Before the Judgement Seat of Christ

Review

Last week, Roland spoke on the judgement that God that righty falls on all of us. All of us stand before the Lord as those who are judged. Paul hasn’t gotten there yet, but we who put our faith in Jesus have earned for ourselves the same judgement as Adam, and with him, all mankind. It is only by the tender mercies of the Father, who sent the Savior, who willingly gave his life to pay the debts of our sins. Though we still stand guilty of sin before the Father, we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

As we continue to talk about sin, I want to challenge us as a community of believers. Brothers and sisters in Christ. The first requirement to become a part of any bible believing church is to acknowledge that we are all sinners. With that baseline established, we all seek to grow in holiness alongside one another as the Holy Spirit continues His sanctifying work within you. Without a strong church community, we are just left to assume that the sanctifying work is continuing, and we are tempted to put on our nicest clothes, our best smile, and show everyone just how fast the sanctification is happening. Unfortunately, we can give the impression that we are so far ahead in our Christian walk, that we don’t actually need anyone’s help.

I’ll say this now, that we all need a group of people in our life who we can be real with. We all need to work together to ensure that we create a church environment where people know they are loved, cared for, and supported when they’re in times of need. Within our church, we all need a group that we can come to when things aren’t going well, that will support us and pray for us and know us more intimately than you could possibly know 150 people. Then, to go just one step further, we all need 1 or 2 people in our lives that we would consider our spiritual mentors. People that have been running the Christian race for longer than you, that can take the time to answer your questions, speak into your life, and someone you can come to with the really hard things, that you might not be comfortable sharing with a group, who can come along side you in prayer as we navigate life in a world corrupted by sin. If you find yourself struggling right now, whether with life circumstances, or sin that you’re fighting and still waiting to see victory, I would encourage you to start a conversation with that potential mentor today. Your elder team is always available for those conversations too, but this church is full of mature believers that may be just one step ahead of you, who can

In the day of judgement, all mankind will stand guilty. There will be no secret sin, nothing hidden from the Judge, and just judgement will not be withheld. But for the believer, we will stand, not as the rest of the world, not as Adam and Eve, but clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

2 Timothy 3:5 “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Romans 2:12-29

12-16 Law or not

Hebrews 10:1–4 “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Hebrews 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

17-24 Jew or not

Romans 9 begins with Paul mourning over and lamenting the fact that his kinsmen, with whom he would have went to synagog, learned the scriptures, and broke bread, that while they were all ethnic Israel, there are some who were not true Israel.

Romans 9:6–8 “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”

25-29 Circumcised or not

Deuteronomy 29 begins the renewing of the covenant of Moses with Moab, and Moses is retelling the story of God’s faithfulness to Israel, and in Deuteronomy 30, this continues with the promise that God will deliver His people into the promised land, and that brings us to

Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Recap

Beginning with Adam, all mankind has sought to take control over our future. Adam was not content to be just a man, but desired to be like God. It’s no surprise that we see men here trying to take control of their salvation, claiming that they can be saved through anything apart from Jesus alone. Paul is making it clear…

Law or not, Jew or not, Circumcision or not, your salvation is found in Christ alone.

We see this exact same teaching in a parable that Jesus tells in the Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:9–14 “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””

God wants your heart, and that is what he has always wanted. It’s never been about robotically following rules to avoid punishment, but it’s about following the loving instruction of your Father. In the day of judgement, all will call Him Judge, but only those who put their faith in Jesus will be able to call him Father, and receive His forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.