Let's take a fast review of the key verses that deal
with the Judgment Seat of Christ.
I Corinthians 3:10-15
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man
take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this
foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every
man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what
sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall
receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother?
or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord,
every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
II Corinthians 5:1-11
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house
which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that
we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed
up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who
also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always
confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent
from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say,
and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the
Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted
of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every
one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade
men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest
in your consciences.
Now, there are a number of other verses that have application towards this
particular Judgment that all Christians will go through. Rightly dividing
will bring forth even a large number of verses towards future enlightenment
regarding this Judgment; but for now, we will cover them at a later date.
Let us first take a look at the two Big Ones
that pertain to us and our friends.
Great White Throne Judgment
Judgment Seat of Christ
Note that BOTH the Great White Throne Judgment AND the
Judgment Seat of Christ
deal with the judgment of works.
We first look at Revelation
20:12 And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened,
which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books, according to their works.
I Corinthians 3:13
mentions the word work four different places:
Every man's work shall be
made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed
by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive
a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
So we see that both judgments deal with WORKS.
But obviously they must have totally different applications!
Now, as Bible Believers, we
KNOW that works
don't get us to heaven, so after a few years of hearing verses such as
Titus 3:5,6; Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 11:6;
Galatians 2:16, I believe that we tend to forget that "works" are
still important in our own judgment.
See I Corinthians 3:13 again if you still don't
believe me.
In fact, in many lives of Bible Believing Christians that I have seen over
the years, it appears that works are not important at all, other than what
makes them the happiest or easier to live, anyway. After all, we all
know about God's grace...! I am sorry to say, but I must also claim
"guilty as charged!" How about you?
We forget that according to
Romans 14:12,
we ALL will
give an account of himself to God!
(P.S. What we will be held accountable for will be in a sermon
coming soon in a pulpit near you - if you live in the Touchet area, that is!)
We also can't ignore
II Corinthians 5:9,10
where we see that we see the word
labour
and hear the phrases
the things done
in his body and
according to that
he hath done.
9,10
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present
or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Also taking note in
Ecclesiastes, the
last chapter (
12), the last two verses
(13,14), we see that Solomon's own conclusion is
as important to "us" as it is to a "lost person" -
Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Obviously, keeping his commandments does not refer to N.T. salvation,
but once saved, keeping God's commandments does not lose the importance when
it comes to pleasing God - and that is why it all shows up again at our judgment.
BOTH JUDGMENTS JUDGE WORKS!
The Difference is that Sin is Missing in the Judgment
Seat of Christ!
Without going into the detailed study at this time, we should all know by
now that it is because of sin that is attached to the works of a lost person,
that is why they have the judgment that they have.
See Romans 6:23; John 3:36; Romans 1:18;
etc.- and it is because a Christian has no sin imputed to him, that we have
the judgment that we have.
The righteousness of a lost person is as filthy rags.
The righteousness of a saved person is God's own righteousness
imputed to the one trusting!
God's righteousness gets us into the Judgment Seat
of Christ!
Lost people's righteousness keep them at the White Throne Judgment!
For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Romans 10:3
Christ was made to be sin for us.
II Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. He paid the price for us to be made the righteousness of God in him.
After which, sin is not imputed - Romans 8:4,24,25
We are spiritually circumcised so that sin is no longer
a problem regarding salvation - Colossians 2:11-16
Sin is destroyed for the children of God - Romans
6:6,7,11,14,17-18,22 etc.
We then should have peace and total access to God's grace!
Romans 5:1,2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We are saved from God's wrath!
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through him.
We are reconciled unto God
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved
by his life.
We have received the atonement!
Romans 5:11
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement.
WE are made righteous by Christ!
Romans 5:19
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 6:18 Being
then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 10:10 For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation.
I Corinthians 1:30:
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
II Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him.
So, in regard to SIN - it is not our problem!
And yet, because we hear nothing but the word
righteousness
through our years of being a child of God, we tend to figure that by God's
grace & longsuffering, we are always in his good graces regardless of
our walk! After all,
I John 3:5,6
does say
And ye know that he was manifested
to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. And
we certainly can not ignore the joy of
I John 5:18-20
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth
not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one
toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth
in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us
an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that
is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Of course, we really should not fear our Judgment
Seat - sin will not be a problem there!
However, WRONG WORKS will!
(to be continued)
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