Serving With a Pure Heart
ICS Daily Devotions
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV) For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
The Greek word for “judgement seat of Christ” is bema in the above Scripture. It refers to a platform for awarding victors in athletic games. The Judgement seat, therefore, was not for judging whether someone was guilty or not, but a seat of reward.
This verse gives us a picture of what will happen to all Christians on the Day of Judgement. We can be very confident on that day if we conscientiously work on how we will face God at the judgment seat now, while we still have time.
The judgement seat of Christ is for Christians only, and God will assess everyone’s work based on our obedience and faithfulness in doing the work and administering the gifts, talents, and resources that God has entrusted to us.
1 Corinthians 3:10-13 (NKJV) According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
The Day of Judgement will also reveal the true motives behind our service. Some have served out of selfish reasons, while others have served with sincere hearts. Wood, hay, and straw represent superficial service driven by selfish motives, seeking human praise, or relying on our own strength. Only the Lord knows the true intent of our service, but on the Day of Judgement, we will all know whether it will be consumed and go up in smoke.
Therefore, we need to examine our hearts to understand why we serve in the ministry. Each person’s work will be uncovered and become clear on the day when it is tested by fire. The type of work that endures must be crafted from gold, silver, and precious stones. Those works, performed with a pure heart, sincere motives, and love for God, are the kind that the Lord will bless on that day.
In these kinds of work, workers might not be paid, recognised, or even appreciated by others, since we live in a broken and imperfect world. The worker might feel forgotten, unacknowledged, or unappreciated. However, God has recorded everything done out of love and a pure heart, for which we will receive a reward from the Lord.
Sermon Series： Giving out of a heart of gratitude
