The Bible warns of a day when God will judge the world in righteousness. Every person — past, present, and future — will stand before Him to give an account of everything we have done, whether good or bad.
"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)
We Are All Guilty Without Excuse
Deep inside, we all know we have sinned. We’ve lied, we’ve hated, we’ve broken God’s commandments. Some sins may seem small, others severe, but in God’s court, a crime is a crime.
Just like in an earthly court, good deeds cannot erase guilt. A murderer cannot be set free simply because he fed the homeless or gave to charity. If he committed the crime, he must face justice.
Likewise, saying “sorry” or promising to change cannot undo what we’ve done. A righteous judge cannot ignore the law without losing integrity. And God is the most righteous Judge — He cannot simply let sin go unpunished.
God’s Dilemma: Justice and Love
Here lies the problem:
God is perfectly just — He must punish sin.
God is perfectly loving — He desires to save sinners.
If a judge let a serial killer go free just because he apologized or promised to change, people would lose all trust in him. In the same way, if God ignored sin, He would no longer be righteous.
But if God punished every sinner (which is all of us), no one would survive.
The Only Solution: A Substitute
The only way for God to remain just while still forgiving sinners is for someone else to take the punishment we deserve.
That’s exactly what Jesus did. On the cross, He took every sin we have ever committed — every lie, every lustful thought, every act of pride or hatred — and bore the full wrath of God against it.
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
When Jesus died, God’s justice was satisfied. The penalty was paid in full. Now, God can legally declare us innocent — not because we are good, but because our debt has been paid by Christ.
How to Receive This Freedom
This gift is not automatic. If we refuse to let Jesus take our punishment, we will face it ourselves. The only way to escape God’s coming judgment is to believe and trust that Jesus took our place.
"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already."
(John 3:18)
Faith in Christ means relying fully on His sacrifice for our forgiveness, not on our good works, not on our promises, but on what He has already done.
The Message of the Cross
The coming judgment is certain — but so is the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ.
God’s justice demands that sin be punished. God’s love provided the way for that punishment to fall on His Son instead of us.
If you believe in Jesus and trust Him with your life, you will be saved from the wrath to come. That is the message of the cross.
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."
(Acts 16:31)