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The Doctrine of Christ - Contents
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    LESSON FIFTY-TWO The Judgment

    1. There will be a general judgment. Ecclesiastes 12:14; Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; Romans 2:16; Psalm 98:8, 9; Romans 14:10; Matthew 12:42, ARV; Jude 1:6; Daniel 7:9, 10.TDOC 144.1

    2. That judgment was still in the future in the time of the apostle Paul. Acts 24:25; 2 Timothy 4:1.TDOC 144.2

    3. All judgment has been committed to the Son of man. John 5:22, 27; 2 Timothy 4:1; Acts 10:42.TDOC 144.3

    4. Every verdict will be a righteous one, and in strict accordance with the life of each individual. Psalm 96:13; Revelation 20:12, 18; 22:12.TDOC 144.4

    5. All those who accept the provisions of the gospel are free from condemnation now, and will not be condemned in the judgment. Romans 8:1; 8:34, ARV, margin; John 5:24.TDOC 144.5

    6. All those who reject the salvation offered in Christ thereby incur judgment, which will be confirmed in the last day. John 3:18; Hebrews 10:26, 27; Revelation 20:11, 12.TDOC 144.6

    NOTES

    The appointed day

    “God ‘has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world.’ Christ tells us when that day shall be ushered in. He does not say that all the world will be converted, but that ‘this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. By giving the gospel to the world it is in our power to hasten our Lord’s return. We are not only to look for, but to hasten, the coming of the day of God. Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.”-The Desire of Ages, 755, 756.TDOC 144.7

    No defect in God’s government

    “In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression. Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious Victim, sinners will stand condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear of blame for the existence or continuance of evil. It will be demonstrated that the divine decrees are not accessory to sin. There was no defect in God’s government, no cause for disaffection. When the thoughts of all hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in declaring, ‘Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thy judgments are made manifest.” Id., 59.TDOC 144.8

    The basis of condemnation

    “The True Witness says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. Every warning, reproof, and entreaty in the word of God or through his messengers is a knock at the door of the heart. It is the voice of Jesus asking for entrance. With every knock unheeded, the disposition to open becomes weaker. The impressions of the Holy Spirit, if disregarded today, will not be as strong tomorrow. The heart becomes less impressible, and lapses into a perilous unconsciousness of the shortness of life, and of the great eternity beyond. Our condemnation in the judgment will not result from the fact that we have been in error, but from the fact that we have neglected Heaven sent opportunities for learning what is truth.” Id., 584.TDOC 145.1

    The basis of commendation

    “Those whom Christ commands in the judgment, may have known little of theology, but they have cherished his principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, men ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard his voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.”-Id., 762, 763.TDOC 145.2

    A sufficient sacrifice

    “The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was his death upon the cross. By his death he began that work which after his resurrection he ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, ‘whither the Forerunner is for us entered.’ There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through his mediation the sincere desire of all who come to him in faith may be presented before God.”-The Great Controversy, 489.TDOC 145.3

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