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The World Judged Righteously by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31) | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. We are doing a deep dive today
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into one of the most sobering and intensely detailed doctrinal
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expositions you can find. We're opening up the work of
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Jonathan Edwards, and we're focusing on one very specific,
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very comprehensive sermon about the general judgment.
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That's right. The text that's going to guide
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this entire discussion is Acts 17.31.
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Because he had the point of the day in the which he will judge
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the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
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And our mission here isn't just to talk about the certainty of
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judgement. We're really trying to get into
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through Edwards analysis, the actual mechanics and the justice
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of that day. It's a topic that are really
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designed, you know, both to awaken the careless and at the
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same time offer this immense security to those who are in
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Christ. It's a really remarkable piece
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of theological reasoning. When you think about Edwards, a
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lot of people go straight to the intensity of his warnings,
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right? Sooners in the hands of an angry
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God. Exactly.
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But here what you see is theological architecture.
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It's so structured. He takes this one single verse
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which is really just a summary of Paul's message to the
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Athenians, and he constructs a complete systematic doctrine of
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the final judgement from it. That's a great way to put it.
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Theological Architecture. And you have to get that his
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original discourse, or rather Paul's, was aimed at the world's
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intellectual capital at the time, the philosophers of
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Athens, right? So Edwards sees Paul's approach
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here as sort of the gold standard for how you reason
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about moral authority and, well, final accountability.
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So let's set that stage. The setting really does make all
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the difference here for understanding Paul's strategy.
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He's at Mars Hill, the Areopagus.
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This wasn't just some street corner.
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This was basically the Supreme Court and the intellectual hub
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of Athens. Oh absolutely.
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These were the elite, the highly self satisfied judges,
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rhetoricians, the masters of human wisdom.
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And they loved novelty. The source material notes from
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Acts that they spent their time just looking for new things to
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talk about. They absolutely prided
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themselves on it, on their intellectual freedom, their
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drive for the next new idea. And they play so much stock in
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human reason that when Paul first shows up talking about
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Jesus and the resurrection. They just dismiss him.
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Completely. They call him a spermalogos, A
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babbler. It literally means a seed
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picker. Somebody just, you know, picks
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up scraps of knowledge here and there and tries to patch them
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together. It's the ultimate intellectual
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put. Down.
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It really is. And it fits perfectly with what
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Paul says in First Corinthians, that the preaching of Christ
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crucified was just utter foolishness to the Greeks.
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They had their systems. Stoicism, Epicureanism.
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But a divine man dying on a cross and rising again.
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It was beneath them. It didn't fit their
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philosophical frameworks. And this is where Paul's
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approach, and how Edwards analyzes it, becomes so, so
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brilliant. Yes, Paul adapts.
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Edwards highlights this rhetorical shift.
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He doesn't just storm in talking about the specifics of Jewish
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prophecy or the atonement. He uses a style that Edward says
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demands a greater depth of thought, more philosophical
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reasoning, and a more elevated style than he might use
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somewhere else, like in a synagogue.
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He's meeting them on their own ground.
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Precisely. He starts with what you might
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call common grace. He sees their altar to the
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unknown God and uses that as his entry point.
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Exactly. He begins by reasoning about
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their idol worship and then declaring the true God, the God
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who made the world and everything in it, and this idea
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of a single self existent creator who doesn't live in
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temples made by human hands. That was something their own
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reason could grasp. He was agreeable to natural
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reason and Paul even quotes their own poets like Aridis
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saying for we are also his offspring.
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He shows this respect for their search for truth while
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simultaneously correcting their idolatry.
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So he builds this foundation first that a sovereign God
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exists, he's accessible, and he demands something more than
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superstition. That's the groundwork and only
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after that's laid does he transition to Jesus Christ.
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And even then the transition is all about accountability, right?
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Paul uses this appointed day of judgement as the the non
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negotiable reason why they need to repent their ignorance and
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idolatry. Why should you repent?
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Because judgement is coming and. The proof?
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The proof that this judgement is real and that the judge has been
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ordained is Christ's resurrection.
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That historical event is God's absolute guarantee.
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OK, so this brings us to the very first truth that Edwards
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establishes in the sermon, which is God's fundamental right to
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judge. He argues that God is the
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supreme judge by an absolute intrinsic right.
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Where does that come from? Well, it comes right out of His
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nature as the sovereign Creator God is the absolute ruler and
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disposer of all things, no exceptions.
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In both the natural and the moral world.
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Yes, he makes that distinction. It applies to the natural world
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he governs the motion of the sun, the storms, even the
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smallest moats of dust. But crucially, it also applies
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to the moral world. Meaning rational creatures.
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Rational creatures are subjects of a moral government.
