Recently, I was asked whether true Christians will have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, at His return, to give account for the things done in this life, whether good or bad. The answer is clearly yes. Scriptures like 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10-12 make this point very obvious. Even though we are told, in 1 Peter 4:17, that the time for our judgment has already begun today, it will not be completed until after Christ’s return.
What will that moment be like–for you and me? Christ warns us that we have to give account for EVERY IDLE WORD that we may speak in this life (Matthew 12:36-37). We won’t be able to hide anything, when we stand before Christ (Hebrews 4:13). God will bring EVERY WORK into judgment, including every SECRET thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
I don’t want to explain here, how, exactly, we will give account to Christ, even though we will already be spirit beings at that time, if we have qualified for eternal life. Our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” addresses this aspect in much detail. What I want to emphasize today is, how we will FEEL when we stand in front of Christ, surrounded by His mighty angels and many of our brethren who will have “put on” immortality, just as we have (1 Corinthians 15:53). Will we confidently give account — or will it be with fear and trembling? Will we have boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17), because we have lived the way of love for God and man (verse 18)? Or will we be afraid of what we will hear from Christ — knowing that we did not do as well as we should have done?
When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, our fate is sealed. Then it will be too late to make amends. The time is NOW to do that. The time is NOW to REPENT and obtain God’s forgiveness–to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The time is NOW to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). The time is NOW to make certain that we will receive a FULL reward (2 John 8). Christ will soon come back to bring us our reward according to our work and labor, at the resurrection of the just (Revelation 22:12; 1 Corinthians 3:8; Luke 14:13-14). We decide today how great that reward will be, by the way we live. When we turn to God and change our way of living–that is, when we purify ourselves, just as He is pure (1 John 3:3); and when we live righteously, just as He is righteous (1 John 3:7); then we won’t need to be ashamed when the time of our accounting has arrived (1 John 2:28). Sins, repented of and forgiven by God, won’t be remembered by Him in the day of judgment (Jeremiah 31:34).
How are we doing today? If YOU were your own judge, what would YOU say? Are you happy with how you are doing? Or is there room for improvement? And if there is, NOW is the time to get busy.
