Eschatology The Study of Last Things by WordExplain |
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10 |
Will Christians Undergo a Future Judgment? The
Judgment Seat of Christ By WordExplain A. Will
Christians undergo a future judgment? 1. The
answer is clearly, “Yes.” a. Paul writes in 2
Corinthians
5:10,
“For we must
all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in
the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” b. He also states
in Romans 14:10, “... For we
will all stand before the judgment
seat of God.” 2. In both cases
the phrase “judgment seat” is a
translation of the Greek word bema. In
Matt. 27:19 and
John 19:13, bema
refers to
the judgment bench on which Pilate sat when trying Jesus.
3. Other examples
of bema as used
in the New Testament include the following: a. King Herod sat
on a bema when he gave a
speech to the people of Tyre and Sidon (Acts
12:20-21). b. The Jews hauled
Paul before the bema of
Gallio, proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12).
c. Gallio drove
the Jews away from the bema (Acts 18:16). In
retaliatory expression of anti-Semitism, the Greeks began to beat
Sosthenes,
the leader of the synagogue in front of the bema,
but Gallio ignored the
beating (Acts 18:17). d. Governor Festus
heard the case of the Jewish
leaders against Paul while seated on the bema in
Caesarea (Acts 25:6, 17). e. When Paul knew
he could not receive a fair trial
from Festus, he appealed to Emperor Caesar’s bema (Acts
25:10). f. The only other
occurrence of bema is in Acts 7:5, where it is
used of a place on which to seat
one’s foot. 4. Conclusion:
Clearly, in every case in the New Testament where an
official is seated,
bema is used
in the context of an official or judicial pronouncement or verdict. All Christians will be
judged by Jesus, to
whom all judicial authority has been granted by God (John
5:22, 27). B. What
is the nature of
the judgment which Christians can expect? 1. The evidence in
Scripture seems clear that
believers in Jesus in this present Church
Age will not
experience a judgment of condemnation. a. Jesus revealed
that all judgment (krisis) has
been given to the Son (John 5:22, 27). Yet
in
the same context He said that the one hearing His word and believing
Him who
sent Him presently has eternal life and would not enter into judgment (krisis),
but has passed from “the death” into “the life” (John
5:24). Paul
said there is no condemnation (katakrima – note
the similarity between krisis and krima) for
those who are in Messiah Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Katakrima
(from kata – down,
and krima
–
judgment) is “a legal technical term for the result of judging,
including both
the sentence and its execution” (Friberg
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament). Katakrima
is used only three times in the
NT, and in the NASB is always
translated condemnation (Rom.
5:16, 18; 8:1). b. And yet Paul
said that all Christians would
appear before the bema of Christ / God (2
Cor. 5:10;
Rom. 14:10). c. How can we
resolve what might appear to be a
contradiction? 2. The solution is
that the judgment at which
non-Christians appear, the “Great
White Throne”
judgment, is a judgment of condemnation and eternal punishment (Rev.
20:11-15),
while the
judgment at which Christians appear
amounts to a rewarding / refining process.
a. Christians will
be evaluated for the works they
have performed “in their bodies” during their lifetime here on earth (2
Cor. 5:10). Their
salvation
is not at stake; their service is.
