Final Exam
Final Exam
We must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless. (2 Cor. 5:10)
The Certainty
A day of judgment is coming upon all believers, when we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. In the ancient world the term judgment seat referred to a raised platform on which a judge rendered a verdict or a governor distributed awards to the victors at athletic contests. As a Christian—no less than for an unbeliever but in a different way—Christ is your Judge, and you will appear before Him to give an account of your life.
He doesn’t want the efforts of your lifetime to go up in smoke. He wants to render His verdict, giving you eternal rewards. The judgment seat of Christ will be a time of commendation and celebration for believers, not condemnation. God will reward you for acts of love that perhaps no one else even noticed. Your rewards truly do go before you.
The Basis
The five-hundred-year-old play Everyman depicts all people. As Everyman faces Death, he looks among his friends for a companion. Only one friend would accompany him on the journey through death to final judgment. His name? Good Deeds. And so it is with us. Christ will judge us according to our deeds. The word works is not a dirty word. God condemns works done to earn salvation or to impress others, but He enthusiastically commends works done for the right reasons. After all, any good works we do are done through Him! (see John 15:5).
Bottom Line
If you understood that your works will have an irreversible effect on eternity, wouldn’t you live differently in this world now?