(This article is a spinoff from Saints, Souls, All Hallow’s Eve; Druids, Christians, What Should We Believe?)
The moment you said yes to Jesus, you were set apart as belonging to God. You were consecrated (marked) and transformed by the Holy Spirit and placed securely in Christ. And you are holy.
What? You bet, you rascal. You are as righteous as you ever will be, because righteousness was not something you earned. It was a gift from Christ—HIS righteous life for your sinful one.
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10)
Your current and permanent, legal status and standing in Christ stamps you holy before God. It’s a done deal. However, while on earth, you will remain a work in progress with the goal of steadily showing in the natural what you have been given in the spiritual.
All that holiness and righteousness given to you by Christ is making its way into your mind, will, and emotions as a patient, but sure work of the Holy Spirit. It’s called sanctification.
By the way, since the article on All Saints and All Souls that led to this spinoff mentions purgatory, I have to say that I don’t believe in the classical definition of a frightening place of purging. I understand its concept—that some of us who are saved on our deathbeds need to catch up to the sanctification of a Mother Teresa by enduring many more tests and tribulations. That way, we enter Heaven on the same level. But here’s my take:
I’m convinced the Judgment Seat of Christ is nothing like I was told as a child: all of Heaven stands there while a big screen is lowered and EVERYTHING you ever said or did—in public and in secret—will be replayed to your shame and dismay. Then, Christ forgives you, pulls all that junk out, everyone claps, and you are given your reward, based on whatever good remains in your soul.
Everyone’s sanctification process is unique because it’s a work of grace based on how well we cooperate; yet that doesn’t ban us from going immediately into the presence of God when we die. Still, in that place—whatever it is—believers wait for reunion with their bodies, their completed glorification, and rewards.
In other words, they’re in a holding place—albeit, a glorious one—while they learn what they were unable to learn here. They’re growing in knowledge and understanding, and the gifts and calling that God placed in them without repentance are being utilized fully.
Originally, Roman Catholic doctrine states that purgatory is a place of purging for sins for someone who is not good enough to go to Heaven, but not bad enough to go to Hell.
I’m sorry, but I became good enough on the merits of Christ the day I believed by faith in His finished work for me on the Cross. That “goodness” that was given to me in exchange for my lack of it has remained intact and complete for over thirty years, and it will carry me right up to the feet of Jesus with judicial confidence. Why? It is HIS goodness in the eyes of the Father that became a gift--justifying me fully, eternally in the eyes of God.
God will never reverse his legal decree over me—never. And Jesus ratified (made legal and final) that decision by sprinkling His blood on the Mercy Seat of God for me.
I believe those who have gone before us have already received their personal judgments before an audience of one-Jesus. Notwithstanding, they won’t receive their rewards until after they are reunited with their bodies, the unrighteous are judged, and the restoration of all things occur.
In that personal judgment--which to me is far more sobering that being before a large audience--it’s just you and Jesus. In His presence, excuses and blames are silenced. You will be looking into the eyes of Truth Himself, who has always known your deepest thoughts, motivations, and reasonings for every word, every deed.
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done.
The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.(1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
The Greek word for work in this passage is Ergon. When fully understood, it denotes the following: “not a single act, but accumulated labor of what a man is and how he acts, one’s moral conduct.” Wow. It is not the deed itself isolated before Christ, but the intents of the heart regarding its performance.
So I stand before him, arms full of all that I did with my gift of Salvation while on earth. The Christian I was with my last breath will be the Christian that stands before the Lord--no prior purgatory to tidy up before I see Him.
I offer him the bundle of my life on earth, and He places its contents in His brilliant fire. The truth of who I am will emerge as the dross is burned and the nuggets of gold, silver, and jewels—the essence and evidence of HIS character—are all that remain.
Nevertheless, during this holy removal of all that is not like Christ, I will fix my eyes—not on what’s burning—but on my merciful Redeemer. It is only the love in His eyes that will steady me. Even here, NO condemnation, shame, guilt, or wrath will envelop me. You see, all of that was poured out long before on My Savior, who bore those things to the Cross and canceled their ability to shackle me ever again. Those sorrows were never my portion to experience as a child of God…on earth or at my judgment.
