Here, Paul seems to be talking about someone who thinks of
themselves as one of God’s people, worthy to dispense judgement on the sinner
when Paul suggests the self-righteous are simply engaged in self-deception. We
know when God’s wrath and righteous judgment will be poured out and when every
man and woman is held accountable for their deeds.
Revelation 20:11 ¶ And I
saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and
the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in
it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works. 14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
15 And whosoever was not
found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
For how can you truly have received Christ if the very things that
God listed through Paul in Romans, chapter 1, are traits that identify who you
are? Many of those who identify themselves as Christians have deceived
themselves that a 1-2-3 repeat after me prayer is enough for salvation when
there is no repentance in the heart.
While to some Paul here appears to be preaching a religion of
works it is more likely, in my estimation based on the total body of his
writings, that he is showing the religious minded person that there are
behaviors that characterize the saved as well as the lost. If you are evil you
are as damned without the Law if you don’t have it as you are judged by the Law
if you have it, and no one is spared.
For how can you brag about your position in Christ as opposed to
those who are not saved by Him; atheists, Muslims, Hindus, and the ubiquitous
“other” of all types whom you hold in contempt when they, without God’s true
Bible or standard, manage to behave more Godly than you do? If you have known
many atheists, Muslims, Hindus, homosexuals, etc. etc. meaning anyone of whom
you don’t approve you will have met many with a higher standard of good than
many so-called Christians you have met. I’ve met Muslims that are more
concerned about sin in their lives than many Christians and atheists with a
perfect credit rating and a good reputation for kindness and charitable giving.
The conscience of every man or woman on earth bears witness to
God’s standard and that has been the case since Noah and sons walked off the
Ark. Every person in their heart of hearts knows what sin is, having some
knowledge of God the creator’s standards. Notice my comments on a passage in
Genesis 7. Long before the Law was given to Moses there was an understanding of
God’s standard of clean and unclean animals just as Abram knew to honor God at
an altar and Job understood sacrifices for sin. There was a knowledge of God’s
standards which became corrupted and which understanding He renewed in the Law
given to Moses. Clean animals were brought into the ark by sevens and unclean
by twos.
For
evangelicals who separate the Great White Throne judgment from the Judgment
Seat of Christ as the former being of the unsaved and the latter for the saved
understand that even at the Judgment Seat of Christ, if that is not the same as
the Great White Throne judgment, our works are judged although we are saved
from fire.
Romans 14:10 But why dost
thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we
shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For
it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every
tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any
more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to
fall in his brother’s way.
1Corinthians 3:11 ¶ For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this
foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for
the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall
try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive
a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
2Corinthians 5:10 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.
However, keep in mind that historical commentators like Matthew
Henry regarded the Great White Throne judgment as another phrase for the
Judgment Seat of Christ. Remember there is little evidence in scripture itself
for two judgments. See;
Daniel 12:1 ¶ And at that
time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children
of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt.
Either way, the person who is judged, if they are trusting Christ,
is saved and the person who rejects Christ is damned although we believe that
the raptured Christian is judged at a different time, the Judgment Seat of
Christ, and the Great White Throne is reserved for the unsaved dead, do we not?
No comments:
Post a Comment