Good
Monday morning, (9-20-10),
Does willful sin in a Christian’s life have eternal
Consequences?
Simply put, yes. Willful sin does have eternal
consequences for a Christian, because, for one thing, it hardens his heart and
divides him from the call of God.
Our lives are like houses which will one day be
presented before Jesus. This place of accountability is referred to in the New
Testament as the judgment seat of Christ, and at this place, every Christian
will bow his knees, and through confession, give an account of his life to God.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way, the foundation in
every Christian’s life is Jesus Christ, He is the
common salvation shared by all believers. Upon this foundation, we are each commanded
to build our lives by fulfilling our individual callings in Christ.
Our callings are hugely varied from person to
person, but rest assured, we are each called to do specific things on this
earth, and we are each going to be held accountable for that calling on the day
we kneel before Jesus. We will each have our lives reviewed against the foreordained
pattern of God’s design for our lives.
Being aware that I will one day give account to
Jesus for my life does cause me to think twice before I just run off and do my
own thing. This is what Paul was thinking about when he wrote in 2nd
Corinthians 5:9 that he “labored” that whether alive or absent from the body he
might be found “pleasing” to God.
We must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each one may be rewarded for the deeds done in the body,
according to what we have done, whether good or bad. This is also what Paul was
referring to when he went on to write in verse 11, “Knowing therefore the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men…”
The word “terror” is translated from the Greek word phobos
and it means to be alarmed, exceedingly afraid, or terrified.
I’ve never heard a single negative thing said
against the great evangelist Billy Graham. This man was salt, and we rejoiced
for a season in his light. Brother Graham also knew the terror of the Lord, and
consequently he mightily persuaded men. Millions have come to know Jesus Christ
as a result of his obedience to the call. Since I think we can all find common
ground with this evangelist, I would like to quote his perspectives about this
matter from his book, Death and the Life
After.
Before we die two basic issues must be resolved. The
first is, “Am I ready?” Have you confessed your sins and asked Jesus Christ to
come into your heart, to take possession of your life? Millions of Christians
throughout the world are assured, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus
is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will
be saved” (Romans 10:9).
But the Christian life doesn’t end there! The next
basic issue is “How then do I live?” This is to say, before you die, what
service will you render to God and man? Are you investing your life in those
things that will last for eternity? “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, that each of us may receive what is due him
for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2nd Corinthians 5:9-10).
The Bible says we will all have to give account to
Jesus someday (1st
Peter 4:5). We will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10).
On that day, what we have done on earth will be past. Our chances to speak to
the neighbor about the love of Christ, to give to missions, to help evangelism,
will be over. Opportunities to share our earthly goods with the starving will
be gone. Whatever gifts we were given will be worthless if we hoarded them on
earth….
The judgment seat of Christ is referred to as the
Greek word bema, which identifies the
judge’s seat in the arena of the Olympic Games. The bema was the seat where the judge sat, not to punish contestants,
but to present awards to the victors. When Christians stand before the bema of Christ, it is for the purpose of
being rewarded according to their works.
When Christ returns, every Christian will stand
before the bema, not as spectators, but
as those to be judged. The Bible doesn’t say where this judgment will take
place, and the logistics of millions of saints standing there are beyond
comprehension. But one thing is certain, we must all appear.
The judgment seat of Christ will be graduation
ceremonies at which time each believer will receive a reward for his works. The
New Testament teaches these rewards are called “crowns.” Quoted from Death and
the Life After, Billy Graham.
One of the last recorded words of Jesus is found in Revelation 22:12,
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” Since this is
so, doesn’t it make sense to reject the lie by making sure the things of God in
our lives? Our works matter. If we work against Christ, that matters. If we
work for Him, that matters too.
The Crown of Glory, the Crown of Righteousness, the
Crown of Life, The Crown of Rejoicing, and the Incorruptible Crown will or will
not be given as a result of our works. These crowns are but a few of the
rewards listed in the Bible. What unfathomable honor it will be when Christ coronates those who overcome! Since you also know these
things, labor, that whether alive or absent from the body, like the Apostle
Paul you might be found pleasing to God.
Wayne
Witcher
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an
open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast
kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Revelation
3:8