Statement of Faith #15-Final Judgement

Official Assembly of God Statement of Faith #15-There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

There are actually two separate judgments in the end times. There is the Judgment Seat of Christ which is a judgment for believers only. This will not be a judgment for sin but rather where Christians will receive their rewards based on what we have done for Christ during our time on earth. The other judgment, the Great White Throne Judgment, will take place after the Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon and is a judgment of sin reserved for those who rejected Christ as their savior. It is at this judgment that those people will be condemned to punishment, forever, in the lake of fire, otherwise known as hell.

As the doctrine class has moved into the lessons involving the end times it has been enjoyable watching the 6th graders really begin showing interest in what they are learning. So much of doctrine is really over their heads(and mine for that matter,LOL) when it comes to a complete understanding. I have told the teachers that in many ways I think the class would be better for high schoolers. The problem is, that often, by high school, it is hard to get them to attend. Anyway, each week for several weeks now the questions have taken up more of the time than the actual teaching itself. Of course, so many of the questions, especially in regards to the End Times and prophecy are hard to answer and based upon what we read in the bible that is usually written in symbolic form.

I guess I will end this post the same way I ended another recent one. All that seriously matters to me about the end times is that I make sure that I am living a Christian life today and never give that up even In the most difficult times. I need to remember that I could enter eternity at any time between now and the "end times."