Believers & Judgment

In Matthew 7:21-23 we find people coming to the judgment and reciting their resumés.

They were saying things like, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” (Matthew 7:22, NASB 2020)

Jesus calls these folks lawless and says He never knew them (see Matthew 7:23).

Later we find another scene at the judgment. This time the King is separating two groups.

Those who are judged righteous are praised. He says to them, “I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35–36, NASB 2020).

These folks are surprised to hear that they’ve ever done anything like that (see Matthew 25 37-39).

The reason for their surprise is that they were living lives of faith depending on the Lord. To them it appeared they were simply living life and doing what they wanted to do. They didn’t think of their conduct as something meriting favor from God.

John 3:18 says, “The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (NASB 2020).

The reason for this is that those who believe in the Lord Jesus have trusted in His work on their behalf. Those who do not believe have trusted in their own conduct, their own resumé. They did the things they did to earn favor with God, rejecting the fact that He had offered it as a gift.