Page 104 - Fundamentals Ebook

shepherd? No. I lay down in green pastures. I’m led in paths of
righteousness. If I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I
won’t be afraid. When my neighbor looks at me they don’t say, “Ed
has become a shepherd.” But they see me resting and they see my
walking in righteousness. And in their deep heart they think, “He
must have a wonderful shepherd.” We’re conformed to Christ and
that conforming is by gazing. Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t
stop gazing at Jesus in the Bible.

The starting point is that God has put His seed, His life in you. That
seed will produce after its own kind. The process is that we come
with an unveiled face and we look in the Bible and we see how God
sees us. How wonderful is the way God sees us! But will I ever
become like what God sees?

1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not
appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears,
we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.” When
we see Him, we’ll be like Him. That’s not only true down the road;
that’s true now! I gave illustrations. The starting point is the seed.
The process is a mirror. Let me give you the consummation.

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in
the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” I’d
like to illustrate it with the judgment seat of Christ. To many
Christians this is a frightening prospect. They don’t like to think
about the judgment seat of Christ. They often miss God’s heart
about the judgment seat of Christ. I know some Christians who
dread of the judgment seat of Christ.

Many books are written about it. I want to pass by the technical
side. I studied the Bema (Judgment) Seat and perhaps you have,
too. I know it’s not about God judging sin. God is honest and He
will not collect the same debt twice. Jesus paid for all you sins on
the cross. You’ll never have to pay again for that. What is the
Judgment Seat of Christ?