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They are intelligent. They are voluntary agents, which
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means they choose their actions, and because of that they must be
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given laws and they must be judged by those laws.
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And God's right to do this is based on his His very.
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Being on his infinite greatness and Excellency, he merits the
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highest possible respect, so to try and withdraw from his
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jurisdiction or to deny him the authority to enforce his own
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laws is well, it's the ultimate act of rebellion for a creature.
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Edwards really drives this home with the concept of complete
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dependence, doesn't he? This isn't a partnership, it's
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absolute ownership. It is.
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All creatures are entirely derived from God.
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They are, and this is a direct quote, wholly dependent upon Him
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for being and for all good. Which means they are his
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possession. Properly his possession, and if
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you completely own something, you have the right to set the
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rules for it. Therefore, God has the right to
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give rules for conduct and to execute the sanctions of His
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law, which are rewards and punishments.
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And because he is the supreme judge, there's no escape, no
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higher court. No appeal.
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There is no court above the divine tribunal.
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No one can reverse his judgments.
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This is such a critical point in Reformed thought on justice.
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God's own will is the ultimate standard of righteousness.
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If the judge is infinitely perfect, any appeal would be
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fundamentally irrational. Because it would imply A flawed
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creature could find an error in the perfect will of God.
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Exactly. But Edwards goes a step further.
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He says God has the right, but he's also the judge.
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In fact, he doesn't just deserve to judge, he will judge.
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How does he make that case? With omnipotence, God possesses
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the power to maintain that dominion.
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Men can try to cast off God's law, but they cannot escape his
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judicial power. Edwards is very clear on this.
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If you refuse to accept God as your Lawgiver now, you are
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guaranteeing that you will face Him as your judge later.
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And he gives a historical example of this inescapable
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reality. He does.
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He points to the most powerful rebellion in history, that of
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the angels. Fallen angels.
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Yes, they are the most mighty of creatures.
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They are intelligent, powerful, free from all the weaknesses of
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human flesh. And when they tried to shake off
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God's moral government, they found out very quickly that
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their might was nothing against the judge.
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So God just cast them out. Immediately, in his capacity as
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the Universal Governor, he cast them out of heaven and bound
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these incredibly powerful spirits in chains of darkness
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where they're now reserved, awaiting a further, more public
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general judgement. That's a terrifying precedent.
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It's the ultimate proof point. If the highest, most powerful
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created beings cannot resist God's judgement, what hope does
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a human being have? So that sets the precedent.
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Now Edwards makes a key distinction that we should
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clarify between the judgement that happens right after death
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and this final general one. Right, there are two stages.
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The first is the particular judgement of death.
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The moment the soul leaves the body, it appears before God.
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It's made immediately aware of God's presence and His glory as
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a judge. And the conscience plays a role
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here. A huge role.
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The conscience immediately testifies to the justice of the
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sentence, whether that's an immediate reward or an
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immediate, though partial, punishment.
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This is what we often call the intermediate state.
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But the general judgement, that's the real focus of the
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sermon. Yes, completely.
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The General Judgement is a separate event.
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It's in the future. It's far more solemn.
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It involves the resurrection of the body, the public assembly of
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the entire universe, angels and all of mankind, and the full,
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final, complete execution of the law's sanctions.
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It's the final winding up of God's entire administration of
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history. So we've established the right
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and the fact of judgment. But now why does it have to be a
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public general judgment with everyone there at once?
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Edwards admits that, you know, some heathens had vague ideas
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about accountability after death.
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I'm sure people like Plato or Cicero, they had notions of it,
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but the doctrine of a general judgment is really a special
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doctrine of revelation. It's brought to light by the
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gospel. Entirely the Old Testament hints
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at it. You see it in places like Psalm
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96 where it says the Lord comes to judge the OR Ecclesiastes 12
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that every secret thing will be brought into judgement.
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But it's the New Testament, with the resurrection of Christ as
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the absolute proof, that really details the structure and the
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timing of this final event. But Edwards, being Edwards,
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immediately pivots back to reason, which makes sense given
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his focus on Paul's audience in Athlins.
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He argues this public judgement is, and this is his phrase,
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entirely agreeable to reason. It is.
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It's not just some arbitrary decree.
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It makes perfect sense, especially when you look at the
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current state of the moral universe.
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He lays out four really compelling rational necessities
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for why this judgement has to be general in public.
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OK, let's get into those. The first reason is all about
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the display of God himself. A more glorious display of God's
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majesty and dominion, right? At the moment, God's rule is
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conducted in what Edwards calls a hidden and secret manner.
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He governs through Providence, but it's often behind the
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scenes. And that hiddenness causes
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problems. Massive problems.
