What will Jesus look at during our evaluation?
Our Eternal destiny is never in question at the Judgment Seat of Christ!
The Judgment Seat of Christ will be for revealing and rewarding the kind of Christian life the believer has lived—a spiritual life with fruits of righteousness or a carnal life with very few good deeds. This judgment will be on the basis of a believer’s works only.
What’s being weighed is our worthiness, our qualifications, our fitness, our readiness, and our preparation for positions or levels of responsibility in the future kingdom. Our justification is never in jeopardy. We are Eternally secure in that respect.
This judgment is where our works will go through the refining test of fire and the Lord will search our hearts and minds and expose the truth. This is also the time that each of us will give an account of our faithfulness, our obedience, and our perseverance.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 14:
12 Therefore, each one must answer for himself and give a personal account of his own life before God.
We will be evaluated on the basis of what we did with the time, the talents, and the treasures that we were given here on earth
And in 1st Timothy chapter 5:
24 The sins of some people stand out and are well known. Yet there are others whose sins are not as obvious, but the Truth of who they really are will eventually be seen and will bring them judgment.
25 It is the same way with good works, even if they are not known at first, they will eventually be recognized and acknowledged.
In the parable of the ten talents, the Judgment Seat of Christ is where the reward of “entering into the joy of the Lord” or the loss of being cast into the darkness outside the Throne Room is pronounced.
The Beloved Disciple wrote in 1st John chapter 1:
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Unconfessed sin will be judged because it quenched God’s Spirit and prevented any “works of righteousness” from being produced. Because these carnal believers didn’t apply the above passage in order to cleanse their lives, they quenched God’s Spirit in their hearts and, consequently, no “fruit” could be produced.
Our Heavenly Father is not only a Loving God, He is also a just God. His Love brings us to Him as a gift, but His justice demands a review of our lives—every thought, word, and deed, whether good or bad. Be assured, we will be evaluated.
The following might be a good self-assessment test:
Did we Love Him and Love others? (Matthew 22:37–39)
Did we walk by the Spirit, showing forth His Life, His Love, Wisdom, and power? Were we “fruit-bearing?” (John 10:10)
Did we make choices to follow God, regardless of our feelings?
Did we Love our enemies? (Luke 6:35)
Did we do everything from a heart of Love? (1 Corinthians 13:1–3)
Did we stay yielded, so that He could be strong through us? (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)
Did we do everything for His glory? (Matthew 6:1–6)
Did we follow the Spirit’s leading and feed the poor and visit those in prison? (Matthew 25:35–36, 40)
Did we seek His will and not our own? (John 5:30)
Did we always have a servant’s heart? (Matthew 20:25–27)
Did we continually deny ourselves, follow Christ, and put others first? (Titus 2:12; Luke 9:23)
Did we witness for Him with our lives? (Daniel 12:3; 2 Peter 1:2–11)
Did we preach the Gospel in and out of season? (Matthew 28:19–20)
Did the fruit from our lives remain? (John 15:16)
All of God’s future blessings will be determined by our faithfulness and our obedience to do His Will here and now. Therefore, our inheritance, position, and privileges in the coming kingdom are all still at stake.