“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Its difficult to understand why others sometimes act in a destructive manner. Its hard to grasp why some choose to lie, cheat, or steal, even when there seems to be no compelling reason to do so. Its discomfiting to think there are many who feel free to act unethically, abuse their authority, or conduct themselves in a manner that seems designed to hurt others.
While there might be any number of reasons to explain these behaviors, there is one overriding answer that can account for each of these choices: such people really don’t believe they will eventually have to stand before God to give an account for the choices and decisions they make now.
For example, would it be reasonable to assume that those who engage in such behaviors would choose differently if they really believed that everyone will have to stand before a just and perfect Creator to account for their actions? In most instances, the answer to that question would probably be yes.
You see, our view of the eternal influences the direction of our lives now. For instance, God-honoring man or woman possesses two important incentives that govern his or her choices. The first incentive finds its origin in a love for God and a sincere desire to honor Him- or as 2 Corinthians 5:14 will later tell us, “…the love of Christ compels us.” The second incentive is rooted in the knowledge that we will eventually have to stand before God to give an account for our lives.
On the other hand, a person who does not anticipate eternal life holds a viewpoint that shapes and influences the direction of his or her life as well. While many seem to possess a vague idea concerning the existence of a “higher intelligence” or supernatural being, those beliefs often have little real influence on their day-to-day choices and decisions. So while many accept the existence of “God,” the unfortunate truth is that many also choose to live as if He didn’t exist and conduct themselves accordingly.
Nevertheless, the Scriptures tell us that everyone will eventually have to give an account to a Creator who sees not only sees our choices but the motivation behind them as well. We’ll consider the two different forms of that judgment over the next few studies.