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Wicked men start to question if he even exists, or they deny
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that he's actively ruling. They feel like they can throw
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off the yoke of his laws because they don't see immediate
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enforcement. And you even have kings and
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rulers on earth who fail to acknowledge that God is their
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superior king. And of course, the great
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spiritual enemy Satan has capitalized on this hiddenness.
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Absolutely. He is usurped Dominion over huge
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parts of the world, setting himself up as the God of this
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age. So it is entirely reasonable
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that at the winding up of things, as Edward puts it, God
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should openly and publicly manifest his ultimate supreme
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dominion. By gathering everyone.
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Everyone from the most powerful emperor to the lowliest peasant,
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bringing them all before him to be judged for everything they
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ever did. It's a visible cosmic coronation
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of God's authority. Every eye will see him, and
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those who denied he was Lord will be forced to confess.
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He is the supreme governor of the whole world.
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OK, the second necessity, this one focuses on the purpose of
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the judgement itself. The end of judgement will be
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more fully answered, right? What's the point of any judicial
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proceeding? It's to display and glorify the
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righteousness of the judge. Edwards argues that this goal is
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best accomplished when the whole world, both angels and men,
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being present to behold the proceedings.
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The bigger the audience, the clearer the vindication.
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Exactly. It's a public accounting of all
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of history. On that day, the justice of all
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his moral government will be at once discovered.
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Think about all the things in history that seem unfair or
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harsh. The disasters, the famines,
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God's permission of evil. All of those acts of his
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government will be laid bare and proven to be just.
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So all objections will be silenced.
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Removed. The conscience of every single
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person there will be satisfied, and the blasphemies of the
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ungodly who accused God of being unfair will be silenced forever.
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Edwards points to Revelation 19, where the multitude in heaven
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declares true and righteous are His judgments.
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The Third Point feels very practical.
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It addresses the moral chaos we see every day, the public
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rectification of the world's open irregularities.
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It's deeply practical. Edwards brings up Solomon's
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observation from Ecclesiastes that sometimes one man rules
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over another to his own hurt. Since the fall of the world has
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been full of disorder, injustice, cruelty, oppression.
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They're common. And it often looks like the
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righteous lose and the wicked win.
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Exactly. The righteous are condemned,
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while the wicked are acquitted and even honored.
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How many thousands of good people have suffered unspeakable
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cruelties for their faith or their integrity with no earthly
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justice? Edwards says.
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It would be a discredit to the Supreme Governor to suggest he's
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careless about this. So it's perfectly rational that
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he would step in and fix it publicly.
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At the end of the timeline of man, yes, this judgement will
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investigate the proceedings of kings, earthly judges, anyone
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who misused public office. Public injustice demands public
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redress. And that leads right into the
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fourth reason, which is about a fuller accomplishment of reward
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and punishment. This gets at the social
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dimension of judgement. See, if justice is only done in
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secret, a part of the sanction is lost, for the godly part of
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their reward is open honor. After a life of being shamed or
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marginalized. Precisely.
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They were ridiculed, scorned. So it's fitting that they should
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be publicly acquitted, commended and crowned before the whole
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world, especially in front of the very people who hated them.
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Their humiliation is publicly reversed into glorification.
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And for the ungodly, that public setting is a distinct part of
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their punishment. Oh absolutely.
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Many of the ungodly were proud, highly honored, admired in this
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life. God will put them to open shame
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and disgrace. All their hypocrisy, their
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hidden moral filthiness, their wicked actions will be publicly
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revealed to everyone. So being placed on the left hand
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with the devil. Is made even more severe by the
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fact that the entire universe is watching.
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A public judgement maximizes both the reward of the saved and
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the disgrace of the condemned. OK, so if this massive public
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judgement is going to happen, we need to know who the judge is.
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Edwards is crystal clear. It is Jesus Christ.
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Yes, the second person of the Trinity functioning in both His
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divine and His human nature. And, and this is crucial, he
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will be in the same human body that was crucified and rose
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again and ascended up into heaven.
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That physical continuity is key. It's vital, just like the angels
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told the disciples in Acts 1, this same Jesus shall come in
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like manner as you've seen him go into heaven.
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His divine nature gives him the infinite wisdom to know every
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heart, but it's his human nature that makes him the visible and,
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well, the appropriate arbiter for mankind.
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So what's the primary reason for this?
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Edwards says. It is fitting that one in human
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nature judges those of human nature.
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It flows from the whole idea of the Mediator.
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God chooses to transact with mankind through Christ.
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John 5.27 says God hath given him authority to execute
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judgement also, because He is the Son of man.
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There's also a practical side to it, isn't there?
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There is. Since all the mankind will have
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bodies at the judgement, it's fitting that they should be able
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to see their judge with their bodily eyes.
