Text – 2 Corinthians 5:10, 17; Hebrews 9:27-28
“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; 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ” 2 Corinthians 5:10, 17 (NIV)
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:* 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:27-28 (KJV)
*The Judgment Seat of Christ is for BELIEVERS; the Great White Throne Judgment will be for UNBELIEVERS! Read Psalm 69:28 and Revelation 3:5.
INTRODUCTION
It takes 60 seconds to make 1 minute; 60 minutes to make 1 hour. It takes 24 hours to make 1 day. It takes 7 days to make 1 week. It takes 4 weeks to make 1 month; and it takes 12 months to make 1 year. I don’t care what race you are, how old or young you are, or even how wealthy you are; you cannot add even a single second more to your appointed time! This doesn’t stop people from trying to give themselves more time. Some of us remember James Fixx. He was the leading authority on running in the 70’s . . . he died of a heart attack while performing his daily jog.
Believers already know; unbelievers don’t understand that after their lives are finished on this Terrestrial Plain, there is the Celestial Plain that will be dealt with! So in spite of what some people might think, just because we shut our eyes, the heart stops beating, the mind stops functioning, and the Undertaker is summoned to do his job . . .
IT AIN’T OVER YET . . . I STILL GOT QUESTIONS!
POINTS –
- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . .” – Wait a minute! Paul is talking to Believers here. If I don’t know anything, I know that I’m saved from the power, practice, and penalty of sin. I know that I’m saved from the wrath to come, and I know that I am saved from eternal damnation, so why would I be judged?
The Judgment Seat of Christ is where Believers will give an account of what they did with their lives AFTER being saved. This does not change their saved status, but it will help determine the rewards that they will receive. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Revelation 22:12
How many of you also remember that there are Crowns to look forward to?
- “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” – Unless you are talking with someone who is too young or has some other mental problem, this statement should open up a dialogue of questions that may start like this:
- Who made this appointment?
- When is this appointment? Can I change the appointment date?
- How can you be judged when you are dead?
- Who does this judging?
- If I’m already dead, what can be the results of this judgment?
What we are talking about now is The Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment will be the final judgment for Unbelievers. The result of this judgment will be the condemnation of unbelievers to spend their appointed time in HELL! This judgment will be presided over by Jesus Christ, and it will involve opening the Book of Records and the Book of Life to determine the eternal appointment of those who stand before God (expound).
It will be shown that they had many opportunities accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It will be shown that the seeds of the gospel had been planted in their lives many times. It will be shown that there were many times that they were taught, preached to, witnessed to, and ministered to but they chose to neglect so great a salvation; and as a result, the will hear the words: “Depart from me I never knew you!”
CONCLUSION
When you have the attention of the person you are ministering to, share with them the analogy of a person who is born in the hospital; the hospital will have a record of their birth, but until they are registered in the city and/or state records, they will not be recognized and they will not be eligible for benefits.
When a person is born they are recorded in the book of records. But if they never accept the Lord as their personal Savior, they will have their name blotted out of the book of record and it will not be in the Book of Life.