Posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 11:34 pm:

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ìBlessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.î
Matthew 5:7

Today, we come to the 5th beatitude that Jesus taught during His Sermon on the Mount.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.î Matt 5:7

As we study this beatitude we will see that the Bible teaches us several reasons why we should be merciful to others. The first reason can be illustrated by one of the oldest and best-loved stories of mercy being given and mercy being received. Itís the fable of the The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop.

One day a great lion lay asleep in the sunshine. A little mouse ran across his paw and wakened him. The great lion was just going to eat him up when the little mouse cried, ìOh, please, let me go, sir. Some day I may help you.î

The lion laughed at the thought that the little mouse could be of any use to him. But he was a good-natured lion, and he set the mouse free.

Not long after, the lion was caught in a net. He tugged and pulled with all his might, but the ropes were too strong. The he roared loudly. The little mouse heard him, and ran to the spot.

ìBe still, dear Lion, and I will set you free. I will gnaw the ropes.î

With his sharp little teeth, the mouse cut the ropes, and the lion came out of the net.

This fable suggests that if you show someone mercy, then they will show you mercy in return. This is the basic principle of cause and effect. I think itís certainly true that if you show someone mercy that they are more likely to show you mercy in return. And the reverse is also true. If you are cruel to others you are more likely to experience cruelty in return. When you think about it this way, it just makes sense to treat others well because the way you treat others will likely influence they way you are treated. Itís in your best interest to be merciful to others. In fact, the Bible says that,

The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm. Prov 11:17

Merciful behavior will often engender a positive response while cruel behavior will usually cause a negative response. So in general terms, there is a lot of truth to the fable of The Lion and the Mouse. But I think that Jesus intended to teach us a much deeper lesson than a simple principle of cause and effect when he said, ìBlessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercyî.

To start with, Jesus used a very specific Greek word when He said the merciful are ìblessedî. Although I have sometimes seen this word translated as ìhappyî, it actually means much more than just ìhappyî. The dictionary definition of ìhappyî suggests that a person is enjoying good fortune or favorable circumstances. But the word that Jesus used, best translated as ìblessedî, indicates that the person possesses the favor of God and that they are marked by the fullness of God. To be blessed in this way is the equivalent of having Godís kingdom within your heart. It describes a person who is in the world yet independent of the world. Those who have put their faith in Jesus and who follow his teaching are ìblessedî not because they always enjoy good fortune or always feel happy, but because they possess the favor of God. They are blessed even when the mercy they show is misunderstood, criticized, or not returned.

I would guess that almost everyone here has at sometime or another attempted to do the right thing, attempted to show kindness to someone else, only to find out that Aesopís fable doesnít always hold true in the fallen world we live in. Sometimes kindness, compassion, and mercy go unrewarded in this life. Sometimes these qualities are even seen as weaknesses or flaws. Jack and his wife Kate are about to learn this difficult reality in this weekís drama.

[Blessed are the Merciful Skit]

Jack and Kate showed mercy to the neighbor boy, TJ. But in return, they were criticized and misunderstood. George certainly wasnít very merciful. He wasnít merciful to TJ or to Jack and Kate. I would guess that Jack and Kate didnít feel particularly ìhappyî as they left this dinner, but they were blessed because they were following Christ when they showed compassion to TJ no matter what anyone else might think. Jack and Kate had the kingdom of God in their hearts and as a result they also possessed the favor of God. So another reason to be merciful to others is because when we are merciful we possess the favor of God.

I think we can also learn a lot from Jackís response to George. I really like the three very poignant questions that Jack responds with. Jack asks,

ìÖif we don't show mercy to TJ, who will? How else does Christ show mercy to people except through His body, the church? I mean, if we don't do it, who will?î

The answers to these questions are well worth considering. In fact, they call for some hard, honest self-evaluation. There is a popular song which asks very similar questions in its chorus;

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

Can we really claim to be THE CHURCH, the body of Christ on this earth, if weíre not showing Christís love to others? As we examine Christís words in this weekís beatitude it is also worth taking note of the word Jesus used for ìmercifulî. In the Greek, this word describes compassion that involves thought AND action. In other words, Jesus wasnít talking about being merciful by merely being empathetic towards others. Jesus wasnít talking about just a feeling. Jesus was talking about a compassion that leads to action!