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If the Father or the Holy Spirit were to judge, you'd need some
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kind of special miraculous visionary appearance, which
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might be too overwhelming. But Christ, being truly
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Incarnate, can appear to bodily eyes.
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He's the visible representative of God's authority.
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Which for the ungodly must increase their sense of
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condemnation to be judged by a man up here.
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It provides a visible point of conviction.
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Absolutely. They can't claim ignorance about
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what humanity is or what the law demands of humanity, because he
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perfectly upheld that law. Now here's where the theology
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gets incredibly deep. Edwards argues that presiding
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over this judgment is actually a suitable reward for Christ's
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sufferings. Yes.
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This is a key component of his exaltation, something stipulated
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in the Covenant of Redemption. The humiliation Christ went
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through was cosmic. He suffered God's wrath.
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He endured the contempt of men. He died a criminal's death.
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This total self emptying which you see in Philippians 2,
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demands a total public reversal of that status.
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And the scripture is clear on this.
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Very clear. Because Christ humbled himself,
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God highly exalted him so that at the name of Jesus every knee
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should bow. This moment of judgement is the
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capstone of that exaltation. It's the moment where He who had
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His divine glory veiled, who appeared without form or
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comeliness, now appears a second time in His own proper majesty
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and glory without a veil. The dramatic irony of that role
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reversal is just staggering. It's the ultimate reversal.
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He who was once arraigned before the judgement seat of men,
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before Caiaphas, before Pilot, and was mocked and spit upon and
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executed, now holds the honor of arraigning all men before his
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throne. He determines the eternal fate
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of the very judges who presume to condemn him.
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And this fulfills his own prophecy that he gave to the
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High Priest. Yes, in Matthew 26 Christ warned
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Caiaphas. Hereafter you shall see the Son
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of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the
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clouds of heaven. The Judgement Day is the
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execution of that specific prophecy.
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It shows the whole universe that the Suffering Servant is in fact
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the reigning king. The third rationale links the
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judgement directly to the work of salvation itself.
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Christ must finish the work of redemption.
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Right. And we have to define redemption
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clearly here. For Edwards, redemption is more
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than just the impetration of salvation.
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That is the earning of it through obedience and atonement.
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That's the purchase. But if he purchased it, he has
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to deliver it. Exactly.
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The completion of salvation involves several judicial acts,
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raising the bodies from the dead, which Romans 8 calls the
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redemption of their bodies, then pronouncing the blessed sentence
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of acquittal, and then publicly crowning the Saints.
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God determined that Christ himself would finish the work He
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started, and the Last Judgement is the final delivery.
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This also ties into his role as king, The fourth reason being
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that Christ must conquer all his enemies.
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He reigns now, but he still faces opposition from Satan,
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from ungodly world systems, from impenitent hearts.
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He is king of the church and head over all things, and his
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First Corinthians 15 says he must reign until he has put all
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enemies under his feet. And the judgement is the final
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victory. Bringing his enemies to his
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judgement seat and passing that final damning sentence upon them
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is the final and complete victory.
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It's the moment every knee truly bows some and joyful worship
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others in terrified submission. It finishes the war.
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So the choice of the judge creates this massive split in
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the experience of those standing there.
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It offers both incredible comfort and incredible
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conviction. Let's start with the comfort
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side. Abundant comfort for the Saints.
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The whole covenant of grace is designed to give believers the
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strongest consolation. And what could be more
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comforting than knowing that the person deciding your eternal
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fate is your own Redeemer, the one who willingly spilled his
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blood for them, who invited them to himself, who knows their
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every weakness? So there's No Fear of being
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misunderstood or overlooked. None.
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The Saints will see the one they trusted now adorned with
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infinite majesty, coming not as an adversary but as their loving
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advocate. They will meet him with
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ecstasies and raptures of delight because they know the
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judges on their side. He paid their debt in full.
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But on the other side of that, the choice of Christ as judge
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leads to abundant conviction of the ungodly.
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And this is one of those sobering parts of the whole
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doctrine. The ungodly will be judged by
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the very person they rejected, the person by whom they might
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have been saved. They will see the one who shed
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his blood to give them an opportunity to be saved now
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sitting in judgement over them. And that realization will just
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intensify their condemnation. Forever they will be forced to
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reflect on the grace they spurned, Edwards imagines them
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thinking. How often has this same person
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called me, pleaded with me, offered me eternal life freely?
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How might I have had him for my Savior, who is now my incensed
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judge? They're condemned not just by
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the law, but by the rejection of the only solution to the law's
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penalty. OK, so Edwards then moves to the
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actual procedure of the day. He paints this vivid, almost
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terrifying picture, starting with Christ's magnificent
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descent. Yes, and this will be far more
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glorious than anything humanity has ever seen.
