The Big Picture - The Judgement Seat of Christ
2 Corinthians 5:10 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 (worthless).
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
We have been discussing the “Big Picture” of scripture. The Bible is about God’s plan for his uncreated and unique son Jesus Christ to inherit the nations of the earth as eternal sovereign king. Sorry, it is at all not about you living your best life here and now. But the good news is, we are invited to play a part in this plan. So today’s topic is where the proverbial rubber meets the road for you personally.
FIRST, making the decision to become a believer and follower of Jesus Christ will be the most important decision of every PERSON’S eternal existence. This decision will determine whether we stand in judgement at the “Bema” judgement seat (Rev. 20:5-6), or the “Great White Throne” judgement seat (Rev. 20:11-15).
SECOND, the judgment seat of Christ will be the most important event of every BELIEVER’S eternal existence. It is wise to spend every moment of our lives with this event in view. The consequences of this judgement will determine our place and value for all eternity.
Major Events Leading Up to Judgement Day
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
Matthew 27:52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
What to Be Concerned About In Regards to Judgement
In the verse from 1 Cor. 5:10, the word translated “evil” means “worthless”. We need to understand we are in training for godliness in this life to ensure our works bear fruit so that what we do as believers (or as the church) in this life actually counts for something. We need to understand, small things that are done in the right way, for the right reasons, at the right time are far more valuable than big things done that might draw a lot of attention to ourselves from the world, but don’t count anything for eternity.
Abiding in the primary means of grace with consistency is how we train to ensure our works count for eternity. (grow in our understanding of scripture, pray, gather with other believers for worship)
Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Matthew 10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then EACH ONE will receive his commendation from God.
Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
James 2:12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
The Judgement Seat for Believers Is About Rewards NOT Punishment
John 5:23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Both Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:9 speak of the “judgment seat.” This a translation of one Greek word, the word bema. While bema is used in the gospels and Acts of the raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13), its use in the epistles by Paul, because of his many allusions to the Greek athletic contests, is more in keeping with its original use among the Greeks.
This word was taken from Isthmian games where the contestants would compete for the prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (cf. 2 Tim. 2:5). The victor of a given event who participated according to the rules was led by the judge to the platform called the Bema. There the laurel wreath was placed on his head as a symbol of victory (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-27).
“It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the judgment is unrelated to the problem of sin, that it is more for the bestowing of rewards than the rejection of failure.”
~ Lewis Chafer
You reward the victor, you don’t punish the loser. Losing is it’s own punishment.
Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
1 Corinthians 11:32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
To overdo the sorrow aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to make heaven hell. To underdo the sorrow aspect is to make faithfulness inconsequential.
~ Samuel Hoyt
How to Think About the Results of Judgement
A Thanksgiving Dinner. At a Thanksgiving dinner, each person eats a different amount, but each is satisfied. After our glorification, there will be no sinful nature to produce envy, or jealousy, or resentment, or feelings of dissatisfaction.
A Bat Boy at the World Series. Any young man who loves baseball would probably be thrilled to be a bat boy in the World Series, but he would not be jealous or resentful because he was not one of the stars of the game. The same goes for those who bought tickets to sit in the stands and watch the game. They aren’t mad they don’t get to play, they consider themselves lucky to get to be present to watch the event.
A Graduate at Commencement. At graduation there is some measure of disappointment and remorse that one did not do better and work harder. However, at such an event the overwhelming emotion is joy, not remorse. The graduates do not leave the auditorium weeping because they did not earn better grades. Rather, they are thankful that they have been graduated, and they are grateful for what they did achieve.1
Communion Scripture
John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
J. Hampton Keathley III, “The Doctrine of Rewards” - The Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