In the 400s Patrick wrote: And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel: ‘On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter.’ So it is that I should mightily fear, with terror and trembling, this judgment on the day when no one shall be able to steal away or hide, but each and all shall render account for even our smallest sins before the judgment seat of Christ the Lord.
In the 1300s John Wycliffe wrote: But where is our belief in the day of doom, when we know that we shall come before the highest judge, and be judged of our life and all things that we have…
Today, if discussed at all we hear things like (words in quotes refer to my words to him):
For my and others' sakes, I hope that when "the great and dreadful day" comes, I will not be judged on whether or not I kept God's commands. I hope I will be judged on the basis of my holding to/believing/trusting in Christ's atoning sacrifice which totally compensates for my lack of ever being able to keep God's commands.
The term "works" is such a loaded concept in Western thinking, that I think we need to reorient the conversation to first explaining specifically and biblically: what do we mean by "we will be judged according to" (what exactly does this phrase mean as well) our "works". We need specific denotation of exactly what all these overused and nuanced words and phrases mean…
And, in a conservative church I attended, the pastor was teaching through John. He said, repeatedly and emphatically, “Christians will not be judged.”
Something has happened in the Church. The Creed states, “from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.” This was the faith of the fathers. Yet now it is ignored, denied, or at best considered “overused and nuanced” (I have no idea what nuanced means; I suspect it is used to mean, “no one really knows what this means”). Has the Bible changed? Were the fathers wrong? Has the Day of Judgment been canceled?
Let’s consider just a few passages:
Matthew 12: 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. – is he serious?
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. – really? God can’t keep a secret?
Romans 14:10 …for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Let God be true and every man a liar. There will be a day of judgment and we shall all be there, every one of us. We shall give account to God. Account of what? How we lived; what we did; what we failed to do; how faithful we were to the grace, gifts, and opportunities God gave us.
1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. At that day there will be reward and loss. This is serious stuff.
1 Corinthians 4:4 ...he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
At this judgment God will even take into account our motives. Sometimes we do the right things for wrong reasons. On the other hand, then shall every man have praise of God!
2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
Here it is again, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. All and every one. And be judged for what? The things done in his body, whether good or bad. This is what according to works means.
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
God shall reward us for the good and the wrong we have done, and there is no respect of persons.
1 Peter 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Here is the truth and the expected response to it.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Not only are we not exempt from judgment, it begins with us!
1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. It is possible to have boldness in that Day – because of the blood, because we have walked in His ways, because we have walked in love and mercy.
So, Has the Bible changed? Were the fathers wrong? Has the Day of Judgment been canceled? NO. The sober, solemn, somber truth is: The day of judgment has not been canceled. We will all appear and every one of us will be judged on whether we kept God's commands. We will be rewarded according to what we did or didn't do. This is what according to our works means. There is no nuance to this, no doubt about it. As sure as Jesus is coming again there will be a judgment, And as sure as there will be a judgment I will be there and give an account for my life. Apparently, this should strike a certain fear in our hearts. This will indeed be a great and dreadful day and my one and only hope is this, My King died in my place!
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