SEARCHLIGHT
What will you say to Jesus Christ when you stand before Him and give an account of your life?
SCRIPTURE
Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 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, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
SPOTLIGHT
What will happen when you appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ? Will the evidence shown be something that will make you satisfied or embarrassed? Years ago, a well-known minister named William Culbertson set the scene this way, “I remember reading a story – let me tell it to you in the first person, although the experience was not mine. I saw in a dream that I was in the celestial city, but when I traveled there, I could not tell. I was one of a great multitude which no man could number, from all countries and people, from all times and ages.
Somehow, I found that the saint who stood next to me had been in heaven for almost 1900 years. ‘Who are you?’ I said to him. He responded ‘I was a Roman Christian. I lived in the days of the Apostle Paul. I was one of those who died in Nero’s persecution. I was covered with pitch, fastened to a stake, and set on fire to light up Nero’s gardens.’ ‘How awful!’ I exclaimed. ‘No, no!’ he said, ‘I was glad to do something for the Lord Jesus. He died on the cross for me.’
The man on the other side of me then spoke. ‘I have been in heaven only a few hundred years. I came from an island in the south seas. John Williams the missionary came and told me about the Lord Jesus, and I learned to love Him. My fellow countrymen killed the missionary, and they caught and bound me. I was beaten until I fainted, and they thought I was dead, but I revived. The next day they killed me, and cooked me, and ate me!’ ‘Oh, how terrible!’ I said. ‘No, no,’ he answered. ‘I was glad to die as a Christian. You see, the missionaries had told me that the Lord Jesus was scourged and crowned with thorns for me.’
Then they both turned to me and said, ‘What did you suffer for Him? Or did you sell what you had and give it so that men like John Williams could tell the heathen about the Lord Jesus?’
I was speechless. And while they were both looking at me with sorrowful eyes I awoke, and it was a dream.” [Warren Wiersbe, Listening to the Giants, p224]
The Bible is very clear that all believers will someday give an account for all their words and deeds while living on earth. Reread the Scripture verses above from 2 Corinthians. Believers will not be judged for their sin because they have repented and confessed Jesus Christ to be their Savior. However, there will be a judgment regarding their surrender and faithfulness to Jesus. As Paul wrote, your goal should be to live a life that pleases Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who told the Parable of the Talents. Two men pleased the Lord by multiplying what they had but one man did nothing. Only two men heard Jesus say to them, “Well done good and faithful servant…” [Matthew 25:21]
Do you have a complacent attitude about serving Jesus? Do you feel that your church attendance and financial contributions are quite enough? Maybe you are satisfied knowing that if you die tonight you will go to heaven like the thief on the cross. But what do you do with all your talents, treasures, and time in order to bring honor and glory to Jesus? Have you surrendered everything to Jesus who surrendered everything for you? Truly understanding the price Jesus Christ paid for your sin when He bled and died on Calvary should cause you not to have an easy-going attitude of “I’m in. I made it.” Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” [Matthew 16:24-27] Are you willing to suffer (deny yourself) for Jesus’ sake? Are you allowing Jesus to change you (take up your cross)? Are your following Jesus or picking and choosing when to follow?
Jesus Christ asks for unconditional surrender and faithfulness. You were not saved to live for yourself but to live for Jesus. You are not called to sit around but to serve. These 2 characteristics are going to count when you stand at THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. You will never be sorry for yielding your life to Jesus to become His servant and ambassador. Your life will make an impact. People will come to personally know Jesus because of your life testimony. You will truly live an abundant life on earth before experiencing eternal life with your Savior and Lord. You will never be sorry for being faithful to Jesus because you will hear your Savior and Lord commend you for being His faithful servant.
Some day you will give an account of how you used your talents, treasures, and time while here on earth. Romans 14:10b-12 states, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” What will you say? Did you surrender your life to Jesus so that He could make your life truly influence people with the Gospel? Will you hear Jesus say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant…”?
SOMETHING TO DO
Write out what you could say to Jesus Christ when you stand before Him and give an account of your life. Putting it down on paper will be a challenge as you allow the Holy Spirit to examine your life. Perhaps you can begin like this: Lord Jesus, I want to tell you what I tried to do on earth to live a life that would please You. My goals were #1…..#2…..#3…..
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, it is my desire to please You while I live here on earth. I surrender my all to You. My talents, treasures, and time are yours. Show me how to live in order to bring You honor and glory. Help me to live in such a way that I will not be ashamed when I stand before You and give an account of my life. AMEN