Glossary
Judgement
God's judgement is based upon his total holiness and justice. The root meaning of the word has to do with separation. God's holiness cannot tolerate mixture and impurity. His justice demands that that which is right and just be distinguished from that which is evil and unjust. God's judgement - in terms of the separation of the righteous from the wicked, the true from the false, the clean from the unclean - is something to be rejoiced in and celebrated; it often goes together with deliverance or salvation. Sometimes the word is used to refer to the punishment or condemnation that comes on the wicked after judgement. In this sense the judgement against us has already been taken by Christ so that, as Christians, we are no longer under condemnation. There will be a final judgement from which all those who do not avail themselves of God's free gift in Christ will be eternally condemned. In this world, Christians must continually try to exercise discernment and make sound judgements from an eternal or spiritual perspective.