“So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
How can we find joy in our judgments before Christ? With each piece of unproductive, unprofitable stubble, we finally become--in reality--like Him. With what is left, our rewards are determined.
The moment you said yes to Jesus, you were set apart as belonging to God. You were consecrated (marked) and transformed by the Holy Spirit and placed securely in Christ. And you are holy.
What? You bet, you rascal. You are as righteous as you ever will be, because righteousness was not something you earned. It was a gift from Christ—HIS righteous life for your sinful one.
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10)
Your current and permanent, legal status and standing in Christ stamps you holy before God. It’s a done deal. However, while on earth, you will remain a work in progress with the goal of steadily showing in the natural what you have been given in the spiritual.
All that holiness and righteousness given to you by Christ is making its way into your mind, will, and emotions as a patient, but sure work of the Holy Spirit. It’s called sanctification.
By the way, since the article on All Saints and All Souls that led to this spinoff mentions purgatory, I have to say that I don’t believe in the classical definition of a frightening place of purging. I understand its concept—that some of us who are saved on our deathbeds need to catch up to the sanctification of a Mother Teresa by enduring many more tests and tribulations. That way, we enter Heaven on the same level. But here’s my take:
I’m convinced the Judgment Seat of Christ is nothing like I was told as a child: all of Heaven stands there while a big screen is lowered and EVERYTHING you ever said or did—in public and in secret—will be replayed to your shame and dismay. Then, Christ forgives you, pulls all that junk out, everyone claps, and you are given your reward, based on whatever good remains in your soul.
Everyone’s sanctification process is unique because it’s a work of grace based on how well we cooperate; yet that doesn’t ban us from going immediately into the presence of God when we die. Still, in that place—whatever it is—believers wait for reunion with their bodies, their completed glorification, and rewards.
In other words, they’re in a holding place—albeit, a glorious one—while they learn what they were unable to learn here. They’re growing in knowledge and understanding, and the gifts and calling that God placed in them without repentance are being utilized fully.
Originally, Roman Catholic doctrine states that purgatory is a place of purging for sins for someone who is not good enough to go to Heaven, but not bad enough to go to Hell.
I’m sorry, but I became good enough on the merits of Christ the day I believed by faith in His finished work for me on the Cross. That “goodness” that was given to me in exchange for my lack of it has remained intact and complete for over thirty years, and it will carry me right up to the feet of Jesus with judicial confidence. Why? It is HIS goodness in the eyes of the Father that became a gift--justifying me fully, eternally in the eyes of God.
God will never reverse his legal decree over me—never. And Jesus ratified (made legal and final) that decision by sprinkling His blood on the Mercy Seat of God for me.
I believe those who have gone before us have already received their personal judgments before an audience of one-Jesus. Notwithstanding, they won’t receive their rewards until after they are reunited with their bodies, the unrighteous are judged, and the restoration of all things occur.
In that personal judgment--which to me is far more sobering that being before a large audience--it’s just you and Jesus. In His presence, excuses and blames are silenced. You will be looking into the eyes of Truth Himself, who has always known your deepest thoughts, motivations, and reasonings for every word, every deed.
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done.
The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.(1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
The Greek word for work in this passage is Ergon. When fully understood, it denotes the following: “not a single act, but accumulated labor of what a man is and how he acts, one’s moral conduct.” Wow. It is not the deed itself isolated before Christ, but the intents of the heart regarding its performance.
So I stand before him, arms full of all that I did with my gift of Salvation while on earth. The Christian I was with my last breath will be the Christian that stands before the Lord--no prior purgatory to tidy up before I see Him.
I offer him the bundle of my life on earth, and He places its contents in His brilliant fire. The truth of who I am will emerge as the dross is burned and the nuggets of gold, silver, and jewels—the essence and evidence of HIS character—are all that remain.
Nevertheless, during this holy removal of all that is not like Christ, I will fix my eyes—not on what’s burning—but on my merciful Redeemer. It is only the love in His eyes that will steady me. Even here, NO condemnation, shame, guilt, or wrath will envelop me. You see, all of that was poured out long before on My Savior, who bore those things to the Cross and canceled their ability to shackle me ever again. Those sorrows were never my portion to experience as a child of God…on earth or at my judgment.
