Few – only a small minority – of Christians obey God and really “Prove ALL things” of a spiritual nature. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Most merely parrot, or repeat, what they have heard or been taught. The Mormon does this. The Lutheran does this. The Roman Catholic does this. We all have a tendency to do this. It’s human nature to believe yourself to be right in your beliefs, and this alone presents a formidable mental block against coming out of error and embracing the truth. One must first see and believe themselves to be in error. As long as someone has a handful of scriptures, or even one lone text, that he thinks supports his view or belief he generally is not open or receptive to an opposing view. Any scripture that clashes with or contradicts his belief is either simply ignored or “interpreted” to say what that believer wants it to say. Oftentimes another scripture is used to cancel out or void the troublesome problem text. Also, there is an overpowering thought that prevents millions of professing Christians from coming out of error, and that is the thought, “All these people can’t be wrong!” It never dawns on them that thought cancels out the plain, clear scripture, “Satan deceives THE WHOLE WORLD” (See Revelation 12:9). How can 700 million Roman Catholics be wrong? Yet, in many of their beliefs and practices, they are in gross error. Many of them have Bibles. Many of them read those Bibles. Yet they continue in their errors!
That’s the scary thing about spiritual deception. It is almost impossible to see it in one’s self. A deceived person does not know they are deceived. Once one realizes they are, or have been, deceived they are no longer deceived. One area in which many, perhaps most, Christians are deceived is in their belief regarding the judgment of a believer. It appears most believers think themselves to be immune from the judgment of God. All the judgment a believer will ever face was poured out on the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. At least that is what most Christians seem to believe. (Pause and Read Revelation 2 and 3 here).
Will a believer’s sins ever be brought up against him in the Judgment, that day when the dead, small and great, will be raised and stand before the throne of God to be judged, or was that day met by Christ on Calvary two thousand years ago? Is a believer’s judgment solely for deciding how great his reward will be in heaven? What does the Bible say in this matter? I am going to give you the Bible’s answer to that seldom asked, all-important question. But before I give you that answer, I want you to think about this question: Should a Christian who robs a bank be punished? Of course, your immediate reply might be that a true Christian wouldn’t rob a bank, that is he wouldn’t break the eighth commandment, at least not that flagrantly. But let’s say in a moment of great temptation he did rob a bank, or write a bad check, or steal the money from the coffee cup holding the few dollars his fellow office workers had collected for the purchase of more coffee. I believe any reasonable person would agree even a Christian should be punished if he robs a bank. In fact, many would argue that a Christian should be punished more severely than anyone else due to the fact that A) He has the Holy Spirit to aid him in overcoming such temptations, and B) He has the counsel and warning of scripture to guide him.
After more than seven decades of life, I have learned several great truths – many by hard experience, one of them being the greatest incentive to do evil is the knowledge that there is no punishment. Think for a moment, what if the United States Supreme Court struck down all laws, state and federal, against car theft! Do you think fewer cars would be stolen, more cars would be stolen, or car thefts would remain about the same? I really think the answer is obvious. I’m not implying Christians would join in the mad rush to possess their first BMW, Mercedes or Rolls-Royce. I’m just underscoring the point that freedom from punishment tends to draw men to do evil.
The words of the prophet Amos contain a very interesting observation made by God many centuries ago. God warns His chosen people Israel, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for ALL your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). So, here we are given God’s viewpoint on the matter: If God develops a relationship with you, He warns you He will punish you for whatever sins you then commit. Now I know some will argue, “Oh, but that’s the Old Testament. That’s how God dealt with fleshly Israelites, not with spiritual sons and daughters who have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ and the New Covenant!” Alright, then let’s look at some observations made in the New Testament to those under the New Covenant. You will agree the New Testament letter of Colossians was written to those under the New Covenant, won’t you? Notice the last three verses of chapter 3. Beginning with verse 23, we read: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord we shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. BUT HE THAT DOETH WRONG SHALL RECEIVE FOR THE WRONG WHICH HE HATH DONE, AND THERE IS NO RESPECT OF PERSONS” (verses 23 thru 25).
ALL God’s judgments are based upon the law of sowing and reaping. To believers, God WARNS: “Be not deceived. God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, THAT shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh (constantly giving in to the pulls of the flesh) shall of the flesh (the path he chose) reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit (following the path of obedience) shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap (everlasting life), IF we faint not” (Galatians 6:7-9).
Peter writes, “Judgment must BEGIN at the house of God” (See I Peter 4:17). Why? Because God punishes sin in the believer’s life here and NOW – in this life. This may come as a surprise to some, but it is true that a believer’s sins will NOT be mentioned against him at the judgment seat of Christ. Why not? Because, as stated God’s people are punished for all their sins here and now in this present world!
“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world” (I Corinthians 11:31-32). Any believer confronted with the sin issue in the next life will also be confronted with the stark, horrifying fact he has forfeited his inheritance to eternal life! But note that text again, “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged!” God gives any believer who sins a window of time to repent of their sin and come back to the walk of total obedience. (See Revelation 2:21). If that believer does not so repent, then, and only then, does the chastening rod fall to discipline and turn the errant believer around.
Paul urged the believers in Thessalonica “that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter (through adultery, stealing from him, lying to him, etc.), because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified” (I Thessalonians 4:6). Yes, God DOES punish believers – “ALL SUCH” who sin. In fact, a believer who sins and continues in sin without repenting and escapes punishment in this life is proven to be a false convert! (See Hebrews 12:8).
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words (assuring you God does not see a believer’s sins), for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye, therefore, partakers with them” (Ephesians 5:5-7).
Some Corinthian believers HAD become partakers with those who chose to be disobedient and had become “weak and sickly” as a punishment for their headstrong disobedience. Some had even died! Paul did not wish to see this repeated among the Ephesian believers. (See I Corinthians 11:26-34).
“For if we (we believers) sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a CERTAIN fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries (those who will not be corrected by God’s chastening rod)” (See Hebrews 10:26-27). Yes, God is indignant with a believer’s sins. “How dare you go there when you have been washed, when you have been cleansed, when you have been sanctified!!!”
Paul addresses this same issue in his letter to the Romans, stating, “(God) will render TO EVERY MAN (believer and unbeliever alike) according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life (awaits as their inheritance), but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish UPON EVERY SOUL OF MAN THAT DOETH EVIL, of the Jew first (since to the Jews were committed the oracles of God – Romans 3:1-2), and also of the Gentile” (Romans 2:6-9).
While it is true that “God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:9), “I will, therefore, put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” (Jude 5). And the Lord warns us, “I change NOT!” God has not appointed us to wrath, yet “how shall we escape (God’s wrath) if we neglect so great salvation (turning back to sin though once delivered therefrom)?” (See Hebrews 2:3). The Bible answer is, we cannot!
So, it IS true that a believer’s sins will not be brought up against him at the judgment of God’s children, because they will have either been purged here, in this life, or, if continued, the believer will be cut off and will not appear in the congregation of the faithful. (See Romans 11:22 and John 15:1-6). God help you to set aside any preconceived ideas to the contrary.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12)
Donald Wiley