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Christ will descend from the highest heaven, attended by all
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the holy angels who are themselves beings of terrifying
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brilliance. He comes in a manner that is
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solemn, awful, and glorious in the glory of the Father.
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And Edwards says that our current human nature couldn't
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even bear it. He argues it couldn't.
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He points to lesser glories like the Transfiguration, or even the
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appearance of the Angel of the Sepulchre, whose face was like
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lightning. If one attendant Angel is that
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brilliant, how much greater is the glory of the judge himself?
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And this appearance will be sudden, a cry at midnight and
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visible to everyone everywhere at the same time.
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Fulfilling Revelation 1.7 Every eye shall see him.
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Yes, the heavens will essentially be emptied for this
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grand procession. And then comes the great signal.
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The last trumpet shall sound as a notification to all mankind to
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appear. First Corinthians 15, the 1st
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Thessalonians 4 both confirm this powerful final sound.
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It will be the trigger for the resurrection, a sound heard
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around the world causing this massive upheaval.
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And this is the resurrection of every human soul that has ever
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lived. All the dead, small and great,
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from the very beginning of the world to the end.
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And Edwards really emphasizes God's omnipotence here.
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It doesn't matter how long you've been dead or how
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scattered your physical particles are.
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Eat by beasts, turn to ashes lost in the sea.
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God's power brings every part to his part.
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Again, it's a complete bodily resurrection.
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So what will be the state of these two vast groups of people
21:31
being raised? For the wicked, they shall rise
21:33
to damnation. Their souls are unwillingly
21:36
reunited with your bodies. These bodies, Edward says, will
21:39
be eternal prisons, perhaps reflecting the ugliness of their
21:43
inward moral state. Most filthy and loathsome, they
21:47
will be perfectly fitted to both administer and endure the most
21:50
racking torments. They'll open their eyes and be
21:52
filled with the utmost amazement and horror when they see the
21:55
judge. But the resurrection for the
21:57
righteous is the complete opposite of that dread.
22:00
The total antithesis. Their souls will descend
22:04
joyfully with Christ and reunite with bodies that are glorious,
22:08
bodies incorruptible, perfectly fitted for the delights of a
22:12
holy soul. They will be fashioned like
22:14
Christ's own glorious body, and those believers who are still
22:18
alive on earth will be changed in an instant, receiving that
22:22
same perfect form. OK, so now the gathering in the
22:25
placement, the wicked, no matter how much they want to hide,
22:28
crying for the mountains to fall on them, they're forcibly
22:30
gathered. Driven before the judgement
22:31
seat, they are placed on the left hand standing with the
22:34
devil. 'S and the righteous.
22:35
And high contrast, they're conducted by the angels with
22:38
ecstasies and raptures of delight to meet their Savior.
22:42
They stand triumphantly on the on the right hand.
22:44
And Edwards gives us very specific geographical detail
22:46
about where they are in relation to the Earth.
22:49
He does. The righteous will be caught up
22:51
into the air to be at Christ's right hand.
22:53
They will never set foot on this sinful, cursed earth again.
22:57
The wicked, however, are left standing on the earth to await
22:59
their judgement. So this separation happens
23:02
before the formal proceedings even start.
23:04
Which brings us to the formal process, the opening of the
23:08
books. What are these books exactly?
23:10
Edwards identifies 2 based on Revelation. 21st is the book of
23:15
God's remembrance, which is the evidence of all deeds.
23:18
The second is the book of Scripture, which is the rule of
23:20
judgement. Let's start with the Book of
23:22
Remembrance. What's recorded in there?
23:24
Everything God remembers, every thought, every intent, every
23:27
action. Edward stresses that for the
23:30
wicked all their evil works will be rehearsed, their profaneness,
23:34
their stubborn unbelief, their abuse of the means of grace, and
23:37
every single aggravation of those sins.
23:40
This includes every idle word which Christ said we must give
23:43
an account for, and all the secret inward workings of the
23:46
heart. No sin is forgotten.
23:49
But for the righteous, that record must look very different.
23:52
It does. Their evil works are not brought
23:54
forth against them. Why?
23:55
Because the guilt has been canceled by Christ's
23:57
righteousness applied to them through faith.
23:59
The debt is paid. The record is erased.
24:02
For the Saints, The Book of Remembrance records their good
24:05
works, not as the basis of their justification.
24:07
But as the evidence of it. As the evidence of the sincerity
24:10
of their faith and their interest in Christ.
24:12
This gets to the standard of judgement works as evidence.
24:16
The Bible says everyone is judged according to their works.
