How can I be ready for the judgment seat of Christ?
Part two.
Hi, welcome to today's little lesson.
And once again, thank you for joining me.
We're looking at a sobering topic, the future judgments, that is when people stand before
God and specifically those ones before which Christians will stand.
And we're now into the second of those judgments that scripture makes so clear, and that's
the judgment seat of Christ.
Some who teach on this are often quick to put out that in the Greek, it's the bema seat,
and quick to point out that that was a term derived from the ancient Greek Olympics.
When all the runners in a race came up to the stands as you see them in the modern day
Olympics.
And they have a first, second and third prize, and they're quick to point out that this is
only a judgment that passes out rewards.
And I fundamentally agree with that, but I think that sometimes that teaching is this
misleading because we just read in our last lesson on this topic from 2 Corinthians 5:9,
where Paul says, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each
one may be recompensed for his deeds done in his body, according to what he has done."
Paul says.
And then he has these words, "Good or bad."
And so, the bad things, and again, the word in the Greek, can be translated evil or wickedness.
Foul loss is the Greek word there, bad, foul loss.
I think we got our modern day word foul from that English word.
So, God's not just going to be patting us on the back.
It's not going to be, "Oh, well done good and faithful servant."
If there's issues unresolved, because we didn't confess them, didn't get them straightened
out before we stood there.
They're going to be brought up.
Okay?
Okay.
So, this is sobering and a lot of it deserves our meditation.
Now, then the theme that keeps recurring when you study the future judgments is the theme
of God repays everyone according to their deeds.
And, Jesus himself said in Matthew chapter 16 and verse number 27, I'm reading it now
from the new American standard, "For the son of man is going to come in the glory of his
father and his angels, and will then repay every man," and woman, of course, "according
to his deeds."
And so what people thought they may have gotten away with all their lives.
No.
No, you don't get away with anything.
And, this is the wonderful message of the gospel.
The only way to escape what you deserve is to repent of your sins and believe in Jesus
and be forgiven.
And then, because Jesus took upon him our sin and he was the propitiation, the one who
took the wrath of God for our sakes.
That's the only way to in this sense of escape what we deserve, but no Christian that I have
ever met, is perfect.
And, we're all on a spiritual journey, as the Holy spirit is working within us.
And, as we devote ourselves to, to try to obey God and do what his word says and so
forth.
But I haven't met anyone yet that I felt, including myself, I know myself pretty well,
who's really reached it yet.
So, we're working out our salvation with fear and trembling as the Apostle Paul wrote.
So, it's not just going to be pats on the back.
It's going to be, "David, I told you to et cetera, et cetera.
Why didn't you?"
That type of thing.
And in the end, it doesn't mean you don't make heaven.
Okay?
And we'll talk about that more.
So, in a future soon, a future little lesson.
Now here's a great passage from the second chapter of Romans.
Paul's great Magnum Opus, of his gospel.
And it's full of logic.
It's addressed to all the Jewish objections that he was running into back in his day and
so forth.
And this is so beautiful because he says, "Therefore, you are without excuse, every
one of you who passes judgment for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself.
For you, who judge practice the same thing."
Let me just sum it up.
When you point to someone and say, "Oh, look at that terrible adulterer."
You're confessing that you know it's wrong, because you're condemning them for it.
And, you yourself have committed adultery on some level.
Okay?
Even if it's just lust, Jesus said you've already committed adultery in your heart.
Okay?
So, you're without excuse.
When you condemn other people, you testify before the court of heaven, "I know, right
from wrong."
So Paul goes on, "We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice
such things.
But do you suppose this, Oh man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things,
and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?"
Well, that would be quite illogical to think so.
Or, "Do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience."
That is, God has had mercy on you.
He hasn't made you a french fry, because he's giving you time to repent, not knowing that
the kindness of God leads you to repentance.
All right?
Great verse.
Now, listen to this because this fits our theme of how to get ready, be prepared for
the judgment seat of Christ.
"But, because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart," see you got to repent to be a Christian.
You have to repent, "but because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up
wrath for yourself, in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
who will..."
And now this is all in caps in my Bible indicating he's quoting from the old Testament.
"Who will render to each person, according to his deeds."
This is like the cardinal, bedrock, foundational truth of the future judgment.
God is going to repay everyone according to their deeds.
Now, listen to the two categories of people then that Paul breaks this down to.
So, you can understand, no judge your own self.
What kind of deeds do I have?
And, what can I expect to be recompensed for?
"To those who by perseverance," that is people who are tempted to quit, but keep on going.
"To those who by perseverance in doing good."
So they keep doing what's good, and they persevere in it.
"And who seek for glory," nothing wrong with seeking for glory for yourself, from God.
Glory from God, not glory from man.
"Seek for glory and honor."
So, there's nothing wrong with seeking, hoping, wishing, longing, striving to receive glory
and honor from God.
And when God says to people, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
That's receiving honor from God.
Isn't it?
And being rewarded, that's receiving honor for God.
But, listen, "To those who by perseverance and doing good seek for," the three things,
"glory, honor, and immortality.
I want to live forever.
What do they get?
He said, "Eternal life."
Now, notice he never said anything about believing in Jesus, grace, faith.
No, it's all about works because you're going to be repaid according to your deeds.
Now, where does faith and grace and the gospel fit in all this?
It's only those people who have believed the gospel, who have repented of their sins and
who are doing good.
Nobody else is really doing good.
Even the good that unbelievers do oftentimes is, if not all the time motivated from some
selfish motive.
They want people to see them, how good they are.
It's a virtue signaling, "Look how moral I am."
But they hate God.
How can you hate God and be a good person?
You're a pervert.
You're a rebel without a cause.
You need to repent.
So, that's what people who persevere in doing good, and that's only the Christians really.
The true Christians, not the phony Christians.
Those who in perseverance in doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, they
get eternal life.
Those are the saved people.
But, "To those who are selfishly ambitious," and that's the cardinal characterization of
the unbeliever.
They're selfish.
It's me.
It's all about me.
"Selfishly ambitious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness," what will
they receive?
They'll receive wrath and indignation.
So in case you didn't understand that Paul summarizes it in the next verse, and this
is the one we've got to close on for this little lesson.
"There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil of the Jew
first and also of the Greek."
And it doesn't make any difference if they go to church.
Doesn't make a difference.
There'll be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil.
So, you're either characterized by doing good or doing evil.
It's black and white, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good.
And then he says, "To the Jew first and also to the Greek," for there is no partiality
with God.
We are out of time.
We're way out of time on this little lesson, but I hope you're seeing the obvious truth,
that just saying I'm a Christian because I prayed this little prayer to accept Jesus
as my personal savior.
And, if there's been no transformation, there's really been no faith.
If there's no good works, a good life.
Characterized by obedience doing good.
You're not yet a Christian.
Okay?
Not yet a Christian, but you can become one.
It's very simple.
Repent, and you will no longer be storing up wrath, but you'll be storing up blessing
for yourself.
Okay?
If you've never been to heavensfamily.org, please check us out.
Every Christian should be involved on some level of caring for people who are less fortunate
than they are, especially those who are among the true believers.
And, that's what heaven's family is all about.
Until next time, may the Lord bless you richly.