The Two Judgments by Samuel H Johnson

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”  - Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

Since there is judgment after death  then death is not the final event. It’s a transition from redemption to consummation. 

Also there are two judgments: The Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment. 

Depending upon your relationship with Christ every person will be in one judgment or the other.

Psalm 1:5 (KJV) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

There is a judgment for the righteous and a judgment for unbelievers and all who reject Christ. This is a hard thing but we must follow the Word of God. God is love but he must judge sin, rebellion and disobedience. He is holy and His judgment is righteous and just.

The Judgment Seat of Christ: This judgment is for those who are saved, for believers for whom Christ is Lord of their lives.

2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

When were you in the body? – this is when you are on earth, when you are alive. You will receive rewards for what you do for the kingdom of God while you are a Christian. (I Corinthians 3:12-15 NKJV)

There are crowns and rewards at the Judgment Seat – e.g. for sharing the gospel, overcoming temptation, for faithfulness, for developing a Christlike character. For Christians, death should remind you and wake you up – what am I doing for the advancement of the kingdom of God? Is my priority God, family then ministry? We have to always reevaluate our salvation progress.

But there is another judgment – The Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is for unbelievers, those who reject Christ. I would not want anyone, friend or foe, to be in this judgment.

Revelation 20:11-14 NKJV “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. 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. 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.

Here what the Bible says about the finality of this Great White Throne Judgment:

Revelation 21: 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Now you may be scared after hearing all this about judgment, but there is no need for alarm. There is still good news. The good news is the love of God. You can see from the creation through the fall of man, redemption and consummation God’s love is the overriding factor. He loves all mankind and he desires that all would come to repentance through Jesus Christ. God wants everyone saved.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

You have a choice to make. Respond positively to the call of Jesus Christ and be saved. Christ  has already done the work of salvation, you make the choice.