” We must all Appear Before The Judgment Seat Of CHRIST.”-{2 Cor 5:10}.
Paul speaks of “The Judgement Seat” which is for believers only, not to determine our Eternal Destination, for that has already been decided but for Evaluation for the deeds we have done in the body and our motivations….and …rewards where we have done for His sake.
Some believe it has to be some “Great thing” done for the LORD in order to receive a “reward,”, and since it seems most of our lives are lived in the “mundane” of daily living, we tend to get it wrong, when it is about living life, loving Him and loving others, by denying ourselves and preferring them – {Read Phil 2;3-5}.
And one way is not some “Great exploit,” and someone may have told you as a young believer, “God has a Great plan for your life, and is going to Greatly use you,” And perhaps you were waiting for some Magnificent “ministry” to come your way, and you could see yourself opening “Red, Sea’s,” calling down fire from Heaven, like Elijah-{Read 2 Kings 1:10} and instead you wake up one morning to screaming kids, changing diapers, trying to have the kids stop fighting as you head them off to school, or you get up to go to work again and again, and you don’t like your job, you dread it, and as the years go by you slip into a bit of hopelessness, disappointment, and a false belief, that your life doesn’t count… because you have been waiting for this “Great” and big event from God in using you “greatly!”…and it never seemed to come, and at times you still look and mistake life looking for a “great event” where God uses you “greatly,”in some visible and adrenaline rushing, joy exploding way, rather than living…for Him!
It seems the thing you were told, about God going to GREATLY use you,” has not shown up…. “But God…” He says the “Greatest among you is the servant,” and some of you have been Greatly used by Him to serve others, You have served out of your poverty, you have served out of your brokenness, you have served to comfort those who are crushed, you have labored in years in prayer for His glory in a situation or individual, and your motive was His Name and Fame be made known. You have had a great ministry, just maybe not what you thought, …you just have failed to recognize His working and directing your life, because you have perhaps focused on the “Great thing God is going to do in your life” and you had something else in mind and failed to recognize true Greatness from His perspective!
Consider how simple, yet profound His ministry is expressed… through a simple act of love, concerned for another…
” And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”-{Matthew 10:42}.
Look how simple it can be, “giving a cup of cold water…” and note the motive,”In My Name” doing it for Him. You can change a diaper for His sake and it will be rewarded, you can wash dishes, clothes, and if it is done in His Name for Him, it is rewarded. You can do your school work for Him, You can go to that job and do your work as unto the Lord, and be rewarded! For the rewards are a result of being faithful to opportunities and doing – for His sake… and You Have!
So the “Mundane” takes on a new Opportunity to express love for Him and know your motives and what you do for Him, is of eternal consequence!
A lot of people do “good things” but if the motive is not for Him, His glory from a heart of love for Him, then it is “hay, wood and stubble” and will be burned up as worthless, useless! 2 Cor 5;10 says that each one “may be recompensed {receive} for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether GOOD or BAD.”
“Recompensed translates a form of the verb “komizo,” and means “to receive back what is due”—such as punishment for a criminal, or reward for one to be honored..
“Good or bad”.… The words are NOT speaking about moral issues. The word “Bad” is NOT speaking about morally, for our sin was dealt with at the cross. There are two words he would have used if he was speaking about moral evil, which he does not . Those words are, “kakos” and “paneros,” but he uses a different word, “Phaulos” which is speaking of those things that are morally neutral things, such as you going for a walk, golfing, tennis, sports, watching tv, or a drive in the countryside, or furthering your education, taking time out to paint, reading, boating, sightseeing, etc, things, activities that are morally neutral, the issue is, did you do them for the Glory of God, was that your motive? If it was, then it is “good,” which means “excellent, useful,honorable, agreeable”and be rewarded, if not then it is “bad,” “useless, worthless, of no account!”
It is “Good,” if what you have chosen was out of love for Him and His glory, honor! The word “BAD,” means “worthless, useless, of no account.” So, if we pursued things out of selfishness they are, “useless, worthless, of no account!” They are of no eternal value, nothing that will stand the scrutiny of the LORD Jesus!
EVALUATE YOUR OWN MOTIVATIONS AND PURSUITS… How will they stand up before Him at the Judgment seat?
So how do we seek not to stand before Him and have our works judged by Him as “worthless, useless, of no account?”
- ASK HIM TO HELP You have AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE – by setting your MIND on things above where Christ is Seated.. This will mean dwelling your thinking in His Word which He uses to transform our thinking, and will result in seeing, evaluating life through a Heavenly perspective while living here on earth. -{Read Col 3:1-3; Rom 12:2}
- CULTIVATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP with Him in His Word _Read Luke 24:27, 47; Psalm 1;2}
- NEW MOTIVATION;“WHATEVER YOU DO…DO ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.”-{1 Cor 10:31}. Let this be your “go to” consideration when thinking about or doing something, does it glorify Him? Will it pass the test at the Judgement seat of Christ?
- IT’S ABOUT FAITHFULNESS TO OPPORTUNITY... THAT INVOLVES EVERYTHING YOU DO IN YOUR DAY, is an opportunity to love Him!
- BE ENCOURAGED- THE LORD LOVES YOU🙂
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Paul put it this way, “…ourselves your servants, FOR {the explanation } JESUS SAKE!”-{2 Cor 4:5}. If we have not lived in light of using our body, our life for Him , what can we do? Confess our sin, turn to Him and begin afresh, depending upon His Spirit to empower you-{Read Phil 2:13}, to make one choice at a time, motivated for His glory and keep on walking by faith, and in dependence upon Him!
Your Life does not have to be lived as “mundane…“ if you view, adopt the attitude of Living for Him in them, and that it affords you constant opportunities to express love to Him, glorify Him and receive from Him a reward when you see Him, by using the body you have to do good for His sake, where you are today!
Paul was motivated by his appearing before the Judgment seat of Christ, which is inevitable for all His followers, may it motivate you and me too this day!-
“…Don’t forget He loves you and may His Love motivate you,”… the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.!“-{Gal 2:20}-🙂