The teaching on eternal judgment has several positive moral influences on our lives

It satisfies the universal sense of a need for justice in the world

The fact that there will be a final judgment assures us that ultimately God’s universe is fair, for the righteous God is in control, and he keeps accurate records and renders just judgment. When the apostle Paul tells the workers to be submissive to their bosses, he reminds them of the eternal judgment: “But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favourites who can get away with evil” (Col 3:25-4:1). God has kept a permanent and accurate record of all our deeds and ultimately all accounts will be settled and will be made right (Revelation 20:12).

It enables us to forgive others freely

When we understand the Biblical teaching on eternal judgment, we realise that it is not up to us to take revenge on others who have wronged us, because God has reserved that right for himself:

“Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord. Instead, do what the Scriptures say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.”(Rom. 12:18-20)

Whenever we have been wronged, we can give into God’s hands any desire to harm or pay back the person who has wronged us, knowing that every wrong in the universe will ultimately be dealt with. We can give the situation into God’s hands, and then pray that the wrongdoer will trust Christ for salvation and thereby receive forgiveness of his or her sins. This will keep us from making room for bitterness or resentment in our hearts for injustices we have suffered that have not been made right. In this way we will be enabled to follow the examples of Jesus and Stephen who prayed and asked for forgiveness for those who put them to death (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; 1 Peter 2:22-23).

It provides a motive for righteous living

The teaching on eternal judgment is an incentive for the believer to faithfulness and good works, not as a means of earning forgiveness of sins, but as a means of gaining greater eternal reward. This is a good and healthy motive for us, for Jesus tells us to do it: “Store your treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).

For the unbelievers teaching on eternal judgment still provides some moral restraint on their lives. When there is a widespread general acknowledgment in a society that one day all will somehow give account to the Creator of the universe for their lives, some “fear of God” will characterise many people’s lives. By contrast, those who have no deep consciousness/awareness of final judgment give themselves up to greater evil, demonstrating that “there is no fear of God to restrain them” (Romans 3:18).

An awareness of eternal judgment is both a comfort to believers and a warning to unbelievers not to continue in their evil ways.

It provides a great motivation for evangelism

The decisions made by people in this life will affect their destiny for all eternity. Therefore they must hear the good news of the Kingdom before they die to be able to repent and be saved from eternal condemnation. The apostle Peter indicates that the delay of the Lord’s return is due to the fact that God wants all people to be saved:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent (2 Peter 3:9)

When we understand the seriousness of eternal judgment and God’s desire to save people, it will become a motivation in our hearts to tell people of the saving power of Jesus Christ who took upon himself our punishment to make us righteous before God and set us free from the dominion of sin and darkness.

Exercise:

What influence should the teaching on eternal judgment have on us?

What change will you have to make in your life due to this week’s teaching?

Continue to memorise the previous Bible verses, and add this one to your list:

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Congratulations!

Today you have completed the second book of this course. By completing this study you have shown that you are serious about finding your place in the covenant community and going on to receive everything that Christ has for you! Be sure to get your mentor to sign the verification of completion on the next page. Show this signed document to your cell leader.

You are now ready to proceed with Book Three: “Living fellowship”. This book will provide you with the basics of experiencing Christ in the common life you share with other believers in the fellowship of the church in your everyday life. You will benefit greatly from the teaching in this book and the time you spend with your mentor.