Paid In Full
Devotions:
"God's going to get you for that!" Many believe that this is a true statement or we do not acknowledge it out loud but we act like this is true. After all we see plenty examples in the Old Testament. We need to know that God the Father already got Jesus for all our misdeeds. All the penalty for sin was laid on Jesus. There is no more judgement left for us. So the sin that people of the world are condemned for is rejecting Jesus.
What about the Judgement seat of Christ that we all have to stand before?
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 NASB
This sounds like a dreadful ordeal. We must know the fear of the Lord. But fear can be positive or negative. Three hundred and sixty times in the Bible an when embassary of God would appear to humans the first thing they would say is, "fear not." If God says,"fear not," when His angels appear then what is Paul talking about, "the fear of the Lord," We see the definition in Exodus 20.
“Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."” Exodus 20:20 NASB
The fear of the Lord then is to respect, honor and revere not to tremble in fear of retribution and punishment. Our turning from sin does not rely on a fear of judgement but on our relationship with Him.
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 NASB
So what is the Judgement Seat of Christ? The Greek is the "Bema Seat of Christ" or the seat of rewards not punishment from which we will receive our Stephenoses or larual wreaths of victory. As we walk in relationship with the Lord, He works through us to produce rewards for us. Jesus bore our punishment for all our sins and all that is left is blessings for us. This is the fruit of being born again. When we know this and stop cowering in fear of punishment we can then come to maturity in the Lord.
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:15-19 NASB