The creedal confession about Christ’s return as judge reminds us that we will give account to him at his judgement seat, so we must take care and maintain focus. It also reminds us that we will see him and enter his joy eternally, so let us live for his joy now and serve him with the gracious gifts he has given us.

He will come again with glory

to judge the living and the dead.

His kingdom will never end.

Nicene Creed

He will come to judge the living and the dead.

Apostles’ Creed

Jesus is coming back. Hallelujah!

When I was a teenager, more emphasis was given to Christ’s return than it is now. Perhaps it was only in the church tradition I was part of, which had a very definite view on the details of the end times. I am not sure that was always helpful, and my own views are less concrete than they once were. Nevertheless, I look back with some measure of nostalgia. We were thinking seriously about Christ’s return, whereas nowadays, I don’t see much interest in the subject.

That’s a great pity because it was clearly a subject considered important enough to include in our earliest creeds. The creedal statements tell us that Christ will one day appear in glory; he will judge all people (‘the living and the dead’).

Jesus also spoke about this future event.

All the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matt 24.31-32

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Matt 25.31-32

Power and glory; angels and a throne; the gathering of people from around the world. And judgement. This is very different from Jesus’ first coming, which was about weakness and poverty, angels and a manger, salvation, and followers scattered across the world. Only the angels make it into both lists!

So, how does the prospect of Christ’s return in glory, coming as a righteous judge, impact us as leaders? 

Judgement is coming—that should motivate us to share the gospel. When we remember that people are lost without Christ, we have every reason to be clear in how we speak about salvation in Christ. But it should also strengthen our resolve to serve Christ faithfully as leaders. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that leaders are those who ‘must give an account’ (Heb 13.17a) for how they lead. James writes in his letter that ‘we who teach will be judged more strictly’ (James 3.1b).

Leaders will face Christ’s judgement.

Facing Judgement

Christians differ over the details of the future judgement; in particular, whether the ‘judgement seat of Christ’ referred to in 2 Corinthians 5.10 is the same as the ‘great white throne’ of Revelation 20.10. Some see two separate judgement events—the ‘judgement seat’ for believers and the ‘great white throne’ for unbelievers. Others think both believers and unbelievers will be judged at the same time.

It is sufficient here simply to acknowledge that leaders will be judged. Or it may be more accurate to say that Christ will judge or ‘test’ our works. The apostle Paul describes a judgement of fire that ‘will test what sort of work each one has done’ (1 Cor 3.13). Specifically, he is concerned about what we are building into the Church, how our deeds impact God’s people. Works that are unworthy (wood, hay, and stubble) are burnt up, while works that are worthy (gold, silver, and precious stones) last.

The difference between the two categories is whether the works are consistent with the foundation Paul has laid, which is Jesus Christ himself.

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