THE KING’S BUSINESS
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to which Paul here refers will not be .a judgment regarding our salvation. The question of our salvation is already settled. If was settled the moment we believed-on Christ (John 5:24, R. V.; John 3:36), but it will' be a judgment regarding our works and. our reward. Then we shall “receive the things done in the body.” Each one of us ‘as individuals shall receive accord ing as we have done. Vfe should note care fully that “the things done in the body” is yvhat we are to receive. The issues of eternity are all decided while we are still in the body -(cf. Heb. 9:27). If what we have done , is “good” according to Christ’s unerring standards, good in motive and spirit, as well as in quality and quantity, we , shall receive accordingly (cf. 1 Cor. 3:13-15). If ibis “worthless” (this is the force of the word translated “bad”) we shall receive accordingly, we shall lose ■ our reward; though, if we are true believ ers, we ourselves shall be saved yet so as through fire •(1 Cor. 3:14, 15). Knowing this “fear of the Lord,” i. e., the fear of the coming judgment for the idle and those doing worthless things, Paul sought to persuade men. We too, knowing what awaits -those who are wasting their time and putting their strength into worthless activities, ought to seek to persuade men. It is woeful if we do not. Paul was confi dent that as far as he himself was con cerned that he was manifested unto God in his. work and had His approval. With this, joyous' and blessed confidence Paul .hoped he was also manifested to the con sciences of the Corinthian believers. • Friday, February 15 . 2 Cor. 5 : 12 - 15 - Paul knew how ready some hostile per son, would be to say: “There, Paul is commending himself again,” so he antici pates this unkindly criticism and says: “We are not again commending ourselves unto you. We simply aim to give you a start ing point for glorying on our behalf, that ye may have, wherewith to- answer them that glory in appearance and not in heart.” There were those in Corinth who gloried in
present with the Lord, even if death should come before the Lord come. Paul was “ambitious” (v- 9, R. V. Margin) “whether at home or absent (i. e., whether in the body qr out of the body and therefore absent from the Lord or at home with the Lord) to be well pleasing unto Him.” The word translated “labor” in the Authorized Ver sion of v. 9 , and “make it our aim” in the Revised Version, means literally “are ambi tious.” This then is. the believer’s ambition in whatever state he is, to be well pleasing unto the Lord Jesus. Paul would have liked to please men if possible, but it did not matter much, his overmastering ambi- , tion was to please the Lord Jesus Christ. Holy ambition! God grant that it may be the all-controlling ambition of each one of v us. But why was it Paul’s ambition to be well pleasing unto the Lord Jesus ? In the 10 th verse he answers the question, because “we must all be made manifest before the judgment, seat of (the) Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” The thotight of “made manifest” is; revealed in our true •character (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; Col. 3:4, R. V.). It' is before the judgment seat of the Christ that we are to be thus revealed in our true character. We are even now made mani fest to the all-seeing eye of God(Heb. 4:13), but what our real life is, what we are in our inmost selves, will then be “made manifest ” (made, open and clear) to the whole assembled Church, and to the uni verse. The judgment here spoken of .is not a general judgment of- all mankind. There is to be no general judgment of all mankind. This is a judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ, after Christ shall have come in the air and received His Church unto ^Himself (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). There will he a judgment of living nations also when Christ comes with His judged and purified Church to the earth (Matt; . 25:31, 32), and there will be the Judgment of the Great White Throne at the close o-f the millennium when the rest of the dead are raised (Rev.20:7-15). This judgment
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