James, the half brother of Jesus also talked about this type of action oriented compassion.

Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"óbut then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? James 2:15-16

James is making a statement about what real faith really looks like. A person that has truly put their full faith in Jesus begins to look more like Jesus the longer he or she walks with Jesus. Jesus was full of compassion and mercy for others, and those who have truly put their faith in Him will also begin act in compassionate ways towards others. A person that cares nothing for others and yet claims to have faith in Jesus is really displaying a lifeless faith. So those who call themselves Christians are to show mercy through action. Christ intended His Church to be his hands and feet here on earth. As the Body of Christ we are called upon to serve others in mercy and compassion.

Earlier in the same passage, James also made the following statement;

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13
This judgment is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined. Jesus said,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.î John 5:24

So according to Jesus, those who believe in Him are not judged by their deeds for eternal life because they already have eternal life. But the Bible does teach that Christ will someday evaluate our deeds for reward. We can be sure of our eternal destiny, but it is worth remembering that this life is only a brief preparation for the rest of eternity. What we build in this life, what we do with the time, talents, resources, and opportunities that God gave to us has eternal value. One day we will stand before Christ and receive our reward.

For we all have to come before Christ to be judged; so that every one of us may get his reward for the things done in the body, good or bad. 2 Cor 5:10

In Revelation, Jesus said,

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.î Rev 22:12-13

Part of what we are evaluated on will be the mercy we showed to others. In the book of Matthew Jesus says,

"And whoever, in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." Matt 10:42

In a letter to the Corinthians, Paul likened our deeds here on earth to building a house.

For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already haveóJesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. 1 Cor 3:11-15

I want to be very clear, what we do here doesnít save us, our salvation has already been accomplished through faith alone, but what we do here does determine our reward. What are you building your house on? Are you building on the foundation of Jesus Christ? What are you building your house with? Are you building with love, mercy, and compassion? Are you building something that will pass inspection or something that will collapse when this life is over?

As Rick Warren says in his book The Purpose Driven Life,

ìLiving to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal. A wiser use of time is to build an eternal legacy. You werenít put here on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.î

Speaking of living a purpose driven life, did you know that when you do good deeds such as showing compassion and mercy to others you are fulfilling one of the purposes God has for your life? According to Ephesians Chapter 2, this is Godís purpose for our lives;

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:8-10

Think of it, we were created to do good works. If weíre not living out the purpose we were created for we will never experience all the fullness of life that God has planned for us. And someday each of us will stand before Jesus and learn what His full purpose for our life was. I sincerely hope each of us will hear the words,

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matt 25:21

But how can we be sure of what the Judge will say? Every person that has ever stood before a judge has no doubt hoped that the judge would be merciful. Wouldnít it be great if you could be sure in advance that the judge will be merciful to you and overlook some of your flaws and shortcomings? Believe it or not, Jesus has told us in advance how influence the judge. Now Judge Burns would probably tell us that if we tried to influence a judge in an earthy court it would only get us in more trouble. But Jesus has told us that in His court thereís a way to assure that we receive mercy, forgiveness, and leniency from the Judge.

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.î Matt 6:14

In other words, if we are merciful we will receive mercy. Of course, the converse is also true.

ìBut if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.î Matt 6:15

Jesus once told a parable to illustrate this point. In this parable a king wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. But the man fell down before the king and begged him, `Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

"But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. `Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full.

"When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, `You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.

"That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart." Matt 18:24-35

It seems clear from these versus that the mercy we show to others will be a standard by which our life is evaluated.

