Your Convictions About the Judgment of the Believer – Dr. Charles Stanley

[Music] so I'd ask you the question what are you doing with your life now are you just working and going home and then spending the rest of your time in pleasure you come to church once and wallet every Sunday or do you even go to church at all and so we may live our lives sort of casually it's not casual to God listen as he has invested the death of his son in order to save him next on InTouch your convictions about the judgement of the believer well to whom in this life that you feel accountable naturally husbands and wives accountable each other children to their parents and maybe grandparents or whatever it might be but the truth is every single one of us is accountable to God many people act like they don't have to be accountable to anybody a person with a feeling that they don't need to be accountable to someone is walking on very thin ice in a dangerous direction accountability is the safety feature for all of us and it's important that we distinguish this whole idea of accountability with the Lord God and with his word and that's what the judgement is all about so what I want to talk about in this message is our convictions about our judgment before God and if you look in the second Corinthians chapter 5 for a moment look if you will and Paul is speaking to believers writing to believers and he says in verse 6 therefore being always of good courage in knowing that while we're at home in the body were absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight we are of good courage I say and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home of the Lord so we're talking about believers listen therefore we also have as our ambition whether at home or absent to be pleasing to him for we must not maybe not all - we must all not some of us all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be recommenced or rewarded for his or her deeds in the body according to what he's done or the good of AD the judgment of the believer is unavoidable there is going to be a moment of judgment for every single one of us now he's talking to believers there but if you turn to Revelation chapter 20 and look in verse 11 there is another time of accountability verse 11 then I saw a great white throne and him who set upon it from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them can't escape it and I saw the dead the great and the small standing before the throne and books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds and the sea gave up the Dead which were in it death and Hades gave up the Dead which were in them and they were all judged every one of them according to their deeds now there will be two judgments there's a judgment of the believer and that judgment which is the judgment of the unbeliever where the name is not found in the book of life if you are a believer your name is there if you're an unbeliever it is absent but the issue I want us to think about is our accountability that is we stand before God accountable to him for our life so first of all only those who've trusted Christ as their Savior will be present at this judgment in other words the judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ for his believers listen it is a time when he desires and his plan to reward us for the life that we've lived the issue is this the life that we live will the and what those rewards may be and how all that works out we can talk about that later but the issue is the youth sense and accountability to God each day that you're responsible to him at the time that he's giving you to live but the gifts abilities talents skills relationships your vocation that finances you the you do you recognize that you have to give an account to God for how you live out your life for example in 1st Corinthians and the third chapters interesting the scripture says if any man's work which he has built on the foundation remains he'll receive a reward if any man's work is burned up he will suffer loss but he himself will be saved yet so as through fire and so he reminds us there that some of what we present before God he says it's like wood hay and stubble burned up so every day that you and I live something is going on in our relationship to God so you've been blessed and now you're accountable and how's he going the judges he's going to judgments according to our works what have we done with their life so I'd ask you the question what are you doing with your life now are you just working and going home and then spending the rest of your time in pleasure you come to church once and wahla every Sunday or do you even go to church at all and so we may live our lives sort of casually it's not casual to God listen as he has invested the death of his son in order to save you and he has indwelt you with the Holy Spirit in order to enable you to do well everything he requires of you whether it's your job your testimony or your relationship to him as far as serving him is concerned so he's going to judge that works according to good or bad and the passage before we read a few moments ago those things that do not measure up to the Lord as they ought to be we'll be consumed will you be lost no but we will be rewarded for our works and when our works wrong motive laziness or whatever it might be will be responsible to give an account to God for that and so the three things you need to remember because these are the three things that God is going to take into consideration how you lived your life number one the truth of the word of God that you know how much light spiritual light have you had when I was saved at 12 been responsible ever since I was responsible at the age of 12 or whatever light I had as a years gone by and studying the Word of God for 60 years I have a lot of light I'll be very very very responsible and so you'll be responsible for the light of truth that you know and this is why we attempt to help everybody understand who Jesus is and the necessity of being saved and so he will judges according to how much truth we have the light of the truth we have the second thing he'll justice by is the opportunities that he's given us everybody doesn't have the same opportunity and so we stand before God and he looks into your life your skills your abilities your talents the man he gave you the heart he gave you and you and I will be judged according to not only the light we've received but what opportunities we've had and so he requires of us to live out our lives in a wise way I got the way that brings him honor and glory and that he has invested what he's invested in your life for a reason for a purpose and godly think about this he not only has gifted you with what he's gifted you with he sent the Holy Spirit within you to seal you forever as a child of God so you cannot be lost you won't be lost you may lose reward but you you won't be lost as a person you go into heaven if you're in this judgment you're on your way to heaven and so when we think about it's a light of truth toons and how we've responded to that and so our works are going to be proven so think about this how much of what we do really ends up being worthless a waste that's a given account to God for that how much of that time did we spend in doing things that are sinful we know they're not right things we say the way we treat other people the things that we do in life sintel that'll cost us wrong motives when our motives are wrong that's a sin against God and we will be held accountable for wrong motives somebody says well what's left lots left wasted opportunities for example when God gives you think about this holy God who created you and equipped you gave you skills and opportunities and yours may be less than somebody else's or more than somebody else's but we were accountable to God for how we live out the opportunities live out the relationships we have live out the abilities and skills and talents of which we've been given we have to give an account to God for all these things that we've mentioned then when we've given an account we're either gonna be rewarded a lose reward to ask yourself the question living out a daily life like you live are you living a life that is obedient are you living a life that is pleasing to God are you and are you living out your time the way you God I want you to investing your abilities and talents and skills whatever they may be you say well you know what I work on the same job been doing it for years the same thing and has God's going to bless me