Now, what does the verse itself say?

For we must all appear [be made manifest].

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.

Every person who has been born on the earth must one day be revealed before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Father judges no person. He has given all authority of judgment to His Son, Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is a great white throne (Revelation 20:11). The Lord Jesus sits on that throne. At the end of the age His conquering saints, after they themselves have been judged, will join Him on that throne; for the task of judging the world has been assigned to them.

Every individual will receive what he has practiced while on earth in his material body. The statement that he will receive what he has practiced is a peculiar expression. We might interpret the expression to mean he will receive the consequences of what he has practiced, or a punishment for what he has done, but not the deeds themselves. This, however, is human reasoning.

The unchangeable Scripture states he shall receive what he has done. He shall reap what he has sown. This may mean something more profound than merely receiving the consequences of what he or she has done.

The idea may be that the doctor who has performed abortions will be surrounded with visions of the fetuses he has aborted and of what they would have become had they lived—visions that he cannot escape for a long, long time—maybe for eternity! Perhaps the spirits of the fetuses, now grown persons in the spirit realm, will be pointing the finger at him.

God is as severe as He is loving!

The liar may be clothed in his lies, the thief in his thefts.

The person who has idolized music may not be able to escape the sound of the music though he holds his hands over his ears and races from one end of the universe to the other.

Conversely the individual who has given his life to bring others to righteousness may be surrounded for eternity with love flowing from those whom he or she has guided into God's blessings.

Notice that when we are revealed we receive our deeds—the things we have done. Many times the Lord brings us into situations so what is buried in our heart may come forth in speech or action. It is the actual speech or action that the Lord judges. We will receive the things done in our body.

"Whether it be good." Those who have given their lives in the service of the Gospel will be rewarded by a grateful King. We cannot imagine the glory that is to be bestowed on the faithful.

"Or evil." In the same manner, those believers who have not chosen to walk in the Spirit but have followed the world, the lusts of their flesh, and their self-will, cannot in the present hour imagine the horror, the agony of remorse they will experience as they see the great gates of the Kingdom closing while they themselves are forced to remain in the darkness, surrounded with selfish, lazy, faithless souls like themselves.

Indeed, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

To be continued.