“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
2 Corinthians 5:10
God is omniscient, and He knows all things. He is perfectly acquainted with His own law as well as with the life and character of every human being. He knows exactly how much enlightenment and knowledge you have received and how much mercy you have been shown. He knows all the privileges granted to you in detail. He knows the number and magnitude of your sins and the punishment you deserve. Therefore, you cannot deceive Him, neither by a false testimony nor by pointing out certain “good” sides. All your defenses will not help you. Everything is open and bare before His eyes. He knows your heart and your thoughts, and He will display everything that has happened in your life in the clearest light.
He is righteous through and through. He knows right and will stand up for it. All injustice, in whatever form it may exist and by whatever name it may be called – He will expose it and bring it to justice. With convincing clarity, the complete truth will come forth. Everything will be handled according to the principle of the most exact justice. The eternal Judge will make a decision that will silence every mouth.
He is absolutely impartial. He will not recognize any distinctions that people have made. High and low standing, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, different nations – all will be on the same level. The only dividing line before the eternal Judge will be between the righteous and the wicked. On one side or the other of this great dividing line, you and I will also be found on the great day of final reckoning.
The Judge accepts no gift; He cannot be bribed. No excuse you make, no reasons you try to give, no remorseful confession will then have any value before Him. Tears, prayers, and persistent supplications will not move Him then. The time of grace and mercy will be over forever. The kind and gentle Jesus who invites you now will then appear as a righteous Judge. If you have forfeited His grace, He will know you only as an impudent sinner who is without forgiveness. He will examine your case seriously and inexorably, weigh you on His scales, and pronounce judgment upon you.
He will bring your case to judgment with His law and justice. According to His own high standard, He will judge it and give you the punishment afterwards. And the Book will be opened which contains the complete history of your life – a record of every thought, word, and deed.
The Book of Divine Providence will shed light on all of God’s kind and gracious leading in your life. The Book of grace will show what God did and what Jesus suffered so that you would be saved. The Book of conscience will show you the countless times you have been called to reflection and rebuked for your sins on your wicked path. The Book of memory will vividly unroll the past before your eye, and the great Book of God’s remembrance will clearly portray your character. What an overwhelming testimony these books will bring to light! There is no denying the truth there. Like the sun in the sky, it will be there. In strict accordance with the divine law, the sentence that seals the sinner’s eternal destiny will stand firm and immovable, and no appeal will be possible against it.
Dear friend, are you ready for this terrible hour? Do you, as you continue to live, have that day constantly before your eyes? Are you really prepared for that terrible hour? Are you ready to answer before the judgment seat of God for your conduct of life in thoughts, words, and deeds? If not, escape the wrath to come while judgment is still delayed, while you still have time and opportunity. It is a fearful thing to have to stand before the judgment seat of an angry God, to meet His penetrating gaze and be condemned by Him to eternal destruction. Therefore, meet your God today!
Be the first to comment