1 John 3:23 (NLT), “And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”

We know the time is nearing where the whole world will stand before the Lord to give account. Both unbelievers and believers will stand before the judgement seat of God (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10). However, for the righteous, those who believe in the name of Jesus, and have received and live in His redemptive love, our judgement will be different. We won’t be judged based on sin which has the penalty of death and eternal separation from God. Rather, we will be judged on what we did for the Lord and the motives and intents of our hearts (1 Corinthians 3:14-15; 2 John 1:8). Our judgement will not result in punishment, but rather in reward. Some will hear the word of divine approval (Matthew 25:21-23). Some will receive promotion (Luke 19:17-19; Revelation 20:4). All of us may receive crowns. While all of the above warrants our close attention, Psalm 50:14-15 paints a wonderful explanation of what the Lord requires of us, so we can stand before His throne with confidence. He requires a sincere, thankful heart, a life of obedience to His will, and a genuine, living trust in His faithfulness. In verse 16 of Psalm 50, God rebukes the wicked that are among His people. He asks what right they have to speak His Word or claim to be a part of His covenant, or worship Him with their lips. We may be doing all the right things, but if they are just rituals outside of a genuine relationship, He is not fooled nor pleased. God is looking for those who sincerely believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him with all their hearts. When we do this, we open our hearts to receive His unconditional love that brings complete redemption and salvation. This covenant of trust causes God’s love to flow in and through us to serve Him and love others properly. When we don’t display this kind of love, it’s evident we don’t really know Him. How can we hold a grudge or cut a fellow believer out of our lives, or criticize and murmur against members of the body and say we know and love God? Let the Lord search your heart today and remove all that is not of Him, so you can confidently stand in your covenant of trust and not be ashamed on the day of our judgement.