At another time, Jesus taught His followers yet another reason to show kindness and mercy to others.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent, that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matt 25:31-40

According to Jesus, when we perform acts of kindness and mercy to others, itís as if weíre doing them for Jesus Himself. Every time we meet a beggar on the street who is hungry, hear of an older person whose health is failing, find out that an acquaintance is in trouble with the law, see a child with no coat, or a teenage girl who is pregnant, or a man dying of AIDS, we have an opportunity to do something for Jesus Christ Himself. What an opportunity! What a wonderful reason to show mercy.

Today, weíve looked at a lot of very good reasons to show mercy to others, but I think that Georgeís wife, Sheila, might have stated the most compelling reason of all. In todayís skit Sheila said, ìAll I know is that God did show us mercy. And ... maybe we should return the favorî.

Paul reminded his friend Titus of this fact as well,

4 But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. 5 He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. Titus 3:4-6

God saved us because of His MERCY. God demonstrated His unfathomable mercy when He gave His one and only Son Jesus to die for our sins and our salvation. He showed us mercy when He invited us to be sons and daughters in His family through faith in Jesus Christ. He poured out His mercy upon us by giving us new life in the Spirit and promising us never ending life in eternity.

In a very real way, we have already received more mercy than we could ever deserve or even comprehend. As recipients of Godís unbounded mercy it is only right to gratefully respond by showing love, kindness, and mercy to others? I can think of no greater reason to be merciful than out of gratitude for the mercy I have already received from God through Jesus Christ.

If you have never fully opened up your heart and received Jesus in all His mercy and love, I invite you to do so today. Donít wait another day. I invite every single person that wishes to celebrate the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus to join in as we partake of the Lordís supper.

-Copyright 2005 Sola Christos Ministries, C. Lee

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Posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 11:39 pm:

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Heavenly Accounting
Christopher A. Lee

