And no place was found for them, i.e., for heaven and earth. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or lost depending on how one has used his or her life for the Lord. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. The judge at the Bema bestowed rewards to the victors. 20:34-38; Matt. What follows below is a fuller explanation of both terms. 5:16f). 24). These and only these are accepted by God and will spend eternity with Him (cf. As the Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, Jesus said, I have come that they (all mankind) may have life, and have it abundantly, a life with meaning and purpose. 12 Zane Hodges, Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Autumn, 1991, p. 7. 1 Cor. 4:8; Rev. 15 If any mans work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.. Abide in Him. Abide is a synonym for fellowship which is the subject of the book (1:3-7). 1:9; 2:9, 10). All who have died without faith in Jesus Christregardless of their status in human history, religiously, politically, economically, or morallymust stand before this throne of judgment. A few verses after Phil 1:6, Paul mentions the day of Jesus Christ again. At the Judgment Seat of Christ believers works will be evaluated to demonstrate whether they are good or bad, and rewards will be conferred (2 Cor. Q. All of mankind without distinction are under the curse of sin and judged as sinful and separated from God apart from the saving grace of God in Christ. 2:12-13), but the decision to serve, and the diligence employed in doing so, are our responsibility and our contribution and God sees this as rewardable. Part of this removal occurs through the Tribulation judgments themselves (Rev. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. As Amos 3:3 says, can two walk together unless they be agreed? Obviously the answer is no. However, this is not the picture that the New Testament gives of heaven. Q. This is clear from both the context of 5:4-8 and by the fact he changed the words he used for sleep. Sin requires a penalty, the penalty of death as Gods holy judgment on sin. You are now one of Gods children by faith in the Savior. 2:3f). (6) The Crown of Glory (1 Pet. Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;For He is coming to judge the earth. Elimination of the curse, pain and death will also remove sorrow, tears and crying (Rev. Right now I receive Him as my personal Savior by trusting in Him alone as my only way to heaven. The negative effects involve the following: (1) The loss suffered in 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the loss of rewards, not salvation as the verse goes on to make clear. Eph. A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment. Charles Lee Feingberg [Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1968], p. 29). Now, the word "judge" in its various forms (judgeth, judging, judgment, judges, English strikes a proper balance on this subject. While the Bema is going on in heaven (with the church in the Lords presence) a series of terrible judgments will begin to unfold on the earth for a period of seven years to be culminated by the return and manifestation of Christ to earth as the Great White Horse Rider of Revelation 19. 19:28; 24:45-47; 25:21, 23; Lk. but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (4) Our Spiritual Gifts. 2:12-13). Study now. 1 James M. Stifler, The Epistle To The Romans, Moody Press, Chicago, 1960, p. 31. The Tribulation judgments (Matt. also 1 John 5:16-17). (12) It is a time of martyrdom of believers (Rev. 32:3-4). (5) The Promise of Special Responsibilities and Authority of the Lords Possessions (cf. (2) To destroy and remove unacceptable production portrayed in the symbols of wood, hay, and stubble. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (3) A time of trouble or distress (Daniel 12:1). Since the events mentioned in Daniel 9:26 (the cutting off of Messiah and the destruction of city and sanctuary) had to occur after the 69 weeks of years had run their course but before the seventieth week begins, there has to be a space of time, the parenthesis of the church age, between the conclusion of the sixty-ninth week and the beginning of the seventieth. The penalty for the believers sins has been fully paid for by Christ, the believers substitute. Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. 1:15). Although there is undeniably some measure of remorse or regret, this is not the overriding emotion to be experienced throughout the eternal state. 32:3-5). 1:18-21; 2:12). For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son. 3 Samuel Hoyt, The Judgment Seat of Christ in Theological Perspective, Part 1, Bibliotheca Sacra, January-March, 1980, electronic media. This is clear from the context and the analogy to the Greek athletic games. An interesting and important passage to this study is Acts 24:15-16 because in this passage Paul implicitly made reference to two judgments which are closely related. (1) Jacobs Trouble or distress (Jer. This is further confirmed by the message of the book of Romans where the Apostle shows Israels problem to be one of seeking to establish her own righteousness by keeping the Law rather than accept Gods righteousness by faith in Christ (Rom. 12; 14). 3:7, 10-12). When Jesus returns, there will be a judgment dividing sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) At this judgment those who survived the Tribulation will be separated into two groups. 