2 Corinthians 5:10
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
A few years ago, I watched a very interesting story on the news. An armored vehicle, after leaving a local bank, had neglected to properly close the rear truck door. Upon making a turn, bags of money fell out of the truck and broke open on the street. People, seeing what had happened, went nuts, rushing into the street, picking up cash and shoving it into their pockets. In the midst of the chaos, a young boy grabbed a handful of coins and ran off. That night, he felt so guilty he could not sleep. The next day at school, the little boy dropped eighty-five cents on his teacher’s desk and told her about the event. She, wanting to encourage him for doing the right thing, contacted the bank to arrange for the return of the money. Since more than $200,000 was lost that day, and only eighty-five cents returned, the bank wanted to honor this young man and asked him to come to the bank to receive an award. When the mayor of the city heard of his deed, he also wanted to honor the child with a public gathering. Later, word reached the executives at Disney, who decided to honor the young man. They invited him, and his whole class, to Disney World; all expenses paid. What a remarkable picture of grace. One young man took what did not belong to him and gave it back to the rightful owners, and in return, was richly honored and showered with blessings.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Paul writes every believer will one day appear before the judgment seat of Christ. At this throne, we will not be judged for our sins; those were judged at the cross and forgiveness was appropriated to each of us when we received Christ. No, at this throne, sin is not the issue, nor is judgment the reward. Instead, our Christian life will be examined. We will be rewarded with treasures in heaven for what we did on earth. When we choose to offer our God-given gifts, talents, time and treasures back to Him, He will not only accomplish great things through us, but reward us for it later.
Earlier Paul had written to these same believers and asked, “What do you have that you did not receive?” Everything we have really belongs to God. Our natural talents are as much a representation of His grace, as our spiritual gifts. We need to take what does not belong to us and return it to its rightful owner.
Now would be a great time to examine your life. All of your time, talents and treasures are a gift from God. How are you using them for the Kingdom of Heaven? What are some ways you can get involved in serving Christ? Keep in mind, we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and we don’t want to appear empty-handed.
Pastor Jim
Much of our life is experience oriented. We save, plan, and prepare for a trip; making sure we get lots of photos, so we can remember our experience, and share it with others. We might even put together a photo album and place it on the coffee table, making it easier to look back and remember the times we enjoyed. Sometimes, we treat our relationship with the Lord the same way. We have an encounter with the LORD, we come forward at church to receive Christ, or recommit our lives to Him. Rather than treating this as a day-to-day ongoing relationship, we simply memorialize the moment. I think it is important to remember, while salvation transpires in that moment in time when we trust in Christ, relationship with the Lord is an ongoing event, and should be a part of our daily living. This relationship includes, not only what He has done for us, but committing ourselves to be a part of the further work He desires to do.
Six times in Exodus we read of a man named Bezalel, and five times of Aholiab. These men are recipients of the highest of all honors; their names and accomplishments are recorded in the eternal Word of God. When heaven and earth have passed away, and all of this life is but a distant memory, the accomplishments of these two men will remain forever chronicled alongside Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel and Paul. They are honored even though there is no reference to them ever wielding a sword like Joshua, having a face to face encounter with God, like Moses, writing worship songs like David, or winning others to Christ, like Paul. These men are honored because they took the talents they had received from the Lord and used them for His kingdom, and His glory. In order for the Tabernacle to be built, talented men must give of their time, effort and energy. Bezalel and Aholiab rose to the call. We read,
Chapter 25 seems to be about being ready. Jesus warns about a final day of reckoning, when the sheep will be separated from goats. To ensure that we are ready for what is coming, Jesus gives two parables. The first explains the need to be born again, the second the need to be busy about the Lord’s business.
Jim Gallagher 