Therefore we make it our aim, .... to be well pleasing to Him.

.......  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men (2 Corinthians 5:9-11). Twice in the greater context of this passage Paul has declared “we do not loose heart” (4:1, 16). The first time because we have received mercy and the glory of ministry, the second because though life can be very difficult  “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (4:17).

But there is another reason we need to keep the perspective of eternity, it is because we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ (4:10). Bear in mind this is Paul who is writing. The same Paul who tells us “It is by grace we have been saved,” and that “we have been sealed for the day of redemption” (not the past tenses Ephesians 2:8). This therefore,  is not about eternal separation from God.  Rather,  as I Corinthians 3:11-15 makes clear,  it is about receiving or loosing rewards, about our behaviour working or not, a far more exceeding weight of glory. If we loose our rewards we will still be saved, yet at thought fire (verse 15). It sounds painful! Paul experienced the terror of the Lord on the Damascus road when the Lord knocked him to the ground,  and asked why he was persecuting Him?  Paul, previously Saul, had been breathing out threats and murder against the disciples (Acts 9:1). Likewise on the last  day the unsaved will cry out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from .... the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16).

Paul was motivate to persuade men both by knowing the terror of the Lord, and by being compelled by the love of Christ (5:11, 14). So the carrot and the stick, the love and the terror, the gain and the need to die to our selfishness. Much of our Evangelism is out of balance,  being only the carrot!   “Come to Jesus and all your problems will be solved!”  You may actually have more “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20).  A hundred years ago it was all about declaring hell, today Hell is hardly mentioned. When did you last hear a sermon on it?  It's the old swing of the pendulum, out of balance on both accounts. It's not either or, it's both and, and if we are to be Biblical, we must to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). If you knew that on an icy road round a bend the bridge was washed out, would you not want to warn everyone, even if they were happy? We must of course always do it in love.

Father, I confess this morning that we Your church,  have been intimidated into silence. This especially about the doctrine of hell, but also that we must all give an account of the deeds done in the body. We have preached “Come to Jesus, you don't need to change your life, He will forgive you!” It's not the whole council of God. Forgive us Lord, forgive me where I have failed in this, and show us how to change and equip us the be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel, persuading others,  and being well pleasing to You,  in Jesus Name Amen