Skip to main content

Judged by Christ

I recently read a devotional on judgement. It made me feel quite a bit uncomfortable. The devotional quoted 2 Corinthians 5:10, "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.". This made me uncomfortable because I don't like the idea of answering to anyone about the things I've done. 

I don't think I am alone in this, but I'm not perfect. I'm FAR from perfect. I've made plenty of poor decisions. I've ignored part of the scripture, heck I've run from the Bible. 

I know the "mistakes" I've made and the "mistakes" I've chosen. I don't want to be judged, especially by an all knowing God!  

As much as I would like to run from it, I know the truth. I am a sinner. I deserve the consequences of my actions. I deserve to pay the price. I deserve to be on that cross. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬19 NIV

God’s love rests comfortably in what us humans perceive as tension with truth. In His new creation we have hope. In Jesus, we are reconciled. In this reconciliation our sins are no longer counted against us. Apart from Him, we face judgement and full consequences of our wickedness. 

The authors of the devotional I referred to earlier said, "All unbelievers will be judged by Christ. All believers will be judged through Christ." This doesn’t mean that we are free from the consequences of our sin in this world. If you commit murder, you go to prison and possibly face the death penalty. Because of Jesus, there is reconciliation. Jesus paid the price on the cross and forgiveness is a reality for those who confess and turn from sin.  

So, as you consider the uncomfortable concept of judgement, think of Jesus. He paid your price. He paid my price. We choose to be more like Him so that people who don’t believe may be inspired to believe. So God’s people may be reconciled, just like you and I have been. We are saved from judgement by Christ. Instead of being judged through Christ.

Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anchor House Week 2: Have a nice forever

The second week at Anchor House concluded with my return to State College of Florida for a very special event. I had the great honor of overseeing the celebration of life services for Robert C Wynn.  Coach Wynn was the first baseball coach and athletic director at then Manatee Junior College. Under his leadership, they won championships, expanded the athletic department by adding other new sports, and were pioneers and champions for women in sport. He was a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, coach, teacher, mentor, and friend. The fact is, he built a legacy. However, that legacy wasn’t just what occurred on the baseball field, athletic department, or within his family. It was about people's forever.  Coach Wynn was one of the most passionate soldiers for Jesus I have ever known.  He was more concerned about people's salvation in Jesus than anything else. It was the focal point of all of his relationships and decisions. His unashamed passion for s...
1 comment
Read more

A New Command

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 NIV I don't know how many times I have read this verse. Today it hit me differently. Part of it jumped off the page. If there's a new commandment, what makes this different than the old ones?  They must have love in them, right? Nine of the ten commandments have "No" or "Not" contained in them. They tell us what we cannot do rather than providing us with positive direction.  This new commandment couldn't be a more drastic change from the ten commandments. Jesus doesn't say don't do this instead He says DO THIS! Jesus could have easily followed the format of the commandments and said don't hate others or don't ignore others. Instead He gave direction and said LOVE others.   This raises the question, what does it mean to love each other as Jesus loved us and how can we do that?  Be blessed and be a blessing Matt Ennis
Post a Comment
Read more

Bold Like Stephen

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to be bold in their convictions.  It is the kind of boldness that allows them to stand out in the crowd. There is just something different about how these people view and engage the world around them.  The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” portrays a man that exemplifies what I mean by bold.  He was drafted to serve in World War II but refused to bear arms because of religious reasons. Yet, he still managed to receive the Congressional Medal of honor. Without a weapon in his hand, he saved 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Despite his objection to violence, he still served his country. Despite his objection to war he found a way to love his neighbor. He was bold.  When I think of bold in the Bible, I think of Stephen. Acts 6:8 says, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen faced opposition to his teachings. Those that opposed his teachings couldn't ...
Post a Comment
Read more