The doctrine of eternal judgment, upon which I shall speak this morning, is introduced to us for a certain reason. 23, and learn from it that our Lord Jesus is Jehovah, and let us joyfully adore him as our Saviour and God, to whom be glory for ever and ever. This judgment by Christ is by our apostle proved from an Old Testament prophecy which certainly refers to Jehovah himself.
“Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him” (Rev. “The Lord shall judge his people,” and it is “the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (2 Tim. He speaks of them in the same breath, for they are one. But here, so far from taking any pains to make such distinction between Christ Jesus and God, as would have been needful if he were not God, he interchanges the two words. It would have been a most necessary thing to prevent us from idolizing a mere man. It would have been a most important point with Paul to draw a distinction between Christ and God if there had been any doubt as to his divinity. Look into the fifth chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians, at the ninth verse, “We labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Therefore, though the reading should be God, the sense is “Christ.” In another place Paul most distinctly declares that it is Christ who is to judge the world. It does, indeed, relate to our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is “very God of very God,” and God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. “To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.” And then the apostle immediately, without any break in the sense whatever, speaks of God, because he was speaking of the same person, and he quotes a passage which relates to God himself, and uses it as relating to Christ. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” I beg you to notice how strongly this passage goes to prove the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ because the whole run of the passage is concerning Christ. The passage runs, “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of God, for it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Paul knew that Christ is God, and when he was speaking of Christ it was no deviation from the subject for him to speak concerning him under the title of “God.” It was necessary here for him to use the word “God,” because he was about to quote from the Old Testament Scripture a passage which speaks concerning the sovereignty of God, which is to be acknowledged and confessed by all mankind. Paul did not say “Christ,” but “God,” but by that word he meant the same person. No doubt there is an error in our version, for where in the tenth verse we read, “The judgment seat of Christ,” it should be “The judgment seat of God.” I suppose the word “Christ” slipped into certain manuscripts because Paul had been speaking of Christ, and it was thought to be natural that he should continue to use the same name.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”- Romans xiv. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
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