Question on Judgment

So I received a question on Judgment. Why is it that all people, even Christians, will be judged when this life is over? Shouldn't Christians be automatically saved?

I want to start by saying some disclosures like, hey, I don't claim to know everything, and likely God hasn't revealed everything regarding judgment and Heaven. But, still, the Bible gives us answers so let's look at some (there must be a thousand ways to answer this, but here is mine):

Yes, there is a judgment coming:

Matt. 5:22 "Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment."

"Day of Judgment"--Matt. 10:15 and 2 Peter 2:9

1 John 4:17 "We may have boldness in the Day of Judgment."

Read Matt. 10:31-46 where it concludes, "But these will go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

But if Christians have been saved, will they, and why will they, have to face judgment? (Before giving some verses, let me interject that ALL of the epistles (letters) from Romans on through the New Testament are written to Christians. So when we read warnings to not fall away, beware of sin, etc., the lesson is to those who have become Christians.)

A Christian can be tempted, can go back to sin and be lost--1 Cor. 10:12-13.

James 1:12-27--Even the Christian can fall; we must endure temptation.

2 John 8--"Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."

And finally, the book of Hebrews gives many warnings to the Christian: 2:1, "lest we drift away." 3:12, "departing from the living God." 5:1, "you have become dull of hearing." 10:26, "If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."

Thus, after we have become Christians, we must still resist temptation. We must continue to follow Jesus rather than Satan. And we must stand before God in the final judgment. But if we are sincerely trying to follow Jesus, we don't have to fear judgment. Note 1 John 5:13, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."

My conclusion to all of this is that there must be a balance. Yes, we are saved by the blood of Jesus, the grace of God. But we must do our part as well.....and will be judged on whether we did so. He says, "Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and...." We must do our part. Perhaps in the next posting we will look at specific things that we are to do. But meanwhile, thanks for reading and sharing these thoughts with me. Love and peace......