How Will Christians Be Judged?

1. How Will Christians Be Judged?

2. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 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.

3. Does Day • Every Christian must appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

4. Some: “I thought that if you are a Christian you will escape being judged.”

5. Romans 14:10-12 “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”

6. The Bible says we will be judged as individuals, not as a group.

7. Doesn’t Say Only Christians appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

8. Matthew 25:31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the sheep separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.”

9. How Many Judgments? 1. The “Bema” Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10) – judgment of Christians after the Rapture 2. Sheep and goats (Matthew 25) – judgment of Gentile nations after the Tribulation period 3. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20) – judgment of all unbelievers at the end of the Millennium

10. The Bible speaks of only one Judgment Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment . . .

11. Acts 17:31 He (God) has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man who He has appointed (Christ), having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead.

12. Follows the Resurrection of the Dead John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

13. Does Say • Our lives will be opened before Christ.

14. Romans 2:16 . . . on the day (judgment day) when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

15. A Fruit Inspection Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles:” And I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”

16. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, not the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

17. Christ will point out the evidence of “whose” we are.

18. Doesn’t Say Faithful Christians will be “shamed” before Christ for their sins.

19. Justice demands it. What has justice got to do with it! Either God forgives our sins or He doesn’t!

20. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

21. 1 John 3:7-9 Are we born of God?

22. Does Say • We will be rewarded or punished for what we have done.

23. Not what we say but what we do!

24. James 2:14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but has no works? Can that faith save him?

25. Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.

26. Matthew 25 “When did we see you a stranger, and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?” The king will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”

27. Matthew 25 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

28. Doesn’t Say We will be rewarded or punished for each action.

29. How would this work???

30. Does Say • Those who have done good will be rewarded in heaven for their actions.

31. Matthew 10:42 Whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

32. Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

33. Doesn’t Say The great rewards of heaven are different for everyone.

34. Heaven is the reward!

35. Romans 2:6-7 . . . to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.

36. 2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison . .

37. 2 Corinthians 5:1 . . . we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

38. Does Say • Our goal in life should always be to please God.

39. 2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent from the body (in this life or in the next), to be pleasing to Him.

40. Doesn’t Say Our motivation should be to get the highest position or greatest rewards in heaven that we can get.

41. What is our motivation?

42. 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf.

43. Those who will be the closest to Christ in heaven will those who never thought they could receive such honor.