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Countdown to Judgment
Part 2: The Judge and His Judgment
Summary:
If you have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you are forever sealed as a child of God.
Salvationand entrance into heavenis irrevocable. Does that mean you now have a license to live your life any way you please? Absolutely not. The Bible teaches that every believer will have to stand before the Lord and give an account of his or her works. If our deeds were worthy, we will be rewarded. If they were worthless, we will experience regret and sorrow for the years we wasted. Will you be ready to stand before the King of Kings on the day of judgment?

Key Passage:

John 5:22-24

Supporting Scripture: Matthew 25:23; 28:18; John 2:24-25; 5:23-24; 8:10, 11; Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 4:15; 6:10; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 22:5

Scriptural Principles:
1 Who is the Judge?
It may surprise you to learn that Jesus Christ will judge the world. John 5:23 says, The Father . . . has given all judgment to the Son. (See also Matthew 28:18.) During our earthly lives, we relate to Jesus primarily as our Shepherd, Lord, and Savior. But at the end of time, His role will change. As judge, He will examine, purify, and reward Christians. All believers will stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ to be evaluated based on what we have done (2 Cor. 5:10). I believe this means that God will reward us for our good deeds and ask us to account for those that were worthless. The judgment seat of Christ must be distinguished from the great white throne, where all humanity will be judged based on whether or not they accepted Gods gift of salvation.

2 The Character of the Judge

Jesus will be a just and righteous judge. When people criticize you and me, they often wrongly accuse or condemn us, in part because they cant know our motives, our hearts, or the complete situation. But our Lord knows all things and is entirely fair (John 2:24-25). I believe He will judge us on the basis of three things: (1) How much truth have we heard and understood? (2) What gifts, talents, and skills did we have? (3) What did we do with the opportunities God gave us? Christ will also be an impartial and perfect judge (1 Peter 1:17). Jesus can have compassion for our human weaknesses because He walked the earth as a man. Although He was sinless, the Lord experienced human emotions and temptation (Heb. 4:15). His justice is so flawless that we will agree with His assessment of our life and character.
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3 Misconceptions about the Judgment

The judgment seat of Christ is not a time for public shame or discipline. There is no condemnation for believers (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1). Also, this judgment involves only the individual and God. We wont observe the evaluation of other people and wonder why they were rewarded more than we were. Neither will we listen to the sins of others and feel shocked at their disobedience. Many people think they simply will explain to God why they didnt choose to please Him. But we wont have an opportunity to make excuses or even the desire to defend our sinful choices.

4 The Purposes of the Judgment Seat of Christ

To reveal to us the true nature of our heart and life First Corinthians 4:5 says, Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of mens hearts. Then each mans praise will come to him from God (emphasis added). The Lord will honor those who faithfully served Him. Condemnation is reserved for those never accepted His gift of salvation. To cleanse us of any unconfessed sin Suppose you were to die with anger, bitterness, or guilt in your heart. Would you want to meet God like that? No. Heaven is a place of holiness, righteousness, purity, and truth. At this judgment, Christ will reveal to us our sins and cleanse us from the ones we have harbored. When we understand how much we needed the Fathers grace, we will love Him even more. To evaluate the quality of our service to God while on earth The Lord is more concerned about the quality of good deeds we have accomplished than the quantity. Employees who accomplish little or nothing at work will have to give an account of themselves to the Lord. Mothers and fathers who neglect to give their children enough love, attention, and spiritual guidance can not expect eternal rewards for their parenting. This aspect of the judgment may cause us to feel sorrow about our wasted talents and opportunities. To reward us for our good works Hebrews 6:10 says, For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. I firmly believe that God will not forget any good deed that you or I have done. This promise is not just for pastors or missionaries. Some of the people who will be rewarded in heaven might never have received any earthly recognition: faithful prayer warriors, godly mothers and fathers, as well as devout Christian businessmen and women. They will be honored for the time they invested in the lives of others and the work they performed as unto the Lord. To determine our place of service in His kingdom Many people have the idea that we will spend eternity worshipping the Lord in song. While that is certainly one aspect of our heavenly existence, the Bible tells us that we will also serve God and reign with Him (Rev. 22:5). How will our heavenly responsibilities be determined? By how we spent our time on earth (Matt. 25:23). This life is a school through which we learn how to bless our family, our friends, and our community. Thats one reason why we should actively serve the Lord and generously use our time and energy for His purposes.

Conclusion:

Have worldly concerns and pressures distracted you from eternal priorities? Have they stolen your passion for doing the Fathers will? God desires to renew your perspective and restore your wholehearted devotion to Him. Humble yourself before the Lord and submit to pursuing His goals rather than your own. Even if you feel that you have wasted your life to this point, determine to serve the Lord faithfully with

your remaining days. If you have never accepted Jesus gift of salvation, you must start by giving your life to Him. At the judgment seat of Christ, our works will be evaluated with absolute fairness. Begin living for the Lord today. I am confident that the righteous Judge will reward your obedience more generously than you can imagine.

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LIFE PRINCIPLES NOTES | LP080525