First of all, let me try and put it this way.
When we are justified, we are justified with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
And I sometimes say what that means, if you can begin to take it in, is that when you
stand before God you are able to say, "I am as righteous before you as your Son Jesus
Christ."
Now that can sound very arrogant, but if you then say well how is that, the answer is because
the only righteousness with which I'm justified is Jesus Christ's righteousness.
So, there's an absoluteness about the perfection of that righteousness.
There is an absoluteness about its completeness and finality.
So, we are all equal justified.
The New Testament also teaches that God assesses us as we actually are.
And so, for example, Paul says in II Corinthians 5, "We must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ to receive what is due to us for what we have done in the body."
And a number of New Testament passages that indicate yes there will be an assessment of
our lives.
Paul, for example, looks forward to receiving the crown of righteousness.
So, he knows he is justified, but he's looking forward to receiving the crown of righteousness.
And I think one might say that every believer may look forward to the crown of righteousness,
but each crown may be differently shaped.
I personally have found the parable that Jesus tells very helpful in this respect.
So here are these servants and their master gives them a certain sum of money, and they
all do different things with them.
And when they come to give account to the master, there is a relationship between the
master's assessment of their lives and the service they rendered him.
But say you've been given five minas, and you made five more, then so what's the assessment.
Well, he says "Well how about me making you mayor of ten cities."
That's the language Jesus uses, putting people in charge of ten cities.
And the only relationship between the minas and the cities is the number.
That's I think a little indication you need to connect these two things.
But what really strikes me is that the result of the assessment is out of all proportion
to any service the individual renders.
And so, I imagine standing, ourselves standing before the judgment seat of Christ, so there's
you and myself, Nathan, and the Lord assesses our lives.
And then He, you know, puts you in charge of Adelaide and Sydney, and Melbourne, and
Canberra.
And you say, "Lord, what did I ever do?
I mean I know I did great things for Ligonier, but what did I ever do to deserve this?"
And I envision Him, theologically at least, saying, "Nathan, will you never understand
it is all entirely of my grace?"
So, I would say especially to a Christian who, you know we can be very nervous and fearful
about that final assessment, that we should always remember that just as our justification
is by grace, that assessment will also be by grace.
And if there's any moment of embarrassment, I envision, I think I might be inclined to
say, "Lord, if I'd really understood this, I would have wanted to serve you even better."
So, it's grace from beginning to end.
But like the question about why then do we pray, remember what Paul says, "I worked harder
than everyone else, but it was the grace of God working in me."
So we never escape His graciousness in the way in which we fulfill our responsibilities.