Eternal Awards Day
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2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Erwin Lutzer, Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church, Chicago, IL. writes in his book, Your Eternal Reward, Triumph and Tears at the Judgment Seat of Christ, “Only in this life can we impact our eternity.”
READ THAT AGAIN SLOWLY.
Only in THIS life can we IMPACT our eternity
I have spent a lot of my life building my kingdom here on this earth, and I believe a lot of others have also. I must admit there is tremendous shame in that statement. All of us, if we admit it, have concentrated our lives on what we want, what others think and how to get the American dream. I suppose it has much to do with the fallen world and the human condition of man’s soul.”
The life we live here on this earth will have eternal consequences. What will it be like when we stand before Jesus? Will he be able to say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant?”
What might he ask us? Oswald Sanders book, Just Before Heaven, The Judgment Seat of Christ gives us an idea of what we may need to answer.
- What was our testimony for Christ (Philppians 2:16)
- How much suffering for Christ (I Peter 4:13, Matthew 5:10-12)
- How faithful were you to Christ and His calling on your life? (Luke 12:42-43)
- What did you do in service for Christ (I Corinthians 3:8)
- How generous were you for the sake of the gospel? ( 2 Corinthians 9:6, I Timothy 6:17)
- How did you use your time for Christ (Eph. 5:15, Colossians 4:5)
- Did you exercise the spiritual gifts you were given? (I Peter 4:10)
This is just a few suggestions given by Mr. Sanders. I am quite sure there are more opportunities for service given each day.
I John 2:28 says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when he appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Easter should be a time of reflection for believers. It is a time to evaluate whether we are moving forward in our relationship with Jesus. We are not moving forward if we are standing still. We are not running the race. Paul talks a lot about winning the race, pressing on towards the prize. Paul had been given an opportunity to see the third heaven, I believe that is why his focus was always so clear. He knew what it would be like to face Jesus and be ashamed.
For the next few weeks, we will look at the 5 crowns the Bible speaks about as rewards for believers. My prayer is we renew our first love. We need to be found watching and waiting for His appearing. We must be spreading His message, building His kingdom and preparing for the next part of our journey.
HEAVEN
Bema Seat by Petra
