018 - 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

Restoration On Fire with Doug Philp

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. I fear the "grace message" preached today, all too often, overlooks the coming 'judgment seat of Christ' that we all will experience. Is this an intentional thing, this overlook of judgment, to preach grace only? I don't think entirely in most cases, but can be misguided because while it is, "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8), we are reminded too "knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..." What is this terror of the Lord Paul writes? In Hebrews 10:31 the author tells us, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" and in Hebrews 12:29, " For our God is a consuming fire." And the message preceeding each of these two verses from Hebrews is what to expect should you continue to willfully sin after receiving the knowledge of truth(10:26), and they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven(12:25). So it is my belief, that for those of us who believe, our message to one another should by more along the line of God's grace for us coupled with our reverence for Him. It is this reverence, or Godly fear, for Him who saves us through grace that reminds us He is Sovereign, and our righteousness is in Him; and no other way. And, in order to be relevant to a lost world, I believe we do well to keep this message before the unbelieving as well.