19:17-19; and Dan. The point, then, is this: Because of the perfect and finished nature of Christs death (note the words who died for us of verse 10), whether we are spiritually alert or not, we will live together with Him through the rapture to face the examination of the Bema. Why? 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. At graduation there is some measure of disappointment and remorse that one did not do better and work harder. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 2:19-20; 1 Tim. This seems to be used as a symbol of victory, authority, and responsibility. Its the message of the gift of Gods own Son who became man (the God-man), lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin, and was raised from the grave proving both the fact He is Gods Son and the value of His death for us as our substitute (Rom. For those ideas Paul would have most likely used kalos, good, and kakos, evil. For good works, those valuable like good fruit, we will receive back rewards, but for bad works, those rotten and worthless, we will receive no rewards or the loss of rewards. At a Thanksgiving dinner, each person eats a different amount, but each is satisfied. May the reality of this judgment cause us to carefully reflect on the serious consequences of this passage on a Christ-rejecting world. 2:2). (Rom 14:10 & 2 Cor 5:10) 2) White Throne Judgment = non-believers only. It is great because it is the final judgment and puts an end to all judgment for all time. But when men reject the knowledge of God and His plan of salvation, they in essence determine to stand on their own merit, or in their own righteousness. The judgment seat of Christ might be compared to a commencement ceremony. 39:28). If you have not, may I encourage you to read Appendix A, investigate the claims of Christ, and receive Him as your Savior by faith. The real issue is whether ones name is in the Book of Life, not ones deeds. Again, there is only one judgment day, but Revelation 20:11-15 tells us the judgment process has two stages. (9) It is a time of internationalism: religiously (Rev. (4) The Crown of Life (Jam. 30:7). 19:17; 1 Cor. 4:10, 11). Teach me good discernment and knowledge,For I believe in Your commandments. 1 Cor. 3:10). He will, likewise, be without guilt because he has been declared righteous. Her blessedness is extolled by Elizabeth (Lk 1:45). The Bible describes one judgment that takes place at the return of Jesus and two judgments that people will face after death. The order is: At the end of the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return personally to earth (Zech. These passages: (2) God does not judge us for our sin in the sense of making us pay the penalty for that sin. But we shall rejoice also as we realize that the rewards given will be another example of the grace of our Lord; for at best we are unprofitable servants (E. Schuyler English, The Church At the Tribunal, in Prophetic Truth Unfolding Today, ed. 17); politically (Rev. The awesome fact is that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. The crowns of royalty which stand for Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lord who alone has the right to rule and judge the world. Of course all sickness, weakness, or suffering is not a product of sin, but it can be and often is (1 Cor. This is the good news of the Bible, the message of the gospel. In other words, it is a reward seat and portrays a time of rewards or loss of rewards following examination, but it is not a time of punishment where believers are judged for their sins. 5:1; 8:1; 1 Cor. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. How then do we receive Gods Son that we may have the eternal life God has promised us? (1) A Thanksgiving Dinner. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. As with all Christians, you need fellowship with other believers in a Bible teaching church, personal time daily in Gods Word and regularly with other believers in a Bible teaching setting during the week. There are a number of passages that refer to the negative aspects of the Bema which need to be mentioned and explained. This is evident from 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and Revelation 4:2 and 19:8. (5) The Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. While 1 John 5:11 and 12 are written to Christians to give them assurance of their salvation based on the testimony of Gods Word, this passage also highlights the key issue in Gods plan of salvation as it is centered in the person of Jesus Christ. 12:11). The judgments of this time will grow in intensity and conclude with an awesome display of Gods wrath against a Christ-rejecting world. This always results in moral devolution and degeneration. Yet Ryries Notes Say Otherwise. If you would like to receive and trust Christ as your personal Savior, you may want to express your faith in Christ by the following prayer: Dear God, I know Im a sinner and that nothing I do can gain heaven or eternal life. God is perfect righteousness. 12:7). 2:10f; Rev. If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Verses 13 and 14 state that the unbelieving dead will be judged according to their deeds (works). Zane Hodges has some good thoughts on this concept: Scripture does not teach us to be uninterested in our own happiness or well-being. Do Those Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell? They are described in terms of generalities. 