“A Date with Destiny”
“2 Corinthians 5:9-13”
2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For 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.
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It would be difficult to understand Paul’s thoughts without remembering what he has been talking about in the preceding verses. He has been concentrating on the nature of the ministry, the minister’s work, the duties that are laid upon him, especially as it relates to others. Verse 8 provides the background for our message today. In it he speaks of being in the presence of the Lord and the use of “wherefore” to begin verse 9 leads naturally to a desire to live in such a way as to please the Lord. “We labour…” is a word that literally means (to be ambitious for, to seek a goal that one regards as worthy) The one honor that Paul seeks is to be “…accepted of him” to be well pleasing to the Lord Jesus. That is the Apostle’s overriding ambition and should be ours as well! This brings us to the point of today’s message. Paul is especially concerned that he must give an accounting to the Lord at His return. It is that accounting that I want to speak about today. First, let’s consider;
I. Our Appearance at the Throne
a. It is co-extensive
This judgment seat experience will occur at the coming of Christ. There will be a day of reckoning for all men when the Lord returns. There is much debate about how this will occur and at what time it will occur but the one point of universal agreement is that all will be judged. Also, most Bible scholars agree that there will be a judgment of the saints and the “aints,” that there will be separation of the sheep from the goats, and the wheat and the tares. Those who are saved will stand at the judgment seat of Christ and those who are lost at the great white throne which may be one and the same. That’s not a point that I’m going to debate this morning. The judgment seat is Gk “bema” and refers to a platform for a judge to sit on in order to hear a case and from which to render a verdict. A literal translation of the GK reads like this; “It is necessary for us all to appear before the “bema” of Christ.”
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
b. It is commanded
Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
The phrase command performance came into usage during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the 1st when she called for a theatrical performance. The idea behind this phrase is that when a monarch or royalty commands a performance it cannot be refused. In our text Paul declares that we “…must appear…” so this is an imperative. We will have no choice but to appear.
c. It is comprehensive
“We all…” must appear means that this command to appear includes not only Paul himself but all of us as well! No one is excluded. “Appear” is “to make manifest.” Everything we have done will be laid before Him! This would also include but not be limited to our attitudes, motives, beliefs and behavior (things done in our body.” The sobering truth then, is that even when salvation is not the issue that Christians must stand before the “righteous judge” to be judged and to receive good or bad according to what we have done good or bad.
“Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account."
Benjamin Franklin
Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
II. Our Adjudicator on the Throne
John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
a. He is insightful for he possesses the capacity to see clearly and intuitively into the nature of a person.
Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts…
John 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
ILL - At the turn of the century the world’s most distinguished astronomer was Sir Percival Lowell. He was esteemed for his study of the solar system and had a particular fascination with Mars. He was certain that he had determined that there were CANALS on the surface of the Red Planet and that these canals were proof of intelligent life there. The balance of his life was spent squinting though a giant telescope in Arizona mapping the channels and canals he saw. He was so esteemed his teachings gained wide acceptance. Since that time our space probes have orbited mars and even landed on its surface. The entire planet has been mapped and no one has seen even one canal. It is now assumed that Percival Lowell had a rare eye disease which is now called ‘Lowell’s syndrome’ which makes a person see the bulging blood vessels in their own eyeballs. Man from his limited perspective has brought to us many error-filled ideas that one day will be exposed as foolishness. This is certainly true of the church as well. There are many things that Christians do that seem right but they do not pass the test of God’s Word.
b. He is infallible for he is incapable of being mistaken
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
An umpire named Babe Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes. When the crowd booed with sharp disapproval at the call, the legendary Ruth turned to the umpire with disdain and said, "There’s 40,000 people here who know that the last pitch was ball, tomato head." Suspecting that the umpire would erupt with anger, the coaches and players braced themselves for Ruth’s ejection. However, the cool headed Pinelli replied, "Maybe so, Babe, but mine is the only opinion that counts." We need to realize that God’s judgment is the only one that counts!
c. He is inexorable
He is persistent, unyielding, unrelenting, and uncompromising in His judgment.
Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Matthew 10:26 …there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be
known.
III. Our Accounting before the Throne
Finally, what will be the issue of this judgment? First of all, it will not be about sin covered by the blood of Christ, God will not dig up your sins for when you gave your heart and life to Jesus Christ, God forgave them and then forgot them! They are behind His back and cast into the sea of His forgetfulness! Praise the Lord! Second, the issue will not be whether you go to heaven or hell. The Apostle Paul sets the context for this judgment when he uses the personal pronoun “we” in verse 10! Where you will spend eternity has already been determined by what you have done in this lifetime. This judgment is for those who are saved! The real issue is what you built and how you have built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
a. According to what you did or did not build
We have two options when it comes to what we build. We can build with gold, silver, and precious stones (which will survive the fire) or we can build with wood, hay, or stubble, (which will be consumed in the fire.)
