II Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
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.
12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
There are many people who speak very confidently.
I Kings 20:11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
The king of Israel was responding to Benhadad’s boasting. Benhadad assumed he was capable of taking Israel very easily. He would find out that was not the case.
It is important to note that God did not protect Israel then because they were so faithful to Him. He protected Israel then because He made a promise to Abram/Abraham and his seed. God does not break His Word. His promises are not conditional upon man’s obedience. The loser is man. There were a few Jews in Israel who believe in God back in the times of the Kings. There came a time when God brought the Assyrians into the north to conquer that part of Israel. There was a time when God brought the Babylonians in to conquer and destroy Judah, including Jerusalem and the Temple. However, God did not forsake His people.
He sent them into exile where He would continue to work with them and show them the need to repent and trust Him. God is still working with Israel for the same purpose.
In our text, God was showing the Corinthians His faithfulness. He was directing the apostle Paul to speak of the confidence he had in God. He knew it was far better for him to be in heaven. He knew that when he died he would immediately be in heaven. That is a Biblical fact.
There is no purgatory as the Catholics suggest. There is no “soul sleep” as the Seventh Day Adventists try to suggest. At death, the souls of the saints are immediately taken to heaven. The souls of the lost are immediately taken to hell.
Paul was directed to speak to saints. Thus he spoke of the blessings of salvation. In verse 9 he stated that he was willing to LABOUR. The Christian life is not a life of ease. It is a life of great blessing, but it is not a holiday. There is trouble, there is pain, there is sorrow, but there is also intense joy. The apostle Paul was not writing this letter to find man’s approval. He was writing this letter, and travelling where God wanted him to go, to be accepted of God. He did not want to be a carnal Christian. He wanted the full reward that God had for him.
In verse 10 Paul reminded the saints that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Again, this is speaking to saints. The lost will not be at this judgment. They have their own, and they will dread that day.
The saints must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. There every saint will receive the things done in their body. There are rewards in heaven for what the true child of God has done post salvation.
We see here there is the recognition by God, that Christians can do bad things. Paul addressed that in I Corinthians. Jesus Christ sees that. The good does not outweigh the bad. The way to fix the bad is through confession of sin. This again is speaking to born again Christians. This is not the Catholic confessional. This is a true child of God, who has sinned and turns to God and asks His forgiveness. Asking forgiveness from God is not a flippant thing. It is done by a true child of God who needs God’s forgiveness and he or she wants to be restored to a right relationship with God in Christ.
In verse 11 Paul reminded the saints of the terror of the Lord. He just spoke of the judgment seat of Christ. Peter was ashamed when Jesus looked at him after he denied Him three times. Peter went out and wept bitterly. Jesus did not need to say a word then. Peter knew what he had done. He knew how he had displeased his Saviour and Lord. He wanted to be restored, but he could not do that right then.
Peter needed to come to appreciate the weight of what he had just done. He needed to sit on that and grasp the depth of that denial.
Christians don’t have a good luck charm they can wave when they sin. Christians need to understand the depth of the evil when they sin. They cannot lose their salvation, but they certainly have brought despite to the name of their Lord and Saviour.
Paul also knew there was a judgment coming for the lost. He knew that judgment was far worse than where saints appear. Those at the great white throne judgment have no place of return. There is no place of second chances there. There is only the pronouncement of the judgment they will face for all eternity in the lake of fire. There is no lessening of that sentence by “good behaviour”. There is no good behaviour in hell.
Paul did not want anyone to go to hell. Thus he worked hard to persuade men. He wanted lost people to see the need and the blessing of God’s gift of salvation.
As Paul was obeying God’s call for him, he was being watched by God. God knew all that he was doing. God was also there to provide all the strength and wisdom that Paul needed for the task he was called to.
Paul also wanted the saints in Corinth to recognize his heart. He was not in it for recognition. He was not after their money. He did not need their praise. He wanted them to see he was willing to face persecution for their benefit.
When we speak the truth, we can expect opposition. Canada is pushing Bill C9. That bill is designed to stop the Truth from being told. Those who are true servants of the Lord can expect to face trouble when we speak the Truth. The devil hates the Truth. His followers hate the Truth as well. God is merciful, and He is working in the hearts of the lost. Occasionally a lost person gets saved. There is great rejoicing in heaven when that happens.
In verse 12 Paul reminded the saints he was not blowing his own horn. The saints needed to build their lives on the sure Word of God. They needed to identify with the risen Christ. Paul wanted the saints to have something worthwhile to rejoice in. True saints need to appreciate godly men.
They needed a clear testimony. When they were speaking with those who hated God, but who wanted to look spiritual, they needed to be able to show them the facts. False teachers are busy. They boast and they smooth talk. They are empty suits. Sadly, many people like empty suits. The few who are saved, praise the Lord for faithful men who will get in the fight and stay in the fight. The need for souls to be saved is great. The need for saints to be encouraged is great.
Today is the Lord’s Day. The wise person follows the lead of the Holy Spirit and attends a true local church where he or she can be fed. You may not even know what you need today. The pastor of that true local church may not know specifically what you need either. God knows, and if you go where He wants you to be, He will meet your need in a beautiful way. Choose wisely.
Pastor Bartel