24:19
This isn't salvation by works, it's the proof of justification
24:23
by faith. If a person's life, the fruit,
24:26
proves to be of the right sort, done from a love of God, it
24:29
provides sure evidence that they were truly justified.
24:32
Again, works means more than just outward actions.
24:35
Far more it's all voluntary exercises of the soul, words,
24:40
outward acts, and the inward workings of the heart.
24:42
This is where the Judge is unique.
24:44
Man sees the outside, but Christ sees the soul.
24:48
All the secret malice, the hidden greed, the lustful
24:50
thoughts of the ungodly will be made manifest, and likewise the
24:54
Saints, secret acts of prayer and private charity will be
24:56
brought to light and commended. So the second book, the
24:59
Scripture, that's the rule of judgement.
25:00
And Edward says this rule is twofold, starting with the law.
25:04
Yes, the moral law stands forever.
25:07
Not one jot or title will pass away.
25:09
It is the perfect immutable standard.
25:12
No one will be judged in a way that is inconsistent with the
25:15
law. For the wicked, the sentence
25:18
they receive is the sentence of the law, which demands perfect
25:22
obedience or eternal punishment. But how can the righteous be
25:24
judged by a law they know they failed to keep?
25:26
And this is the very crux of the Reform distinction.
25:29
The righteous stand ready to plead that the judge himself has
25:33
fulfilled the law for them. They present Christ's perfect
25:36
obedience as having satisfied the law's demand for
25:38
righteousness, and his death as having satisfied his penalty.
25:42
That's how they are justified. And the secondary rule is the
25:45
gospel, the covenant of grace, right?
25:48
This rule governs how eternal blessedness is applied to
25:51
believers. The gospel says he that
25:53
believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be
25:56
damned. So once the law's requirements
25:58
have been met on their behalf by Christ, the believer receives
26:01
the promised reward of eternal life according to the terms of
26:04
the covenant of grace, which centers on faith.
26:06
Now we come to the moment itself, the sentence pronounced.
26:09
Let's hear the verdict for the wicked.
26:11
The sentence is delivered with this awful manifestation of the
26:14
judge's wrath. Depart ye cursed into
26:17
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
26:20
And Edwards breaks this down. Depart means everlasting
26:23
separation from God, the source of all goodness.
26:27
Cursed. Meaning, they are utterly
26:29
devoted to eternal wrath and ruin.
26:31
Into fire signifies the racking pain and anguish of both soul
26:35
and body. And that last phrase prepared
26:37
for the devil and his angels, denotes the sheer intensity and
26:40
dreadfulness of the torment. They share the same fate as the
26:44
foulest spirits. And the word everlasting is what
26:46
makes it infinite. Everlasting fire, The Infinity
26:49
of the duration infinitely aggravates the doom.
26:52
There is no end, no hope of relief.
26:54
And in stark contrast, the sentence for the righteous.
26:57
Christ delivers this with the sweetest expressions of love.
27:00
Come, you, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for
27:04
you from the foundation of the world.
27:06
They are invited into the most intimate fellowship with Him, to
27:08
dwell with him and partake of his joy.
27:10
That phrase prepared for you from the foundation of the world
27:13
is so important. It points directly back to God's
27:16
sovereign and eternal love as the source of their blessedness.
27:20
It reminds them that heaven was planned for them on purpose long
27:24
before creation. It's not a backup plan.
27:27
It's the realization of God's original, eternal love for them.
27:30
Now, Edwards takes great pains to make sure the listener
27:33
understands that this entire process is one of absolute
27:36
righteousness. Yes, Christ will give every
27:39
single person exactly their due, according to a perfect rule.
27:42
The condemnation of the wicked will be so just that even their
27:45
own consciences will agree they'll have no grounds to
27:48
complain. And likewise, the acquittal of
27:51
the justified is just because they are in Christ receiving the
27:54
reward merited by His righteousness.
27:56
And this justice extends to proportionality, right?
27:59
Absolutely. Punishments will be precisely
28:01
proportioned to the number and aggravations of sins.
28:04
Rewards will be proportioned to the number of their holy acts
28:07
and affections, and this perfect proportionality is guaranteed
28:11
because the judge is incapable of making a mistake.
28:14
That's the first reason he cannot fail.
28:15
He cannot fail through mistake. His knowledge is infinite.
28:19
His eyes are as a flame of fire. He searches the heart.
28:22
He knows every secret thought, every hidden motive.
28:25
He can't be deceived by excuses or pleas because he knows all
28:28
the facts perfectly. He cannot make an error in
28:31
determining justice. And the second reason he cannot
28:34
fail for an unrighteous disposition.
28:37
Christ is infinitely just and holy in His nature.
28:40
Justice is part of His very being.