In
regard to their position in Christ, believers in Him possess eternal
life, and
they are eternally
secure (John 3:16;
3:36; 5:24; 10:27-29; 20:30-31; Rom. 8:1, 15, 23, 26-39; 1
John 5:10-13). In
regard to their works, there is no guaranteed eternal security. That which they have truly
done for Christ (1 Cor. 15:58;
Col. 3:17) will survive
the
intensity of His blazing gaze (Rev. 1:14;
2:18; 19:12). That
which they have not done for Christ will not. b. The clearest
illustration of what will happen at
the Judgment Seat of Christ is laid out for us in 1
Corinthians
3:9-15: 9For we
are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10According
to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I
laid a
foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful
how he
builds on it. 11For no man can lay a foundation
other than the one
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if
any man builds on the
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13each
man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is
to be
revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each
man's
work. 14If any man's work which he has built on
it remains, he will
receive a reward. 15If any man's work is burned
up, he will suffer
loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1) Paul reminded
the Corinthian believers that he
had laid the foundation of Jesus Christ among them, and now someone
else was
building on that foundation (1 Cor. 3:9-11). 2) Each person
must be careful how he builds upon
the foundation of Christ (1 Cor. 3:10). 3) There are
different kinds of material that one
may use in building on that foundation (1
Cor. 3:12). As
the
context indicates, the most basic distinction lies between combustible
and
non-combustible materials. Gold,
silver,
and precious stones will survive a fire; wood, hay and stubble will not. Of course there is also a
distinction between
the relative values of the non-combustible materials that will survive
the
fire. 4) “The day” will
come when the quality of each
Christian’s work will be revealed by the fire of Christ’s judgment (1
Cor. 3:13). 5) If a
Christian’s work survives the fire of Christ’s
evaluation, it will remain for all eternity, and he himself will be
rewarded
for his efforts (1 Cor. 3:14). 6) If a
Christian’s work does not survive the fire,
he will suffer loss. Some
have believed
that there are no tears in heaven because there will be no grief. But God’s wiping away of
all tears comes
after judgment, after the creation of New
Heaven and New Earth
(Rev. 21:1-4).
Suffering loss is a painful experience, and I
anticipate many tears in
heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 7) Even here at
this judgment, the eternal security
of the believer is maintained. Though
his work may be burned up, the believer himself will be saved,” but if
is work
is all burned up, it will be as though he had to run through a fire,
escaping
with his life while even his clothes were burned off of him (1
Cor. 3:15). That
is
a loss I do not wish to undergo, although I am certain I will shed
tears of
regret for work I have not performed for Jesus. C. What
is the time frame
of the Judgment Seat of Christ? 1. Clearly
Christians do not appear at the Judgment
Seat of Christ in this life, but in the next one.
Jesus’ purpose is that He might “present to
Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any
such thing;
but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph.
5:27).
Consequently that refining process cannot be
completed until the entire Church
has been raptured
and is in the presence of Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18). 2. The outer limit
of this judgment is the return of
Christ with His
purified bride, the Church,
to the earth. Jesus
will return to earth
after the Rapture,
and
after the Tribulation. a. In Rev.
19:5-6,
John the
Apostle heard something like a great
multitude, rushing waters, and peals of thunder pronouncing,
“Hallelujah! For
the Lord our God, the Almighty,
reigns. Let us
rejoice and be glad and
give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His
bride has
made herself ready.” The
impeccable
clothing of the bride is identified as being “the righteous acts of the
saints”
(Rev. 19:7-8). The
angel speaking to John instructed him to write down, “Blessed are those
who are
invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev.
19:9). The
Bride of Christ is the Church. It
is
clear that by this time, just prior to Christ’s return to earth to
reign, the
Church has been completely purified and prepared.
By this time the Judgment Seat of Christ has
already taken place. The
Church has been
prepared to return to earth with Jesus the Messiah and to participate
in the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which will take place on Earth during
Christ’s
Millennial Kingdom. b. It is to be
observed from Jesus’ parable of the
ten virgins that the redeemed among Israel are among those who
successfully
enter the marriage feast at the coming of the Bridegroom (Matt.
25:1-13).
Elsewhere He indicated that just being Jewish would
not qualify one to
participate in that feast. Only
people
who exercise faith in Jesus, amongst both Jews and Gentiles, would be
able to
participate (Matt. 8:5-13). This
“wedding
feast” identified by Jesus in Matt.
25:10
is the same
event as the “marriage supper of the Lamb” identified by
John in Rev.
19:9. c. Isaiah had
revealed that God would prepare a
lavish banquet for all [redeemed] peoples and nations on Mount Zion (Isa.
25:6-8). Again,
this banquet predicted by Isaiah (Isa.
25:6)
is the same
event as the “wedding feast” identified by Jesus in Matt.
