“HAVE you any fear as to your place in heaven when you think of appearing before the judgment seat?”
“None whatever,” replies the intelligent Christian. But let me give you my reasons.
4. The precious blood of Christ’s atonement has completely met all the holy claims of God. Christ has borne the judgment due to our sins, so that it can be said, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)). They shall never come into judgment, for God’s Word cannot be broken, and Christ’s work can never lose its value.
Moreover, “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)). This is written in order that all fear might be taken away from us. The perfect love of God casts it out now, and that love will know no change. We shall have “boldness in the day of judgment,” not fear.
But you say, “If the believer is made the righteousness of God in Christ, if he be God’s workmanship, why does it say in 2 Corinthians 5:10,10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10) ‘We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad’? Will not what he has done determine his future destiny?”
Our manifestation before the judgment seat is not to settle the question of our fitness for heaven, for we shall be in heaven before it takes place. But our works will be reviewed there, and if bad they will be burned; if good, we shall receive a reward in the then coming kingdom (1 Cor. 3:14, 1514If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:14‑15)).
“But,” you reply, “I cannot even now quite understand why it says in Romans 14:12,12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12) ‘Every one of us shall give account of himself to God’; and in 2 Corinthians 5, ‘We must all appear,’ or, as I understand the words to mean, be ‘manifested before the judgment seat of Christ.’”
Let me, then, by way of illustration, try to show you how an account may be rendered, and also all work done be manifested.
Suppose a man to be on the verge of bankruptcy. A friend hastens to his relief, and asks what sum will be needed to clear him of his embarrassments. The unfortunate man cannot tell, for he has been afraid to search and see the true state of his affairs. All he knows is that he is ruined and has nothing wherewith to pay.
His friend then tells him he will liquidate every claim. Not only so, he will lodge in the bank a certain sum of money for him to trade with. On leaving he says, “I shall return later, and let you know how much I have paid for you, and then you must give me an account of the way you have used the sum now placed to your credit.”
The man is relieved. He knows that all his debts, no matter what their amount, will be paid. But were you to call the next day and ask to what extent he is indebted to his friend, he would reply, “I cannot tell how far my friend’s kindness has gone, for I do not know what my liabilities were.”
Nor can any believer tell you the sum of his obligations which Christ met for him on the Cross. But he can say: ―
“All my sins, so great, so many,
In His blood are washed away,”
though the number of them he knows not.
After a while his friend returns and gives him a detailed account of the various amounts he has paid. Then for the first time he knows the extent of his indebtedness, and exclaims, “What a friend you have been to me I had no idea how greatly I was indebted to you until now. How can I ever thank you enough?”
The judgment seat will reveal how much each believer owes to Christ. So McCheyne sang: —
“When I stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o’er life’s finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
Not till then, how much I owe.”
And then we shall also know what God’s ways of grace with us have been, and how His love was occupied with us all our pilgrim days. All will be brought into the light. We shall see how He preserved us in times of peril, sent a sorrow to save us from dangers to which our course was tending; and how needful every bit of discipline was! Many things that are now unexplained will then be understood. What an unfolding it will be! In His light we shall see light. And in result we shall the more adore and render fuller praise to that blessed Saviour who loved us so greatly and cared for us so tenderly and patiently through all our earthly days.
Nor is it only to make us acquainted with the fullness of Christ’s work, the greatness of His redeeming love, and all the Father’s care and goodness in our earthly journey that we shall be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ. Every action will then be weighed and the motive which prompted it.
To revert to our illustration. The friend who relieved the debtor of his anxieties left him money wherewith to trade in his absence. After giving him proof of the way he had cleared him, he minutely goes through each subsequent transaction. Sometimes he finds a thing to blame and sometimes to praise. For that in which the debtor had done ill he suffers loss and receives no reward. But this does not alter his friend’s kindness in paying his debts and providing money wherewith to trade. It is his “works” which are now in question, and rewards for faithful service.
The Christian’s works are to be weighed in the balances. He is a responsible steward, and must render an account of the way he has traded with his Master’s goods. He is saved to serve; he knows very well that he is saved apart from works, for it is “to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly,” that righteousness is imputed (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)). But having been saved, he labors to be acceptable to his Master. Labor shall have its reward. Nothing done to Him will be forgotten. Every cup of cold water given in His Name will be remembered, and every act appraised at its true value. Christ will confess his name to His Father, and say to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Let us ever remember we are both sons and servants. Saved by pure sovereign grace, we are responsible to the One who has saved us. His word is to instruct us in every difficulty, and His Spirit to strengthen us to do His will. In all things we are called to set aside our own will, and in every good work to do what is pleasing in God’s sight.
The judgment seat will precede the glorious manifestation of Christ in His kingdom, and will determine the various rewards of that day. Some will wear crowns indicative of Christ’s approval. Some will have honors and dignities, and be made rulers over ten cities. Some will have a white stone with a “new name” engraven thereon known only to the receiver (Rev. 2:1717He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Revelation 2:17)). But these rewards are not to be mixed up with our acceptance in Christ. For we are saved by grace—without works. Rewards depend upon the character of our labor. Paul thought so seriously of this matter that he tells us his whole life was spent in the light of the judgment seat. He always viewed his actions as they would appear in that day (2 Cor. 5:99Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. (2 Corinthians 5:9)).
Good for us if we ask ourselves, “How will what I am now doing, or what I purpose to do, look in the light of the day when both motives and actions will be weighed?”
Let us, then, well understand that it is our works and not our persons, our service and not our salvation, which will be in question then. Scripture is emphatic. The person of the believer will not come into judgment. “Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent Me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life” (John 5:24,24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) R.V).
This Scripture cannot be broken. Its statements are clear and plain. Let us seek to grasp the difference between the judgment of works and that of persons.
Suppose your son is also your servant, and he is to be paid according to the quality and quality of his work. Should he fail to produce a carving of which you can approve he will suffer loss. You cannot reward him for poor work, but he still remains your son. Your love to him is unchanged, and his place in the family is the same. It is purely a question of his work, not of his person or relationship.
Keep this distinction in mind, and you will readily see that a person’s work might be judged, and he receive the things done in his body, whether good or bad, without judging and condemning him personally.
We are now the children of God, and shall be sons in the Father’s house before the judgment seat of Christ is set up. However our work may be appraised there, it will not alter—blessed be God! —either our place or relationship. But it will make a difference to the rewards we shall receive, and the place we shall have, in the coming kingdom. What Christian’s heart does not value Christ’s approval? Shall we not labor to be agreeable to Him, and live now so as to earn His commendation then? Let us do this not because we fear condemnation, but because of His great, love to us. However misunderstood we may be by the world around us, or even by our fellow-Christians, if we are sure a thing is according to His will, let us, do it, being confident that the day will declare it. So we need not be troubled about the verdict of “Man’s day.”
H. N.