A recent article on a liberal Adventist website claims that believers in Jesus will not experience the weighing of their deeds in God’s final judgment. The article is titled, “The Weigh Station is Closed” [1].
Comparing God’s judgment to truck stops which determine how much the truck and its contents weigh, the article insists: “For believers, the scales are, as it were, closed. They will not be weighed” [2]. “Like a truck that has gotten a free pass, we don’t have to be weighed” [3].
One continues to be astounded at the breathtaking departures from the written Word indulged by certain so-called “progressives” in the church. But it is imperative that those still adhering to the Berean principle (Acts 17:11) be reminded of what Scripture says on this pivotal subject. No matter how sincere a promoter of falsehood may be, Seventh-day Adventists must hold the truth aloft, for fellow church members as well as the watching world.
Confusing the Issue
To begin with, the article in question makes some very confusing statements regarding God’s requirements and how Scripture says we are to meet them. After citing the statement in Daniel 5:27, where the prophet Daniel declares to wicked king Belshazzar: “Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting,” the article states:
One might think, of the billions of people who have lived on Earth there might be a handful of people who managed to escape the wrath of the Almighty on their own merits. But no. According to the apostle Paul not one [4].
But here the author has created a non-issue—a straw man, as some might say. No one, certainly not in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is claiming that any can escape God’s wrath “on their own merits.” Only through the forgiving and empowering righteousness of Jesus can the wrath of God be averted and obedience to the divine law fulfilled. That is the consistent and unalterable teaching of Seventh-day Adventist theology since the beginning of the great Advent movement.
The article in question goes on to say, toward the end:
But for believers, the scales are, as it were, closed. They will not be weighed. Or, if they are, they will not be found wanting. There is Someone there to lighten their load. His righteousness conceals their own rags. (For no matter how hard we try, our righteousness will always be rags.) [5].
If by this it is meant that our own righteousness, produced in our own strength, constitutes filthy rags, we can agree. But while the Bible indeed declares that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), it says something quite different about the righteousness of those who will be saved eternally in God’s kingdom:
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:7-8, NIV).
We will return to this passage in a moment. But let us first consider what the Bible says about God’s final judgment, and whether or not believers in Jesus get a “pass” so far as the weighing of their deeds in God’s scales are concerned.
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”
In closing his memoir of spiritual dissolution and recovery, the wisest of kings admonishes:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Eccl. 12:13-14).
The apostle Paul borrows this theme in the following passage, using similar words:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the deeds done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (II Cor. 5:10).
Jesus extended the divine scrutiny thus depicted to our words as well:
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matt. 12:36-37).
Our Lord’s parable of the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31-46) offers perhaps the most graphic Biblical depiction of judgment according to works. The language of this parable is such that it is clear Jesus is citing the practical choices of both groups as the reason for—not the result of—their eternal destiny:
Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in;
Naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. . . .
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink;
I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not (verses 34-36,41-43).
The apostle Paul affirms this same reality in the following verses:
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Who will render to every man according to his deeds;
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile (Rom. 2:3-10).
The apostle James upholds the Ten Commandment law as the measure by which human conduct is assessed in God’s final judgment:
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty (James 2:10-12).
Says the apostle Peter:
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear (I Peter 1:17).
No distinction can be found in any of these passages between the judging process applied to the righteous and the process applied to the wicked. All are judged according to how they have lived. Ellen White agrees, in such statements as the following:
By the king’s examination of the guests at the feast is represented a work of judgment. The guests at the gospel feast are those who profess to serve God, those whose names are written in the book of life. But not all who profess to be Christians are true disciples. Before the final reward is given, it must be decided who are fitted to share the inheritance of the righteous. This decision must be made prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven; for when He comes, His reward is with Him, “to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:12. Before His coming, then, the character of every man’s work will be determined, and to every one of Christ’s followers the reward will have been apportioned according to his deeds.
It is while men are still dwelling upon the earth that the work of investigative judgment takes place in the courts of heaven. The lives of all His professed followers pass in review before God. All are examined according to the record of the books of heaven, and according to his deeds the destiny of each is forever fixed.
By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character that Christ’s true followers will possess. To the church it is given “that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” Rev. 19:8. This fine linen, says the Scripture, “is the righteousness of saints.” Eph. 5:27. It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour” [6].
When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, and every man shall be judged according to the things written in the books, then the tables of stone, hidden by God until that day, will be presented before the world as the standard of righteousness. Then men and women will see that the prerequisite of their salvation is obedience to the perfect law of God. None will find excuse for sin. By the righteous principles of that law, men will receive their sentence of life or of death [7].
