The Christian lives a unique life, unlike any other. There are many reasons we could make that statement. For one, a Christian is never satisfied to go along with the rest of society. We are called to be different and holy (set apart) from the world. Christians also place an emphasis on beliefs and practices which seem silly or backwards from a worldly mindset, such as putting others first. The sense that I’d like for us to think about for a moment is that a Christian is always living with the end in mind. Or rather, we live with a view of eternity.
We know that this life is not all there is, and that something much greater awaits us. We also know that on judgment day we will give an account of ourselves before God (Rom. 14:12) for how we have lived our lives.
Imagine, if you will, the throne room of God. Although God does not actually have a literal throne, that imagery is used throughout scripture for our aid in understanding. For example, the author of Hebrews describes God’s throne as a throne of grace, which we can draw near to with confidence and find mercy and grace in a time of need (Heb. 4:16). It is not something to be feared or dreaded.
In Revelation 20:11-15, John describes “a great white throne” from which God renders out the final judgment to come. While these few verses have some fantastic and intriguing imagery, what I want to focus in on is a phrase that occurs twice. In speaking of the dead, John says:
The dead were judged…..according to their deeds (20:12)
And they were judged…..according to their deeds (20:13)
I do not believe the repetition of this phrase is any accident. One day we will give an account for what we DID in this life. Actions speak louder than words. Are you doing some things in this life which would be impossible to defend before God in his throne room?
- Continually placing worldly things above spiritual things
- Neglecting the assembling of the saints in worship and praise
- Advocating false doctrines
- Failing to raise up your children to revere God
- Living a double life (one person on Sundays, another during the week)
- Involved in habits that that hurt your influence (and that of the Church) in the community
- Becoming a source of division and a stumbling block due to your behavior
I am not advocating that Christian has to live a perfect life. Surely we have all been guilty of one or more of these at one time. But for some it may not be a one time or “every now and then” thing, but has become a lifestyle. I would urge you to make a change! One day we will all stand before God and account for the things we have done in this life.
