I read something today that upset me and I would like your opinion on it. I know that you have mentioned that we will all stand before the Bema Seat of Christ for rewards but this is what I read…
Everything I ever did will be analyzed and scrutinized openly by the Lord Jesus Christ. Every good thing. . . and every bad thing. I’ll be called on to give account of every word, every deed, every thought.
Now even as a Christian I ‘try’ to live as good as I can because I love the Lord but I have done things that I’m not proud of but I always ask for forgiveness and I asked the Lord to help me with my attitude about people and situations but I fail at times.
Question…Are not all my sins covered by the blood and if not why not? There is a chorus that says…When He (God) looks at me He sees not what I used to be but He sees Jesus.
It sounds like for most believers, the Judgment Seat of Christ will be an excruciating experience.
In 2 Cor. 5:10 Paul wrote, “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.”
This verse has to do with the rewards we will receive for our deeds as believers, and doesn’t concern our sins. Good deeds are those He’s called us to do and that He’s received the glory for. Bad deeds are those we’ve done in our own strength and we’ve taken credit for. We’ll receive rewards for our good deeds, but our bad deeds will be burned up in the fire.
As for our sins, all of them were taken to the cross and dealt with there (Col. 2:13-14). He has forgiven them and forgotten them, and now it’s as if they never happened. Because of our faith, we’re a new creation in His sight (2 Cor. 5:17), as righteous as He is (2 Cor. 5:21).
Matt. 12:36 says at the judgment men will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken. But verse 37 says by our words we will be acquitted and by our words, we will be condemned.
The words we speak to the Lord when we ask Him to forgive us and save us from our sins will acquit us. But those who do not ask to be forgiven will be condemned.
Put it all together and you can see that we’ll be rewarded for things we do in obedience to the Lord, and acquitted for speaking the words that bring us salvation. All our sins have been forgiven and will never come up again.
Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”