“If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I sometimes hear you ask that nebulous question of each other and then inwardly assess your lives. Being comforted by your personal judgment and impressed with the number of bibles you own, you peacefully fall asleep, confident that you are a stellar example of My Son’s character before people and worthy to call yourselves by His Name. Let’s just suppose that I am the One who will determine if you represent Him properly. By the way, I am!

"Let Me pose some of the easier questions to you to use as plumb lines in assessing your life. Do you hold anything as your own? Have you recently wept bitterly for anyone because you knew that he was not saved, and resolved to devote your life to his salvation, no matter what the cost? Have you thrown a “pittance” to My workers, keeping an abundance for yourself because you “earned” it? Do you only crave to do My perfect will? If someone were to beat you within an inch of your life, take everything that you have, destroy your family and then mock your name to your friends, would you love him? Better still, would your love for him increase? Would you fall on your face in gratitude to Me for allowing you to be privy to his sin for the single task of holding it before Me, that I would not hold it against him? Would you give everything you own, even your very life, for the soul of someone who hates you?

"The One Whom you say you represent did! If you didn’t do so well with these elementary questions, there is still time. I will help you if that’s what you want Me to do.”

Luke 23:33-34 NIV

33) When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left.

34) Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

I Cor. 3:11-15 AMP

11) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

12) But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13) The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose anddeclare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done.

14) If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward.

15) But if any person’s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire.

I John 2:5-6 AMP

5) But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:

6) Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

We are a fascinating group of people, those of us who call ourselves by our Redeemer’s Name. Not only do we judge others by their actions and judge ourselves by our intentions; we feel that God is going to do the same. Somehow, we have come to believe that we are going to be graded on a curve rather than by the Word when we stand before the Lord and are given crowns to lay at His feet.

Our lives, if held before the intense light of the Holy Spirit, need some tailoring, to say the least. We judge everyone, condemn the lost, lie to others, lie to God, hoard His wealth, hold grudges, harbor unforgiveness, care only for ourselves, overlook our sins; and then say that we represent the character of Jesus. Not very credible criteria for a defense of our actions.

I know that we are relying on grace and mercy, but what about the reputation of our Lord? What about His feelings? What about His desires about how we are to act? If Jesus is really our Lord, shouldn’t His wishes and examples for living be a little more important to us? I believe that His Father thinks so!

Needing to use the Word as my plumb line and consider the cares of my Lord,

Jim Corbett