What Happens to the Diligent Christian in the Day of Christ?

Our concept today of what constitutes a "Christian" comes short of the Glory of God. A true Christian is a person who has given his life to Christ to the extent he is a "prisoner" of Christ, whether or not he is a literal prisoner behind bars on the earth.

The true, diligent Christian is a cross-carrying disciple of the risen Lord Jesus. For him to live is Christ and to die is gain. He, through the Spirit of God, presses forward in Christ until every aspect of his personality and behavior is under the strictest guidance and supervision of Christ. He does not belong to himself, he belongs to Christ.

The Lord God of Heaven has a way of imprisoning each of His true saints until, like Paul, he longs for his release through death, but especially for the coming of salvation with the appearing of Christ. His fondest hopes are deferred. He waits, waits, waits until it seems such waiting and hoping will continue forever. These are the saints, and they are learning of the Kingdom and patience of Christ.

These are the heirs of God, the coheirs with Christ. Little by little God closes them in until their treasures are in Heaven. A great deal is stated in both the Old Testament and the New Testament concerning the Kingdom, the treasures that Jesus will bring to the righteous at His appearing. These treasures are the rewards promised to those who fear and love Him, who serve Him faithfully. We can be certain of these rewards because they are mentioned in the Scriptures.

In order to inherit the heavenly rewards we must be found worthy. We must serve Christ with a pure heart. We must conquer, through Christ’s grace, the corruption that is in the world, Satan’s deceptions, and the lusts of our body. Also, we must deny our self-love and self-will, choosing instead to place Christ as absolute Lord of our life.

We are saved from wrath by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But faith apart from works is dead. True faith always results in the works of righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God that are stressed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Such works will bring rewards in the Day of Christ.

Unbelief, on the other hand, always results in unrighteousness, uncleanness, and disobedience toward God. Such works will bring punishment in the Day of Christ.

Christians of today are saying they believe in Christ and that they are saved by their belief. But their works reveal that they do not believe in Christ. They are walking in deception, in the way of the False Prophet.

To die is gain for the true Christian because when he dies he is released from the prison in which God has placed him. He has lived in Christ and for Christ. When he dies he will continue in the same nearness to Christ, only now he will see Christ more clearly. He will be with the Lord. When the Lord appears, the true Christian will receive the crown of righteousness, the crown of eternal life.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also love his appearing. (II Timothy 4:8)

Conversely, the careless, negligent Christian has lived to himself. He has not conducted himself in the Presence of Christ. Let him not imagine that when he dies he will pass into the glorious Presence of the One whom he has shunned while he was alive on the earth.

He has lived far from Christ. When he dies he will continue to be far from Christ. What he has sown he will reap. Physical death does not change our relationship with God or with people. Physical death only reveals and emphasizes what always has been true of us spiritually.

The faithful disciple has chosen to abide in the fiery Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Physical death will not change his spiritual state except to reveal and emphasize it. His many rewards will not be given to him when he dies but in the hour when Jesus appears. Christ will return and bring our rewards with Him.

Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (Isaiah 40:10)

We have discussed briefly what happens to the Christian when he or she dies, what happens to the careless Christian in the Day of Christ, and now are speaking of what happens to the diligent Christian in the Day of Christ.

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