28:43
A being of infinite power and wisdom has 0 temptation toward
28:47
injustice. He has no need for personal
28:49
gain, No Fear of man. Edwards argues that since he
28:52
perfectly understands everything, he perfectly
28:54
understands how much more desirable justice is than
28:56
injustice. So his very nature guarantees
28:58
the righteousness of the whole thing.
29:00
So. Once the sentences are delivered
29:02
and the righteous ascend, the physical stage itself is
29:05
destroyed. The world is dissolved by fire.
29:07
Yes, the general conflagration follows immediately.
29:10
The earth, the seas, the mountains, all the works of man,
29:12
all the places where sin and rebellion happened, will be
29:15
consumed by devouring flames. Just as Ticket Peter says, The
29:18
old heavens and earth pass away. And this final event increases
29:22
the state of both the condemned and the redeemed.
29:25
For the wicked, their misery increases because their soul and
29:28
body are now tormented together. The body is now an eternal
29:32
vessel, perfectly designed to endure the most racking torment
29:36
without being destroyed. Their punishment is now
29:38
complete. And for the Saints, their
29:40
happiness reaches its absolute peak.
29:42
It increases dramatically. Their state becomes more natural
29:45
and complete with the reunion of their perfected soul and
29:49
glorified body. And this moment is pictured in
29:51
Revelation as the marriage of the Church and the Lamb.
29:55
The Church, the body of Christ, is finally perfect, complete,
29:58
without any blemish, totally free from sin and affliction.
30:01
And the joy is mutual between Christ and his people.
30:04
Immensely so, Christ himself rejoices.
30:07
Having fully accomplished the work of redemption and triumphed
30:10
over every last enemy, God will finally obtain the ultimate end
30:13
of all His marvelous works. And this perfect, comprehensive
30:17
view of God's Providence and justice throughout all of
30:19
history causes a vast addition of happiness for the Saints
30:23
forever. OK, so Edwards then transitions
30:25
into the practical uses of this doctrine.
30:28
He starts with instruction showing how the judgment
30:30
unravels some of the mysteries of divine Providence that we see
30:33
right now. Right.
30:34
It provides clarity. Take the first mystery.
30:37
Why does God let the wicked prosper?
30:40
You see tyrants living in wealth and glory while they oppress
30:42
good people. The judgement explains that God
30:45
isn't ignoring it. He's keeping silent for now.
30:48
But they are storing up wrath and they will receive condign
30:52
punishment, a deserved public penalty.
30:55
And the second mystery is the flip side of that the suffering
30:57
of the righteous. Why does God permit the best of
31:00
men to suffer poverty, persecution and shame?
31:03
Edwards assures us this confusion is only for a moment.
31:07
At the judgement, the righteous will be exalted as conquerors,
31:10
and they will see God's vengeance publicly executed on
31:12
those who oppressed them. Their suffering here guarantees
31:15
a weight of glory there. The third mystery is about the
31:17
failure of human justice systems.
31:20
Yes. Why does God tolerate public
31:22
injustice? Wrongs done by people in public
31:24
office where there's no appeal, where corruption wins, the final
31:27
judgement will adjust. All these wrongs, every illegal
31:31
sentence, every hidden bribe, every misuse of authority will
31:34
be exposed and reversed. True justice will finally take
31:38
place. The second major application is
31:40
the awakening of sinners. Edwards urges people living
31:43
carelessly to consider the specific qualities of the judge
31:46
they will face. He is supreme, omnipotent,
31:49
inexorable, and without mercy. That's.
31:51
Right, because the judge is supreme, there's no appeal.
31:54
His word is final. Because he's omnipotent.
31:56
All resistance is completely useless.
31:59
No power on earth can stand against him.
32:01
And he's inexorable. That means no pity, no
32:03
relenting. The day of grace will be over.
32:05
The door of mercy will be permanently shut.
32:07
Cries, tears, desperation will be useless.
32:09
The judge will hide his eyes from their pleas.
32:11
And finally, the sentence will be without mixture of mercy.
32:14
Christ will have laid aside the inviting attributes of grace and
32:17
mercy for the judgement. He will clothe himself in pure
32:21
justice and vengeance. The full weight of wrath poured
32:24
out on that day will be without mixture, as Revelation says,
32:28
pure, unadulterated divine wrath against sin.
32:31
Edwards then applies these truths to specific types of
32:35
common sin, starting with those who hide their secret
32:38
wickedness. So many people are tempted to
32:40
sin because they think no one will find out, Edwards says.
32:43
This is entirely groundless. All secret abominations,
32:47
including inward covetous desires, malicious thoughts,
32:50
lustful imaginations, would be made known to angels and men.
