Christian Responsibility Is a Day-by-Day Reality

 

                                        By A. W. Tozer

 

        Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord

         come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of

         darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the

         hearts:  and then shall every man have praise of God.

                                                             -  -  1 Corinthians 4:5

 

             When we believe that Christ died for the unjust,

         making it possible for the unjust to live with the Just in

         complete moral congruity, do we mean that redeemed

         and forgiven men and women have no further responsi-

         bility to God for their conduct?

 

             Does this mean that now that they are clothed with

         the righteousness of Christ, they will never be called to account for their deeds?

 

            God forbid!  How could the moral Governor of the

         universe release a segment of that universe from the

         moral law of deeds and consequences and hope to

         uphold the order of the world?

 

             Within the household of God among the redeemed

         and justified, there is law as well as grace; not the law of Moses that knew no mercy, but the kindly law of the

 Father's heart that requires and expects of His children

lives lived in conformity to the commandments of God.

 

             The Lord told us plainly, as have the apostles, that we must all give account of the deeds done in the body. And

         He has warned us faithfully of the danger that we shall

         have for our reward only wood, hay, and stubble in the

         day of Christ  Rom. 14:7-12; I Cor. 3:9-15.

 

             The judgment unto death and hell lies behind the

         Christian, but the judgment seat of Christ lies ahead.

         There the question will not be the law of Moses, but

         how we have lived within the Father's household.

             We have the Bible before us and the Holy Spirit within.

         Ibelieve we may anticipate and prepare ourselves for the judgment seat of Christ by honest self-judgment in this

life.

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         Yours in Christ,

         Paul N. F.