So if we’re saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), how can we make sense out of today’s passage? Well, while some well-intentioned folks insist that this “white throne judgment” is not for Christians, we need to consider the whole witness of the Scripture. After all, Paul himself, the apostle of justification by faith, spoke of the way that Christians would be judged based on their deeds: he warns that those who trust in Christ but whose works are found wanting will in fact “be saved, but only as through fire” (I Corinthians 3:15).

Moreover, Jesus taught the same lesson. The parable of the talents not only teaches that we should be diligent stewards of all the gifts God has entrusted to us, but also indicates that God’s rewards will be distributed according to the way we have worked for Him: after all, the man with ten talents received the one forfeited by the “wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26, 28). And perhaps most strikingly, Jesus says that He will reward His sheep because they have blessed “the least of these my brothers” (Matthew 25:40, 45).

So, how do we fit the truth that we will all be judged according to our works with the truth that justification comes by faith alone? Because of what Jesus told us in Matthew 7: that we can recognize a tree by its fruit. Simply put, those who are trusting in Christ and thus filled with the Holy Spirit will inevitably yield good fruit – our lives will demonstrate by our good works the faith that lives within us.

But at the same time, those who do not trust in Christ but live instead according to their own rules and their own desires will inevitably demonstrate the same sort of selfish fear that the wicked and slothful servant demonstrated, the same sort of callous indifference that those who refused to minister to the least of Jesus’ brethren displayed.

So, how should Christians live in anticipation of the “white throne judgment?” Well, all those who trust in Christ, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 13:8; 20:12, 15) have no need to fear the lake of fire. But if we don’t want our works to be burned up, we need to base everything we say and do on the firm foundation of Christ. In short, those who have been saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone need to live our lives for the glory of God alone.

Matthew 7:15-21 (ESV)

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV)

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw–
13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Revelation 20:11-15 (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.