Christians and judgement

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Over the years, a number of fellow – and well-meaning – Christians have questioned the genuineness of my faith & my relationships with Jesus. More than once I’ve been accused of not believing the Bible because I don’t believe in a literal 6 x 24hr-day creation. And someone once questioned whether I had genuinely repented because I had a slipped disc.

Some of the Corinthian church members were questioning the apostle Paul’s faith – and that’s one of the reasons he wrote this letter. 

The Corinthians didn’t think Paul’s life demonstrated the genuine marks of a Spirit-filled & empowered apostle: his preaching was weak, he was ill, he faced opposition from the Jews, the Romans and some churches. So was he really a gifted church leader? Was he filled with the Spirit? Was he really a Christian at all?!

If your faith was called into question what would you say? How would you demonstrate that your faith was genuine?

So far, Paul has defended himself by admitting that he is indeed weak: hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. In fact, he says he’s like a plain & fragile clay pot. ‘But,’ he says, ‘it is through that suffering, that I’ve learned to put all my trust in God who raised Jesus from the dead. It doesn’t matter how weak I am, what matters is how strong God is and whether or not I trust him. I do trust him and so I’ve given my whole life over to serving him and proclaiming the gospel. And even if that dedication to Christ should lead to my death, so be it, for we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven.’ (v1)

But now in vv6-10, he tells the Corinthians that it doesn’t really matter what they think about him. One day, he and they will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and that’s the only verdict that matters. So, v10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Why does Paul say this? Well, there was, amongst the Corinthians – as there still is today – a tendency for Christians to think that  because we’re forgiven, we won’t be judged. In fact, some Christians seem to think that on judgement day, they’ll be in the public gallery watching all the non-Christians being condemned.

And so Christians can become complacent. And complacency leads to carelessness, and carelessness to sin: “If Jesus has been judged in my place, I’m OK. If I sin a bit, if I’m lazy in my discipleship, if I compromise and live a… well, a more balanced life…  it doesn’t matter too much because Jesus has forgiven me and I’m on my way to heaven.”

At Corinth, this attitude led to sexual immorality in the church. It led to greed and a lack of concern for poor members of the congregation. There was spiritual pride and arrogance. Is the church today – are we – really any different?

Now, let me draw your attention to a number of critically important points here: First, look at v10: we must all appear before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ.

Yes, each and every one of us will appear before Christ the judge. Paul includes himself and all the Corinthian Christians when he says, ‘We…’  It’s not just non-Christians who will have to take the stand in God’s courtroom. Every person without exception will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Now that may surprise you. And it may worry you.

But before we deal with that, we need to be clear about who the judge is – who it that we have to give account to: v10, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

Yes, the judge is Jesus: as he himself said in John 5, The Father judges no-one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son… he has given him authority to judge.

So each and every one of us will one day stand before Judge Jesus.

But on what basis will we be judged? V10 again, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.   

So we’ll be judged according to our actions & behaviour in this life – according to what we have done, whether good or bad.

Now, if you understand that eternal life is a free gift from God, then you may be wondering if Paul hasn’t completely lost the plot here. 

Paul is quite clear that we are saved by the grace of God received through faith in Jesus, and that is exactly what he says in 5:17 -19  

if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.

And v21: God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God has taken all the initiative in saving us – he has reconciled us, he doesn’t count our sins against us, he made Jesus to be sin for us. God has done all that’s necessary for us to be at peace with him and for us to be forgiven.

So how come we’re judged?

Well, everyone – Xn and non-Xn – must appear in court so that the evidence can be presented to the judge in order for him to make a just, fair & right decision. And that’s the point here. To be acquitted, you will need to demonstrate that you accepted God’s free gift of grace – that you have received the free gift of reconciliation with God – that you have received the free gift of eternal life.

On Christmas day here at St Peter’s, I always walk around church and ask to see some of the Christmas presents that people have received. And people show the evidence of the gifts they have received – the toys, the ties, the i-phones and the jumpers. They’re not showing that they deserved the gift, they’re showing that they received the gift.

On judgement day we stand before Jesus to show the evidence that we received his gift of forgiveness and eternal life. We don’t stand there and try to demonstrate that we deserve EL – because we don’t. The non-Xn will have nothing to show. He’s rejected Jesus. He’s rejected God’s grace and gift.

