Lesson 22: Judgment Day

QUESTIONS
1.Why should we not be concerned that speaking of judgment causes sinners to fear?
Don’t be concerned that, by referring to the Judgment, you are causing sinners to fear. They have sinned against God and His wrath abides on them. In fact, the Bible calls them “children of wrath.” Shouldn’t they then fear Him? Look at these words from Isaac Watts:

I never knew but one person in the whole course of my ministry who acknowledged that the first motions of religion in his own heart arose from a sense of the goodness of God, “What shall I render to the Lord, who has dealt so bountifully with me?” But I think all besides who have come within my notice have rather been first awakened to fly from the wrath to come by the passion of fear.

2.If we don’t preach about the coming judgment, what will result?
The Day of Judgment is the reason men are commanded to repent (Acts 17:30,31). If we don’t preach that God will judge the world in righteousness, we shouldn’t be surprised that men and women are passive about responding to the Savior. If we tell them that they need only believe, then neither should we be surprised when the church fills up with false converts who believe but don’t even have enough fear of God to obey.

3.Why is it difficult for Christians to preach about judgment and hell without making reference to the Law?
Therefore, we must remember that it isn’t enough to preach the Moral Law. It must be preached in conjunction with future punishment. It has been well said that Law without consequence is nothing but good advice. We must instead preach that those who commit adultery, those who lie and steal, etc., will be punished on the Day of Wrath. It is the preaching of future punishment that produces fear, and it is through the fear of the Lord that men depart from sin (Proverbs 16:6). The Bible tells us that “the Law works wrath” (Romans 4:15). Martin Luther stated, “The proper effect of the Law is to lead us out of our tents and tabernacles, that is to say, from the quietness and security wherein we dwell, and from trusting in ourselves, and to bring us before the presence of God, to reveal his wrath to us, and to set us before our sins.”

No man will let go of his darling sins unless he sees a reason to. Hell is a good reason. However, it is difficult for any Christian to preach judgment and the reality of hell without using the Law. Imagine if the police burst into your home, arrested you, and angrily said, “You are going away for a long time!” Such conduct would leave you bewildered and angry. What they have done seems unreasonable.

However, imagine if the law burst into your home and instead told you specifically what you had done wrong: “We have discovered 10,000 marijuana plants growing in your back yard. You are going away for a long time!” You would then understand why you are in trouble. Knowledge of the law you have transgressed furnishes you with that understanding. It makes judgment reasonable.

Hell-fire preaching without the use of the Law to show sinners why God is angry with them will more than likely leave them bewildered and angry—for what they consider unreasonable punishment. A sinner cannot conceive of the thought that God would send anyone to hell, as long as he is deceived into thinking that God’s standard of righteousness is the same as his.

4.What does the Law do to judgment?
However, when we use the Law lawfully, it appeals to the “reason” of sinners. Paul reasoned with Felix about his sins and the judgment to come so that the governor “trembled” (Acts 24:25). He suddenly understood that he was a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God, and hell became reasonable. No doubt the “righteousness” Paul spoke of was the righteousness which is of the Law, with the result that the fear of God fell upon the heart of his hearer.

5.According to R. C. Sproul, what do most people think of God’s wrath?
R. C. Sproul rightly said, “There’s probably no concept in theology more repugnant to modern America than the idea of divine wrath.” This is because America has been left in the dark about the spiritual nature of God’s Law, and therefore has no understanding of God’s absolute and uncompromising holiness.

6.What does eternal punishment for sin show us about God?
He hates sin that much and takes it very serious.

Memory Verse
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 JOHN 1:8,9