Each one in the day of investigative judgment will stand in character as he really is; he will render an individual account to God. Every word uttered, every departure from integrity, every action that sullies the soul, will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. Memory will be true and vivid in condemnation of the guilty one, who in that day is found wanting. The mind will recall all the thoughts and acts of the past; the whole life will come in review like the scenes in a panorama. Thus every one will be condemned or acquitted out of his own mouth, and the righteousness of God will be vindicated [8].
By our words we are to be justified or condemned. When in the final judgment we stand before the tribunal of God, it is our words that will justify or condemn us. Much more than we realize is involved in the matter of speech. . . . Let your lips be touched with a live coal from the divine altar. Utter only words of truth. Watch and pray, that your words and deeds may ever confess Christ. Let your words be seasoned with wisdom and purity [9].
The time will come when all must stand before angels and before men, revealed in their truth light. As the artist reproduces upon the polished plate the features of the human countenance, so their characters are being transferred to the books of heaven. . . . In the judgment every man will stand revealed just as he is, either fashioned after the divine similitude or disfigured by the idolatrous sins of selfishness and covetousness [10].
In the day of judgment the course of the man who has retained the frailty and imperfection of humanity will not be vindicated. For him there will be no place in heaven. He could not enjoy the perfection of the saints in light. He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that He can keep him from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God [11].
While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon the earth. . . . When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing [12].
At the final day, we shall be approved or condemned according to our works. The Judge of all the earth will render a just decision. He will not be bribed; He cannot be deceived. He who made man, and whose are the worlds and all the treasures they contain—He it is who weighs character in the balance of eternal justice [13].
Let no one say that your works have nothing to do with your rank and position before God. In the judgment the sentence is pronounced according to what has been done or to what has been left undone (Matt. 25:34-40) [14].
The world is soon to meet the great Lawgiver over His broken law. Those only who turn from transgression to obedience can hope for pardon and peace [15].
The only question asked in the judgment will be, “Have they been obedient to My commandments?” [16].
Saved by Faith, Judged by Works
Many assume that the Biblical teaching of salvation by faith alone produces tension with the Biblical teaching of judgment according to works. But once we understand the Biblical distinction between the “works of the law” which justify no one (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9) and the works of faith which in fact fulfill the conditions of salvation (Matt. 19:16-17,26; Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 2:6-13; 8:13; Heb. 5:9; 11:7)), the Biblical message regarding obedience and the final judgment involves no tension whatsoever with the doctrine of salvation by faith alone.
We are saved solely by faith because faith alone is able both to grasp the promise of divine forgiveness (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; I John 1:9)—for past sins as well as sins of ignorance [17]—and to produce in our lives the obedience which fulfills the conditions of salvation (Matt. 19:16-17; Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 2:6-10; 8:13; Heb. 5:9). The Bible is clear that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23), and that “without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Heb. 11:6). This is why Jesus said to His disciples, following His interview with the rich young ruler, that “with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). His later declaration that “without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5) affirms this same truth, the reverse conclusion of which is affirmed both by Jesus (Matt. 19:26) and the apostle Paul, in the latter’s declaration: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).
But “faith alone” in Scripture does not describe faith as distinct from the obedience faith produces. This is obvious from the vignettes of faith cited in Hebrews, chapter 11. What “faith alone” does in fact describe is faith (together with its attendant obedience) in contrast with the self-righteous deeds of the unconverted heart (I Sam. 15:22; Isa. 1:11-17; Matt. 3:9; 23:2-39; Rom. 2:17-23), which have nothing to do with faith. Ellen White draws this contrast very simply when she writes that “obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love” [18].
In sum, faith grasps the promise of God’s forgiveness for the sins we’ve confessed and forsaken (II Chron. 7:14; Prov. 28:13; Isa. 55:7; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; I John 1:9), and produces in our lives the obedience salvation requires (Matt. 19:16-17,26; John 15:5; Phil. 2:12-13; 4:13; Col. 1:29; Heb. 11:6-7). The judgment in turn evaluates this finished product (Eccl. 12:13-14; Matt. 12:36-37; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:6-10; II Cor. 5:10; James 2:10-12; I Peter 1:17; Rev. 20:12-13; 22:12). This is how we are saved by faith and judged by works.
John 5:24
Many have embraced the error that believers in Jesus will escape God’s judgment because of a misunderstanding of a statement Jesus makes in John 5:24. A number of modern Bible translations have facilitated this misunderstanding, as we can see in the rendering found in the New King James Version:
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Other modern translations, such as the New English Bible, the Revised Standard Version, and Today’s English Version, render the above passage with similar language. By contrast, the King James Version reads, “shall not come into condemnation,” and the New International Version uses the phrase, “will not be condemned.”
