If you are married and a sports fan, you may relate to my dilemma. When I’m watching an athletic event on television, my wife makes the ridiculous claim that my choice to yell at the officials makes absolutely no difference in the outcome of the game. Well, she may have a point, but it does make me feel better.
The fact is, arguing with the decision of an official is something every coach at any level of competition has experienced. The reason is simple. The calls can have a significant influence on the score of the game. It isn’t right if the scorekeeping is done unfairly.
Although this injustice is frustrating in life, we never have to feel this way in our relationship with God. Our Heavenly Father is the perfect scorekeeper when our eternity is at stake. There are times in our lives, if we listen, where God’s Spirit reminds us that our sin is separating us from God. This creates an understanding that we are missing out on what God has for us. In an act of faith, we can choose to believer that the death of Jesus on the Cross is all that is necessary to pay the penalty for our sin and put us in right relationship with God. We also need to believe that the Resurrection of Jesus provides us with the hope for an eternity in heaven. At this point, we simply express to God that we believe these promises are true and ask him to forgive our sin based on what Jesus has done. This act of faith allows us to choose to turn from sin in our lives to a relationship with Jesus.
When this happens, God checks our scorecard and declares us a winner. No one else has any say in the matter. The Word of God is final; we have the promise of an eternity with him.
But there is more. At the end of our lives, each Christ follower will stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ known as the Bema Seat. This is not to determine if we enter heaven, that was settled in our act of faith discussed above – God has declared us winners. However, God allows us to continue to honor him with our lives and this brings the opportunity for rewards that will be given at the Bema Seat. Every thought, motive and action of ours is being evaluated by the perfect scorekeeper. Therefore it is so important that we strive each day to take on the character of Christ, those qualities we discuss here each week. Again, this score does not determine our eternity, but they offer us opportunities to acquire crowns in heaven and to add jewels to our crown. When we stand before the ultimate scorekeeper, he will have a record of all those times in our lives we brought glory to God through our choices as well as all those opportunities we missed because of selfishness and pride. When the tally is made, we are awarded our crowns.
We do not strut around heaven wearing our crowns and comparing those with the crowns of others. That would be prideful. Instead, out of gratitude for all he has done to provide our redemption, we will lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus as an offering of praise and worship. This is our motivation. We want to enter heaven with the best gift possible for our Lord.
There are many other practical reasons for living this life is a way that honors God. It protects our lives, families, reputations, etc. But isn’t it an exciting thought to imagine that moment when we give to Jesus the worship of our lives well lived?