ROMANS 14:10, C. H. Cayce Elder A. L. Ray, of Baker Hill, Ala., requests our views of Rom. 14:10, and asks, “When and where is the judgment seat of Christ?” The text reads: “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
It appears to us that the apostle was reproving the brethren concerning the eating of meat and herbs, and the esteeming of one day above another. It seems that some esteemed one day above another, and that others did not; and that some condemned others on this account.
This was a matter to be left to the conscience of each one, and no one should be condemned by his brother on account of his view of the matters considered here. The apostle brings to the attention of the one who would condemn his brother for these matters the fact that he must, himself, “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” and that he may be guilty of something worse than his brother whom he condemns. To our mind, the apostle is teaching the necessity of forbearance. We think that the judgment seat of Christ is in His kingdom, and His kingdom is the church— the Old Baptist Church.
“We,” the apostle and the members of the church of God at Rome, “must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”— 2 Cor. 5:10. We receive here in this life the things we have done, whether good or bad. God’s people receive heaven, and the blessings of immortality beyond this life, on account of what Jesus has done, and not on account of what they do or have done.
The judgment seat, then, here referred to is not beyond this life, but we must all appear there while we live in the world; and God’s children stand condemned there or acquitted, according to the lives they live. Hence, we should all “take heed to ourselves.” We should endeavor to examine self, and try to order our lives, try to walk uprightly before the Lord, instead of being engaged so much in trying to get the mote out of a brother’s eye. The Primitive Baptist, December 22, 1914.