A Judgment Day For Christians?

Biblegems #270

Question: Why does Jesus say in John 5:24 that Christians will not be judged, whereas Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that “we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ”?  

Here are the two verses in question:

Jesus:

         John 5:24  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

Paul

         2Cor. 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

These passages refer to two different kinds of Judgment. John 5:24 refers to what is also known as the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who die without having their names recorded in the book of life must appear before the Lord at this judgment to hear the verdict of eternity in hell (i.e., “the lake of fire”):

         Rev. 20:11-12, 15  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it… 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

        

John 5:24 teaches that those who trust in Jesus now have already “crossed over from death to life.” Jesus’ followers will not have to face the Great White Throne Judgment at all! In full agreement with this teaching, 1 Corinthians 6:2 points out that Jesus’ followers will sit with Jesus, exercising judgment over unsaved humanity and rebellious angels:

1Cor. 6:2  Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

“The judgment seat of Christ”  (2Cor. 5:10) is where Jesus’ followers must account for the way we put our earthly lives to use, good or bad.

         Rom. 14:10c—12  …For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. …“ So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

This judgment for believers is not about eternal life or eternal damnation, but about how we manage the resources God entrusts to us in this life. This has a direct bearing on the level of responsibility entrusted to us in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:15-46), here is what Jesus says of those who invested the resources entrusted to them by the Master while he was away—

Matt. 25:23  ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The judgment seat of Christ” is where Jesus’ followers will be appointed to their roles and responsibilities for eternal life in heaven, based upon the way we conducted our lives here—after we put our faith in Jesus.

Judgment For Christians?

Biblegems #223

Question: If our sins are forgotten once we are saved, what is the purpose for Christians to appear before the judgment seat (2 Corinthians 5:10)?

2 Corinthians 5:10 reads: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

This verse teaches that 1) Christians will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” and (2) that the purpose of this judgment is to “receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” In other words, how we as believers use the time, talents and resources God entrusts to us in this mortal life prepares us for the responsibilities God will entrust us with in heaven.

Jesus taught about this frequently, often in terms of being rewarded for our actions in this life, whether good or bad:

         Matt. 6:1 Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

On the other hand, doing good to others unselfishly carries an eternal reward:

         Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

The concept of “rewards,” however, should not be misunderstood as some form of payment or trophy. As Jesus taught in many of His parables, His followers on earth will be rewarded in the Kingdom of God with responsibilities in heaven—in proportion to how faithful we were with the responsibilities entrusted to us in this life:

         Matt. 25:20-21   The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

         “His master replied, ’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!

But what about the time, talents and resources we wasted in our earthly life? This too will be revealed at the judgment seat of Christ, and, according to 1 Corinthians 3:13-15:

         …his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

God does not “remember” our sins against us in terms of condemnation once we accept Christ’s forgiveness purchased for us on the cross. But every action we take—or don’t take—still has consequences for eternity.

Since that is true, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:23).