Scripture Reference;
I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Psalm 40 KJV
Today I am proceeding to verse 7 of Psalm 40. Here it is below:
“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,”
…What can I say about this? We all have a story, and the versions can vary depending on who is telling it. We read about people and events in history books, but we are often left wondering how accurate these accounts really are. But the book referred to by David was 100 percent accurate. The Lord makes no mistakes. This is not the only Psalm that mentions that our life is recorded in a book. It is funny how something that I think can be simple can become complicated. There are many books in the Bible that mention David including one called “The Lamb’s Book of Life”. I had wondered if that was the book to which he was referring. I have heard preachers over the years mention this book. It contains the names of all the people throughout all the ages that have known the Lord as their personal Savior. I had always thought that it was just a list of names, and like the chorus to that popular old hymn says, “When The Roll is Called Up Yonder I’ll be there.”, but when David speaks he makes it sound like there is more to it than that.
Last Sunday I was in church and the pastor was preaching about the role a parent has in a child’s life, and that it is very important that one should strive to bring their child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He explained how parents should teach and model for their children what it means to live a Christian life. While he was preaching he quoted a couple Bible verses that convicted me and made me worry a little, because I was not sure how to interpret them. I have been to many different types of churches in my life, and some of them interpreted scripture in a way that caused me to have a “type” of fear that I now believe the Lord does not desire His children to have. The verse has to do with what many Christians refer to as “The Judgment Seat of Christ”. Here are the verses below.
“36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37 NIV
I became concerned about the whole subject of “The Judgment Seat of Christ” and wrote to him about it. He wrote me back and I was so comforted by his reply that I got his permission to share this correspondence with you. Here it is below:
Howard,
I believe the Lord has laid a few things on my heart today (with your help) that have been of great comfort and encouragement to me. One of the things that was on my mind was “The Judgment Seat of Christ”, the “day” of judgment. This came to my mind when you mentioned the verses in Matthew below. I am sure that when it comes to this subject you probably know a lot more than I do, and there is probably a whole lot of scripture that speaks about it. However, I wanted to look at that passage from Matthew as well as another passage. Here they are :
“36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37 NIV ”
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. ” 2 Corinthians 5:6-11 NIV
You might find it interesting that prior to 1999 I had been under the teachings of various churches that all taught that a person’s salvation was not always permanent. These people seldom spoke about “the judgment seat of Christ”. They didn’t seem to believe in the idea of receiving rewards. They usually spoke of “the great white judgment” that was for the unsaved, and that was the only type of judgment they really seemed to think about. Then I came to believe that salvation is always permanent, and not long after that we joined a type of Baptist church simply because we did not know that there were other denominations beside Baptists that believed that saved people always stay saved. I know I have already told you about our history of church experiences, and I will now try to get to my point. The pastor of that particular church believed that it was of utmost importance that we never forget that believers would definitely appear before “The Judgment Seat of Christ” and he would warn us continually that we should be very concerned about that. I am sure you know me well enough by now to know that as a result I went from being very afraid of losing my salvation to being afraid of getting a rebuke instead of a reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ”, as well as bouts of fear that my sins proved that I might have failed to put my faith in Christ in the first place ( I still battle that one some.) We all had two verses memorized. Here they are :
“11Knowing 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.” 2 Corinthians 5:11 KJV, and “7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 KJV
Well, I had an experience one night that affected some of my thinking on this subject. I hope you will not consider what I am about to say as heresy. The first thing I want to say is that the verses I have mentioned so far in this letter clearly teach that there will be a day when our life here on the earth is over when we will certainly appear before that judgment seat, so please don’t think that I am rejecting that truth. One night while I prayed silently before going to sleep I was feeling afraid of facing the Lord on that day of judgment, and I said something to the Lord that might be a little humorous, but I really was sincere. I said “Lord, I’m scared…I’m scared to face you that day.” I was talking to Him as if he were two different people (one to whom I could run to for comfort whenever the need arose and one to run away from, one who I was so afraid of finally facing on that day ). Then something happened that does not happen to me very often. Right after I made that statement to the Lord a thought surfaced in my mind. It said “You just were.” Then I remembered the verses below.
