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Transcript 346E — Why Do Unbelievers Have to Be Judged?
CALLER: What would be the reason for judging unbelievers at the Great White Throne judgment? I thought that these unbelievers were already lost. So what would be the purpose of judging them?
HC: An excellent question. Why is it that we read in Revelation 20 about a Great White Throne judgment? There we read, "I saw the dead standing, and the books were opened, and they were judged by what was written in the books."
Now you'll remember that in Matthew 12 Christ declared that mankind has got to give an account of every idle word they've ever spoken, every evil deed they've ever done. Now what would be the purpose of this kind of a judgment if the moment we commit one sin we're already condemned by God to spend an eternity in hell? Why have this kind of a judgment on the last day?
You see, the Bible indicates that there are levels of condemnation. Those who have known the way and yet have gone their own way will be beaten with many stripes. Those who have not known the way and yet they have done that which deserves judgment will receive few stripes. The wages of sin is death. The penalty that is meted out at Judgment Day is payment for sin. Therefore, the more sins a person has committed, the greater the condemnation.
CALLER: I get the idea. I was wondering, if they're already condemned, judgment wouldn't help any.
HC: They're already condemned, but God's justice must be very perfect. And therefore their condemnation will be in accord with their sins.
CALLER: That's punishment then.
HC: Yes, it is punishment. You see, the interesting thing is, in the case of the believer the reward we receive is not pay. It is a gift of God, because Christ already paid for our sins. He has paid all that was required to enable us to go into Heaven. It is a gift that is so vast, so marvelous, that there's nothing that we could do that could add anything at all to that tremendous gift of salvation.
On the other hand, the unsaved receive their eternal destiny not as a gift, but as payment for their sins.
CALLER: I see. Well, that answers it very nicely. Thank you very much.
HC: Thank you for calling. Good night.