Giving Account by Paul 2Vf. Lenton
O ne of the most precious teachings of our Protes tant Christian Faith, based on clear Bible state ments, is that of the present certainty of our eternal salvation: the teaching that tells us that we can never be brought into judgment for sin that has been con fessed and forgiven: the teaching that tells us that it is possible here and now to know that we are saved for time and eternity. In the book of Revelation we read of a Great White Throne, and of the dead, small and great, rich and poor, king and peasant, standing before God at the last judgment. No true Christian, no born-again child of God will ever stand there. Listen to these verses from the Bible and revel and rejoice in what they say. “ He that believeth on him is not condemned” (John 3:18). “ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). “ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish" (John 10:28). So we could go on. What a glorious position! The Bible knows nothing of Purgatory: of pious hopes, or terrifying uncertainties. Our salvation is sure and steadfast, resting upon the unshakable Word of God. But we must be careful lest the certainty of our soul's salvation, and the completeness of our for giveness cause us to have a completely wrong idea of our relationship with our God. It is true we have been freed from the guilt of sin which forever would have shut us out from the presence of God, but any idea that we shall be welcomed into heaven with OCTOBER, 1970 . . . . 0 . , “ Verily, verily. I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
no questions asked, is completely at variance with revealed truth. There are many, many passages of scripture which make it clear that every one of us, as a Christian, is answerable to God. Paul, writing to the Romans, says, “ For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. . . . So then EVERY ONE of us shall give account of him self to God” (Rom. 14:10, 12). There are many other Scriptures on this theme that fill in a few details on this broad canvas of the judgment of believers. Writing to the church at Colosse, Paul gives a guide to Christian behavior for husbands, wives, children, fathers and servants, closing with this injunction, “ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done” (Col. 3:23-25). In his letter to the Corinthian church the Apostle uses the metaphor of a building to illustrate this same point. There is only one foundation for a life that has any chance of acceptance with God, and that foundation is Christ and His finished work. By all means make sure you’re resting on the right founda tion, Paul says, but just a minute: be very careful what you build on that foundation. God is not only concerned with whether you're standing on the right foundation. He is vitally interested in what sort of building you are erecting on it. Your life will be judged; your building will be tested. It's not a ques tion of whether you will be saved or not. Paul makes that quite clear. It’s a question of receiving commen dation for a life well-lived, or suffering loss for a life wasted. Oh yes, we must all appear before the judg ment seat of Christ. We all have a responsibility that cannot be avoided. But let us move from the general, which is solemn OF ¿ 3 * 0 ^ 27
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