Jesus will judge our deeds
(Acts 10:42 NIV) He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
(John 5:22 NIV) Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
(2 Cor 5:10 NIV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
In this last verse, Paul was writing to Christians in Corinth. At this judgment seat of Christ, only believers will appear. It is not a judgment of the believer’s sins, which Christ has fully atoned for on the cross. The judgment is whether you are going to receive a reward or not. The believer may “suffer loss” (1Cor 3:15) by forfeiting Christ’s praise or losing a reward that might have been his.
Do we as Christians live as though we are accountable to no one because we have been atoned of our sins? We must remember that we are still accountable to Christ? Our rewards in heaven will depend on how we have lived our life on earth. Do we waste our life pursuing after our own interests or do we live for God?
God is an equitable Judge
(Rev 19:11 NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
John the Revelator saw a rider in heaven, who is Jesus. He will judge and make war in the last days. Yes, everything will be made right at the end. The Bible teaches that God is an equitable judge. He will judge fairly.
(Psa 98:9 NIV) let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
This means that we can leave all our grievances with Him. We can trust in our God to judge fairly on our behalf. We should not be vigilantes who take the law into our own hands.
Is there someone who has offended you? Why not leave the matter into the hands of our righteous Judge?
We are not to judge each other
(Rom 14:10 NIV) You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
(Luke 6:37 NIV) “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Judgment belongs to Christ. This means that we are not the appointed judges. Let’s not assume the role that has not be allotted to us.
We are not to judge others. Do we have the tendency to look at others with the critical spirit? Does our tendency to judge others result in our inability to forgive them?
If we judge others, we will be similarly judged. Often we are guilty of the same sins that we judge others of. If we condemn them, we will be condemned by God of the same sins. But if we choose not to judge and to forgive them, we will likewise receive the forgiveness of God.