WHAT WILL BE SAID ABOUT OUR LIFE AFTER WE DIE

Proclamation:

“The Lord said, ‘What have you done?  Listen!  Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.’”  Genesis 4:1-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Moses and were recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel.  Abel gave God his best, while Cain just offered God some of his increase.  God accepted Abel's offering but he rejected Cain's offering. (Genesis 4:4-5)  Cain got angry and killed his brother Abel, and God punished him for that.

Application:
Abel’s blood spoke to God after his death.  What will our “blood” say about us when we are dead?  The word “blood” here is a figure of speech, it is something that will be left behind after our soul leaves our body.  What will be remembered about us and said about us after we die?  Some of the people that we encountered during our walk on earth will remember the good or bad that we did to them or to others.  However, it is much more important to know what will the life that we have lived say to God about us after our death?  God knows whether we have truly given Him our best, when we have been wronged by others, and when we have done wrong unto others.  We will have to give an account for our actions, as well as for our words and thoughts.  When we stand before Jesus in judgement, we won't have to say a word, our lives will speak for us.  The most important question that we can ask ourselves now is, “What will our life say about us and what we did, or did not do, to give God glory?”  While we are still living, we have a chance to positively affect the answer to that question.  Let’s make sure that when we stand before Jesus that He says to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

OUR DEEDS WILL FOLLOW US EVEN AFTER DEATH

Proclamation:

“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in The Lord from now on.’  Yes, says The Spirit, ‘They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’” Revelation 14:13 (NIV)

Explanation:

The apostle John, who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, recounted an out of body experience that he had in which things beyond earth were revealed to him.  He was told by angels and by The Holy Spirit of God to write what he saw and heard.  He was told that those who die believing in Jesus, The Christ, will be blessed.  They will be given rest from their earthly labor, and they will be rewarded for their works which were obedient to God’s Word.

Application:

The good and the bad that we do will live on after we die.  There is a record being kept in heaven of all that we think, say and do in this life. (1 John 5:7)  Both the saved saints and unsaved sinners will be judged after death but they will be judged differently.  The unsaved sinner’s life will be recounted to show that they had the opportunity to accept Christ but refused.  Then they will be condemned to spend eternity in hell and damnation. (Revelation 20:15)  The saved saint’s life will be recounted to give an account of their stewardship. (Romans 14:12)   Jesus, The Christ, will judge (John 5:22) each of our thoughts (Romans 2:16 and Hebrews 4:12) words (Matthew 12:36) and actions. (Revelations 20:12-13)  We will be given a reward for all that gives God glory and that passes through the test of fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13-14)  The rewards which we will receive in heaven will be based upon what we did in life to give God glory.  All who believe and love Him will receive a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) but everyone in heaven will not have the same rewards. (Matthew 10:41-42)  Some will have great rewards in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-12)  There will be many mansions in heaven but they may not all be equal. (John 14:2)  Let us do more for the glory of God, for in the end that is all that will matter.

Every Man Will Receive According To His Deeds

"But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;  but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."  Romans 2:8-10 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in the Church in Rome, the Apostle Paul told them that the righteous judgement of God will render to every man according to his deeds. (Romans 2:5-6)  The worldly people who reject Him will incur His wrath, and the righteous people who follow Him live by His Word will be blessed.
The salvation of the redeemed believers is not based upon their works, their good works are the evidence of their salvation.  The evil deeds of non-believers provides evidence of the absence of righteousness in their lives.  Both groups will sin, but believers will feel and show remorse, confess, and repent of their sins, whereas the non-believers will not.  We all will be judged on the basis of our belief, character, and conduct.  And, His judgement will begin with those in the Church.

Jesus Is Coming Back

"Behold, I am coming soon!  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."  "Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."  Revelation 22:7 & 12 (NIV)

The Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was told to write these words and record what he saw and heard in the vision which God revealed to him future things to come.  Jesus said that He was coming back soon.  Blessed is the man who lives by and obeys the things written in The Word of God.  When He comes back, Jesus will reward everyone according to what they have done. 

The first time that Jesus came, He came to show us how to live and to save us from the penalty of our sins.  The second time that He comes, He will come to gather all of the believers unto Himself, and the non-believers will be left behind. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)  All those who lived by The Word of God will be blessed and rewarded.  We will be judged and rewarded according to what we did that gave God glory. (Revelation 14:7)

Believers Will Be Judged First

"For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"  1 Peter 4:17 (NIV)

The Apostle Peter, writing to the scattered Christians who were being persecuted, said that God's judgment, with rewards and punishments, would begin with the believers.  According to the Bible scholars John MacArthur, Matthew Henry, and Finis Dake, this would not be condemnation but a purging and purifying of the Church.  The suffering by God's people refines them.  This thought is also stated by King Solomon (Proverbs11:31)

Believers will suffer now and in the judgement, but our salvation is assured.  While others may not appear the suffer now, there will be greater suffering, without salvation, for the non-believers in the future.  Make sure that you are in the family of God.

