2 Cor.5:6-10 – So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
This could be called the most terrifying yet must comforting passage in the entire Bible. How could that possibly be? Well actually it is quite simple. Once we have put aside all of our pretenses every Christian should realize where he or she stands with the Lord and the approaching great day when everything will be evaluated by the Lord. We are either living a self centered life deceiving our own selves of the consequences of our choices or we have yielded our lives to follow after the Lord. George Whitefield apparently had eternity and his eternal reward in mind as he preached the gospel tirelessly to his generation. He spoke often about the judgement seat of Christ and he was quite aware that he would find himself there one day. Here is how Whitefield described his thoughts about that great day.
George Whitefield wrote,
Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified.
Let my name die everywhere, let even my friends forget me, if by that means the cause of the blessed Jesus may be promoted.
But what is Calvin, or what is Luther? Let us look above names and parties; let Jesus be our all in all—So that He is preached. . . . I care not who is uppermost. I know my place . . . even to be the servant of all.
I am content to wait till the judgement day for the clearing up of my reputation; and after I am dead I desire no other epitaph than this, “Here lies G.W. What sort of man he was the great day will discover.
This was Whitefield’s response when he was told of the criticism he was receiving from the other preachers. He refused to fall into the trap of defending himself and fighting other ministers. He knew his place and was content to wait for the great day and let the Lord sort it out. I think this is good counsel for us today, the great day is coming and I just want to be ready.
