Benjamin Franklin ¹ once wrote

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

It is risky business to challenge the thoughts of a gifted individual.  But when it comes to this particular saying, I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Franklin on both accounts.

In the first place, there are lots of people who can and should – but who do not – pay taxes.  And they get away with it.

Concerning the other issue, the Bible informs us that an entire generation of Church-Age believers will not experience death.  According to the Apostle Paul

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet … For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”  (1^st Corinthians 15:51-53)

So, neither (paying) taxes nor dying is necessarily certain … “in this world.”  But there is something in the next world that is most certain.  Once resurrected, there is something every reborn follower of Christ must do:

“We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  (2^nd Corinthians 5:10)

The time is coming when we must all bow before the One sitting on heaven’s throne, lofty and exalted … the train of His robe filling the temple … and the foundations of its thresholds trembling as one angel calls out to another,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts.  The whole earth is full of His glory.”         (Isaiah 6:1-4)

The day is approaching when we must all bow before the One Whose head and hair are white … like white wool … like snow … Whose eyes are like a flame of fire … Whose face is like the sun shining in its strength … and Whose voice is like the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:14-16).

Every true believer has a scheduled appointment with the Son of God.  And dear friends, once we have been ushered into His Presence,

we are going to have the frankest discussion of our lives.

“I, the LORD, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”  (Jeremiah 17:10)

To prepare ourselves for this divine examination, we need

to cultivate an eternal perspective

That is the purpose of this course, “Our Approaching Evaluation:  a Study of the Judgment Seat of Christ.”

The goals of this study are

• for each of us to be sobered by the certainty of this scheduled, face-to-Face appraisal by our all-knowing Master,

• for each of us to become aware that we – who are saved by grace – will be judged according to the quality and motive of our works,

• and for each of us to realize that this evaluation of our lives will result in varying degrees of rewards and losses.

So, as the world constantly dangles in front of us its countless distractions of fool’s gold, let us be fully assured.  The Judgment Seat of Christ is a most certain appointment … and it approaches like the wind.  May this study challenge us to live more fervently, not for our own interests in a world scheduled for destruction but for the interests of the King over all kings and Lord over all lords, Whose

“… dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his Kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”  (Daniel 7:14)

¹           Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States.  He was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, the first U.S. Postmaster General, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat, serving as U.S. Minister to France and, later, U.S. Minister to Sweden.

Click here to view this course:  OUR APPROACHING EVALUATION

Click here to view our website:  STEWARD OF TRUTH PUBLICATIONS

To the readers within the believing community:  I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.