The Apostle Peter tells us, “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).
Upon reflecting on this passage of the New Testament, we can grow concerned as to what it means and why does judgment begin in the house of God? It is important to learn the “why” behind this verse because it can help enrich our knowledge of the Bible and better apply its teachings to our lives.
The Judgment of God
As 1 Peter 4:17 tells us, judgment begins in the house of God. The house of God mentioned here is believers. All believers are part of the house of God. Since we know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we know better than the lost.
Since we know about sin and are aware of the pain, hurt, and agony it causes, we need to strive our best not to sin. We will all continue to sin, but we should be taking the incentive to do our best not to sin.
The lost don’t know any better because they don’t know Jesus, they don’t know the teachings of the Bible, and they are blinded by the truth of the Bible.
Paul tells us this about unbelievers, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Since believers are aware of our sins, judgment starts among us. Even in the present, when we do wrong and sin, God disciplines us. He disciplines us not to mean, but rather, He disciplines us for our own good (1 Corinthians 11:32).
Through discipline, we are going to be more prone to do the right thing and turn away from sinful behaviors. For the entirety of our lives, God is constantly molding us to become more like His Son.
Throughout every pain, heartache, and hurt, we are growing to be more like Christ. When we use the pain as a way to grow and become better reflections of Christ, we are doing right. We never need to allow the pain to make us become bitter or lose hope.
There is a future judgment for believers, known as the Bema seat of Christ. The only people who will take part in this judgment are believers. It is not a judgment of whether a person will go to heaven or hell, but rather a judgment of what they have done for Jesus during their earthly life.
Each of us will stand before God at this judgment as Paul says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Since this is true, we know that we will receive what we deserve at the judgment seat of Christ.
Once again, this judgment doesn’t mean anyone’s salvation is in jeopardy. If a person has placed faith in Jesus, they are eternally saved. Nothing they do can take away their salvation, nor will God ever take away their salvation.
Rather, the judgment taking place at the Bema seat of Christ is a judgment of what you have done for Jesus. Those who have done much will receive rewards for what they have done, while others will be rebuked for what they did not do for Christ. This should give us the motivation to live for Christ, do all we can to serve Him, and live faithfully for the cause of the gospel.
It also needs to be mentioned that there is not only one judgment but rather there is another judgment that does not include the house of God. The other judgment is the judgment of the wicked. This will take place later in eschatology at an event known as the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
This judgment will be exclusively for unbelievers, and they will be judged on the severity of their sins before they are thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the final destination for those who reject Christ.
Within the eschatological timeline, the Bema seat of Christ will happen after the rapture of the church. The rapture is the first event that will start the rest of the End Times.
We don’t know the exact timing of the rapture; however, we do know it will be unexpected and happen quicker than a twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52).
The House of God
Believers will be taken up to heaven to be with the Lord before the start of the dreadful Tribulation. The Tribulation will last seven years, and the second half will be worse than the first half.
This terrible event will be ongoing on the earth until Jesus returns, defeats the antichrist, and establishes His thousand-year reign rule on the earth.
From this, we can see how judgment begins first with the house of God. Our judgment will happen right after the rapture.
The Great White Throne Judgment that will happen for unbelievers will not take place until toward the end of the eschatological timeline. In fact, it is the last judgment to take place.
Therefore, it is important that we recognize the severity of the judgment that will come upon us as believers. This needs to motivate us to live lives fully devoted to God and do our best to serve Him.
We are saved and are given forgiveness, yet we don’t need to use this as a license to sin. Instead, we need to serve and love God with all our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.
As believers, we don’t need to be afraid of this judgment, but it should motivate us to do the right thing. It also needs to motivate us to share the gospel and help others to know Christ.
The Great White Throne Judgment will be an awful judgment filled with pain, misery, and agony. We need to share the gospel with others in order for them to have a more likely chance of accepting Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Sharing the gospel can be scary, but it is important, and it can help more people find their eternal destination to be heaven instead of the lake of fire.
What Does This Mean?
Judgment does begin in the house of God, and we need to prepare ourselves for this day. We need to dedicate our lives to God and serve Him faithfully. The sinful world and our sinful flesh will try to lead us astray, but it is important we stay faithful and obedient to Christ.
Every single thing we do matters, and God sees it all. We are forgiven of our sins in Christ, but it doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want.
Instead, we need to use our freedom in Christ to help others, grow in our relationship with Him, and serve Him with our whole hearts.
The topic of judgment can be scary, but it can also be motivating. Thus, judgment begins in the house of God because of the order of the events in eschatology.
For further reading:
What Is the Final Judgment of God?
Does the Bible Describe Jesus as a Judge?
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