Some of my earliest religious memories are of attending Revelation seminars at our small town SDA church. If you went every night and got your whole card punched you could receive a free Bible with H.M.S. Richards study helps. The free Bible was barely adequate to keep a small boy attending given the terrifying subject matter. It was certainly scary hearing the stories of how the ìSunday-Keepersî would hunt down the ìSabbath-Keepersî to imprison and kill them and how we would have to hide in the mountains (See chapters 38 and 39 of the Great Controversy by Ellen G. White). We were told we should start learning to identify edible roots and berries now so we would be ready when the Sunday-Keepers came for us.
As scary as that was, the teaching that no doubt left the longest lasting spiritual scars was the doctrine of the investigative judgment. I was taught to believe that, ìEvery manís work passes in review before God and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of haven is entered with terrible exactness every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel.î ñ White, Ellen. The Great Controversy, pg. 482.
ìAs the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of an unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of the good deeds will be erased from the book of Godís remembrance.î ñ Ibid. pg. 483
Adventists believe that this investigative judgment began in 1844. The lives of the earliest humans were examined first and that Christ may work His way up to the lives of the living at any time. (See chapters 21, 23, and 24 of The Great Controversy). Christians are not only judged on the minutia listed above, but on the perfection of their law keeping, especially perfection in keeping the old covenant 7th day Sabbath. (See chapter 25 of The Great Controversy).
Even as a boy I had often behaved selfishly, wasted moments, failed to make the most of opportunities, sometimes tripped up on one or two of the myriad of Sabbath regulations, and had no doubt failed to confess every instance of these infractions. Because of this I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that my chances of getting in Heaven were slim at best (and that was being optimistic).
It was not until I was much older that I stumbled onto something that Martin Luther had proclaimed centuries earlier, righteousness by faith alone in Christ alone. I was shocked to the core to find out that my deeds were not judged for salvation, but that it was a gift based upon belief. The purpose of this brief paper is not to make a case for salvation by faith (the Gospel of John can do that far more eloquently than I), but to provide a few texts on judgment. If we start from the assumption that most Christians believe we are not saved based on works, but on faith, then what does the Bible say about judgment?
The texts listed below (among others) teach that believers do not come under judgment (except for reward) because they are found in Christ and his Righteousness is credited to them in a forensic sense. Those who do not put their faith in Christ are indeed judged based on their own deeds because they have not accepted the righteousness of Christ.
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
8 "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,
12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;
15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Romans 4:2-16 (NASB)
We who live after the fulfillment of the Law are like Abraham who lived before the law. We do not come under wrath because the righteousness of Abraham's seed (Christ) has been credited to us through the Heavenly accounting method of Grace.
6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM."
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM."
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usófor it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"ó
14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.
16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.
17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.
20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one.
21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.
24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Gal 3:6-25 (NASB)
We now can clearly see that the law was a teacher to lead people to Christ, but now that He has come we are no longer under that teacher (We have a much greater Teacher in the presence of the Holy Spirit). We are also told that no one is justified by the law but by faith so the law canít possibly be the basis for judging those who believe in Christ.
14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
John 3:14-21 (NASB)
Notice in the quote from Jesus above that the deciding factor on who is judged and who is not is based solely on belief in Him. Jesus picks up the same theme two chapters later.
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
John 5:24-29 (NASB)
Notice that Jesus says there are two resurrections. Those that have been found in Him have life and can look forward to eternal rewards and those that aren't found in Him have judgment. The NASB adds the word "deeds" in italics, though it is not in the Greek text. Since we are told that all our righteousness is as filthy rags we can be sure it is not the deeds that saves these individuals from judgment, but the belief that is referenced in verse 24.
6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah 64:6 (NASB)
For those found in Christ, the one deed that really counts for salvation is accepting Him.
28 Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
John 6:28-29 (NASB)
Beyond this, works are an outpouring of the Christian life after salvation.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Eph 2:8-10 (NASB)
In John 12, Jesus makes the extremely startling statement that if even if someone does not keep all of His sayings, He still will not be judged as long as he believes! But note that those who reject Christ will be judged based on their unbelief.
46 "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
47 "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
John 12:46-48 (NASB)
This is not to suggest for a moment that we have leave to disregard the teachings of Jesus. May it never be! Jesus is using some startling hyperbole here to hammer home the point that it is not works that save or determine who is judged, it is belief in Christ that causes us to pass out of judgment/death and into life.
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
1 John 4:14-18 (NASB)
We need not fear judgment because we abide in God through Jesus and there is no punishment for such. If we confess Jesus we may have confidence in our destination.
10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:10-13 (NASB)
John doesn't give us much choice here. He says you either believe that you have eternal life through belief in Christ or you make God a liar! He assures us that we can *KNOW* this. What confidence we can have!
18 "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
Rev 11:18 (NASB)
Notice that judgment and reward are dealt with as distinct here: judgment and destruction for the wicked and reward for the righteous.
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Rev 20:4-6 (NASB)
Here we see that the righteous come forth to a separate and distinct resurrection where one of the rewards is to sit as judges.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Rev 20:11-14 (NASB)
The judgment of the white throne is indeed a judgment of deeds because this is the judgment of those who are NOT found in Christ and not covered in His blood. Therefore they have come into judgment and destruction. It's worth noting that none of these texts (nor any others that I am aware of) would suggests that Christ started pouring over record books 158 years ago investigating believers to see if they are really worthy of Heaven based on every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, every secret sin, every artful dissembling, Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities. Such a teaching tends to undermine the Gospel message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. Instead of instead of the confidence both Christ and the apostle John urged us to have, adherents to this doctrine are left with fear and doubt in their hearts. That is the basis of my objection to this historic teaching. We have a much better hope, a much better promise, and a much better gift than that.
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
John 5:24 (NASB)

-Copyright 2002 Sola Christos Ministries, C. Lee

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