This is the second post in a series on the Investigative Judgment, for the previous entry please click HERE.
A key piece of the puzzle on the Investigative Judgment is that Ellen White teaches it is the Judgment for believers only.
“…So in the great day of final atonement and investigative judgment, the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God. The judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, at a later period” The Great Controversy, 1950 edition, page 480
In order to back this up I have seen many SDA online will assemble unclear verses speaking about Judgment day and attempt to argue how it fits into their motif. The problem with this is that there are many clear verses in scripture which teach that believers do not enter into Judgment at all. The Bible teaches that we pass from death to life in this present age.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24 ESV
Source: Biblehub.com
The SDA that I present this verse to will generally tell me that I am reading it in the wrong version. They argue that the King James uses the word “condemnation” instead of “Judgment”. The problem with their argument is that at the time the King James was translated “condemnation” meant the same thing as “Judgment”. If you want to double check my claim feel free to look up the word in a KJV Dictionary, or simply click HERE.
More relevant to this issue is that when Jesus speaks of the Judgment he uses the same Greek word “krisin”. See below:
Source: Google Translate
“The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Luke 11:32 ESV
Source: Biblehub.com
“Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.” Matt 10:15 ESV
Source: Biblehub.com
“But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.” Matt 11:22 ESV
Source: Biblehub.com
The Bible doesn’t teach that believers undergo the judgment at all, this fact alone refutes the entire premise of the Investigative Judgment.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1 ESV
In this next verse look closely at the tense of the verb
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Rom 5:1-2 ESV
This is not something we have to wait for or a test we have to pass in the future, we have currently in this present age put on Christ Jesus and stand blameless before God.
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal 3:27 ESV
Both of these verses above speak of something that has already been done. This is the anti-type fulfillment of what Ezekiel prophecied in chapter 37.
“Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Eze 37:4-6 ESV
This is what happens to us today when we hear the word of God preached. Our Lord and Savior has promised to create faith within us. Just as Ezekiel prophecied of speaking the word of God to dry bones to bring them to life, today when the pastor preaches the Word of God Faith is created in the heart of the spiritually dead.
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Rom 10:14-17 ESV
This faith is created in us as a gift as Paul teaches in Ephesians.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” Eph 2:8 ESV
So to believe in the Investigative Judgment you would have to overturn all the clear soteriological texts of scripture. You would have to believe that you are not justified until the conclusion of the Investigative Judgment process. The Bible teaches that our salvation is now:
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 ESV
The gospel has never been a future date of forgiveness. We are currently forgiven of our sins right now. Notice John even uses the present tense in the first century for his flock. Just as they could know they were saved then, we can know we are saved now. Conversely, according to the Investigative Judgment sins of all believers are blotted out after every name of every believer has been reviewed, which would be in a future date after 1844.
“The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated.” Great Controversy 1888 Page 485, Ellen White
In contradiction to Ellen White, the scripture I posted above teaches that we are saved here and now in this very present time in the preaching of the word by the death burial and resurrection of Christ. You cannot have it both ways.
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 ESV
Repent and be baptized now, the promise is for now not for a future date. God bless, please feel free to drop any comments down below.
Armchair Theologian 
There are two judgments. The one going on now and the White Throne Judgment later.
LikeLike
I don’t see that taught in scripture. Unless of course you mean the separation upon death. One group to heaven and one to hell. In either case though believers pass through the judgment.
LikeLike
Judgment must first begin at the house of God.
And then there is judgment for the wicked.
You have a misunderstanding of the texts.
Secondly In the time of the apostles Christ was ministering in the holy place only. The day of atonement had not come. People are saved according to the truth they receive and act on accordingly.
Many have died believing in God in a time when many biblical truths were lost during the dark ages. If they were sincere and living up to the light they had they will be saved. But though we can have assurance in The presence of our salvation ad long as we abide in Christ, he still has to physically examine your case to reveal to all the heavenly host why you were saved. Just as the righteous will judge the wicked after the second coming, so that they can know why they were lost.