ILL - God does prefer one way of living over another. And that which He prefers is based on a bedrock commitment to His word and His ways. And the results are always supernatural. A TV camera crew was on assignment in Southern Florida filming the widespread destruction of Hurricane Andrew. In one scene, amid the devastation and debris, stood one house on its foundation. The owner was cleaning up the yard when the reporter approached. “Sir, why is your house the only one standing?” asked the reporter. “How did you manage to escape the severe damage of the hurricane?” “I built the house myself,” the man replied. “I also built it according to Florida State building code. When the code called for 2x6 trusses, I used 2x6 trusses. I was told that a house built according to code could withstand a hurricane. I did, and it did.”
Obedience to His Word is critical when it comes to whether or not we are pleasing Him.
Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
b. According to the way you built it
Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
“We labor” - The word used here (φιλοτιμούμεθα philotimoumetha, from φίλος philos and τιμὴ timē, loving honor) means properly to love honor; to be ambitious. This is its usual Classical signification. In the New Testament, it means to be ambitious to do anything; to exert oneself; to strive, as if from a love or sense of honor. As in English, to make it a point of honor to do so and so - Robinson (Lexicon). It means here, that Paul made it a point of constant effort; it was his leading and constant aim to live so as to be acceptable to God, and to meet his approbation wherever he was.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
c. According to why you built it
This deals with the issue of motive and our motives are closely related to our character. Many years ago I heard someone say that character is whatever we are when we are alone!
ILL - Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
John Wooden, called “the wizard of Westwood”, and former coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team, quoted in Sanctity of Life, C. Swindoll, Word, 1990, p. 91.
ILL - The boss caught Calvin sitting at his desk staring out the window. “Why aren’t you working Calvin?” Without much thought Calvin confessed to his boss, “Because I didn’t see you coming.” There are millions of Christians just like Calvin who are living their lives oblivious to the fact that they will stand before Christ to answer for things that they have done.
1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
What can we make of all this. First, let me say that the Bible implies that there will be rewards and/or a loss of rewards for the believer at the judgment seat of Christ. What those rewards are is not clear. What is clear is that what we have done in the body will be “tested” at the judgment. But someone will say “I don’t believe in rewards.” To be honest if I lived like some professed Christians live I wouldn’t believe in the Biblical teaching of rewards either. A man who will not be faithful, who will not serve, who will not tithe, who will not raise one finger to keep folks out of a Devil’s Hell and deny himself for the cause of Christ, is probabloy the kind of man who would rather not believe in the doctrine of rewards! Are you living so that you can hear Jesus say “…well done…” or will your works be burned in the fire of His judgment and you will “suffer loss?” Listen to Paul’s words in:
1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Have you ever heard the old expression, “By the skin of your teeth?” Do you know it’s origin and meaning?
Origin
The phrase first appears in English in the Geneva Bible, 1560, in Job 19:20, which provides a literal translation of the original Hebrew:
Job 19:20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
Meaning
Narrowly; barely. Usually used in regard to a narrow escape from a disaster.
My dear Christian friend, is that really what you want when you stand before Jesus, who suffered and bled and died for us? Do you want to be saved “by the skin of your teeth?”
ILL - In the movie CASUALTIES OF WAR, Michael J. Fox plays Private Erikson, a soldier in Vietnam who is part of a squad that abducts and rapes a young Vietnamese girl. He didn’t participate in the crime.
Afterward, as he struggles with what has happened, he says to the other men in his squad, "Just because each of us might at any second be blown away, we’re acting like we can do anything we want, as though it doesn’t matter what we do. I’m thinking it’s just the opposite. Because we might be dead in the next split second, maybe we gotta be extra careful what we do, because maybe it matters more. Maybe it matters more than we ever know." Death for all of us, is a breath away. And the nearer death is, the closer we are to answering to God for all we have said and done.
(From the book, Death AUTHOR: Joel Sarrault pg. 46)
Dear Christian friend, are you giving God your best? When your works, deeds and actions are tested and tried in the fire will they received with praise or refused and consumed by the fire? Would you be ashamed to meet Jesus if He were to come today?
