"For we must all appear." It is not that we pass before the judgment seat, as in a court of law today, it is that we are revealed before the judgment seat. All that is in our personality is made clear through the things we have done.

"Every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done." Here is the perfect justice of God. It is commonly believed that if the individual is a Christian the judgment will be affected in a manner favorable to the Christian. This is not true. It will proceed as written. Each individual, Christian or not, will receive the things done in his or her body.

We have said the judgment is proceeding today. The Holy Spirit is pointing out to Christians the things they are doing. The issue is not concerning the sins of the past. They were forgiven when we came to the Lord for salvation. The issue is concerning what we are practicing now, that is, what kind of personality we are.

The sins of the past, which have been forgiven, proceeded from our personality. In most instances those tendencies are still in us and under the right circumstances we will do the same thing again. God does not want wickedness to take place in Paradise and so we must be judged. Biasing the judgment in favor of the Christian would render the process useless. Should Christian sin be permitted to ruin Paradise as today it ruins churches?

If you who are reading these words are a pastor you understand only too well the harm that comes to churches because of the sin in the people. Paradise would be ruined in the same manner if Christians were permitted to enter before they have been delivered.

It is commonly believed that the sins of believers will vanish when they die, when the Lord comes, when they are resurrected, or when they enter Paradise or the new Jerusalem. In actuality, sin is removed only by the Divine program of judgment, and that is what we are discussing now. After all, sin began in Heaven and so it is not going to vanish merely because we entered the spirit realm!

Let us suppose that the Lord shows you that you are lying. You have lied about a business contract. You have lied to your wife. You have lied on your income tax. You are a born-again Spirit-filled Christian but you have lied.

All liars shall be thrown into the Lake of Fire whether or not they profess to be Christians unless they are delivered or spared in some manner.

The Spirit by some means calls to your attention that you are lying. Now, what are you going to do?

The Bible tells you to confess your sin to God and renounce it, that is, repent of it. If you confess your sin of lying and come to God for cleansing, God will forgive you at once. The spirit of lying may come out of you at once. Or there may be a battle to get rid of it.

To be continued.