The Judgment Seat of Christ
By Shirley Mitchell
“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.”
2 Corinthians 5:10
Paul said that all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of our lives on earth. Jesus will hold the court. On earth, He stood before Jewish leaders, Pilate, and Herod. In heaven, believers who died and then resurrected or were raptured will appear before Him to be judged for their faithfulness to God. Paul said that we will receive what is due us for the things that we have done while we are in the body, whether good or bad.
Let’s talk about the “good” first. Imagine with me. You might need to hold my hand to keep me from hyperventilating while we wait our turn. You see your friends receive their accolades. You rejoice with them and share in their joy. Then, it is your turn. God calls you before His throne. Your full and completed life is presented before Him. The dirty jobs…the secret service…the unnoticed deeds…the forgotten works… the painful sacrifices…these will all be rewarded in front of Jesus’ throne and judgment seat. Your life is weighed, and you receive what is due you.
What do you think you might feel as your friends stand before Jesus and you wait your turn? In my sinless state, I really won’t care if I receive the least reward. I don’t think that we will care if our fiercest irritator gets the greater reward. We won’t be competitive. Our focus will be on Jesus. We won’t suffer from the sin of comparison. We will fully know how much He loves each one of us.
Now, let’s talk about the bad. I remember when Kay and I were doing a Bible study in my home, and we studied this part. We were both horrified! The bad parts could be very humiliating and quite lengthy. We can be certain that His purpose is not to heap shame. He is the Shame Remover, not the Shame Stacker. It will not be the full version of your life and my life. It will not be the “real” Shirley exposed to all. Yes, secret motives of our hearts will be revealed. Yes, God’s grace will be revealed. We will see God’s amazing gift of grace, and we will know that we don’t deserve it. We will see how His power was released in our lives. However, there is no condemnation in Christ. Scripture gives enough clues that we will be accountable for the things for which we have not asked forgiveness and the things that we have not forgiven inflicted by other people. We need to settle those conflicts before we give an account to Jesus.
We should ask ourselves the hard questions like: what do I need to take to the mercy seat? For what sin has God been waiting for awhile for me to ask forgiveness? Who has God been waiting for me to forgive?
Then, we will be prepared for that blessed day. We can anticipate it and long for it. On that day, we will marvel at the things that God has done in others’ lives. We can watch together and cheer for each other. We will worship Him uninhibitedly, dance while singing praises, and shout glory to the Lamb of God!
Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, in some ways I can’t wait to stand before Your throne and behold You in all of Your majesty. I long to experience unending joy and to abide in Your presence because You are my best friend. In other ways, I can wait to stand before You. I know I have not given You enough. I know if my life is weighed that it will be found wanting. So give me discernment and peace to know what is God’s best for me to do for the kingdom. May I leave nothing undone. May I stay away from fruitless labor. God, I bring to the mercy seat my sins. I bring my specific sin of ___________ that Your Spirit has burned in my heart lately. In turn, teach me to live by Colossians 3:13, where I bear with people and forgive whatever grievances they may have against me. Help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study