Giving Account: The Certainty of Final Judgment

The Certainty of Final Judgment: A Debt That Must Be Paid

In this devotional, Peter continues his comparison of the new life of the believer versus the sinful lifestyle of those living in disobedience to God’s will. To “give account” means to “pay back” in the original language. People of this world, living for themselves, walking in sinfulness, and speaking evil of believers are building a massive sin debt to God. Every sin committed, every word spoken, every thought entertained—all accumulate as debt owed to divine justice. The wicked may mock believers now, may slander their character, may live as though God doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. But the accounting is coming. They will spend all eternity paying off that debt if they don’t come to Christ for salvation.

This punishment is the necessary settling of accounts that must occur if God is truly righteous. Sin cannot be ignored or overlooked without compromising God’s holiness. Every violation of His law, every rebellion against His authority, every corruption of His good creation carries consequences. Those who reject the payment Christ made on their behalf must face those consequences themselves (Hebrews 10:26-27).

Peter’s use of the imagery of debt is meant for instruction and understanding. Debt doesn’t disappear through ignoring it. The longer it goes unpaid, the more it compounds. Every day the unrepentant continue in sin, every moment they reject God’s offer of forgiveness through Christ, the debt grows larger. What seems like freedom from divine constraint is actually accumulating obligation that will ultimately crush those who bear it.

The Believer’s Debt Has Been Paid

This is where the hope of the gospel truly shines brightest: The believers’ debt has been paid in full by Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the stunning contrast Peter implies. Unbelievers will give account and pay forever; believers have had their account settled completely. The debt we owed—infinite and unpayable—was transferred to Christ who paid it fully through His substitutionary death. When He declared “It is finished” from the cross, He meant the debt was paid, the account settled, justice satisfied (John 19:30).

This doesn’t mean believers face no judgment. Scripture clearly teaches that Christians will stand before Christ’s judgment seat to give account for how they lived (2 Corinthians 5:10). But this judgment determines rewards, not salvation. It evaluates faithfulness, not establishes righteousness. Believers’ sins have been judged already—in Christ, on the cross. We won’t answer for sins He’s already paid for. Instead, we’ll be evaluated for how we stewarded the grace we received.

The relief this brings can’t be overstated. We don’t live in fear of divine wrath because wrath was exhausted on our substitute. We don’t anxiously wonder if we’ve done enough because Christ’s “enough” is all that matters. We don’t carry the crushing weight of unpaid sin debt because our account reads “paid in full” by Christ’s blood.

The Gospel of Christ Protects from Final Judgment

The gospel of Christ not only gives us a rich life as we grow in righteousness, but it also protects us from the final judgment. This is why the gospel must be preached urgently to all. People perishing under a sin debt need to hear that payment is available, the account can be settled, and freedom from eternal consequences is offered freely through Christ. Every person headed toward judgment has opportunity now—while living—to transfer their debt to Christ and receive His righteousness in exchange (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Although men may persecute us on this earth and may even take our lives, we are triumphant in Christ. Persecution, suffering, even martyrdom cannot ultimately harm believers because our eternal destiny is secure. The worst this world can do to us is kill the body, but they cannot touch the soul that Christ keeps safe until His final coming when we will be given new bodies and will live forever in His presence (Matthew 10:28). This perspective transforms how believers face hostility, slander, and threats.

Judgment Ready for the Living and Dead

God is “ready to judge the living and the dead”—judgment isn’t distant or uncertain but imminent and guaranteed. Christ stands prepared to execute justice. Those alive when He returns and those already dead will all face this reckoning. No one escapes through death, no one avoids it through timing. The Judge is ready; the only question is whether individuals are ready to meet Him.

Believers are forgiven, loved, and invited to live in heavenly paradise forever. This isn’t earned through superior morality or religious performance but received through faith in Christ’s finished work. Those who trust Him find that all God’s promises—forgiveness, adoption, eternal life, resurrection, glorification—become theirs freely. The life to come for believers exceeds our highest imagination: sinless existence, unbroken fellowship with God, perfect relationships, complete satisfaction, endless joy (Revelation 21:3-4).

The Gospel Preached to the Dead

Peter’s phrase “the gospel was preached also to those who are dead” likely means that the gospel was preached to people who are now dead—they heard it while living, believed or rejected it, and now experience the consequences. The purpose clause explains: “that they might be judged according to men in the flesh”—they faced human judgment, persecution, even martyrdom for believing—”but live according to God in the spirit”—though killed physically, they live spiritually, their souls safe with God awaiting resurrection.

This interpretation fits Scripture’s consistent teaching that death seals one’s eternal destiny (Hebrews 9:27). The opportunity to respond to the gospel exists in this life only. Once we die, the chance to transfer our sin debt to Christ ends. We face judgment based on choices made while living, not opportunities offered after death.

This point encourages persecuted believers: even if unbelievers kill you for your faith, you win. They may judge you worthy of death according to human standards, but you live according to God’s standard—eternally, gloriously, victoriously. Your apparent defeat (martyrdom) is actual triumph (immediate presence with Christ). Their apparent victory (silencing your witness) is actual failure (confirming your faith and increasing their judgment).

Living with Judgment in View

How should the certainty of final judgment affect daily life? First, it should produce urgent evangelism. People around us are accumulating sin debt, heading toward eternal reckoning, unaware of or rejecting the provision God made for their rescue. Love compels us to warn them, plead with them, and share the gospel of Christ that offers escape from coming wrath (2 Corinthians 5:11).

Second, it should create godly fear in believers. Though our salvation is secure, we still give account for how we lived. Did we waste the grace we received? Did we invest our gifts for kingdom purposes? Did we love sacrificially, serve faithfully, endure courageously? This isn’t fear of condemnation but motivation for faithfulness—we want to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant,” not discover we built with worthless materials (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Third, it should provide comfort when facing persecution. Those slandering us now will give account later. Those mocking our faith will face the One they mocked. Those persecuting believers will answer to the Judge they opposed. We need not defend ourselves, retaliate, or seek revenge—God’s justice will settle all accounts perfectly (Romans 12:19).

Fourth, it should deepen our gratitude for Christ’s substitution. We deserved the judgment unbelievers will face. The debt they’ll pay eternally was ours to bear. Only Christ’s intervention saved us from the wrath we earned. This reality should produce profound thankfulness, humble worship, and joyful obedience.

Reflection Questions

1. How does understanding that unbelievers are “building a massive sin debt” change how you view their current behavior and your responsibility to share the gospel of Christ with them?
2. When facing slander or persecution from unbelievers, does knowing they will give account bring you comfort or create tension? How should believers balance trust in God’s justice with love for those heading toward judgment?
3. Peter says believers who were killed for faith are actually triumphant—”judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” Does this eternal perspective truly comfort you when facing hostility, or does present suffering still feel more real than future glory?
4. If you stood before Christ’s judgment seat today to give account for how you’ve lived since salvation, what would the evaluation reveal? Are you building with gold, silver, and precious stones, or with wood, hay, and stubble?

Prayer

Consider how the certainty of final judgment should produce urgent evangelism toward the lost, godly fear in believers, comfort when persecuted, and profound gratitude for Christ’s substitutionary payment of your sin debt.

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For continued study on Salvation, Christ’s triumph over death, and God’s final judgment:

• Salvation Guide & Devotional Series
  • How to be Saved
  • Salvation Series
• Christ’s Triumph over Death
  • Once-for-All Sacrifice
  • The Gift of Righteousness
  • Why Jesus had to be Born to Die
• God’s Final Judgement
  • God’s Faithfulness in Judgment
  • Day of the Lord