25:10
and the
“marriage supper of the Lamb” identified by John in Rev.
19:9. d. When does this
feast take place? It
begins
after the Tribulation,
when Jesus returns in power to set up His Millennial
Kingdom from Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
But it actually continues into eternity, when, for
the redeemed who
inhabit New
Earth
and behold God and Jesus on Mount Zion in New
Jerusalem, God
will remove the pall of death and wipe away every tear from every eye (Isa.
25:6-8;
Rev. 21:1-4). (It
should be pointed out
that the reason New
Jerusalem is so
high (Rev.
21:16)
is precisely
that heavenly Mount Zion is contained therein!) e. The point to be
made is that in this present
age Jesus is at
work purifying His Bride the Church.
That process will not be complete until after each
person in the church
has personally met Christ (1 John 3:2-3). That
will not have taken place for the entire
church until the Rapture
occurs (John 14:1-3; 1
Cor. 15:50-55; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). So
our best guess is that
the Judgment Seat
of Christ takes place up in heaven
while the Tribulation
is in process down on the earth below.
By the time Christ
returns to earth to set up His kingdom,
the Judgment Seat of Christ will have been completed for all church-age
believers. 3. There is at
least a possibility that those Christians
who have died and gone to be with the Lord (2
Cor. 5:8; 1
Thess. 4:13) will be
judged by the
Lord as soon as, or almost as soon as they meet Him (1
Cor.
13:10-12; 1 John 3:2-3). Paul
stated, in 1 Cor. 13:12, that when we
see Jesus face to face we will
“know fully,” just as we “have been fully known.”
Did Paul thus imply that it would be
revealed to us the true nature of our work and service for Christ, even
to the
extent that He knows it? Possibly
so. The Apostle
John stated that meeting Jesus
Christ face to face would be a transforming experience.
When Jesus is revealed to us, we believers
will become like Him, for we shall see Him as He is in all His
resplendent
glory, purity, and holiness (1 John 3:2). That
may well be a purifying event, because the believer who clearly
understands the
significance of that event will begin the purifying process himself in
his own
life right now (1 John 3:3)! So
it
would not surprise me to find out that each believer of the Church
Age has his own
evaluating audience with Jesus at some point following his arrival in
heaven after
he dies. But there
will be an enormous
number of Church Age believers who will not undergo that evaluation
until they
themselves appear in heaven following the Rapture
of the Church (1
Cor.
15:50-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). D. What
rewards will
Christians be given at the Judgment Seat of Christ? 1. As a child, I
was taught to believe that we will
be granted crowns in heaven for having served Jesus.
As I grew older and studied the subject for
myself, I came to understand the matter of crowns in a little different
light. It is true
that the Bible speaks
of crowns, but crowns of what? a. The only crowns
of metal that I know of that mere
humans will wear are crowns of gold, and these crowns are only said to
be worn
by the twenty-four elders who surround the throne (Rev.
4:4, 10). The
word for crown used in both instances is the Greek word stephanos. b. Now it is true
that the believers in the church of
Philadelphia were told, “...hold fast what you have, so that no one
will take
your crown” (Rev. 3:11).
Presumably believers other than the steadfast
Philadelphians may also
wear that crown. Precisely
what that
crown is made of, however, we are not told, so we must suspend our
judgment
until we know for certain. c. In 1
Cor. 9:25, Paul referred
to the crown (stephanos) for
which athletes in the Grecian games competed in his day.