32:54
The judge has eyes like fire. He doesn't need external
32:57
witnesses. He insists that all our
33:00
interactions with other people will be tried against the
33:02
perfect rules of justice in God's Word.
33:04
He talks about fraud, deceit, taking advantage of someone's
33:07
ignorance, using false weights. All of it will be brought to
33:10
account. Justice will take place at last.
33:12
What about those who make excuses for their sin?
33:15
Will those arguments work on that day?
33:16
Absolutely not. A person might deceive
33:19
themselves now with excuses like my corrupt nature prevailed, or
33:23
I couldn't resist, or everybody else was doing it.
33:26
Those excuses will not be accepted by the judge.
33:28
He will try your ways by the absolute perfect rule of His
33:32
word, not by the shifting standards of human culture.
33:35
And finally, he warns those who persist in impenitence and
33:38
unbelief. Even people who avoid scandalous
33:41
sins have to give an account for resisting the means of grace,
33:45
for rejecting the Savior, for despising the free offers of
33:48
eternal life. Edwards asks the ultimate
33:51
question. How will they answer for
33:53
rejecting the judge himself, the very one by whom they could have
33:56
been saved? So all this intense scrutiny is
33:58
meant to lead us to a strict testing of our sincerity right
34:01
now. Yes, the judgement will be like
34:03
a refining fire that burns up whatsoever is not true gold.
34:06
The judge is a refiners fire. No disguise, no outward show of
34:10
religion can hide the true state of the heart.
34:13
So it's not enough to just go through the motions.
34:15
Edwards warns that it will mean nothing to say Lord, we ate and
34:18
drank in your presence or we preached in your name if there's
34:22
no true sincerity, no genuine saving faith, and no real love
34:26
for God. So the practical instruction for
34:28
all of us listening is frequent rigorous self examination.
34:32
We have to constantly compare our hearts and our works with
34:35
the Word of God, which is the rule of judgement.
34:38
We have to follow the Psalmist and beg God to search us now and
34:41
lead us in the way everlasting. It is far better to discover our
34:44
own deception now than at the throne.
34:46
Which brings us to the final necessary action, a call for
34:51
self judgement in the present. If we want to avoid being judged
34:54
and condemned on that day, we must judge and condemn ourselves
34:57
in this life. We have to be truly sensible of
35:00
our own vileness and guilt, see that we deserve the law's
35:02
condemnation, and repent in dust and ashes, fleeing to Christ
35:07
Present heartfelt self condemnation is the only path to
35:10
future acquittal. And conversely, he issues a
35:13
strong warning against judging others.
35:15
To be quick to judge another person's heart, their motives,
35:17
their ends. That's to assume God's exclusive
35:20
role. Romans 14 asks, Who are you to
35:23
judge another man's servant? That censorious attitude is a
35:27
form of pride that often results in the one doing the judging
35:30
being judged and condemn themselves.
35:32
So we end on a note of consolation to the godly.
35:36
After all this terror and mourning, what's the message for
35:39
the true believer? For the Saints, this day of
35:42
judgement holds absolutely no terror.
35:44
It is a day of unspeakable, abundant joy.
35:47
It's the moment of complete deliverance from all affliction,
35:50
complete vindication from all the injustice and scorn they
35:52
suffered in this life. They have every reason to look
35:55
forward to Christ appearing. It's the blessed hope.
35:57
It is the blessed hope, as Titus says, it's the wedding day of
36:00
the church, the moment they receive their crown of
36:03
righteousness and enter into the fullness of their inheritance,
36:05
secure with their Redeemer forever.
36:07
Edwards really leaves us with this stunning realization that
36:10
the full accomplishment of God's designs and His divine glory
36:14
will appear most abundantly when the Saints can finally view.
36:17
All of God's works brought us to perfection at that final
36:20
judgement, this perfect, complete understanding of God's
36:23
justice, His power, His mercy throughout all of history.
36:27
That is what will cause a vast accession of happiness for them,
36:30
completing their joy in a way we can't even comprehend now.
36:33
That complete understanding, seeing the whole structure of
36:36
God's plan come together perfectly, that is a staggering
36:40
concept for you, the listener. Consider the precise language of
36:44
those two ultimate expressions of justice and grace.
36:48
Depart you cursed, and come ye blessed.
36:50
They are the destination points of every single life lived on
36:53
this planet. So take a moment today to
36:55
examine what specific evidence in your own life, when weighed
36:59
against the strict rule of the law and the loving provision of
37:01
the gospel, truly determines your standing with the judge who
37:03
was already ordained. Thank you for joining us for
37:06
this deep dive into the absolute righteousness of the General
37:09
Judgement. We hope you will join us next
37:11
time on Reformed Thinking.