Christ's Judgment Seat

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:10

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney I mentioned how the dead will be raised to appear at the Great White Throne judgment to be judged according to their works.  Those who names are written in the Book of Life will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  Knowledge Christians will be judged by Christ provokes us to consider what this will involve.  The fact Paul wrote this to believers leads me to believe this is a subject people do not know much about, and frankly there isn't a great amount of detail provided.  At times people have been keen to offer their opinions on what this judgment entails, yet the little God has plainly said is infinitely superior to man's ideas.

When we speak of final judgment and the eternal state, there is much we do not and cannot know.  Based on what the Bible teaches us and has revealed to us, there are some suggestions we can soundly reject.  The most common is at the judgment seat of Christ we will be confronted with all our sins, that God will pick our lives apart (publicly, of course!) by rehearsing our transgressions.  Nothing could be further from the truth, for Jesus has already atoned for all our sins, cleansed us entirely and imputed Christ's righteousness to us.  The judgment seat of Christ is not for the dead (spiritually) but those who have been born again and granted eternal life by faith in Jesus.  It is a judgment where we receive rewards or possibly suffer loss.  2 John 1:8 says to believers, "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."  No rewards God gives could ever be earned by our merits:  they are only received by God's grace.

Having received Jesus Christ as Saviour, each believer is called to wisely build on this foundation--hearing and obeying the words of Jesus.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15:  "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."  People who build a house in an area prone to fire will select materials suitable to resist and endure fire.  In a similar manner, all who realise our lives will be judged by Christ's fiery gaze ought to live in the way we know pleases Him.  Jesus freely supplies enduring building materials the Holy Spirit produces in our lives.  Proverbs 14:1 says, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands."  The wise build on a solid foundation, and the foolish rely on themselves or things of this world that cannot endure.

In a parable Jesus told, a master gave talents to his servants according to their ability, left on a long journey, and then settled accounts with each of them upon his return.  Consideration of this raises a question in the light of the judgment Christians will face:  have we wisely invested the life, resources and gifts God has given us for His sake?  Have we laboured to be fruitful with God's things or have we sought to serve ourselves?  Jesus said in Matthew 25:20-21:  "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' ²¹ His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"  The master in the parable commended his faithful servant upon his return, and Jesus will commend all His servants who serve Him faithfully.  The servant viewed all the talents as being his master's, and we serve Christ faithfully when we acknowledge our lives are God's and we are not our own because we have been bought with a price--the precious blood of Jesus.

We can have all confidence in view of standing before the judgment seat of Christ because of all Jesus has accomplished for us through the Gospel.  Having been born again and forgiven by Jesus, we know we are accepted in the beloved and are citizens in the kingdom of God.  If our confidence is ever in our ability to be faithful or to impress God with our efforts, this is confidence horribly misplaced.  All confidence must always be completely in God, knowing when we are found faithful it is His doing for He has given us His Holy Spirit to help, guide and comfort us.  To God's people who will stand before Him and be judged, Jesus commanded humble, faithful obedience in Luke 17:10:  "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"  Any good that arises from our efforts is all God's doing, and we ought to do good because our Saviour has commanded us and provided an example.  Those who fear and trust God ought not to fear future judgment, for God's perfect love casts out all fear.