He acknowledged that the
athletic crown was
made merely of leaves, for he identified it as being perishable. By contrast, however, we
Christians compete
for an imperishable crown. Again,
the
composition of the crown is not stated, but we know that it can never
fade away
or decay. 2. There are
several references to crowns in the New
Testament in which the composition of the crowns is
stated. As we shall
see, however, the composition of
these crowns is generally intangible, not tangible. a. In 1
Thess. 2:19-20, Paul asked,
“For who is our hope or joy or
crown of exultation? Is it not
even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and
joy.” Here Paul
revealed that other Christians,
whom we have brought to the Lord, for whom we have labored and whom we
have
built up in the Lord, these constitute our crown of boasting (in a good
sense). So other
Christians whom we have
helped will constitute our crown (stephanos) or
grounds for justifiable pride. This
does
not appear to be a literal crown that one wears on his head, but rather
a
figurative crown, a grounds or justification for our exuberance. b. Paul wrote in 2
Tim. 4:7-8 that he had
“fought the good fight,” “finished
the course,” and “kept the faith.”
Consequently, he concluded, “there is laid up for me
the crown (stephanos) of
righteousness.” Jesus,
“the righteous Judge,”
would award it to him “on that day.”
Not
only so, but all those “who have loved His
appearing” will be granted a
crown of righteousness. Again,
this is
not a literal crown of metal to be worn but an intangible (but real)
reward for
faithfulness. Perfect
and complete
righteousness is a reward for faithful service.
Paul stated that faithful and dedication in service
for Christ
constituted “loving His appearing.”
The
“crown of righteousness” here can be defined as complete purity in mind
and
spirit, and in body and deed. Complete
righteousness is a prerequisite for living with God and Jesus in
eternity in New
Jerusalem. Only
transformed hearts and transformed
bodies characterized by goodness and holiness can exist for eternity. Jesus identified a few
people in the city of
Sardis who had not soiled their garments.
They would walk with Him in white, for they were
worthy (Rev. 3:4). In
fact, anyone who conquered would be clothed in white garments, would
need not
fear having his name erased from the book of life, and would have his
name
confessed before the Father (Rev. 3:5). Elsewhere we
are told that “fine linen, bright
and clean” constitutes “the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev.
19:8). We are
not speaking here of a “works salvation,” but an outworking of the
truth that
those who are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9) have been
destined for good works (Eph. 2:10). c. James, the
half-brother of Jesus, wrote, “Blessed
is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he
will
receive the crown (stephanos) of
life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James
1:12).
Literally, James spoke of “the crown of the life.” Again, we can observe that
this crown does
not consist of some sort of metal, but of an intangible element, life. “The life” can be none
other than eternal
life, that which all who believe in Jesus are promised (John
3:15-16,
36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 10:28; 17:2-3; 20:30-31; Acts
13:48; Rom. 6:23; 1 Tim. 1:16; Tit. 1:1-2; 1 John 5:10-13). There
is not a
contradiction between the
unconditional promise of eternal life in these passages just mentioned
and
other passages (such as James 1:12) which
indicate that only those who are
“approved” by “persevering under trial” will be rewarded with the crown
of
life. There is, for
example, a promise
made in Rev. 3:5 to the one
overcoming, or conquering. This is
not a threat to a believer's eternal
security. Eternal life (John
3:16)
is by
definition that which endures into the
ages. Overcoming is, by God-inspired statement, a trait of those who
are born
of God by believing that Jesus is the Son of God (1
John 5:4-5). Those who
are genuinely believers (not merely
those who profess to believe but do not) will persevere in their faith (John
10:27-29;
Romans 8:28-30). Rev.
3:5 is
an
encouragement to Christians to keep
conquering sin and fleshliness in their Christian lives.
There are many “warning”
passages to
believers in the Scriptures (e.g., Phil. 2:12;
Heb. 6:4-8; Heb. 10:26-31). The
underlying assumption
is, however, that
genuine believers, as opposed to those who are merely professing
believers (Matt. 7:15-23;
25:1-12),
will respond
to the warnings and go on with
Christ, maturing in Him (Phil. 2:13;
Heb. 6:1, 9-12; 10:32-39). d. In 1
Peter 5:1-4 the Apostle
Peter exhorted fellow elders who
were among his readers to be diligent in their task of shepherding the
flock of
believers under their care. As
far as
their attitude, they were to shepherd the flock of
God willingly, not out
of compulsion (1 Pet. 5:2). As
far
as their motive, they were not to serve for pay,
but eagerly (1 Pet. 5:2). As
far
as their style, they were not to be domineering,
but exemplary (1 Pet. 5:3). When
the Chief Shepherd, Jesus appeared, they would receive an unfading
crown (stephanos) of
glory (1 Peter 5:4)!
