The "Second" Judgment
"we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body."
2 Corinthians 5:10(NLT)
This verse echoes much of what Jesus said. It does seem that we will be judged not just by the Cross/Grace, but also by works, the quality of lives we have lived. The former determines who goes to “heaven” (the other dimension of our current ordinary lives which is where God is, to await the final resurrection and restoration of all things, including our bodies), the latter is a kind of “believers judgment.” It determines “how much of myself” finds itself in heaven. In 1 Corinthians 3, we are told that if I’ve wasted my life on temporal things not of God, that will all be burned away and there won’t be much of “me” left. On the other hand if much of life has been spent, however imperfectly, honoring God, then there will be a lot of “me” left.
Its an issue of capacity. How well we have grown our capacity for God today determines our capacity for God in the next life.
Prayer
Lord, help me to “major” in YOU. Help me to see You, to enjoy You, to BELIEVE You know and love me. Help me Lord to DO your word and not just read it, and in doing so, to know ever more deeply that you ARE. Amen”
I had never heard of the second judgment until the sermon on Sunday. I have studied revelations and heard various other national speakers discuss end times and heaven with out any reference. Can you help me understand this better? and provide further biblical context please?
ReplyDeleteIt can be a harmful thing to discuss judgment without having a firm understanding of what it means to be an "heir in Christ". Having the understanding of who we are in Christ effects who we will be before God. We, the saints will be judging the world and judging angels (1 Cor 6:2-3) !! We are a Priesthood through Christ. Judgment is not condemnation for the believer.
ReplyDeleteOne also needs to remember that Christ is a mediator for us before God. He lives as a Priest eternally interceding on our behalf before God (Hebrews). In fact, Hebrews (9:27-28) tells us that just as man was destined to die once and after that to face judgment, SO was Christ sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to BRING SALVATION TO THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR HIM".
If God forgives our sins "and remembers them no more" as the Word teaches us, what do we have to fear in judgment?
The believer has nothing, for Christ reconciled us and is reconciling us forever and ever. Sins have been forgiven and forgotten through his intercession.
As for reward-the reference to good and evil in the above verse was explained to me in the Greek as 'worthless'. One would need to ask why, if we believers have nothing sinful left to judge we need to fear judgment of any kind? Perhaps judgment for reward will not be a negative thing but, instead, a glorious thing for the accountability will be for the positive as the negative has been settled.
Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13)
I will trust in His mercy and keep my mind steadfast on Him. I will not worry that I am doing too much or too little. I will praise Him and thank Him and tune my ear to the Spirit's leading. Anything else I will leave up to Him and carry on sure of what He has done for me and what He will continue to do for me. Isn't this a life of faith?
Thank you, Jesus, thank you.