But there will be a second judgment as well: the Bema Seat Judgment, also called the Judgment Seat of Christ, where the Bible says that the saved (born again) person's works will be tested by fire, and everything that is not done truly for the sake of Christ will be burned up (it will be as wood, hay and stubble, which burn in the fire). Only those things done for Christ will last, for which the Christian will gain a reward (but will then cast their crowns at Jesus' feet, because it is all due to Jesus anyway). With this in mind:
- what is our motivation concerning evangelism?
- Believe it or not, some of our motives for evangelizing are often selfish.
- Some churches are more concerned with not having to close their doors a final time than they are with loving God by participating in His plan of redeeming others.
- Some individuals are more concerned with being right, or winning an argument, or appearing intelligent to others, than they are with obeying God and loving the lost.
- We should evangelize out of obedience to God.
- For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel (1Cor 9:16). Paul is motivated by the compulsion of the Spirit.
- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:18-20). We're commanded to do evangelism by making disciples. The command in itself, therefore, is designed to elicit obedience.
Second, we are commanded not only to witness to them, but if they get saved, to then disciple them.
Third, we are to do all this because Jesus told us to: out of love and obedience to Christ, and out of love and compassion for people who are headed for everlasting horror in Hell, that they might come to know Christ personally and be saved from that horrible place.
(Some info is from: 9Marks.org)
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'At the Great White Throne Judgment, people will be judged to see whether they will enter Heaven or be cast into Hell; only those who have received the holy righteousness of Christ, through His shed blood, will be able to enter Heaven.'
Some scholars reason this judgment is just for unbelievers...a debate.:)
Thanks, Russ.
Whether all people will be there, or only unbelievers, the fact still stands that only the unbelievers will be cast into Hell.
Good point, Jeff. I have to watch myself, whenever I witness, that I do it in the spirit of Christ. Jesus may have sounded brash and pushy at times, but that was because He knew men's hearts; I don't have that advantage. :)
As for The Judgement, the bottom line is that those who accepted and followed Jesus Christ as their savior will be with Him forever; the rest will suffer eternal separation, in the Lake of Fire. I've seen many varying interpretations, most of them watered-down, relative to scripture.
Greg,
I have to watch myself, whenever I witness, that I do it in the spirit of Christ.
Yes, that is most important. I have found that, if I feel myself getting angry or irritated, that is a sign that I am doing it in the flesh...and witnessing efforts done during those times will generally be fruitless. I have also experienced righteous anger while I was filled with the Holy Spirit, but that is a very different feeling.
Jesus may have sounded brash and pushy at times, but that was because He knew men's hearts; I don't have that advantage. :)
LOL, good point.
As for The Judgement, the bottom line is that those who accepted and followed Jesus Christ as their savior will be with Him forever; the rest will suffer eternal separation, in the Lake of Fire.
Yes, that is the important thing, and I know Russ would agree.
'Whether all people will be there, or only unbelievers, the fact still stands that only the unbelievers will be cast into Hell.'
'Yes, that is the important thing, and I know Russ would agree.'
True.
Mounce acknowledges that the judgment of the unbeliever may be intended only but he leans to the idea of a general judgment as those who are in the book of life are also mentioned. A general judgment for humanity is a good position to take here, but I am not dogmatic and of course there is also the specific judgment for believers at 2 Cor. 5: 10. Mounce page 365, Revelation commentary.
Russ,
he leans to the idea of a general judgment as those who are in the book of life are also mentioned.
That's a good point.
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
(Revelation 20:11-15)
"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."
(Revelation 3:5)
"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."
(Daniel 12:1-2)
"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world."
(Revelation 13:8)
"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
(Malachi 3:16-18)
"Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous."
(Psalm 69:27-28)
"So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book."
(Exodus 32:31-33)
In the case of the following verse, however, I'm not sure that the Lamb's Book of Life is meant. In fact, my guess is that it may possibly be an allegorical statement:
"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them."
(Psalm 139:16)
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