same in the future judgment.

Similarly, Paul envisions that the fire of judgment will consume all the wood, hay and stubble, yet he adds; “they will be saved as through fire,” (1 Cor. 3:11-15). We will not be consumed. But whatever is not Christlike in us will be.

“We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God,” (Rom. 14:10-12).

When we see Christ face-to-face, something changes in us. Even the hardest person will surrender and willingly bend his knees. The truth of his love will at last completely heal our spiritual blindness. Our corrupt ideas of God will vanish as we behold Him. With healed eyes and a freed will, then, perfect Love will expose our delusion. And I think we will then appreciate the cross even more.

So when everyone surrenders to Him, Paul says, then every enemy will be under Jesus’ feet, all evil will be eradicated and Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father and God will be all and in all (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

So there is good news even in judgment! If our thoughts accuse us, God will judge us “by Jesus Christ, according to my good news,” Paul said, (Rom. 2:15-16). Or “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart,” (1 John 3:20). Therefore the coming of “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” is a “blessed hope” that we are looking forward to, (Tit. 2:13). Jesus said: “I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work,” (Rev. 22:12). Hence a crown of righteousness will be given “to all who have loved His appearing,” because He’s coming “for salvation without reference to sin,” (2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 9:28).