The Bible teaches that at the end of this current age, when Jesus returns, God will finally and eternally judge all people. But what is the actual basis of that judgment? What does it have to do with our lives right now? And how can we know where we stand?

For Protestants who believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone, it may come as a surprise that every time the final judgment is described in Scripture, it is done on the basis of works. In other words, on that last day, believers will be revealed by the way they lived in Jesus’ name, while those who do not know Christ will be revealed by the works they failed to do.

So, how does this final judgment shape our reality today? By pulling the justification which we receive at the judgment seat of Christ into the present, faith allows us to know right now that we are not guilty before God. This divine declaration—that we have infinite value because we are united to Jesus—forms the Christian’s identity now, assuring us of who we really are. Join us as we look at how the final judgment allows us to hear the Lord say face-to-face what He has already promised in His Word: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”