2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Continuing the thought of v. 9, we seek to please Christ because we will appear before his judgment seat. This can be viewed both positively and negatively. Christ’s response to us will be based on whether we have done good or evil. This needs balanced with what Paul writes elsewhere about being saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are saved by God’s grace but we will be judged by how we respond to this grace. Many other places in the Bible talk about judgment based on what we do during our earthly existence. In just a few verses, Paul will show the urgency of right behavior in this life in 6:2: “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Our eternal destiny is based on our response to Christ in this life.
Paul is attempting to motivate the Corinthians to respond to several potential situations that also apply to us. One is to be strong in persecution and suffering and not to give up under pressure. We must continue in our faithfulness and not be tempted away from our faith in Christ. A second is to live faithfully because we love Christ (see v. 14). We want to honor our Lord and do as he commands. A third is to live out of fear of judgment. We do not to be caught in shame before Christ because we have been living in sin. How we respond to Christ “in this body” will determine how Christ responds to us in judgment.
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