“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
(2 Corinthians 5:10-11)
Every person must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. No one will be excused or hidden among the multitude. The Judge will be Christ Himself, and the judgment will be based on how we lived while on earth. Our intentions and behaviors will be brought into judgment before His righteous throne.
Deeds that appeared small, ordinary, private, or quickly forgotten will not escape His notice. As this passage in 2 Corinthians tells us, every person will receive according to what he has done, whether good or bad. A word may be spoken in a moment, an example displayed in a single choice, or an influence exerted without much thought, yet the consequences continue long after the original act has ended.
Many actions continue to produce effects and influence others even after the person who performed them has died. A godly example may still be modeled, sound counsel remembered, and charitable work continued. In the same way, sinful influence may outlive its author. Corrupt opinions may infect others, evil advice may be repeated, wicked examples may shape succeeding generations, and unjust customs may continue to injure those who had no part in their beginning. A person may therefore choose to stop the behavior and yet remain responsible for effects that proceed from what he established.[1]
This reality lends particular weight to sins that encourage others in evil. A person who introduces error, furthers himself through injustice, spreads corrupt teaching, or makes sin easier for others may continue multiplying harm after his own opportunity to repent has ended. The sin is not repeated by his personal act, but its influence remains active. Such a truth should urge us toward careful self-examination. It is a fearful thing to leave behind an example, teaching, habit, or injury that continues offending God when the one responsible can no longer correct it.
We should keep before us the fact that every secret thing, whether good or evil, will be brought into judgment. This truth brings an urgency to repentance. It calls sinners to consider not only what others have seen, but what God has always seen, and to confess those sins now rather than meet them uncovered at the judgment seat.
Contemplations:
- Considering the Record of My Actions. Once a word has been spoken or a deed performed, I often move on without considering that it remains known to God. I may forget it, excuse it, or persuade myself that it was too insignificant to matter, yet Christ will judge the things done in the body. This means that every action matters. The certainty of appearing before Christ exposes the foolishness of treating sin as temporary simply because the moment of committing it has passed.
- Examining the Influence I Leave Behind. Words I have spoken, opinions I have encouraged, examples I have given, and habits I have reinforced may bear fruit beyond what I realize. This is especially worrisome in terms of my sinful attitudes or conduct that may have made disobedience easier for someone else. I have not considered the lasting effects of my example. The possibility of continuing harm should make me grieve over every way in which my conduct has encouraged others to think lightly of God’s commands.
- Remembering What Was Done in Secret. Some sins have remained only in my thoughts, desires, intentions, or private conduct. I may have felt safe because no reputation was damaged and no accusation was brought against me. Yet concealment before men is not concealment before Christ. Every secret thing will be brought into judgment. My hidden life is part of the life for which I must answer. I tend to fear discovery more than I fear God, and shame before people more than guilt before Him. But the holiness of Christ, not the knowledge of men, determines the true seriousness of what I have done.
- Feeling the Terror of the Lord. The terror of the Lord should awaken my conscience and bring me to honest confession. I must appear before Christ, and nothing false, concealed, or excused will survive before Him. I have often lived as though judgment were uncertain or remote. I have delayed repentance, softened the names of my sins, and relied on forgetfulness. Yet the Judge knows every action and every continuing effect that has followed from it. This should silence my excuses. I need to confess what God has forbidden, seek pardon for what I have done, and turn from sins whose consequences may still be spreading. The proper response to judgment is not evasion, but repentance before the day of account arrives.
Prayer (Confession):
Righteous Lord, I confess that I have not lived with the judgment seat of Christ clearly before me. I have treated many actions as though they ended when the moment passed. I have forgotten words, excused conduct, and dismissed sins because they seemed small, private, or unnoticed. Yet every deed is known to You, and I must give an account for the things I have done.
I have sometimes been more concerned with concealment than repentance. I have allowed secret sins to continue because no one else knew of them. I have acted as though darkness could hide me from You, though every thought, desire, intention, and deed has always been open before Your sight.
I also confess my carelessness concerning the influence of my actions. My words, attitudes, advice, and example may have encouraged sin in others. I may have influenced wrong opinions, made disobedience appear acceptable, or left injuries uncorrected. I do not know how far the effects of my conduct have extended, but You know them fully. Forgive every way in which I have caused another person to stumble or helped evil continue beyond my own behavior.
Strip away my excuses and give me honest repentance. Teach me to call sin what Your law calls it. Keep me from condemning myself over things You have not forbidden, but never permit me to make light of what You have plainly condemned.
I seek mercy through Jesus Christ, the Judge before whom I must appear and the Savior who bore the condemnation of His people. Forgive my sins for His sake, cleanse my conscience by His blood, and turn me from every evil way.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Rom. 14:10; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:16; Eph. 6:8
[1] John Kettlewell, The Practical Believer, Or, The Articles of the Apostles Creed Drawn out to Form a True Christian’s Heart, (London: Printed for Robert Kettlewell and are to be sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1688), 78-83.