Work As If You Were Working For The Lord

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward. It is The Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism." Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul told the people that they should do their best at whatever they do, as if they were working for The Lord. His point was that ultimately they were serving The Lord.

As believers we know that non-believers will make judgements about all Christians based upon what they see in our behavior. Therefore, all of our daily activities can be viewed as kingdom building activities. So, we should always do our best at whatever we are doing, because we are a reflection of Him. In the end, He will be the one to reward us.

God Seaches Our Heart And Examines Our Mind

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 'I The Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.' " Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NIV)

The Prophet Jeremiah was primarily concerned with the judgement of Judah. He told the people that God would judge each of them by examining their heart and thoughts to determine their motives. They would be rewarded or punished based upon what they deserve according to their thoughts, words, and deeds.

Man can only evaluate the words, actions and outward appearance of a person. God can search the heart and mind and judge the true inner nature of a person. God sees us like no one else can see us, twenty-four hours each day. When we say 'God knows my heart,' He does. We do not realize that our heart is much more deceitful than we want to admit. We should remember this when we pray and ask for the forgiveness of our sins.

Eventually We Will All Get What We Deserve

"God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.' To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Romans 2:6-8 (NIV)

In his letter to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul warns them not to judge others for their sins, for all of us have sinned. Sometimes we have thought, said, or done the very thing that we condemn others for doing or saying. One day God's righteous judgment will be revealed and we will all get what we deserve.

In the end, we will all get exactly what we deserve. Thanks to His goodness, grace, and mercy, we do not get what we deserve as soon as our behavior "earns" it. But rest assured that the day is coming when we will all get ours. Those of us who seek to give Him glory and honor will be rewarded. Those of us who do not, will be punished. So, it would behoove each of us to believe, pray, confess, repent, and work to the glory of God while we can. The day is coming when we will each have to give an account of our stewardship.

Don't Encourage Or Cause Someone To Sin

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." Romans 14:13 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Rome to stop judging one another, and to stop saying and doing things which would cause someone else to sin.

We should not cause or encourage someone to sin. We ought not do anything in front of others, especially children, which if they imitate us, would cause them to sin. We should not seek company to participate in our sinful activities. We should be very careful of the example we set for others to follow. Do the right thing, the Christ-like thing, and encourage others to do likewise.

Our Deeds Will Follow Us Even After Death

"Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." Revelation 14:13 (NIV)

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, recounted and out of body experience in which things beyond earth were revealed to him. He was told by angels and by The Holy Spirit to write what he saw and heard. He was told that those who die believing in Jesus Christ will be blessed. They will be given rest from their earthly labor, and they will be rewarded for their works which were obedient to His word.

This revelation of John was revealed to him after he saw images of the anti-Christ, and there are those who believe that this blessing is only for the martyrs who will be killed for refusing to be branded with the mark of the beast. Others believe that this blessing applies to all who die believing in Christ. Either way, it is clear that we will all have to give an account of our stewardship (Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:12; Hebrews 4:13; & 1 Peter 4:5) and it is clear that Jesus, The Christ, will judge each of our thoughts, words, and deeds (John 5:22; John 5:27; Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 4:12; and Revelation 20:12-13) and our future rewards will be based upon what we did to give God glory.

Pray Like A Prophet

"A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet ... Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy."  Habakkuk 3:1-2 (NIV)
Habakkuk, the prophet, frequently question God regarding how long He would let evil men triumph over the righteous.  After God answers him and tells him that judgement is coming, he prays for mercy.

Even today is seems that a lot of bad people enjoy a good life, often at the expense of the righteous, and a lot of good people seem to suffer a series of bad things in their lives.  The Bible states that there will come a day when we will all have to answer to God and give an account for our thoughts, spoken words, and actions.  (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 13:17, & 1 Peter 4:5)  None of us is ready for, nor can we stand, God's judgement, we all need God's mercy.  We all need to pray, confess, repent, ask for forgiveness and mercy.

Aim To Please God In All That You Do

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for The Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward. It is The Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism." Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV)

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom ... The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: " Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 (NIV)

These two passages of scripture basically make the same point. As King Solomon wrote to all who would listen and the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Colossae, when you work, "... do it with all your might ..." and "... work at it with all your heart ..." as if you are working for The Lord.

Everyone who is old enough to have even a vague understanding of life knows that they will die, they just don't know when it will happen. There is a purpose for our life, and a purpose for everything that we say and do. However, if that purpose was not to give God glory, then it was a wasted effort. We should do our best at everything that we do, because ultimately we are doing it to please God. Man's abilities do not guarantee good results or a positive outcome during life, or at life's end. In the end, God will judge our efforts, and the reward for our labor will come from God, not from man.