Again,
this crown would not be made of metal, and it does not appear that it
would be
a tangible object placed on one’s head.
Rather, the elders
would be granted honor and glory in the life hereafter as a reward for
their
faithful service in this life. It
is
possible that their glory will be observable, much as Christ’s glory is
observable (Matt.
17:1-6;
Rev. 1:7, 13-17; 19:12), but
the term crown stands not for a metal object worn on one’s head, but
for honor
and glory bestowed. e. The Apostle
John was instructed by Jesus Christ
to write to the messenger of the church in Smyrna.
Jesus knew of the tribulation they were
undergoing (Rev.
2:9),
but they
were not to be fearful.
Some of them would be cast into prison, they would
be tested, and they
would undergo “tribulation for ten days.”
They were to be “faithful until death,” and Jesus
would grant them “the
crown (stephanos) of
life” (Rev.
2:10). The same comments that
were
made in connection with the crown of life in James
1:12
can be
repeated here. The
reward for faithfulness and loyalty to Jesus even under great duress is
not a
crown of metal, but the gift of eternal life. 3. There are other
passages in the New Testament
which indicate that faithful service for Christ in this life will
warrant
expanded service and authority in the next life. a. Jesus told a
parable of a man who was to go on a
long journey (Matt. 25:14-30). The
man
in this story represented Jesus Himself and His impending departure for
heaven. In his
absence he entrusted
three different slaves wealth commensurate with their abilities – five
talents,
two talents, and one talent (Matt. 24:14-15). This
was no small amount of money. A
talent
then was worth fifteen years’ worth of labor (Matt.
18:24
footnote a).
As of July 24, 2008, the federal
minimum
wage
in the U.S.
was $6.55 per hour. A
year’s wages based on a forty-hour work
week would amount to US $13,624. Fifteen
years’ wages would amount to $204,360.
The three slaves were given, respectively,
$1,021,800, $408,720, and
$204,360. Then the
man left. So it is
with us. Jesus
gives each of His followers abilities
with which to serve Him in His absence.
The two faithful slaves each doubled their master’s
earnings. Their
efforts represent what faithful
believers will do for Christ during their lives here on earth. Faithful believers will
serve Christ as best
they can in this life, commensurate with the abilities He has given
them. When the man
returned, he called his slaves
for an accounting. The
first two slaves
he commended as being faithful. Since
they had been “faithful in a few things,” he would put them “in charge
of many
things” (Matt. 25:19-23). It
should be made clear that the evaluation by Jesus under consideration
here (Matt.
25:19)
is not
the Judgment Seat of Christ.
This is the judgment of Jewish people who
have survived the Tribulation. But
I
have cited this parable here because faithfulness in serving Jesus is
the
criterion at stake in this judgment.
So
it is with us believers in the Church
era. When we
are evaluated by Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ, He will reward
faithful
service during our lives here on earth with greater and more important
responsibilities during His Kingdom. This means that Christians
faithful in
serving Jesus in this life will be granted greater responsibility and
authority
with which to serve Him in His Millennial
Kingdom (Rev.
20:4-6)
and in His
Eternal Co-Regency with the Father
in New
Jerusalem in connection
with New
Earth (Rev.
22:3-5). b. Jesus told
another parable which even more
graphically demonstrated that faithful service to Christ in this life
will be
rewarded by even greater responsibility and service in the next life. It is the parable of the
Ten Slaves and Ten
Minas (Luke 19:11-27). Jesus
told this parable just before His “Triumphal Entry” that marked the
beginning
of what we today call “Passion Week.” It is instructive to note why
Jesus told
this illustrative story the way He did at this time.
