Judgement Day

Jesus paid it all. All to him, I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
HE washed it white as snow.

I've said it before. I'll say it again. I love this hymn. --White as snow. That's how God sees me. But only in my savior, Jesus Christ. I hear so many people talk about how on judgement day, we will stand before God and be judged for our deeds, rewarded for the good ones, and looked down on for the bad ones. I used to believe this myself and trembled at the thought, because I know how black my heart is, and how sinful my deeds are (but really, only slightly).

What a relief to find out that when I go to stand before God on judgement day, Christ will stand in my place. I will be judged on HIS deeds, and HE is perfect. And my reward will be spending eternity with Christ himself. I don't believe there will be degrees of rewards in heaven. We will all have the same. If you do a word search for rewards (plural) in the bible, you will not find it, in regards to rewards in heaven. You will only find the word reward (singular). Christ is our reward, and what better reward could there be.

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Why even bother to do good works then, you might ask? Well, certainly not for reward or fear of punishment. Those are selfish motives anyway. Not to impress God with my 'good' deeds. He's only impressed with his son. Do good deeds because of love for Christ.

Who would take better care of a sick child, --a mother who loves her child, or a paid nurse? And would a mother expect a reward for it? If we do good deeds only for payment (rewards, blessings) from God, then we're just working to get paid. How self-centered and selfish. But that's what we do in our human nature. Always looking out for #1.

When we stop thinking about rewards and punishment, just look to Christ and rest in him, good deeds will come, but we probably won't even be aware of them. We will just do what we love and want to do. I believe THAT is Christ working in us. And what a relief to just rest in him and not worry about blessings and punishment. That is true freedom!