There seems to be confusion in what you say sdas believe and what you think the bible says in relation.
LikeLike
No Jesus is clear that we pass through the judgment. I see you post no scripture and rely on conclusions drawn from an arminian decision theological framework.
I guess in your view Jesus wasn’t the only sinless person. Those who had less light had no sin too? That’s semi pelagian at best. At least Roman Catholics only believe there were two sinless people. With respect, your view would mean millions of sinless people.
LikeLike
You have judged me falsely. Jesus is the only sinless person and in these last days he will have a people that he has cleansed entirely from sin and they will live without sin just prior to his coming, not out of legalism but out of a pure mind of love. Righteousness becomes a part of them.
The high priest could only enter the most holy place on the day of atonement. Hebrews 9:7 -“But into the second went the high priest alone once every year…”
Now do you reject the fact that the sanctuary and it’s services pointed to Christ and the work he would perform in the plan of salvation?
LikeLike
You misunderstood me. I pointed out an obvious flaw in your Armenian framework. It’s not your fault I blame Wesley and Armenian theology.
Basically if your saying people are judged by the light they receive your saying that on some level God is okay with sin. And that ignorance is a cleansing sacrament of sorts. Your falling in part into the pelagian heresy. I recommend looking it up and adopting a monergistic approach.
I recommend you read my post called the day of atonement. I show how Christ is our high priest Biblically. The whole day of atonement pointed to Christ. He is the priest offering the sacrifice of himself, he is the sacrifice, he is the scapegoat taking our sins far from us. He is the whole thing.
I walk through Lev 16 and compare to Daniel 8, and Heb 9 and other parts of the Bible that SDA don’t seem to know about.
Even if you disagree I think you will like it.
http://armchairtheologian.info/2015/10/28/the-day-of-atonement/
LikeLike
Oh, once again, thanks for reading and commenting. I do appreciate your remarks even though we are far apart on this.
LikeLike
Am really impress by your teachings
what people have to understand is that christianity is not a religion but divinity in humanity.
Religiouse people believe in thier own ability to pleases God which is wrong. Read Romans 10:3 Galatians 5:4.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes arm chair we are saved here and now,if we consider what Jesus told the hanging thieve on the day of crucifixion that i tell you the truth ,TODAY,you will be with me in paradise.
Am no theologian but i see here that the dying thieve who showed faith in Jesus was given direct pass to paradise no judgement mentioned here because Jesus is able to that.He didn’t say that after judgement you will be with in paradise(Luke 23;43) .
Jesus saves and i now agree there is no judgement for those who r in Christ Jesus.
LikeLike
I know how you feel, it’s a real comfort and blessing to discover the Gospel in scripture. Don’t let anyone take that seed from you friend.
LikeLike
If my ‘name comes up’ in the IJ, and Im ‘judged’ as Not Guilty, what then? Evidently I am perfect, because I could not remain a sinner and yet be ‘judged’ as Not Guilty. Soon, very soon, the IJ in the sanctuary will pass from judgment of the dead – to judgment of living believers. ( Believers only are ‘judged’, if I read correctly.) .Do I remain Not Guilty, or can I sin after my ‘name comes up’? To be truly guiltless, a person must be Infinitely Perfect, “..as He is, so are we in this world” Must we wait for the IJ to declare us so?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah there’s a number of logical and Biblical problems with the IJ heresy.
LikeLike
Even unberlievers have COVERING OF THE atonement of Jesus christ for their sin indeed of unberlief. They are thus judged by christs word on the last day and not for sins which is trangression of law , the law died with christ. GOD PROMISED ABRAHAM ALL THE NATIONS AND ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE ( emphatic) BLSSED THROUGH ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED ( Jesus Christs who’s word is the judge of unberlievers on the last day) AND WOMAN WHO HAVE BEEN DECIEVED LIKE EVE , THEIR MINDS BLINDED BY SATAN , SHALL BE ( emphatic) SAVED BY CHILDBIRTH – doing good to the least of the brethren of Christ – LITTLE CHILDREN / BABIES.
LikeLike