The spiritual change is taking place now—in this world. Only our body will be changed in the Day of the Lord. It is not possible that our soulish personality can die and a new spiritual nature be formed within us in a moment. Our body can and will be transformed in a moment, but our spiritual personality cannot be transformed in a moment. We go from glory to glory while beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. This is what the Scripture teaches.

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. (II Corinthians 5:10)

Here is the perfect wisdom and justice of God. Imputed (ascribed) righteousness is not operating here. Rather, it is the Kingdom law of sowing and reaping that is in effect.

The idea of the term "appear" is that of being revealed, being made manifest. It does not mean we will be presented before the Judgment Seat but that we will be revealed before the Judgment Seat. Imputed righteousness is not the issue. The issue is that of reaping what we have sown. It is possible that God's mercy will decide what happens to us after we have received the consequences of our actions, but we know of no passage of Scripture that provides such assurance.

There is a Judgment Seat of Christ at which every person's behavior in this world will be revealed. Tradition has portrayed this Judgment Seat as a kind of sports awards ceremony that takes place after athletic competition in which there are various degrees of reward. The Scriptures give a more solemn picture.

The Judgment Seat (beema) of Christ is not a sports awards ceremony but a court where accused criminals are brought. This is the way the word is used in the New Testament.

Paul still is following the line of thought he began in II Corinthians 3:18, referring to our transformation into the image of the glory of the Lord. If we have been changed in our inner man into the glory of the Lord we will receive an outward glory that corresponds to the inner glory. As a result we will be completely in the image of the Lord.

Then Paul adds a terrifying thought. Those who have not been transformed in the inner man, but who have continued to walk in the lusts of the flesh and the ambitions of the soul, also will receive a corresponding reward.

. . . that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10)

As we have stated, our body from Heaven will correspond to our transformed inner man so that our Christ-filled inner life will be clothed with a Christ-filled outer form. How wonderful it is to contemplate that in that day we no longer will be battling a hostile, sinful body! Our body will encourage us and help us to do God's will. It is difficult to imagine a greater reward than this, especially for those who love righteousness.

To be continued.