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:1-12 NIV
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17NIV
It occurred to me that all of the attributes that I find in my Savior that are so comforting will still be there when I face Him on the day of judgment after I die. The next thing that occurred to me was that Jesus is on the throne: “21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21NIV. Therefore when the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin, and I feel that anguish and go to Him in prayer I have in a sense been to the Judgment Seat of Christ, and perhaps in a moment in time have been both condemned and acquitted, but I still really am not sure how to interpret this verse:
“37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:37 NIV.
But I do know that the Bible teaches that if we confess our sins He is just and able to forgive us, and all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The reason I have a hard time understanding the meaning of Matthew 12:36-37, and all of the other passages I mentioned about the Judgment Seat of Christ is because there are also verses in the Bible that say this:
“17 Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:17 NIV
“10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us . 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” Psalm 103:10-13 NIV
3If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Psalm 130:3-4KJV
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:12 NIV
I know the passages at the top of this letter about the Judgment Seat of Christ are true, but I don’t understand how sins that have been taken away, that are behind God’s back, if the Lord doesn’t mark our iniquities,…then how will these sins suddenly be there again for the Lord to view? I find that thought so disturbing. If you can help me with this I would appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Theresa
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justifiedfreely said,
June 24, 2010 at 12:31 pm
That is a great response and encouragement. Sometimes the thought that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” paralyzes me with fear. I’m afraid to step out and do anything because I fear my “reaping” destroying whatever I’ve started to do. But we aren’t supposed to let past sins and failures keep us from the Lord like that. I know that, but sometimes it’s hard to put it into practice. I too have worried quite a bit about the judgment seat of Christ, but I had never thought that it is more about Him than it is about me. (I suppose my pride is always wanting everything to be about me) I will have to think about this today. Thank you for the encouragement. (and thanks to your pastor for the encouragement)
Moore to ponder said,
June 24, 2010 at 5:58 pm
I am glad that it helped you. “Sowing and Reaping”…now that is a topic I might try to write about sometime, but like everything else I write about, I see only in part.
There are a few passages of scripture that come to my mind as I consider the concern we have about starting something good only later to destroy it. Here they are:
“12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13 KJV
“6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work (H) in you [b] will carry it on to completion (I) until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 HCSB
” 4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:4-5 KJV
“12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2Timothy 1:12 KJV
Basically with me it always comes back to the “dual” or “two-fold” nature of believers (the Flesh and the Spirit) as described in Romans 7 and 8. I remember that up until about 11 years ago my whole focus was on the “fear and trembling verse” (my part), and consequently, I never noticed the “working to will and do” verse (the Lord’s part). It is true that many things we set out to do that we think are works of the Spirit can turn out only to be works of the flesh, but it is also a wonderful thing to know that because God works “in” his children both to be willing and to be able to do, there will be works that we do that will not burn up, but will last! There is so much “committing” we do. We commit our hearts, lives, and many of our works to Him every single time we sincerely pray “Thy will be done”, and the increases or successes are always His; “HE” shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5). We serve an awesome God! 🙂
Moore to ponder said,
October 1, 2014 at 1:01 am
Reblogged this on Moore to Ponder and commented:
Back in June of 2010 I was doing some soul searching, and corresponded with a pastor who was helpful to me. I gave me permission to share that correspondence in this blog post, and we prayed together that the Lord might use it to help others.
Debbie said,
October 4, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Wow, Theresa . . .this was such a blessing and I pray that many are helped and brought closer to Jesus through understanding better about the judgement seat. I loved that the focus is not about us there, but about Christ and what He’s done. So beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Love, deb
Moore to ponder said,
October 5, 2014 at 4:57 am
I’m so glad, too. It makes me so uncomfortable when I get around Christians that are so focused on what ‘they think’ it means to be a ‘new creature in Christ’ that they think Christians don’t still have the flesh…that they won’t sin or if they do it will be hardly ever. It used to torment me when I thought that way, because I could still see my sins and how often I committed them and it really scared me. I have to guard my heart and limit my exposure to people who teach Sunday school or who have blogs who are on that wave length.
