Here you can see the ancient city of Corinth. The buildings are gone. The houses are gone.
The beautifully colonnaded stoas are gone.
The amphitheater is gone.
Here is all that’s left of the once magnificent main paved roadway through the city.
It’s all gone.
The entertainment is gone. The music is gone. The fashion is gone.
The people are gone.
But what remains?? … other than broken fragmented remains?
Only love remains.
What remains is Paul’s letters (1 & 2 Corinthians), written out of a heart of love for the people who once lived here. What remains is Paul’s instructions not to quarrel, argue, and have division – or, in other words, only love remains.
What remains is Paul’s instructions for what real authentic love looks like (in 1 Corinthians 13).
The great chapter on love wraps up: “But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8
This, you can see, has happened.
The prophecies here in Corinth have ceased. The languages which were once spoken here have been stilled. The knowledge which was once here has passed away.
What remains?
The love that the people showed towards each other remains. It still exists … outside of time and space. The kindness the people showed towards each other remains. It still exists … outside of time and space.
Our words and our actions are not fleeting. The words we speak don’t just disappear. They aren’t gone as soon as we’ve said them. They still very much continue to exist.
Our actions towards others aren’t forever gone as soon as we’ve done them. Our actions still very much continue to exist.
When our brief time on this earth comes to an end we will stand before Jesus Christ, our Creator and our Judge.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10
These words were written to the people who once lived here, in ancient Corinth.
In fact, in this photo here you can see the raised platform where the Bema Seat (or “Judgment Seat”) in Corinth used to be.
Once our life on this earth comes to an end we will leave everything behind. Everything. We will not take anything with us. And there we will stand before Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat / Judgment Seat.
Jesus Christ, our Creator and our Judge, will judge us for how we lived our life while on the earth.
What is the standard by which Jesus will judge us??
Did we love God? … and … Did we love others?
“An expert in the law tested Jesus with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Matthew 22:35-39
So there we will stand … before the Judgement Seat … and Jesus will ask us: “Did you love me?”
And we will reply: “Yes Jesus! Yes, I loved you!”
Then Jesus will call forth the witnesses. The witnesses will come to the “Witness Stand” to testify.
These witnesses are our very own words which we have spoken. (oh yes, they are still very real and they continue to exist outside of time and space)
These witnesses are our very own actions … the things we have done.
The words which we have spoken will testify on the “Witness Stand” before Jesus Christ, our Judge. Our actions will testify on the “Witness Stand” before Jesus Christ, our Judge.
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:22-23
This verse is speaking about the judgment of unbelievers before the Great White Throne of Jesus Christ. But without a doubt the Bema Seat / Judgment Seat of believers will be similar.
We will stand before the Bema Seat / Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ … and there on the “Witness Stand” our very own actions will testify as to whether or not we truly loved.
We will say: “Yes Jesus! Yes, I loved you!”
Will our words (still very real, and existing outside of time and space) testify that this was indeed true?
Will our actions (still very real, and existing outside of time and space) testify that this was indeed true?
Jesus Christ, our Judge, will ask the question: “Did you love others?”
And we will reply: “Yes Jesus! Yes, I loved others!”
Then Jesus will call forth the witnesses: our very own words which we have spoken … and our actions.
Will our words (still very real, and existing outside of time and space) testify that our love for others is indeed true? Or will our own words condemn us?
Will our actions (still very real, and existing outside of time and space) testify that our love for others is indeed true? Or will our actions condemn us?
In thinking about my own life, I personally find it terrifying that my words and actions continue to exist (outside of time and space) … to one day testify either for or against me. This makes repentance a matter or urgency! Daily repentance!
Those short snappy words I fired off at hubby on Saturday, when I was super tired, amped up on caffeine, and my mouth was running loose at both ends … those words were not very loving. Those words weren’t very kind.
Those words will one day testify against me that in that moment I was not loving hubby as I should have been.
So I repent! I apologize. And Jesus takes those condemning words away.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” – Psalm 103:12
No longer will those unloving words which I spoke testify against me. Jesus took care of them! Jesus eliminated them! This is why daily repentance is so important!
Our words will testify on the “Witness Stand” when we stand before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat.
Our actions will testify on the “Witness Stand” when we stand before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat.
Jesus will ask: “Did you love me?”
“Did you love others?”
“For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat … so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:10, 12
“Where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8
Only love will remain.