for that well let me ask you this for your own time to work did you do a good job did you do your best we honest when you check that was at the proper time or not did you cheat did you steal that you lie their words how did you live out your life the way we are living it out is the way we're either going to ribeirão water to lose you violate the will of God the purpose of God the plan of God and hurt other people live whatever it might be then there's a consequence life is full of consequences but it can be a life of rewards a life of regret and loss it depends on how you live it and every single day we are living out our life either to his honor and praise and glory and for our good oh we're not so I would ask you are you living the kind of life that you will be pleased to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account to you like this one you're going to be perfect and the wonderful thing is he knows we're not perfect you say well is there any allowance for sin his son died to save you from the penalty of sin our Heavenly Father has the best for us and we either choose that best or we choose to do otherwise when I think of the way some people live their lives I think what a waste and one of these days you'll stand before God and give an account there is a judgement and there is a time we give an account for a life now how do we prepare to this some of this is okay I'm with you I agree under the Bible says I'll have to give an account to my life so the question is how do we prepare for this inevitable unavoidable judgment of God well first of all we prepare for it by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior step number one because if you don't do that you'll be in the second judgment which is eternal loss so the first step is to be saved and so let's say that you fall in that category of a person who is saved secondly and this is something we should consider seriously and that is every day we should review our lifestyle let us think about how you living and that is what are you living for how do you spend your time how do you employ your spiritual gifts how do you give of your resources and in what way do you serve the Lord and in what way do you honor him so when it comes to looking at your life stuff for example when you get up tomorrow morning what are you going to think about that's Monday or will you think about thank you Father thank you for giving me a job thank you for your helping me to make enough money to buy things that I need thank you Father for that little I get extra there was the youth that how do you when you get up what do you think about during the day - you ever stopped thank God thank you Lord for getting me here on time this morning thank you that you kept me safe today or do you just sort of skip through life and live the life only come to him when there's a need of fear or a pain that when you come to him all the utilize had good he is to you 24 hours a day and think about this your next heartbeat will not be determined by you just like that just like that over so will you be ready and how often I hear people say well one of these days i'm don t'have any guarantee of one of these days the only guarantee you have is right now that if you've never trusted Jesus as you save you you can ask him to forgive you of your sins and he will do it not because you debt will ever deserve it but because he loves you so how you going to live out your life how are you living it out would you say your life is pleasing to God doesn't mean you're perfect that's why he has enough scriptures here if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness but many people know that so well they could bake at night time before they go to sleep they could say God remember what I said last night ditto just detail which means that it's absolutely meaningless if there's no heart in my confession it's meaningless and so it's wise to review our lives and look at what's going on and thank Lord is anything but me you want to change listen some people are scared to death to ask God that lord is there something about me you want to change if there is we should welcome him to tell us what it is a third thing that's important is to reevaluate your priorities that is if we're going to live a godly life and be ready for standing before him to reevaluate our priority so think about this in your decision-making process what's the first thing you think about is the first thing you should think about what is pleasing to the head of my father what is the wise thing to do from God's perspective every day we make decisions those decisions sometimes have eternal consequences sometimes lasting consequences sometimes they can have painful consequences but as you make decisions in your life and reevaluate your priorities where is the Lord in your priorities because think about this this is a get up and rush rush rush day every day if we allow it that way we're going to give an account for it and then the fourth thing I would say renewing your daily commitment to live a godly life and serve him with your whole heart now think about you're going to give an account one of these days and so think about it for a moment how do you start your day as the alarm ring or the radio come on and you hop up and start the day or do you say how long my goodness I think I was lying a while and just what are you going to do there am I going to do anything there's nothing you know what there's no such thing because you're now responsible to God to make every day count and when I think about I think about how simple this is but if somebody asked me well how do you start your day I can tell you and I don't have to look into here to tell you but I want to pass this on to you and that is and this is what I do not only to start my day but during the day I'll stop say the same thing trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not to your own understanding in all your ways today acknowledge him and he will direct your path don't don't be wise in your own eyes fear the Lord and turn away from evil it will be health to your body and refreshment to your bones but think about this you wake up tomorrow morning trust in the Lord with all your heart don't lead the own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him you know what that means in all my ways marvel jammied area in all your ways acknowledge him watch this most people and most of their ways do not acknowledge God as if he didn't exist in all your ways acknowledge him and his the promise he will direct your path now that sounds pretty simple but the truth is I'm going to give an account to God now watch this you may live 50 60 70 80 110 years old but on the other side of this judgment forever eternally you and I will enjoy the blessings of Almighty God on the basis of how we build a tower life while we are here amen father we thank you for your love for us thank you for making some of the most important things so simple and I pray that you will sink this message in the heart of every person here maybe somebody who's never even thought about reading the scripture in the morning before they leave for work I pray the Spirit of God will etch this message upon their hearts recognize it there is coming an inevitable inescapable day of giving and I can try life and I pray for somebody here today who is unsaved that they'll recognize everyday they live there wasting a life without Christ is wasted and the time to make a change is right now and I pray that they'd be willing to ask you to forgive them of their sins and surrender their life to you today and believe in their heart that you not only will forgive them but you will equip them and enable them to live out what we're talking about in this message and look forward to that day when you give out the crowns when you reward us for a life well-lived not a life that's perfect but a life that's well lived in Jesus name Amen if you've been blessed by today's program please visit us at in touch to RG [Music] in Dutch leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church this program is sponsored by InTouch ministry and it's made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts [Music]

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 34,427

Rating: 4.9077492 out of 5

Keywords: Charles Stanley, Charles F. Stanley, Dr. Stanley, Biblical Convictions, Preaching, Convictions by Which We Live, In Touch Ministries

Id: 6Rtvb5e9ni0

Length: 22min 16sec (1336 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 21 2017