brandonadams
Puritan Board Sophomore
I'm trying to wrap my head around the final judgment and I'm having a hard time. I'm getting different answers. It seems there are two options in Reformed tradition:
Defenders of #1 say that our lives, our deeds, are judged on the last day in order to determine if we are united with Christ. Here are some examples:
Defending the second view are the following:
Five Arguments Against Future Justification According to Works - Reformation21
Five Arguments Against Future Justification According to Works (Part II) - Reformation21
Judgment of Believers in the Westminster Standards - Reformation21 Blog
45. The Necessity of Good Works Unto Salvation Considered.
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I simply cannot understand how #1 is consistent with justification through faith alone. I do not understand how we can be united with Christ through faith alone if our works are necessary to connect us to Christ as well. I find Gill's essay very helpful (though he doesn't specifically address the final judgment). Can anyone help me understand?
- Our life is judged in order to determine if we are going to heaven or hell
- Our life is judged to determine our level of rewards
Defenders of #1 say that our lives, our deeds, are judged on the last day in order to determine if we are united with Christ. Here are some examples:
when we stand before Christ we will be judged according to our deeds in this life. 'For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor 5:10). [he also cites Matt 16:27 and Rev 22:12]... Is the aim of this judgment to declare who is lost and who is saved, according to the works done in the body? Or is the aim of this judgment to declare the measure of your reward in the age to come according to the works done in body? The answer of the New Testament, if you interpret carefully, is: both. Our deeds will reveal who enters the age to come, and our deeds will reveal the measure of our reward in the age to come."
"How then can I say that the judgment of believers will not only be the public declaration of our differing rewards in the kingdom of God, according to our deeds, but will also be the public declaration of our salvation - our entering the kingdom - according to our deeds? The answer is that our deeds will be the public evidence brought forth in Christ's courtroom to demonstrate that our faith is real. And our deeds will be the public evidence brought fourth to demonstrate the varying measures of our obedience of faith. In other words, salvation is by grace through faith, and rewards are by grace through faith, but the evidence of invisible faith in the judgment hall of Christ will be a transformed life."
"The parable of the talents in Luke 19:12-27 teaches the same thing... What this parable teaches is the same thing Paul taught, namely, that there are varying degrees of reward for the faithfulness of our lives. But it also moves beyond that and teaches that there is a loss not only of reward, but of heaven, for those who claim to be faithful but do nothing to show that they prize God's gifts and love the Giver. That's the point of the third servant who did nothing with his gift. He did not just lose his reward, he lost his life.... The second purpose of the judgment is to declare openly the authenticity of the faith of God's people by the evidence of their deeds. Salvation is owned by faith. Salvation is shown by deeds. So when Paul says (in 2 Cor 5:10) that each '[will be recompensed...according to what he has done,' he not only means that our rewards will accord with our deeds, but also our salvation will accord with our deeds.
Why do I think this? There are numerous texts that point in this direction. For example, Paul refers to the 'revelation of the righteous judgment of God,' and then says, '[God] will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality [he will render] eternal life; but to those who... do not obey the truth... [he will render] wrath and indignation." In other words, the judgment is according to what a person has done. But here the issue is explicitly "eternal life" versus "wrath and indignation" (Romans 2:5-8)....
...In other words, when these deeds are exposed at the judgment as a person's way of life, they will be the evidence that their faith is dead and he will not be saved. As James said, 'Faith without works is dead' (James 2:26). That is what will be shown at the judgment. ... In other words, the way one lived will be the evidence whether one passes through judgment to life or whether one experiences judgment as condemnation."
Defending the second view are the following:
Five Arguments Against Future Justification According to Works - Reformation21
Five Arguments Against Future Justification According to Works (Part II) - Reformation21
Judgment of Believers in the Westminster Standards - Reformation21 Blog
45. The Necessity of Good Works Unto Salvation Considered.
---
I simply cannot understand how #1 is consistent with justification through faith alone. I do not understand how we can be united with Christ through faith alone if our works are necessary to connect us to Christ as well. I find Gill's essay very helpful (though he doesn't specifically address the final judgment). Can anyone help me understand?