In Touch - Oct. 18, 2007

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Published Oct 17, 2007

In Touch Daily Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

October 18, 2007 – Judgment Day for Believers – 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Followers of Jesus need not fear judgment day; in fact, Christians can look forward to receiving rewards according to their deeds (2 Corinthians 5:10). But all people would be wise to understand what the Bible says about our approaching time of evaluation:

1. How will judgment differ for believers and non-believers? All mankind will come under Christ’s scrutiny. Everyone who has chosen not to have a personal relationship with Jesus will suffer terrible loss and eternal separation from God. But believers’ works will be rewarded.

2. On what basis will Jesus distribute His rewards? Jesus does not use the world’s standard, which values certain professions and abilities above others. Instead, He bases His decisions on the opportunities God gave us to serve Him, along with the abilities and gifts He provided. He doesn’t expect the same level of achievement or amount of work from everybody. He will assess how we responded when God opened a door of service for us, and He will reward our obedience.

3. What about the things we’ve done that were not in accordance with God’s will? Such works are regarded as worthless, so we will miss out on rewards we could have had (1 Corinthians 3: 15).

Jesus is righteous, so His judgments will be accurate and fair. Believers’ obedient deeds will result in eternal rewards. However, for those who don’t have a relationship with God, all deeds—good and bad—are viewed as actions of a rebellious people, and punishment will be ordered (Romans 6:23).

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