Love,
Theresa
coastalmom said,
October 5, 2014 at 3:12 am
Theresa,
I needed to read this. God is working on me. I am supposed to be learning something. I am leaving tomorrow to go wedding dress shopping with my daughter while my son has boycotted me. I am not sure what I am supposed to be. But I am sure that God’s word does not return void. Thanks for the reminder!
xoxo
Moore to ponder said,
October 5, 2014 at 5:07 am
Diane, I hope it encouraged you. I am praying. My heart goes out to you.
These relationships we have with our grown children are so hard. I could write a book on what ‘not’ to do, because I keep looking back and finding tons of screw ups that were all made by me when I had the very best intentions, and sincerely thought I was following the Lord, but we live moment by moment, and no Christian is perfect but we trick ourselves into thinking some are perfect, and then we feel all of this shame that the Lord never wanted us to feel.
I probably should have used the word ‘I’ instead of ‘We’. I am too focused on myself these days. Thank you for listening, and I will pray.
Love,
Theresa
coastalmom said,
October 5, 2014 at 5:12 am
No, we is RIGHT. 😉 I relate way more than I’d like. The thing is, I tried to be so careful. My son and my daughter are SO different. Looking forward to spending a few days with my baby-♡
Moore to ponder said,
October 5, 2014 at 5:20 am
Me, too, Diane. I know what you mean. My son is 26 and my daughter is 20, and they are very different people. I might get to see my daughter this Friday. I haven’t seen her since March or April. Pray for me, too.
Love,
Theresa
coastalmom said,
October 5, 2014 at 2:11 pm
I WILL be praying! Leaving today to go be with my daughter (my soft place to fall) she always has a way of making everything right in my little world.
🙂
Moore to ponder said,
October 5, 2014 at 3:45 pm
Diane,
That is a very precious relationship that you have with her. My heart rejoices with you that you have that. I am praying that today will be extra special, and full of beautiful memories for you both to tuck away in your hearts! ❤
coastalmom said,
October 26, 2014 at 11:22 am
Theresa,
Been praying for you and your daughter. How did your visit go?
Moore to ponder said,
October 27, 2014 at 1:18 am
That visit was postponed.
Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray.
Hugs and Blessings,
Theresa
All His Benefits (Part 10) | Moore to Ponder said,
June 29, 2016 at 10:52 pm
[…] https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/groanings-part-5d-the-lord-inclines/ […]
Wendell A. Brown said,
July 11, 2018 at 6:29 pm
God knows you my sister and will never turn away, but will embrace your selfless love in the new beginning. Here is a poem to inspire the heart which I have come to love and embrace in my life its selfless love and energy. We are born of the same living vine…and what a joy exists as we walk this life serving and praising the Lord always.
A Love Who Won’t Let Me Be
You light the fires deep within my heart
Causing tiny embers to become ablaze
Filling my world with Your love’s glow
While sweeping my love filled mind away
For every time Lord, that I pray to You
I find again my spirit starts to ascend
As I am touched by Your amazing grace
That in love, I now simply begin again
I started to always feel this way, Lord
That memorable day we first did meet
And like that day You have never changed
As Your love still sweeps me off my feet
And the flames of love are fanned daily
As they softly burn in my spirit deep
Know my Lord I am a willing servant
To the Holy One who will never let me be.
(One of my first written for the Lord God, 1971)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God bless you and your family T!
Moore to ponder said,
July 12, 2018 at 4:20 pm
God bless you and your family, too, Wendell!
This is such a beautiful poem. You have so much love in you for the Lord. It is a wonderful thing to witness.
I wrote a new poem not to long ago. I hope you will like it.
https://serenadedinseconds.wordpress.com/2018/06/26/faithful-a-poem-2nd-try/