There is nothing that causes more emotional pain, mental anguish, and social instability in life than the expectation of punishment, retribution, scrutiny, and impending calamity, especially when it comes to the perceived wrathful judgment of God! What does the Gospel truly say about this?
New Testament writers explain that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the declaration of God’s Love, demonstrated and proven to us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on behalf of the ungodly.
Yet the PROOF of God’s AMAZING LOVE is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us. MOREOVER, if he did that for us while we were SINNERS, now that we are men JUSTIFIED by the shedding of his blood, what REASON have we to FEAR the WRATH of God? -Romans 5:8-11 JB Phillips
The Gospel boldly proclaims that 2,000 years ago, Jesus dealt with sin and God’s judgment for all time. This was not the way the gospel was presented to me. I learned early on that God was still angry, and Jesus, by His blood, protected me from God’s wrath and anger. The thought of the “Judgment Seat of Christ” was always a place of potential humiliation and retribution for me.
Romans 14:10-12 clearly emphasizes that we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an account to God. So what does that mean for us? As we look at the full context of Romans 14, we can find the good news of God’s grace and mercy.
AS FOR the man who is a WEAK BELIEVER, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to CRITICIZE his opinions or pass judgment on his SCRUPLES or PERPLEX him with discussions.
One [man’s faith PERMITS him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [LIMITS his] eating to vegetables. Let not him who EATS look down on or despise him who ABSTAINS, and let not him who ABSTAINS criticize and pass judgment on him who EATS; FOR GOD HAS ACCEPTED AND WELCOMED HIM.
Who are you to pass judgment on and censure ANOTHER’S household servant? IT IS BEFORE HIS OWN MASTER THAT HE STANDS OR FALLS. And HE SHALL STAND and be UPHELD, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to SUPPORT him and MAKE HIM STAND. One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in HONOR of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in HONOR of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in HONOR of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
None of us LIVES to HIMSELF [but to the Lord], and none of us DIES to HIMSELF [but to the Lord]. -Romans 14:1-9 AMPC
If we LIVE, we LIVE to the Lord, and if we DIE, we DIE to the Lord. So then, whether we LIVE or we DIE, we BELONG to the LORD. For Christ died and lived again for this very PURPOSE, that He might be Lord both of the DEAD and of the LIVING. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all STAND before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every KNEE shall bow to me, and every TONGUE shall CONFESS to God. So then every one of us shall give ACCOUNT of himself to God.
-Romans 14:10-12 KJV
God accepts and welcomes both the weak and the strong in faith, and it is the Lord who can make us all STAND. Paul shows us that in and through the finished work of the crucified Christ, we as believers have the assurance that we belong to God, no matter what. He is both Lord in life and in death!
The Judgment Seat of Christ is where we, as believers, will one day STAND to receive Jesus’ declaration of deliverance, redemption, and forgiveness, as He pronounces over us our innocence, because of His accomplishments on the the cross! It’s a pronouncement of mercy, grace, forgiveness, deliverance, acceptance, and righteousness.
The word “confess” in Romans 14:11 means “to profess, to acknowledge openly and joyfully, to one’s honor: to celebrate, and give praise to, and to fully agree.”
I believe the “Judgment Seat of Christ” is a place of joy, peace, and gratitude before God, where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess God’s amazing love and grace!
Blessings,
Arthur