Seek Good Not Evil That You May Live

"Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then The Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps The Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Therefore this is what The Lord, The Lord God Almighty, says: 'There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square ... There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,' says The Lord ... the day of The Lord ... That day will be darkness, not light." Amos 5:14-18 (NIV)

After lamenting to the people that they turned away from God, Amos calls them to repentance. Then he warns them that if they do not repent, they will suffer the wrath of God. There will be crying in the streets and suffering everywhere. The day of The Lord is coming.

There are people today who do not want to hear The Word of God. They are living in sin and want to continue to do so. Do not be one of those people, and do not associate with them. Confess your sins, believe in birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, The Son of God, repent and turn from your sinful ways. Judgement day in coming.

He Sees When Our Strength Is Gone

"The Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. He will say ... 'See now that I Myself am He! There is no god besides Me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand.' " Deuteronomy 32:36 & 39 (NIV)

Near the end of his life, Moses was telling the people what thus said The Lord. He will judge His people. He will have compassion on whom He chooses.

God will have compassion on His servants, those who love and obey Him. Only He has the power over life and death, and only He can heal, save, and deliver us. The Lord will judge us all, and on that judgement day we want to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

In This World But Not Of This World

"You are all sons of The Light and sons of The Day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others ... But since we belong to The Day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up ..." 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 (NIV)

Addressing the Church at Thessalonica, Paul began this chapter talking about "the day of The Lord", judgement day, and reminded them that as children of God they would be raptured beforehand. And that as children of God they should act differently from the worldly people. He reminded them that they need protection against worldly temptations. As believers, they would be spared the wrath of God.

Jesus said, "I am The Light of the world." (John 8:12 & 9:5) We are sons of The Light. We are in this world, but not of this world, so we should not act like worldly people. We need to exercise self-control. We should put on the whole armour of God as we do battle with the world and its temptations. It is not God's plan for us to suffer His wrath, but to be saved. Therefore let us encourage each other, better days are coming. Let us build each other up and not tear each other down. Let us help, and not hurt; let us give, and not take; let us love, and not hate.

What Will Be Said About Our Life After We Die?

The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. " Genesis 4:1-10 (NIV)

Abel gave God his best, while Cain just offered God some of his increase. God accepted Abel's offering but he rejected Cain's offering. Cain got angry and killed his brother Abel, and God punished him for that.

What will our "blood" say about us when we are gone? Blood here is a figure of speech, it is something that will be left behind after our soul leaves our body. What will be remembered about us and said about us after we die? More importantly, what will the life that we have lived say to God about us after our death?

God knows whether we have truly given Him our best, when we have been wronged by others, and when we have done wrong unto others. We will have to give an account for our actions, as well as for our words and thoughts. When we stand before Jesus in judgement, we won't have to say a word, our lives will speak for us. What will our life say about us and what we did, or did not do, to give God glory?

God Sees All That We Do And Judgement Is Coming

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of The Lord, and He pondereth all his goings." Proverbs 5:21

Some people say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." It is as if they believe that God is not there and that He does not see all that goes on in Las Vegas and everywhere else. That which is done in the dark will soon come to the light.

Imagine a video camera being focused upon you, 24 hours each day, 365 days of the year. Would you want that recording played back to all of your family and friends in church, especially if it included all that you said and thought?

On judgement day, Jesus is going to judge each of us on all of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Read Matthew 12:36-37 and Revelation 20:12-13. Repent now and ask for forgiveness for all sins, and pray for help to avoid them in the future.

Watch Your Words

Watch what you say, before you speak, pray this prayer, or something just like it.

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14

We really ought to be much more careful regarding the words that we speak. Even what we think should be pleasing to God. We will be judged by not only that which we do, but also by what we say and think. (Read Matthew 12:36-37 & Matthew 5:28 & Proverbs 23:7)

When you pray, ask for forgiveness for sinful deeds, spoken words, and thoughts.

Judge Not # 2

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Matthew 7:1 & 3

Don't worry about the speck that is in your brother's eye until you remove the log that is in your own eye.

Sometimes our sins are bigger problems than the people that we talk about. Let's start by fixing ''the man in the mirror" before we tell others what is wrong with them. None of us is perfect.

Heavenly Rewards

"Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work shall abide which he hath built there upon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

We shall all stand before The Lord and be judged. All that we thought, said and did will also be judged. We will receive a heavenly reward for that which gives God glory.

This judgement is not about our sins because they have been forgiven by the death of Jesus on the cross. All believers will be saved. This judgement will reward us for our service to The Lord.