Who is judged at the Great White Throne? - by Mike Ratliff

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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This confused and disjointed presentation gets almost everything wrong. This is the inevitable result of preconceived notions determining one's doctrines. The author is a Calvinist, and his Calvinism is the lens through which he reads the Bible. 

We find the doctrines of Calvin to be extraordinarily distasteful and have written about them extensively.

The author does quote some Scripture, happily. But he also combines bits of Scripture from various places and creates a Frankenstein monster out of the combination.

We must regard this as Bad Bible Teaching.

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(...) Deleted unrelated introduction

11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. From his presence the earth and heaven fled and a place was not found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small having taken their stand before the throne. And books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged by the things written in the books according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and they were judged, each one according to their works. 14 And Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death, the Lake of Fire. 15 And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 translated from the NA28 Greek text to English)

....he will judge everyone as described in Revelation 20:11-15 whose names are not found written in the Book of Life. (This is the topic as presented by the title. But he telegraphs his conclusion that this judgment is only for the lost. Which of course begs the question as to why there would be a judgment for the ones who are already judged.)

Notice that if a person’s name is not there the criteria for their judgment is their works, how well they kept God’s law. (The author makes his first claim. We will soon discover that the author combines pieces of Scriptures in order to create cover for his doctrines. Such is the case here. There's no mention of the law in this passage. Rather, the books recorded the works they had done, not how well they kept the law. 

So where does the author get this idea about the keeping of the law? Perhaps here:

Ro. 2:12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

Paul was discussing an entirely different topic here, the Jews. We won't take the time to explain, but if the reader examines Romans chapter 2 we are confident that our assertion will bear this out.)

 

Notice that not one of them passed (The Revelation passage does not tell us that no one passed.)

and so the next test is to see if they are to be found in the Book of Life. If they are not there then they are cast into the Lake of Fire. What about authentic Christians? What about those whose names were written in that book before the foundation of the World (The author is referring to this verse:

Ephesians 1:4 For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence.

Calvinists think Ephesians chapter one teaches the predestination of all Christians, but it doesn't. Careful Bible students would want to know who Paul was referring to when he used the word "us." Paul explains:

Ep. 1:11-12 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

The first to hope in Christ is the "we." The "we" are predestined. This is not you and I, because we were not the first to hope in Christ.

So if the "we" are not contemporary Christians, then what about us? Paul tells us our status:

 Ep. 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

We were included when we were saved.)

and confirmed when we were justified by grace through faith (Ephesians 1:3-14; Ephesians 2:1-10)? (The author is combining verses again:

Ro. 3:24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Ep. 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

Perhaps the readers has noticed the author's presentation has a scholarly veneer to it, but is superficial and unnuanced.)

Our names are in that book and our works are not judged at all (This is false. 

1Co. 3:12-15 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 

We are not that far into his presentation, but it seems the author has yet to get anything right.)

because they were imputed to Christ on the cross (?? Where does the Bible tell us that our works were imputed to Christ? Well, it doesn't. Rather, our sins were washed away by Jesus' perfect sacrifice. All our unrighteousness was cleansed by the blood. 

What the author is hinting at is the Reformist doctrine of Penal Substitionary Atonement. This is the idea that the Father punished Jesus in our place because our sin was imputed to Him.

This is a false and disgusting doctrine. We discuss this in depth here.)

while His righteousness and perfect obedience was imputed to us at our justification. (Sigh. This is also false. There is no verse that tells us that His righteousness was imputed to us. None. Not one. The reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures for himself,

Rather, we are actually, literally made righteous by faith [Ro. 1:17, Ro. 4:13, Ro. 9:30] and also justified by faith [ Ro. 3:30, Ga. 2:16, Ga. 3:8]. We discuss this in detail here.) 

Therefore, we are not being judged at the Great White Throne judgment. This is for unbelievers. (This again is the the actual topic from the title, and this is all the author devotes to it, a summary statement with no discussion or documentation. 

His conclusion does not follow from what he has presented. And the Bible does not tell us this. 

We know from 1Co. 3:12-15 [quoted above] that our works will indeed be judged. And we see that works are being judged at the Great White Throne judgment. This suggests we will be at this judgment.)

Now do you see why it is so vital that we understand these doctrines? (?? Which doctrines? This is the first time the author has mentioned the word. And clearly he himself does not understand these things.

So far, he has only stated his beliefs, but he has not even discussed why they are vital to understand.)

Now do you see why we must stand up to these false teachers who are teaching heresy right from the pulpit, (The author opened his article by condemning false teachers, which we deleted, and now he has returned to this. Why are talking about false teachers? How does the author's explanation have anything to do with standing up to false teachers?

Please explain.)

even leading their people into mysticism and calling it prayer and those attempting to compromise everything by joining with Rome? What Rick Warren is doing is just another form of ecumenicalism that waters down and softens people’s resolve to stand firm that much more. (What is Rick Warren doing, and why is it relevant to the book of life?)

Each time this is allowed to go on with out standing against it, (What "it" are we standing against? Heresy? Mysticism? Rome? Rick Warren? Ecumenicism?

Please explain.)

people will become less and less polemic (Polemic: an aggressive attack on someone's ideas or principles. This is a rather unenlightening word, and perhaps improperly used.)

against what they should be firmly resisting in the power of the Holy Spirit. (So the church is not resisting firmly enough? How does he know this? Shouldn't we be sharing the Gospel and not be so concerned with the enemy's work or this world system? Why is this related to the Great White Throne Judgment?

Please explain.)

Judgment is coming. The Lake of Fire awaits all whose name is not found written in the Book of Life. (But the author as a Calvinist believes that God has already chosen the saved. Why then is there urgency regarding the Lake of Fire if everyone's ultimate destiny is already chosen?

Please explain.)

Why is so much effort, energy, and money being used to make these men famous and wealthy (Which men? Who is expending effort to make them rich? What does this have to do with the topic?

Please explain. Oh. He's done.)

instead of doing what we are called to do in Matthew 28:18-20? 

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “ All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB) (Oh, so now the author calls for evangelism, but before he was calling for polemics.)

Soli Deo Gloria!