Judgement, The Deciding Factor!
John 3:17-18

There is a phrase people like to throw out very loosely.  “Only God can judge me”  When people say this, this only partially true because in saying it, you ignore the great deal of judgment that takes place around you.  The place where you live have authority figures who will judge your behavior; at work they will evaluate your effort and dedication (employee of the month) that is a judgment call; when you don’t play well in a team they may let you go, trade you for someone better than you.  This is judgment call.  When taken to court for any reason, a person will judge you based on the law of the land.  So you see God is not the only one judging you.  It is true that God is the ultimate judge; he will judge the world with justice one day.
Most people don’t like to think about God as judge; people like to think of God as someone who is there to answer the prayers they need, to love them and protect them; to provide and comfort, to love and show grace, but we don’t like the image of God as the judge.
We are familiar with the fact that Jesus is the Savior, that he came to save the world.  We may not understand or know that the moment Jesus showed up on earth, God’s grace and God’s judgment were revealed to the world.
John 3:17  Jesus is the savior of the world; however, not everyone in the world will be saved.
God did his part in sending the world a Savior, one that would fix the problem of sin in this world.
Only those who believe Jesus get to be saved (whoever believes will have eternal life)
Jesus is the defining factor: he is salvation and also judgment.

God has already given the world a verdict: be save or condemned.
Verdict: a decision made by a jury in trial.  This is the decision God has made already.
The verdict is only those who believe in Jesus are saved; whoever doesn’t believe in Jesus is condemned.
John 3:36  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

God has already made his judgment, Jesus.  The defining factor of our eternity. By believing in him we have life, by rejecting him we are judged, condemned, punished.

John 9:35-41
The man who was born blind, whom Jesus healed believed in Jesus and worshiped him.  Jesus came for judgment: (v.39) Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
The religious leaders thought they could see very well, when in reality they were spiritual blind.  Jesus will.  Jesus is the judge. He is the deciding factor: he can make you see, or he will blind you.   He is the stone for a foundation or a stone that will cause your ruin.

Jesus is the grace of God for those who believe in him; he is God’s condemnation to those who reject him.

It boils down to what you choose to do with Jesus.

What is means to believe in Jesus? (The chair illustration: Do I believe this chair can hold me?) Suppose I believe that chair on the other side of the room can hold me up?  I may have faith in the chair, but the only way I will know for sure that my faith is well founded, and that the chair will hold me up is to sit in it.  It is the same way with Jesus!  I may believe that He is my Savior, I may even have faith in Him that He can take the weight of my sins and give me rest.  But the only way I’ll know for sure is I must surrender my life to Him!

 You must sit on, this is what believing or trusting in Jesus means.  Knowing about the chair won’t help you, Sitting on it does.   When you place yourself on Jesus you truly believe in him and then won’t have to worry about judgment day.

People can escape the horrifying judgment of God if they just believe in Jesus.
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Rom.8:1
Judgment or condemnation is not for those who are in Christ.

Our decisions, the choice we make have consequences, some can be very painful.  What you choose to do with Jesus will be the determining factor whether you are saved or condemned.
Judgment is already here, God has given us the verdict, God has made his decision and he won’t change it. Now it’s up to us to choose.  Choose wisely!