The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading PlanSample

Are We Going to Be Judged?

The Awaiting Judgments

When Jesus Christ suffered on the cross, he received the judgment for sins. Salvation comes to Christians who put their faith in Christ and believe that the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus Christ in their place. Yet while those of us who put our faith in him escape eternal judgment, the Bible teaches that we are still accountable for our lives and time on earth. The salvation we receive guarantees our position, but it does not give us a free pass to live any way we like.

God disciplines us as his children (see Hebrews 12:4 – 11). And as stated in 1 Corinthians 3:10 – 15, we are to build God-honoring lives because the purifying fire of God’s power will make clear which of us have done our best in this lifetime and which of us have not. This judgment differs from the judgment when God will separate those who believe in him from those who don’t. This passage indicates that heavenly rewards await those who build their ministries and lives with eternal materials.

Taken from NIV Essentials of the Christian Faith