Yesterday I mentioned the "spiritually dead". How can I be sure I am alive in Christ no matter how I might feel? 1 John 1 gives us the answer. If (1) I believe that Jesus is who he claimed to be: the Son of God who died on the cross for me and was raised from the dead; and if (2) I cannot sin without experiencing the Holy Spirit's conviction and without feeling wretched that I have grieved Him; and if (3) I love all the members of God's family warts-and-all and want to be with them in worship, being taught and enjoying their company and friendship, then I am in Christ and destined for heaven.  "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). It is not by faith plus works, but by faith alone.

What might happen at the Judgement Seat of Christ? (The following is taken from my book "God's Way".)

The Bible says in Jesus "we have the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14). When we received Christ we were forgiven for all our sins: past, present and future. God promises to forget the sins he forgives and put them out of sight (Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:19; Rom. 4:7). But what of sins that I am excusing and tolerating, sins that through hardness of heart or self-deception remain unconfessed and not repented of. What if I have kept a record of wrongs? These sins are forgiven, but wouldn’t it be far better to come clean now and to put things right with God and others? Do I want them exposed before Christ's throne?

God will judge us as to how well we have obeyed him and represented him in the home, the workplace, the world and the church. How well we have served him and the cause of the Gospel will be revealed through being tested by fire. "Anyone who builds on that foundation [Jesus Christ] 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 Cor. 3:12-15 NLT). Imagine escaping through a wall of flames; your clothes and hair singed, your body partially burned. In general terms, the gold, silver and jewels refer to all that is consistent with the teaching and character of Jesus; the wood, hay and stubble to that emanating from the world, the flesh and the devil – all that promotes self.

We will have to give an account for what has been entrusted to us. What might that include? "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes and he is the one to whom we are accountable" (Heb. 4:13 NLT). The main things I am responsible for are:

1. To share my faith (Mt. 28:18-20).

2. To expect the supernatural (Mt. 10:8).

3. To use my gifts (1 Cor. 12:7).

4. To obey Jesus' teaching (Mt. 7:24)

5. To act on personal prophecies (2 Tim. 1:6)

6. To fulfil my assigned task (Col. 4:17)

7. To help the poor and needy (Mt. 25:35-36)

8. To honour church leaders (1 Th. 5:12-13)

Paul was aware of future judgment and possible loss concerning his own rewards. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16). "For the sake of the gospel … run in such a way as to get the prize … I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize [my reward]" (1 Cor. 9:23-27).

What did Jesus himself say will be rewarded? What does the Bible say will be rewarded? Remember, we are to make the most of every opportunity (Eph. 5:16).

1. Being kind to the poor (Pr. 19:17)

2. Caring for your enemies (Pr. 25:21.22)

3. Praying to the father in secret (Mt. 6:6)

4. Suffering persecution for Jesus (Mt. 5:12)

5. Loving, lending to and praying for our enemies (Mt. 5:43-48)

6. Carrying out secret acts of righteousness (Mt. 6:4)

7. Secret prayer and fasting (Mt. 6:18)

8. Welcoming prophets and righteous people (Mt. 10:40-41)

9. Meeting the simplest need of a believer (Mt. 10:42)

10. Faithfully building on Christ's foundation (1 Cor. 3:14)

11. Not insisting upon legitimate rights (1 Cor. 9:18)

12. Earnestly seeking God (Heb. 11:6)

13. Doing good to others (Eph. 6:8)

14. Working for others as if for the Lord (Col. 3:24)

15. Suffering shame for Jesus (Heb. 11:26)

16. Leading others to Christ (1 Th. 2:19)

This is all a tremendous challenge and very daunting. Who is sufficient for such things? Yet this is the Bible we believe in. It is always good to make ourselves accountable to one another and to remember that life is short and we only get one shot at it.