“So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
How can we find joy in our judgments before Christ? With each piece of unproductive, unprofitable stubble, we finally become--in reality--like Him. With what is left, our rewards are determined.
No one can be sure, but I believe those rewards are positions of responsibility and assignments on a cleansed earth and throughout the cosmos. The parable of the minas in Luke 19:11-27 shows us a set Kingdom Principle—not just a moral story:
And because Jesus was nearing Jerusalem, he told a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.
“A nobleman living in a certain province was called away to the distant capital of the empire to be crowned king of his province. Before he left he called together ten assistants and gave them each $2,000 to invest while he was gone.
But some of his people hated him and sent him their declaration of independence, stating that they had rebelled and would not acknowledge him as their king.
“Upon his return he called in the men to whom he had given the money, to find out what they had done with it, and what their profits were.
“The first man reported a tremendous gain—ten times as much as the original amount!
“‘Fine!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good man. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, and as your reward, you shall be governor of ten cities.’
“The next man also reported a splendid gain—five times the original amount.
“‘All right!’ his master said. ‘You can be governor over five cities.’
“But the third man brought back only the money he had started with. ‘I’ve kept it safe,’ he said, ‘because I was afraid you would demand my profits, for you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and even confiscating the crops that others plant.
You vile and wicked slave,’ the king roared. ‘Hard, am I? That’s exactly how I’ll be toward you! If you knew so much about me and how tough I am, then why didn’t you deposit the money in the bank so that I could at least get some interest on it?’"
“Then turning to the others standing by he ordered, ‘Take the money away from him and give it to the man who earned the most.’"
“‘But, sir,’ they said, ‘he has enough already!’ '
"Yes," the king replied, "but it is always true that those who have, get more, and those who have little, soon lose even that."
Here’s what I learned within this passage:
1) Jesus is already King, but one day His crown and rule will be visible on earth and throughout the universe.
2) In the meantime, He calls together His servants (believers), and gives them gifts, abilities, talents, etc., to be multiplied (expanded) during his absence.
3) Many people in the earth today do not want Jesus to rule over them. They quite vocally reject and trash His Lordship. The attitudes and actions of such rebels affect believers, as it did the third servant in our story. (He feared his Master, but I believe the servant was more afraid of the people.)
While the King is away and his return appears delayed, believers grow slack in their character and conduct. When around the unsaved, they are intimidated to speak for their Sovereign or show any strong commitment to Him for fear of being labeled a prude or religious fanatic.
4) When He returns triumphant (meaning either individually for us in death or at his visible return to earth at the end of the ages), the first thing he will do is call us to accountability for what we did with His gifts.
5) Those who multiplied their blessings and put them to good use for the Master will be given added responsibilities—positions of trusted oversight that are based on how fruitful we became with the seeds we received.
This has NOTHING to do with the quantity of our deeds or how many people were impacted by them. No, that’s not it at all. We’re talking about the fruit of the Spirit born daily in the routines of life—the character of Christ—that motivates us to take a risk; that causes us to be bold out of a consuming love for Him and share what we’ve been given with hurting and hungry people.
When thinking of gifts, what comes to mind for most Christians is singing or preaching abilities—noted authors, teachers, and those at the helm of big ministries. But we cannot overlook the gifts of honesty, patience, hospitality, kindness, compassion, humility…and the greatest of all—love. (The God-kind of love that disarms and disconcerts rebels)
6) The one who hides his gift out of the fear of man loses not only the gift itself, but is not given a working reward. Yes, he’s left alive, but without an assignment of service that involves stewardship of Kingdom things.
Don’t fear your personal judgment, Christian. You are saved. You are safe. However, ask the Holy Spirit to do a deeper work in your life…getting to the truth about who you really are in the “inward parts” as David cried in Psalm 51:6. If Heaven were your only goal, God would have taken you the moment you were saved. But you stayed in order to bear fruit, more fruit, and fruit that remains:
Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing. If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned. But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father.”(John 15: 5-8)
"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you" (John 15:16).
Simple abiding guarantees the production of fruit and an effective prayer life. The Holy Spirit will show you how to make the right kind of investments with what you’ve been given for long-term value—fruit that will remain and keep on bearing--even after you’re gone.
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