“We Must All Appear!”
Charles Maples, Sr.
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens… (But) we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one of us may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad…therefore we make this our AIM, … to be well pleasing to Him!” (2 Corinthians 5:1, 10, 9)
All of us – you, I, everyone else – will “appear” at certain places, at certain times, under certain circumstances, for certain purposes, but there is no place on earth – in this life – where/when we shall “ALL appear,” at the same time, under the same circumstances!
However, in the above text, Inspiration assures us that there will come a “time” when, under the same circumstances, EVERY accountable person, from Adam, to the last one living at the return of Christ – WILL “APPEAR!” That place, “THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST!” Whether we obtain that “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,” will depend upon whether we are “well pleasing to Him” when we appear!
He who will “call that assembly together” has told us all that we can, or need to know about that august assembly! Consider with me some six things of which He has assured us:
1 – The CERTAINTY of it is well established, in the above, as well as other Inspired Scriptures. To a “devoutly religious,” but idolatrous people the apostle Paul declared, “…God…commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given ASSURANCE of this to all by raising Him from the dead…!” (Acts 17:30f) In Hebrews 9:27 we read that, “…it is APPOINTED unto man to die once, but after this the judgment…”
Many “appointed” meetings never take place! Notice in Hebrews 7:23 a statement of this principle, “Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing…” But, even death will not hinder this “APPOINTED” meeting! It is CERTAIN; for Me, for You, and for ALL!
2- The UNCERTAINTY, as to WHEN! “But of that day (His coming – Matthew 24:3) and hour no one knows, not even the angels, but My Father only!” (V. 36) The apostle Peter warns us, “But the day of the Lord will come AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10) In fact, just when we might feel certain that “There Is Time Enough Yet,” as a line in one of our songs states, THAT might be the very time when we are all called upon to MEET THAT APPOINTMENT!
3 – THE JUDGE – Note that in our text the apostle tells us that we shall “APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST! We read before in Acts 17:31 that God “has given us witness” that the One whom He has appointed to be our Judge is the One whom He had “raised from the dead.” He DIED that we might have “remission of sins, (Matt. 26:28; Rev. 1:5; Eph. 1:7; Acts 2:38), and He is anxious to be our SAVIOR, as seen in such Scriptures as 2 Peter 3:9; Matt. 11:28 and Rev. 22:17. But He THEN, at that “appearance,” will be our JUDGE! In that judgment He will show “no partiality” (Romans 2:11). We can be sure that He will neither “condemn the righteous,” nor will He “justify the wicked!” (Proverbs 17:15) To reject Him, is to be “judged” (condemned) by Him! (John 12:48)
4 – “Judgment” suggests a STANDARD. The STANDARD upon which that judgment shall be based is of vital importance! Note that in the previous verse Jesus added, “THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN will judge you in the last day.” At that great “APPEARANCE” John reminds us that “The Books” will be opened, and that we will “be judged according to (our) works, by the things which are written in the books.” (Revelation 20:12) The Judge will not appeal to the Creeds of men, nor to what we might “think,” or “feel” is right, but to “THE WORD OF THE LORD (which) IS RIGHT!” (Psalm 33:4)
5 -“EACH ONE OF US…(You/I, personally, individually) MUST APPEAR…!” No one of us shall “escape the judgment of God!” (Rom. 2:3) And no one else can fill that appointment for Me/You! Neither of us will be able to; as in some events here; “send a proxy!” Also consider that as surely as I can trust that I shall not be charged with another’s sins, neither shall I be given “credit” for the obedience of any other! Remember, “each one of us…according to what he has done…!”
6 – Think of the FINAL RESULTS! In giving the picture of this great “appearance,” Jesus ends by saying, “And these (the wicked) will go away into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT, but the righteous into ETERNAL LIFE!” (Matthew 25:46) If I desire the reward of the righteous, then I must “live soberly, righteously and godly IN THIS PRESENT WORLD!” (Titus 2:11-12)
CONCLUSION: It is difficult to get every member (even the “able-bodied”) to be present at every, or even any given assembly of the church, but “WE WILL ALL APPEAR…” WE WILL all BE PRESENT “BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST…” In light of those facts, give attention to verse nine, of Second Corinthians five, “THEREFORE WE MAKE IT OUR AIM … TO BE WELL PLEASING TO HIM!” Does YOUR life/does MY life presently “Please Him” well? Please “Examine yourself, whether you are in the faith!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)