For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done. (Mt 16:27)
Sometimes Christ-followers lose sight of the fact that we will be judged by Jesus. We can become so focused on His love and mercy that we forget that He will stand in judgement over the way we lived. It’s true that we will never be condemned because we are clothed in His righteousness as believers, but the way we lived will surely be examined:
If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. (1 Cor 3:12-15)
So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight, and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless. (2 Cor 5:6-10)
We will be rewarded for some things, like prayer (Mt 6:6); taking care of the poor (Mt 6:3-4); fasting (Mt 6:17-18); tending to the needs of God’s people (Mt 10:41-42); self-sacrifice for God (Mt 19:29; Lk 18:29-30); and doing things for people who can’t pay you back (Lk 14:12-14)… and a lot of other things. But some of our actions and behaviors are not so good and will be burned up, sadly leaving a pile of ashes.
Let’s point out just a few behaviors that Jesus mentioned that we will specifically be accountable for on the day we meet Him … acknowledging Him, the words you speak, forgiveness, and pride.
Acknowledging or denying Christ (Mt 10:32-33; Lk 12:8-9)
Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. (Mt 10:32-33 – see also Lk 12:8-9)
How are you doing in this category? You might not be denying Jesus before people but are you acknowledging Him before people? Do you speak of Him often? Do you tell others about your faith in Him? Silence about Him and your faith in Him is not acknowledging Him before people. Speak out about Jesus and your faith in Him. Don’t be afraid or ashamed.
For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. (Mk 8:38)
For words spoken (Mt 12:36)
I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. (Mt 12:36)
Think about all the words you say in a day and how many you will say over your whole life. Some may be loving and righteous, others may be sinful, mean, or judgmental. No matter what they were, Jesus will hold you accountable for all of them. Evaluate your words. Are there changes you need to make in the way you speak? Let your words be gracious and seasoned with salt (Col 4:6), make sure they are gracious and build people up (Eph 4:29), speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15), and avoid sinful speaking (Ps 34:13). Hence, watch very carefully what you say.
My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. (Jas 1:19)
Listen to yourself because your words tell a lot about what is happening in your heart.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Lk 6:45)
For lack of forgiveness (Mt 18:34-35)
And his master got angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.” (Mt 18:34-35)
How are you at forgiving others … especially believers? In context, Jesus is telling His people they should forgive other believers when they sin against you.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph 4:32)
You need to forgive believers when they repent and ask for forgiveness, no matter how many times they sin against you:
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him. (Lk 17:3-4)
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Mt 18:21-22)
You need to forgive them like God forgives you. Don’t hold a grudge, have bad feelings, or hold onto anger.
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Col 3:13)
You should not just be forgiving believers when they sin against you though, you should be forgiving people in general (Mt 6:14).
Forgiving others is a way you can be an imitator of God. Forgiveness is important to you on the receiving end, make it important to you to give forgiveness. You forgiving people is important to God and your relationship with Him.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mt 6:14-15)
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mk 11:25)
Imitate God and forgive others who sin against you.
For humility and pride (Lk 14:11)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Lk 14:11)
Pride is something we all have on some level in an area of our lives. We could be proud of our looks, money, position, intelligence, or many other things. Sometimes we’re a little proud and sometimes we’re so proud we might even sicken ourselves. God hates pride.
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Prov 8:13)
Not only is your pride something God hates but it is something that causes problems in your life. You may be treated poorly or avoided by other people because of your pride. You may be put in your place because of your pride or God Himself might intervene and humble your pride.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. (Prov 11:2)
Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. (Prov 16:5)
You may think that your pride is puffing you up and making you feel important and special but the truth is that your pride actually diminishes you.
One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. (Prov 29:23)
Be on guard against pride (For more details on pride, click on The Root of All Evil: PRIDE).
Think about it
I bring these four areas of your life up so that you can guard yourself against slipping. Keep in mind that God will examine you and your works someday, so keep living for eternity and they day you see Him face-to-face. Praise God there will be no condemnation for true Christ-follower’s – just rewards. So, strive to accumulate a bigger pile of rewards versus ashes!
If your daily Christian life is tested by fire right now, what percentage of your words and actions do you think would burn up as “hay and straw” and what would be “gold and silver”?
How does keeping this healthy tension in mind change the way you view the “small, hidden” choices you make when no one else is looking?
Are you open about your faith in Jesus and telling others about Him or are you silent? What makes you silent when you shouldn’t be? How can you overcome that?
Think about what you said or texted this week. How do you think your words will stand up to the Lord’s judgment?
When you speak in an ungodly way, what does that tell you about where you are spiritually in that moment?
What is the difference between saying “I forgive you” to keep the peace, and forgiven from your heart? How do you know when you have truly forgiven?
Are you quick to forgive?
In what ways and areas of your life are you proud?
Think of a time when your pride brought you “low” or caused disgrace? Do you think God can use that to help you grow humbler?