It was (1) because He was near Jerusalem and
(2) because His disciples thought that “the kingdom of God was going to
appear
immediately” (Luke 19:11). Jesus
knew, contrary to their beliefs, (1) that He would be killed in
Jerusalem, not
made a King, and (2) that His Kingdom here on earth would be delayed by
a long
period of time, now reaching nearly two millennia. 1) Jesus began (Luke
19:12). He
clearly here identified the main character of the story as being a
nobleman,
meaning a man of royal blood, as the story unfolded.
Literally, he was “well-born” (eugenes, the
word from which the Eugenics movement in
America and Europe derived its
sinister name). It
is clear that Jesus
is that man of noble birth – he was born a descendant of David. This nobleman left for a
far country
(heaven). It was
there he was to receive
his Kingdom (Psalm 2:6-9;
110:1-2, 5-6; Dan. 7:13-14, 18, 27) and
then return to rule (Zech. 14:3-4,
9; Matt. 24:29-31; 25:31; 26:64; Luke 1:11; 2 Thess.
1:6-10; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-20:3). 2) He called ten
of his slaves to his side and gave
each of them a mina, asking each to invest the money in his absence (Luke
19:13). A mina
in that day was equal to 100 days’ wages.
In the minimum
wages of today
(July, 2008) based on an eight-hour
day, that would amount to US $5,240.
We
will find that there is no particular significance in the number ten,
as only
three of the slaves come into play at the master’s return. 3) Immediately the
story turns tragic. His
citizens hated him (Luke 19:14). This
can be none other than the nation of Israel.
Before he returned, they sent a delegation after
him, “We do not want
this man to reign over us.” By
and
large, that is the position of the Jewish people to this very day. 4) When the newly
authorized king returned, having
received his kingdom, he called his slaves to give an accounting of
their
investments on his behalf (Luke 19:15). a) The first slave
had increased his investment
tenfold. “Well done
good slave,”
complimented his master. Since
he had
been faithful in a small matter, this slave would be granted authority
in his
master’s kingdom to govern a ten-city region. (Luke
19:16-17). b) The second
slave had a five-fold increase, and
was granted authority to rule over five cities in his master’s kingdom (Luke
19:18-19). c) The third slave
had not invested the mina given
him. He was afraid
of his master because
he was an exacting man, reaping crops he had not sown (Luke
19:20-21). His
master judged him by his own words, calling him a worthless slave. He should at least have
put the money in the
bank, where it would have earned interest (Luke
19:22-23). d) The mina was
taken from the worthless slave and
given to the first slave, who had ten minas (Luke
19:24-25). The
master justified his action, saying, “To everyone who has, more shall
be given,
but from the one who does not have, even what he does shall be taken
away” (Luke 19:26). 5) The king then
issued a devastating, but just
decree: “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over
them,
bring them here and slay them in my presence” (Luke
19:27)! 6) Several
observations are in order: a) The nobleman
refers to Jesus Christ, the slaves
to those few Jewish people who serve Him, the citizens who hated Him to
the
nation of Israel as a whole. b) Jesus is
presently in heaven,
waiting to
receive His kingdom. But
He has left His
slaves on earth below with equal opportunity to invest their lives on
His
behalf. c) When Jesus
returns He will require an accounting
of His slaves. At
issue is faithfulness
in service. d) Jesus’ slaves
will be granted ruling authority in
Jesus’ Millennial
Kingdom here on earth commensurate with their faithfulness in
serving Him
in His absence. Also,
I believe, they
will be granted eternal authority to rule in the Eternal Kingdom
headquartered
in New
Jerusalem
in connection with New
Earth (Rev. 22:3-5). e) When Jesus
returns to earth, He will put to death
all the Jewish people who did not want Him to be their king. By way of application from
other passages, He
will also put to death all Gentiles who did not wish Jesus to be their
king (Matt. 13:36-42,
47-50; 25:40-46). f) By way of
application, all of Jesus’ slaves,
whether Jewish or Gentile, will be granted authority to rule underneath
Him in
the next life based on how well they have served Him in this life. g) One final
application. Serving
Jesus in this life involves
risk. Those who
claim to be followers of
Christ but who do nothing with their responsibility to invest on His
behalf will
earn His scorn of being a worthless slave.