The Greek word krisis is the one used here for either judgment or condemnation, and is used in the New Testament either for condemnation or examination. Context and the Biblical consensus tell the difference. This is the same word used in the book of Revelation, where the judgment of the righteous dead is described:
And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and unto them that fear Thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth (Rev. 11:18).
This word is also the one used in James 2:12, in which the apostle admonishes the Christian: “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” Clearly, the reference to judgment in these verses refers to an examination of the righteous, a process we have seen affirmed in so many other Bible passages (Eccl. 12:14; Matt. 12:36-37; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:6-10; II Cor. 5:10).
In light of all these verses, it becomes clear that the most accurate rendering of John 5:24 is, “shall not come into condemnation,” rather than, “shall not come into judgment.” If one reads “judgment” as a synonym for condemnation, then its use in John 5:24 is appropriate. But if “judgment” is read here as meaning examination, thus implying that Jesus is exempting His followers from scrutiny before the divine tribunal, this would not only place Jesus’ words in opposition to the rest of the Bible, but to Himself. In Christ’s parable of the sheep and the goats, the actions of both are scrutinized, and their eternal destiny is declared to be based on the outcome of this scrutiny (Matt. 25:31-46). The same holds true with Jesus’ statement that for “every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37).
Conclusion: “We Must All Appear”
In short, despite the claim of the article in question, believers in Jesus do not get a “pass” so far as God’s judgment is concerned. The words of the apostles Paul and James, echoing those of Solomon (Eccl. 12:13-14), along with the words of Christ Himself (Matt. 12:36-37; 25:31-46), make plain that the divine summons to heaven’s tribunal, and the subsequent examination of every thought, word, and deed, apply to Christians and non-Christians alike:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the deeds done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (II Cor. 5:10).
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty (James 2:10-12).
Just as Scripture demolishes the illusion that believers in Jesus “will not be weighed” in the heavenly judgment [19], Ellen White does the same:
Faith in Christ as a personal Saviour will give strength and solidity to the character. Those who have genuine faith in Christ will be sober-minded, remembering that God’s eye is upon them, that the Judge of all men is weighing moral worth, that heavenly intelligences are watching to see what manner of character is being developed [20].
With the deepest interest the angels of God in the heavenly courts are watching the development of character; and from the records in the books of heaven, actions are weighed, and moral worth is measured. Every day the record of your life is passed unto God, just as it is, whether it is one of merit or of demerit. You are lacking in true elevation and nobility of soul, and no man can give you the character you need. The only way you can attain to the standard of moral worth by which you are to be measured, is to depend upon Christ, and cooperate with Him in steadfast, earnest, determined purpose [21].
The following statement combines in a few words the imperative of obedience to the divine law as the condition for passing the final judgment, with the imperative of faith as the means whereby this obedience is produced:
In order to be prepared for the judgment, it is necessary that men should keep the law of God. That law will be the standard of character in the judgment. The apostle Paul declares: “As many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law, . . . in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." And he says that “the doers of the law shall be justified.” Romans 2:12-16. Faith is essential in order to the keeping of the law of God; for “without faith it is impossible to please Him.” And “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Hebrews 11:6; Romans 14:23 [22].
Thus will Jesus’ bride have “made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7), the filthy rags of her own righteousness (Isa. 64:6) having been replaced by the “fine linen, bright and pure,” which “stands for the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:8, NIV). The word for righteousness in this verse explicitly refers to righteous actions, not to an illusory declaration of acquittal while occasional sin persists. The “weigh station” will not close till probation closes at last. It is now our task to claim heaven’s power for perfecting that moral character which will pass the scrutiny of the heavenly scale.
REFERENCES
1. S.M. Chen, “The Weigh Station is Closed,” Adventist Today, Feb. 21, 2023 https://atoday.org/the-weigh-station-is-closed/
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 310.
7. ----Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 225.
8. ----Review and Herald, Nov. 4, 1884.
9. ----The Voice in Speech and Song, pp. 21-22.
10. ----The Truth About Angels, p. 292.
11. ----Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 360.
12. ----The Great Controversy, p. 425.
13. ----Signs of the Times, Oct. 8, 1885.
14. ----Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 381.
15. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 402.
16. ----Gospel Workers, p. 315.
17. ----SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1092; Early Writings, p. 254.
18. ----Steps to Christ, p. 60.
19. Chen, “The Weigh Station is Closed,” Adventist Today, Feb. 21, 2023 https://atoday.org/the-weigh-station-is-closed/
20. White, Child Guidance, p. 165.
21. ----Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 245.
22. ----The Great Controversy, p. 436.
Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan