Our Salvation is Not an Event

Another way of looking at our salvation is to consider how we are to be judged. We will all be judged. Generally speaking, we will all be judged twice, once at the moment of our death and once again at the end of the world. The first judgment is a one-on-one encounter with Christ. The second is the general judgment occurring at the end of time where we will all be judged individually but in front of the assembled multitude of mankind. The two judgments will be the same. There will be no one judged as saved in the particular judgment who will be later judged as damned in the general judgment nor will there be anyone who is condemned at the particular judgment later to be regarded as saved. In other words, there are no second chances.

The particular judgment occurs at the moment of death. There are exceptions, most notably Dismas, the good thief, who was judged by Jesus while they both hung from their respective crosses. After asking Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom, Jesus says to him “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43). Dismas is utterly unique, he is not the pattern by which men are saved. He is the exception, not the rule. He had no opportunity to be baptized nor to have a disciple’s life. Jesus did not hold that against him. Others who might not go through the particular judgment are those alive at the time of Jesus’ second coming at the end of time. It is likely, but not certain, that they will simply be part of the general judgment. No matter what, however, we will be found worthy of heaven or we won’t. Many of those who are judged worthy of paradise will not be found perfect. We are expected to become holy in this life so as to be holy enough for heaven. Reiterating what God expected of the Jews (e.g., Lev 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:26, etc.), Peter teaches “as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy’ (1Pet 1:15-16). We will have to be cleansed of what is unfit for heaven: we are to be holy, not just snow-covered dung heaps as Luther taught. We are to be righteous, through God’s grace, not simply have Christ’s righteousness passively imputed to us.

The second judgment we will all experience is the final or general judgment at the end of time when Christ appears. As mentioned earlier, this judgment will confirm the first or particular judgment. The difference is that we will all see each person’s judgment where all of their actions will be revealed to all of mankind. “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops” (Lk12:2-3). All of the shameful things we have done, said, and thought will be exposed for all to see. With the exception of infants, we all have unfortunate things we truly regret, or we ought to regret.

The point of the general judgment’s revelations of each one’s thoughts, words, and deeds is not to embarrass us, but to accomplish two things. First, it shows forth God’s fathomless mercy. The man who did a multitude of unspeakable things before his conversion will manifest God’s mercy. The man who lived a basically good life, doing nothing nearly as evil as the one who did a multitude of unspeakable things, but refusing to repent of gossiping or lusting or envy or holding a hateful grudge will nevertheless show forth God’s justice when he is judged unworthy of heaven. Some will object that one man is condemned for what seem to be fewer and lesser sins than the other, but “You say, ‘The Lord’s way is not fair!’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Are not your ways unfair? When the just turn away from justice to do evil and die, on account of the evil they did they must die. But if the wicked turn from the wickedness they did and do what is right and just, they save their lives; since they turned away from all the sins they committed, they shall live; they shall not die” (Ez 18:25-28). Secondly, the revelation of everyone’s thoughts, words, and deeds will make it clear why aunt Wilma was condemned while uncle Fred was found worthy. Everyone who knew Fred and Wilma thought Fred was something of a rascal but Wilma was saintly, but God sees what we don’t see. Indeed, there will be surprises at the general judgment, as Matthew 25:31-46 indicates.

—Fr Booth