“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth away from Him] or away from home [and with Him], we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing]. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 AMP
Nothing that you do here on earth goes unnoticed in eternity. You may think that you can sin and get away with it, or maybe you did a good thing and you think that no one took notice of it. However, at the judgment seat of Christ, everything you did – good and bad – will be revealed and exposed. The judgment seat of Christ is a judgment seat for believers.
So do not make any hasty or premature judgments before the time when the Lord comes [again], for He will both bring to light the secret things that are [now hidden] in darkness and disclose and expose the [secret] aims (motives and purposes) of hearts. Then every man will receive his [due] commendation from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5 AMP
Every one will be judged and receive his or her pay according to what they did – good or evil – and according to their purpose and motive in doing it. You will be judged according what you have achieved, what you have been busy with, and what you gave your attention to accomplishing. So it makes sense that we should all take a good hard look at our own heart, attitude, motives and works and judge them know. Then we can make the necessary adjustments so that on the day when all is revealed, we are not ashamed over anything that we have done on earth.
For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. 11 For He Who said, You shall not commit adultery, also said, You shall not kill. If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become guilty of transgressing the [whole] Law. 12 So speak and so act as [people should] who are to be judged under the law of liberty [the moral instruction given by Christ, especially about love]. 13 For to him who has shown no mercy the judgment [will be] merciless, but mercy [full of glad confidence] exults victoriously over judgment. James 2:10-13 AMP
If you are a Christian, you are no longer subject to the Law – you have been redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13). Your focus is not on keeping the Law itself, but rather on walking in the love of God toward all men, because love fulfills the law – if you walk in the love, you will not transgress the Law (Romans 13:10). So you should speak and act like people who are to be judged under the law of liberty – the law that commands us to walk in the love of God. If you are merciful, you will receive mercy, but if you are hard and judgmental toward your brothers and sisters, then you will be shown no mercy either. So, in a sense, you are the one who chooses the measure of judgment that you will receive. You would be smart to start showing as much mercy as you can!
None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for] 8 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. 9 For Christ died and lived again for this very purpose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise]. 12 And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to God. 13 Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother. Romans 14:7-13 AMP
None of us lives or dies to himself, but we live and die as unto the Lord – whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. With that in mind, we should be constantly ambitious and earnestly strive to be pleasing to Him. We please Him when we are kind, considerate and merciful toward each other. If we do this then we will not be ashamed to give an account of ourselves to God when we stand before Him.