2 Tim. Knowing and having the hope of the resurrection and all that this means to the Christian, the Apostle spoke of his commitment to maintain a clear conscience, one cleared by confession and the forsaking of all known sin (1 John 1:9; Prov. Throughout the centuries as anticipated in the enmity mentioned in Genesis 3:15, there has been constant warfare between the holy angels who minister to Gods people and Satan and his unholy angels, the demonic spirits. 6; 9:15, 18; 11:13). Carnality causes broken relationships and pain to those around usour families, friends, associates, and co-workers in the body of Christ (Gal. Some Bible teachers view the judgment seat as a place of intense sorrow, a place of terror, and a place where Christ display all the believers sins (or at least those unconfessed) before the entire resurrected and raptured church. Note that the text says and the books (plural) were opened, and another book (singular) was opened, which is the Book of Life. We have two sets, the books and the book which is mentioned again in verse 15a. Paul teaches us that the varied forms of the awful sinfulness of man have their beginnings in the rejection of the revelation of God in creation. 6-19; Zech. God is not only perfect holiness (whose holy character we can never attain to on our own or by our works of righteousness) but He is also perfect love and full of grace and mercy. See Rev. The context suggests that Paul has in mind the return of Christ for the churchthe rapture (1 Thess. To overdo the sorrow aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to make heaven hell. 1:15). John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Then why do we have to confess sin in this life? 11:32); in his standing before God, and on the ground that the penalty for all sinpast, present, and future (Col. 2:13)has been borne by Christ as the perfect Substitute, the believer is not only placed beyond condemnation, but being in Christ is accepted in the perfection of Christ (1 Cor. 2010-11-16 12:05:45. 9-11). Key Verses on Rewards: Rom. Biblically, the word tribulation comes from the Greek word thlipsis which means affliction, distress. In the Bible it is used (1) in general of any kind of testing or affliction or distress which people experience throughout life, and especially of the church and her problems in this world (John 16:33; Rom. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. But (2) Scripture also uses it of a very special and future time of tribulation that is to come upon the whole earth (Matt. It is called white because it will be the supreme and undimmed display of the perfect righteousness and justice of God to all mankind. Some of the Christians at Corinth were being externally religious. (3) Loss of Power and Production. (3) In 2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 4:5, rewards are associated with that day and with the Lords coming. No amount of human goodness is as good as God. 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. There used to be a sign in the registrars office at Dallas Seminary which read, Salvation is by grace Graduation is by works.. An interesting and important passage to this study is Acts 24:15-16because in this passage Paul implicitly made reference to two judgments which are closely related. 10 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. See answer (1) Best Answer. Actually an evaluation is going on every day by the Lord (cf. But we need to understand the nature of these rewards to understand the nature of the motivation. Reasons for this will be set forth and developed as we study the nature, purpose, and basis for the Bema. Her reward is described as fine linen, the righteous acts of the saintsundoubtedly the result of rewards. Jesus Christ, the sinless and perfect Son of God, the only one who could qualify as our substitute, died to satisfy the demands of Gods absolute holiness. While many would place the resurrection and reward of Old Testament saints with that of the church at the rapture, a number of factors favor this at the conclusion of the tribulation at the same time as the resurrection and reward of tribulation saints mentioned in Revelation 20:4. Nevertheless, as mentioned earlier concerning the judgment of Satan, God has manifested His power by defeating Satan and his hordes. Both Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:9 speak of the judgment seat. This a translation of one Greek word, the word bema. There is the glorification of living believers in glorified bodies, the resurrection of those believers who have died in the Lord also in glorified bodies, and the translation of both to meet the Lord in the air. When He appears. The when points to the imminency of the return of the Lord. (4) The Great Day, the one of their wrath (Rev. John 1:12: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name. It is a family matter. 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. This is a serious matter with consequences both for time and eternity since the failure to do so leads not only to the loss of rewards, but the judgment of Gods discipline of His believing children as a loving Father and as the Vine Dresser who must prune the vine for production (Heb. Self-interest in Gods way is legitimate. God can therefore find no cause for accusing the Christian judicially any more than He can find cause for accusing Jesus Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a place and time when the Lord will mete out punishment for sins committed by the child of God. 20:10). 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