Throughout Scripture, we learn that God is just. The Oxford dictionary defines just as "behaving according to what is morally right and fair." Indeed, God behaves according to what is right and fair. Acting with justice means allowing people to face the consequences of their actions. That is why those who have not placed their faith in Christ will face an eternity apart from Christ in hell. They will reap the consequences of their sin and refusal to trust in Christ.
The apostle Paul reminded readers of the judgment to come after Christ returns in 2nd Corinthians. In this passage of Scripture, he talked about his dilemma while he lived here on this earth. He said, "We are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him” (verses 8-9). Paul lived his life on earth with purpose and intention. He sought to please God with every moment He was given while still on earth. Next, Paul explained his motivation, "For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body" (verse 10). Paul knew that He would stand before God one day and give an account for how he lived his life. He also knew that there were people all over the world who did not know Christ and would also stand before Christ and be sentenced to a life apart from Christ in hell without placing their hope in Christ. Knowing this, Paul lived with the end in mind.
God is just, my friends. That means we will have to account for how we lived our lives one day. Those who did not place their faith in Him will face the consequences of eternity apart from him in anguish. Those who have placed their faith in Christ will be rewarded (or not) based on how they honored Christ with their lives. Let's follow Paul's example and strive to make our goal "to please Him" and to make Christ known every day.
Write out 2nd Corinthians 5:10 in your notebook or journal. Then, write a prayer to God proclaiming His justice. Proclaim that He behaves “according to what is morally right and fair.” Acknowledge that we face consequences for how we live, for better or worse, and commit to proclaiming His name and justice wherever you go.
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
