One may wish to spin that text to simply mean please God only in faithful obedience to preaching the Gospel but the immediate context does not allow for it. Clearly the Apostle Paul, whom answered "answered the accusation of antinomianism with more grace," is urging obedience to the one in Christ (call it "Gospel obedience if you will) with the sober reminder of having to appear before the Righteous Judge of all-Christ. It seems as if there is an element of fear to motivate, if not the main thing (at least in this passage), that is leading Paul to faithfully preach the Gospel to sinners and walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Php. 1:27). My understanding of the passage is also confirmed by the first phrase of verse 11 ("Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord").9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 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" (2 Co 5:9–10).
Before I turn it over to DeYoung, permit me to cite Simon Kistmaker's commentary on the above passage:
Here is how DeYoung responds to one of his critics (for the very good article go here):a. “Therefore, we consider it our aim to please him.” Paul is writing his concluding remarks on this topic, and on the basis of the preceding verses he says “therefore.” He now reverses the order of “away from home” and “at home” (v. 8) and returns to the original sequence (v. 6). The reversals make no difference in the understanding of this passage. Whether believers are in or out of the body does not matter, for their aim is to please the Lord. Does this mean that in the intermediate state, Christians are not able to please him? The answer is no. Paul is not addressing those who have died and are with the Lord. He is speaking to the readers who are alive. He is exhorting us to serve the Lord in such a manner that both God and our fellow men always take pleasure in our conduct (Rom. 14:18; Heb. 13:21).b. “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” When Paul writes “all of us,” is he referring to all people? The New Testament teaches that everyone must appear before the judgment seat of God or Christ (Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rom. 14:10; II Tim. 4:1; I Peter 4:5). But here the Greek construction shows that he addresses the Corinthian Christians and presumably his opponents in that church. No one is exempt from being summoned to appear in court, for the word that Paul uses is “must”; the command to stand trial has a divine origin, for God through Christ issues the summons. The accused must answer to God (Rom. 14:10) and will receive the verdict from Christ.c. “So that each one may receive recompense for the things which he has done in the body, whether good or bad.” Each individual appears in court and hears the verdict based on one’s conduct on earth. When the Lord returns (I Cor. 4:5), all works, whether good or bad, will be revealed. At that time, he assigns recompense to each individual for deeds performed through the instrumentality of the body while one is on earth. Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12).Paul is not teaching a doctrine of earning one’s salvation by doing good works. God accepts us not because of works that in themselves are stained by sin, but because of the meritorious work of Jesus Christ. Calvin notes, “Having thus received us in His favour, He graciously accepts our works also, and it is upon this undeserved acceptance that the reward depends.”*
This would be a serious deficiency, so it’s worth probing a bit further. Is the deepest problem in every situation and in every sinful struggle our failure to appropriate the gospel? Perhaps—depends on your definitions. I don’t have a problem saying at the root of every problem is a misfiring of the gospel. But neither would I have a problem saying that at its root every sin is a failure to recognize the Lordship of Christ, or to believe the promises of God, or to accept the goodness of God’s commands, or to trust the word of God, or to recognize our union with Christ, or to celebrate the character of God, or to find our satisfaction in Jesus, or to live in the power of the Spirit. I suppose someone may say, “Yes, that’s it exactly. And all of that is a failure to appropriate the gospel.” But then “gospel” has become shorthand for almost any spiritual blessing evidenced in Scripture. And if that’s our working definition of the gospel, I don’t mind, so long as we don’t expect everyone to give a hat-tip to “gospel” before we say anything else.
The gospel is, in one sense, the answer for everything. It unmasks our legalism and our antinomianism. Paul certainly confronts the “let’s continue in sin” attitude in Romans 6 by reminding us that we are dead to sin and alive to righteousness by virtue of our union with Christ. I have a whole section in the book on the glories of Romans 6. But it would be a mistake to think this is the only way to confront sin, or the only truly gospel-centered approach, or the only one that gets to the ultimate problem. In Romans 13 Paul attacks the libertines of his day by warning them of Christ’s return. This is a gracious gospel truth too, though not, I think, what people have in mind when they argue that the antidote for the abuse of grace is more grace.Thabiti Anyabwile also has some very wise words in the discussion that even convicts me and reminds me to connect the dots with the Gospel being the answer and whatever problem. For this article go here.
I believe some folks have mastered the doctrine of justification but have fumbled the doctrine of sanctification out of some "phantom fear" of legalism.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Fernando
*Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 19: Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. New Testament Commentary (180–181). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
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