ROMANS 14:10-12 – Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
THEME OF THE DAY: LIVE TODAY FOR THE DAY OF DAYS. It’s Friday. Look back over the past week. How often did we think about the event described in today’s scripture – Judgment Day when we each, individually, stand before God and give a detailed account of our lives? Let’s extend that question to the past month? Just how frequently did we ponder the second most important day in our lives? Oh, by the way, the first most important day in our lives was when we became Christians with Judgment Day being number two.
The Bible says much about the judgment of God and every person ever to live standing before Him to give an account of their lives. Every New Testament writer mentions it. God does not leave us in the dark about what is coming in each of our lives – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10). There are some Christians, either out of Biblical ignorance or not wanting to face it, who believe Christians won’t be judged, that Christ took our judgment upon Himself on the cross. That is true; our sins were judged on Him never to be judged by God again. Our lives, however, and the stewardship of our lives; money, time, talents, gifts, resources and relationships are areas which will be scrutinized by the Lord on Judgment Day.
When it comes to this Day of all Days, it should be high on the list of motivators to live the Christian life with zeal, to seek Christ passionately, obey Him consistently, and refuse to succumb to worldliness and temptation. It is a motivator, not of being afraid of judgment, but of being wise. It is also a motivator of love. Our Judge is our Savior and we should want to live our lives with gratitude and thankfulness that He is both. There will be no condemnation at the Judgment Seat of Christ for believers, only the potential for rewards from such a giving God. And the thought of getting rewards from the Lord Jesus is a right motivator. He delights in rewarding us on that day for faithful service and sacrifice in this life. The Apostle Paul stressed this truth to the Corinthians – According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
God so loved the world that He gave us His Son. He also so loved the world that He told us up front that a day of reckoning, the Day of Judgment is coming. He has given us His book directing us how to live in preparation for the great day. May we heed His instructions and live today for the Day of All Days!
PRAYER: “Father, help me to see that all of this life is to be lived with a heart, mind and will on the next life.”
QUOTE: “Think on the Day of Judgment. And do so often. It will prepare us for the great Day of all Days.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim