It Matters How You Finish
Near the end of his life, sitting in a Roman prison and expecting to die, Paul looked back and wrote some of the most satisfying words a Christian could ever say.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”2 TIMOTHY 4:7–8 · KJV
When God adopts you into His family, it is for eternity. Your salvation is settled, and Christ holds it. But how you live after you are saved still matters a great deal, and one day you will see how much. It should be the desire of every Christian to finish well. God is less concerned with how you began than with how you finish, and that is good news for anyone who started badly.
Paul's crown came from the Lord, the righteous judge, at that day. He is speaking of the judgment seat of Christ. Scripture teaches that every believer will stand there.
The time after the Rapture when Christ will evaluate the life of every believer for reward. The Greek word for this seat, bema, named the raised platform where a judge or official gave his decisions. It is not a trial to decide who enters heaven.
If you stood before Jesus today, what would you be glad you did with your life, and what would you wish you had done differently?
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For Deeper Study
- Your Eternal Reward: Triumph and Tears at the Judgment Seat of ChristAmazon Erwin W. LutzerA warm, readable pastor's study of the judgment seat of Christ: what will be evaluated, what can be lost, and how to live for reward.
- A Life God Rewards: Why Everything You Do Today Matters ForeverAmazon Bruce WilkinsonA short, popular book on the difference between salvation and reward, by the founder of Walk Thru the Bible.
- The Law of Rewards: Giving What You Can't Keep to Gain What You Can't LoseAmazon Randy AlcornA brief look at how Christ's teaching on eternal reward should shape how we use money and possessions.
- Finishing StrongAmazon Steve FarrarA plain-spoken book for men on staying faithful for the long haul, and on the common reasons men do not.
- The Pilgrim's ProgressAmazon John BunyanThe classic allegory of a believer's journey to the Celestial City, written by a nonconformist pastor who was jailed for preaching without a license.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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The Final Judgment
Every person will stand before Christ: believers at His judgment seat to receive reward, and unbelievers at the great white throne after the thousand years.
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