Our Final Accounting
Life is short, and we do not get any do-overs. Once something is done, it is done. We can't take it back, even though we can do our best to make it right. (Which is what we should do) That makes life very challenging. It is important for us to do the right thing the first time, as much as we can. Then, one day when we leave this world and go to be with the Lord, we will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14:12) It will be our "final exam," if you will. God is the perfect Judge, but I still wonder how that is going to go. There is a way to make sure it goes better instead of being a disaster.
Of course, Paul is speaking to believers in this passage of Scripture. The first step in making sure we have a good experience in the Judgment is making sure we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. That is the only foundation. The rest depends on how we build on that solid foundation. (I Corinthians 3:11-15) If we follow the flesh, we will end up doing a lot of worthless things that hurt us and other people, as well not doing the right things. When we give an account to God, these things will be burned up and gone. We will suffer loss and be ashamed before the Lord. However, if we follow the Holy Spirit, whom we receive at salvation to guide us and empower us, we can and will do the right things. We can even do them the first time, without trial and error. The key is allowing the Spirit to show us what the Bible means and depending on Him to show us what to do and how to do it. That is His desire for us. He would like nothing better than for us to pass the final exam with an A. All of that is up to us. We have the choice to follow the flesh or the Spirit, and we have to make that choice every day, so we do not waste any of the time the Lord gives us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 15-16 and I Corinthians 1.
Of course, Paul is speaking to believers in this passage of Scripture. The first step in making sure we have a good experience in the Judgment is making sure we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. That is the only foundation. The rest depends on how we build on that solid foundation. (I Corinthians 3:11-15) If we follow the flesh, we will end up doing a lot of worthless things that hurt us and other people, as well not doing the right things. When we give an account to God, these things will be burned up and gone. We will suffer loss and be ashamed before the Lord. However, if we follow the Holy Spirit, whom we receive at salvation to guide us and empower us, we can and will do the right things. We can even do them the first time, without trial and error. The key is allowing the Spirit to show us what the Bible means and depending on Him to show us what to do and how to do it. That is His desire for us. He would like nothing better than for us to pass the final exam with an A. All of that is up to us. We have the choice to follow the flesh or the Spirit, and we have to make that choice every day, so we do not waste any of the time the Lord gives us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 15-16 and I Corinthians 1.