Will Christians Be at the Great White Throne Judgment? (Can Christians Fall Away?)

Will Christians Be at the Great White Throne Judgment? (Can Christians Fall Away?) [Print Document]

That a Christian could possibly fall away is one of the highly debated topics among Christians. There are many who believe that once you are saved, you can never fall away (or cease to be a Christian). Does the Bible teach that it is impossible for a Christian to fall away? Does the Bible teach that all Christians are the elect or God’s sheep? We we look at this from a biblical perspective to see what God’s Word says about this debated topic.

Hebrews 3:6-19 gives an admonition to brethren (i.e. believers). Hebrews 3:8 says: “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:”

But, some might say that Hebrews 3 was addressed to unbelievers. Is it really addressed to unbelieving people? Let’s take a look.

Hebrews 3 and Hardness through Sin

Hebrews 3:12-13

“[12] Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. [13] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. [14] For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”

First of all, an unbeliever already doesn’t know God and doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ as his (or her) personal Savior and Lord. In a sense, they already have departed from God. Also, notice the tone of the message? It is one of warning and admonition. The writer of Hebrews addresses his readers as “brethren” and warns them that they can be “...hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” He also clearly states that he and his readers are made partakers of Christ if he and his readers hold fast their confidence to the end.

Matthew 24 and Enduring to the End

Expounding 2 Corinthians 5:10 — The Judgment Seat of Christ

Expounding 2 Corinthians 5:10

— The Judgment Seat of Christ [Print Document]

2 Corinthians 5:10

“[10] 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.”

Many have heard about the judgment of unbelievers before God’s great, white throne (Revelation 20). But, probably fewer have heard of Christ’s judgment of believers. Before we go further, let’s stop and explain that Jesus Christ’s blood alone can save us from our sins and bring us into Heaven (Romans 5). Whatever good works we have done will mean nothing if we have not made Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our good works are actually filthy rags, if we have not made Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 64:6

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

As you may know, Jesus Christ came to take our sins upon Himself and die, and He rose from the dead on the third day, according to the scriptures that prophesied of Him (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Jesus Christ makes us righteous by His blood that He shed (Romans 5).

The Judgment of a Christian

When a Christian dies, he (or she) will go to Heaven and will stand before Jesus. When we enter Heaven, we will be embraced by Jesus. And, then, we will need to tell Him why we didn’t obey Him in certain areas of our lives, if we had resisted Him. We will not have to answer for sin that we confessed and forsook, but we will have to give account for sin we did not confess and forsake that He convicted us about.

1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Great White Throne Judgment - Expounding Revelation 20:11-15 (Judgment of the Lost)

Great White Throne Judgment - Expounding Revelation 20:11-15 (Judgment of the Lost)
[Print Document]

Revelation 20:11-12

“[11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

In this article we will expound these verses from Revelation chapter 20, including verses 14 and 15. (1) We will look at how judgment shall befall the people that are dead and separated from God. (2) We will see how Almighty God will have to judge all men according to their choices that they made; whether they trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, or not. (3) We will also see how judgment will be given depending on how rebellious the lost souls were while they lived on the earth. In another article, we will look at the question: “Can a Christian fall away and no longer know God’s Name?”

(1.1) Judgment on the Lost: The Location of Hell

When you die, there are two places you can go after you leave your body. Many have heard about Heaven and Hell, but few know what the Bible has to say about both places. There are many testimonies of people who died and saw either Heaven or Hell. These people describe intense torment in Hell and great peace and joy in Heaven. But, we must base what we believe on the Bible. The Bible is the solid foundation for truth.

When a lost soul dies, he (or she) leaves his body and is taken to a region deep in the earth, called Hell. We know it is deep in the earth because the Bible has many verses about its location. Here are a couple:

Ezekiel 32:18

“Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.”

Ezekiel 32:24

“There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.”

The people killed by the sword, who did not trust in God, went down “...into the nether parts of the earth...” “Nether,” in this context, refers to being underground. In this region that is underground, deep in the earth, are souls that have left their bodies at the time of death. They are in torment and in pits of fire. David wrote about these deep pits that were filled with fire in the Psalms. (The Bible says that every word in the Bible is God breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16-17. See Endnote.)

(1.2) Judgment on the Lost: The Torment of Hell