Bevere writes:
“Our judgement will be relative to our submission, for authority is of God. To resist delegated authority is to resist God’s authority. We should not take upon ourselves the pressure to discern beforehand whether leaders are right nor not. Nor should we judge after the fact. This is not our burden, but God’s He alone knows and can change hearts as he so desires (Bevere 147)” .
Scripture never states that we will be judged according to our submission to delegated authority. The criteria is always based on quality and the sincerity of our work.
Paul
Rom 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed!
Rom 2:6 He will reward each one according to his works :
Rom 2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality,
Rom 2:8 but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds.
1Co 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
1Co 3:13 each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done.
1Co 3:14 If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
1Co 3:17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.
Jesus in John’s gospel
Joh 15:1 “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.
Joh 15:2 He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.
Joh 15:3 You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
Joh 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me — and I in him — bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.
Joh 15:6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.Jesus in Matthew’s gospel
Mat 7:12 In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.
Mat 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
Mat 7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Mat 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.
Mat 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?
Mat 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven — only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Mat 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’
Mat 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’
Mat 25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.
Mat 25:15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
Mat 25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more.
Mat 25:17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more.
Mat 25:18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it.
Mat 25:19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them.
Mat 25:20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
Mat 25:21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Mat 25:22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’
Mat 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Mat 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,
Mat 25:25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
Mat 25:26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?
Mat 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!
Mat 25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.
Mat 25:29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Mat 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’Mat 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Mat 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
Mat 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
Mat 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?
Mat 25:39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
Mat 25:40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.‘Jesus in Luke’s gospel
Luk 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out — a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luk 12:35 “Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning;
Luk 12:36 be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.
Luk 12:37 Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them!
Luk 12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves!
Luk 12:39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
Luk 12:40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Luk 12:41 Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”
Luk 12:42 The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?
Luk 12:43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns.
Luk 12:44 I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.
Luk 12:45 But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk,
Luk 12:46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
Luk 12:47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating.
Luk 12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.
Bevere, John. Under Cover. Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 2001.