So, there we are, standing before Judge Jesus. And the evidence that we have received God’s gracious gift is brought before him. What will he be looking for?

Verses 7-9 tell us…  For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…

One of the things Jesus will be looking for is where you’d rather be. Would you rather be here on earth, at home with your family, with your friends, at work, on the golf course, at the footy or… would you rather be at home with the Lord?

Paul says he’d rather be at home with the Lord. There’s nowhere he’d rather be than with Jesus. There’s no-one he’d rather spend time with. There’s no-one he’d rather serve. And so he goes on, So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. The driving, motivating force in Paul’s life is pleasing Jesus.  Not because he thinks he’ll impress Jesus his judge, but because he’s so grateful to Jesus his saviour.

When Paul stands before Jesus the judge, the evidence will be clear: he had received the gift of reconciliation with God – the gift of EL – and he lived to please Jesus.

So when you and I stand before Judge Jesus, what evidence will we be able to present?

Will you have evidence to show that you had truly, consciously, deliberately accepted Jesus Christ’s offer of new life, and that you lived your life in deep gratitude for that gift? Will the evidence show that you truly believed that Jesus suffered, bled & died for you and that you lived your life to please him?

But, I guess that some of you are still wondering if this really is what Paul’s saying here. You don’t think this sounds quite right. Well, let’s follow through the logic of Paul’s argument:

The Corinthians doubt the genuineness of his faith. They doubt that he’s a Spirit-filled, God-appointed apostle. So, in chapters 1-4, he says, ‘I know that outwardly I appear weak and feeble. So did Jesus. He didn’t come with human power. He didn’t defeat evil with armies & chariots. He came in humility. He was beaten and abused. He was crucified.

And yet, out of his weakness came eternal life. And now, that eternal life isn’t displayed in human power but through weakness and suffering. And it’s because I know Jesus and have received his gift of life, that I’m prepared to lay down my life to please him. He’s done everything for me, he’s given everything for me, and I’m so grateful and so full of trust in him, that I’ll suffer and even die for him.

And if I do die, I lose nothing. Though at the moment, I’m away from my Lord and I live by faith, not by sigh,  yet I’m fully confident that one day I will see him and be with him forever – in fact there’s nowhere I’d rather be with than Jesus my Saviour and Lord.

If I took you down to Hotel du Vin for a meal and you could choose any guest in the whole world to be there, who would you choose? Did you have to think about it – even for a second? Surely the answer to that question is, without a moment’s hesitation, is “Jesus”!

That’s what Jesus is looking for when we stand before him. We want him. We want to be with him, we want to please him, to enjoy him, to serve him, to love him.

Jesus said, , ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (Matthew 6:19-21)

On judgement day, Jesus will be looking to see where your treasure is. Is he your treasure, is his gift of eternal life your treasure, or is it something or someone else?

Jesus said, Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matthew 6:19-21)

On judgement day, Jesus will look to see what you’ve spent your life running after and worrying about – the things of this life or his kingdom and his righteousness?

All of this will be evidence as to whether you’ve gratefully received Jesus and his gift of forgiveness & eternal life or you’ve rejected him and his gifts. 

So how will we increase our desire to please Jesus? How will we ensure that we will have the evidence of having received him?

Well, imagine that a man gets down on one knee and offers a girl an engagement ring. Eagerly, she accepts. All the next week, she can’t stop looking at the ring. She just can’t help touching it – and when no-one’s looking… she even kisses it!

Well, we need constantly to look at the gift God has given us. We need to be gazing on Jesus: Thinking about the cross. Wondering at his love. Marvelling at his compassion and endless faithfulness. As we do that, gratitude and a desire to please Jesus will well up in our hearts.

You know what it’s like if you begin to research the possibility of buying a new computer or a new car. The more you research it, the more you gaze at the pictures and examine the spec. the more you want it – eventually you decide you really can’t live without it.

So it is with Jesus. Gaze at him and you’ll see how much you want him and need him. Your love for him will grow and nothing will give you more pleasure than pleasing him.

Your evidence on judgment day will be plain for all to see.