It is clear that the two slaves took a greater
financial risk than
merely investing the funds given them in a bank.
In our society today, placing money in a CD
in a bank will not even keep up with inflation.
The two slaves who earned the king’s approval were
far more aggressive
in their risk-taking than that. So
we
today must take risks to invest our lives for Jesus if we expect His
approval
at His return. c. By way of
summary, a great part of the reward
that we Christians can expect for faithfully serving Jesus in this life
is an
enhanced opportunity and sphere of authority to serve Him in the next
life. He who is
faithful to Jesus in
small areas will be deemed trustworthy enough to be granted greater
responsibility
in larger areas in Jesus’ future kingdom. Faithfulness will be
rewarded. E. What
other applications
to their lives can Christians make in view of the Judgment Seat of
Christ? 1. We Christians
need to lead disciplined, Godly
lives. a. Paul exhorted
the Corinthians they should “run
the race of life” in such a way that they may win” (1 Cor.
9:24). If we are “running the
race”
for Jesus, we must exercise “self-control in all things” (1 Cor.
9:25). Like Paul, we ought to
“discipline” our bodies and make our bodies our “slaves” (1 Cor.
9:27). Paul did this to avoid the
possibility of being disqualified from the race of serving Jesus (1 Cor.
9:27). This does not mean
disqualification from eternal life, but disqualification from ministry. b. In his second
letter to Timothy Paul echoed the
same theme: “Also
if anyone competes as
an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to
the
rules” (2
Tim.
2:5). 2. As we run this
life-long marathon of serving
Jesus, we Christians need to run it with endurance (Heb.
12:1). We must focus our eyes on
Jesus, “the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb.
12:2). In anticipation of His
great
reward, Jesus patiently endured “hostility by sinners,” and so should
we (Heb.
12:2-3). We should “not grow weary
and lose heart” (Heb.
12:3). 3. Since each of
us Christians will face the
Judgment Seat of Christ, we should refrain from judging our Christian
brothers
(Rom.
14:10). We should not regard
another
brother with contempt (Rom.
14:10)
for being
“weak in faith” (Rom.
14:1-9). “Each one of us will give
an
account of himself to God” (Rom.
14:12),
so it is not
our task to stand in judgment upon one another. 4. We Christians,
“knowing the fear of the Lord,”
must persuade unbelievers to trust in Jesus (2 Cor.
5:11),
and beg them
to become “reconciled to God” (2 Cor.
5:20). F. What
will be the end result of the Judgment Seat
of Christ? 1. The end result
of the Judgment Seat of Christ
will be that the Church will have been gloriously prepared to serve as
the
Bride of Christ throughout the rest of eternity.
Jesus will have sanctified and cleansed her (Eph.
5:26). He will be able to present
her to Himself in all her glory, having never a spot, wrinkle or
blemish of any
sort (Eph.
5:27). This will be a cause for
great joy and rejoicing (Rev.
19:7)
because the
Bride, the Church, is now ready for the marriage of the
Lamb. Those who are
invited to the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb to view the unique relationship between
Christ and
His Church will be truly blessed (Rev.
19:9). 2. The Church, the
Bride of Christ, will find her
eternal home in New
Jerusalem, a residence of unimaginable glory (Rev.
21:9-10). Even though New Jerusalem
will be the capital city of redeemed Israel (Rev.
21:12),
this city
will be so identified with the Church that it is
described as “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev.
21:9-10). We will reign with Christ
and God for eternity (Rev.
22:1-5)! What a glorious future
awaits every believer in Christ! The Judgment of Church Age Believers - The Judgment Seat of Christ Prepared
by James
T. Bartsch Published Online by
WordExplain.com This study is based on, and the upcoming links will reference the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. (www.Lockman.org) (Scripture
quotations taken from the NASB 1995.
Used by Permission.)
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Updated February 13, 2022 |