The Judgment Seat Of Christ.


According to the Bible, every human being will stand before Jesus Christ to receive judgment!

THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT JUDGMENTS

1. Every Born Again Believer will stand before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat Of Christ.
2. Every Non-Believer (those who have rejected God’s Free Gift Of Salvation) will stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.

Revelation 20:15 (NIV) says “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

In this post, we will discuss the Judgment Seat Of Christ. The Great White Throne Judgment only applies to Non-Believers and will be discussed in a later post. You don’t want to be included in that judgment!

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

At the Judgment Seat Of Christ, there will be an exhaustive evaluation of how we lived our life.

Every Born Again Believer will be rewarded for their services. What we do now will determine our rewards or loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat Of Christ.

Not guilty, let him go free!” What would those words mean to you if you were on death row?

Before we received Christ as our Savior, we were on death row – justly condemned to death for repeatedly breaking God’s holy law. But, after we received Christ, God declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and power to do his will.

Romans 8:1 (NIV) says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The Judgment Seat Of Christ will be a time of reward, not punishment.

Romans 14:10-12 (NIV) says You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

When we stand before the Judgment Seat Of Christ, God won’t be considering what our neighbor has or hasn’t done. He will only be considering what we have or haven’t done.

THE GREAT COMMISSION

What Are You Doing For The Kingdom Of God?

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) says Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

In the above Scriptures, every born again believer is commanded by Jesus to spread the good news of the Gospel. Have you shared the Gospel with your family, friends, neighbors, associates, etc.? Have you led anyone to the Lord? Or, are you just saved, going to church, taking up space in a pew or chair and waiting for your eternal rewards? What you do with your life now will determine the rewards or loss of rewards that you receive at the Judgment Seat Of Christ.

THINK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (NIV) says their 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 person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV) says “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

Christ will evaluate our contribution to the Kingdom of God and the Day (Judgment Seat Of Christ) will reveal the sincerity of our work. God will determine whether or not we have been faithful to Jesus’ instructions

Good work will be be rewarded; unfaithful or inferior work will be discounted. If we are unfaithful or our work has been inferior, we will still be saved but, like people escaping from a burning building, all our rewards will be lost.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) says Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (TLB) says For we must all stand before Christ to be judged and have our lives laid bare before him. Each of us will receive whatever he deserves for the good or bad things he has done in his earthly body.”
1 John 2:28 (NIV) says “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.”

Our present lives will affect what will happen at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

The greatest consequence of unfaithfulness here on earth is that it disappoints Christ. That is a sobering thought - we could be ashamed as we stand before the Lord and see our lives laid bare. At the same time, it should encourage us with the prospect of receiving His lavish rewards if we serve Him faithfully during our time here on earth.

Like the Apostle Paul, when your day of departure comes, will you be able to say the following”

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV) says the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

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The Blessings Of Irritations.


NOTE: This is a Guest Post used with permission from Gloria Thomas Anderson, LMSW at http://www.hearttones.com.


Has anyone or anything irritated you recently? It seems no matter how determined you are to keep calm, cool and collected, something happens to ruffle your feathers.

A nagging spouse, a whining child, an unrealistic boss, an impolite clerk, or somebody tailgating you when you drive—all can trigger that emotion called irritation. These kinds of annoyances can get under your skin sometimes and cause a joyous occasion to become an upsetting one.

Many times these irritations are more prominent around the holidays. That is the time where we interface with people who are not necessarily “our cup of tea”. How do you deal with these vexations of the soul?

I have found some practical and somewhat lighthearted ways to help ease the stress in these moments of aggravation. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Take a deep breath and smile as you exhale—this is healthier for you in the long run.
  2. Scream—but wait until you are alone and nobody can hear you.
  3. Laugh—Laughter is like medicine for the soul and takes away the sting of anger.
  4. Close your eyes—daydream about what you would really rather be doing.
  5. Have a good cry when you get alone—crying is cleansing and can make you feel better if nothing else.

Of course, there are many other possible alternatives to dealing with irritations—some of which result in more distress. Just remember that when we become really annoyed by other people, irritations can serve as reminders that we still have the precious gift of life.

Blessings to you,




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Are You Ready?



READY FOR WHAT?

THE COMING OF THE LORD (THE RAPTURE)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV says Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE RAPTURE?

1. Christ will return visibly, with a loud command.
2. There will be an unmistakable cry from an angel.
3. There will be a trumpet Call of God such as has never been heard before.
4. Then, believers in Christ who are dead will rise from their graves.
5. Finally, believers who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ in the air.

WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE HAPPEN?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (NIV) says “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Also See Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 24:36-44 tells us that the day and the hour is unknown.

WHO WILL BE INCLUDE IN THE RAPTURE?

The only ones who will be included in the Rapture are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, made Him Lord of their life, and are living or lived their lives according to God’s Word (the Bible.

ARE YOU READY?

Are you a believer who will be included in the Rapture or are you a non-believer who will be left behind to face the Great Tribulation?

GET READY!

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior and made Him Lord of your life, we encourage you not to wait. Why take a chance, be left behind, and suffer the consequences. To learn how to get ready, please read our “God's Free Gift Of Salvation” Page.

And, if you have time, read our "Tribulation" Page.

OTHER SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE RAPTURE.

Matthew 24:30-36, Mark 13:32, Luke 12:35-42, John 11:25, John 14:1-3, John 21:20-23, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Titus 2:11-14, Hebrews 9:24-28, 1 Peter 1:3-5, and 2 Peter 3:3-4.

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