Judgment Seat of Christ?

(The Bema)

Don Stewart

Greek, like English, uses the word "judge" in two senses.

1. One sense in condemnation, The Bible says unbelievers will be judged in the first sense -
condemnation,

2. While the other sense is the giving out of rewards, while believers will be judged in the other
sense - rewards.

Judgment Seat

The Bible speaks of a special judgment that God will hold for believers only. It is known as the
judgment seat of Christ, or the judgment seat of God. Paul wrote.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the
things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad (2 Corinthians
5:10).

Church Only

The participants in the judgment seat of Christ are members of the New Testament church.
These are people who have trusted Christ as Savior from the Day of Pentecost, until the coming
of Christ for His church. It does not include the Old Testament believers. They will have a
separate time of judgment and reward.

Our Actions Will Be Judged

The Bible says that God will reward the actions of believers.

and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely You will reward each person according to what He has
done (Psalm 62:12).

At The Rapture Of The Church

At some time in the future, the Lord will come back for those who have believed upon Him. He
will change their bodies from corruptible to incorruptible.(Ref.1Thes4:13-18)

Not Judged For Sin

This is not a judgment to determine who will enter heaven. The sins of believers will not be an
issue at the judgment seat of Christ - they have already been forgiven. The Bible says.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For
as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as
far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm
103:10-12).

Our sins have been removed. Micah wrote.

He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

Destiny Of Christian Has Been Settled

With the death of Christ on the cross, the destiny of the Christian has been once-and-for-all
settled. There is no condemnation for those who have believed in Christ. Paul wrote.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Have Eternal Life

Those who have trusted Christ now possess eternal life.

I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes him who sent Me has eternal life and
will not be condemned; He has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).

Price Paid

Jesus has paid the price for our sins.

He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for
righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

Sin Offering

He presented Himself as a sin offering on our behalf.

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the
righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The believers judgment, with respect to sin, is long past.

Rewards

Therefore, the judgment seat of Christ is not designed to punish believers, but rather to reward
them for their faithful service. All of us will give an account of what we have done after trusting
Christ as Savior. Therefore, the judgment seat of Christ is a judgment of believers works after
salvation. Paul gave this analogy.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the
foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it . . . Now if
anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each
one's work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire;
and fire will try each one's work, of what sort it is (1 Corinthians 3:10,12,13).

The Bema Seat

The judgment seat is known as the "bema." The word is also translated court or tribunal. The
platform could be either public (John 19:13) or private (Acts 25:22).

Tribunal For Rewards

The bema is a tribunal for rewards. In the large Olympic arenas, there was an elevated seat on
which the judge of the contest sat. After the contests were over, the successful competitors
would assemble before the bema to receive their rewards or crowns. The bema was not a
judicial bench where someone was condemned; it was a reward seat. Likewise, the Judgment
Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench. The Christian life is a race, and the divine umpire is Jesus
Christ. After the race is over for each believer, He will gather every member before the bema
for the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to each.

Without Shame

Believers want to appear without shame before this seat.

And now little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not
be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 John 2:28).

Full Reward

Believers will receive a full reward for their deeds of faith.

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

Be Careful Not To Lose Reward

Scripture warns believers about losing their reward.

Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown (Revelation
3:11).
This is loss of reward, not of salvation.

Book Of Life

Those who overcome will have their names written in the Book of Life:

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk
with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments,
and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My
Father and before His angels (Revelation 3:4,5).

Crowns

The rewards believers will receive are called crowns. Paul wrote.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on
that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing (2 Timothy 4:7).

The Five Crowns, also known as the Five Heavenly Crowns, is a concept in Christian theology
that pertains to various biblical references to the righteous's eventual reception of a crown
after the Last Judgment. Proponents of this concept interpret these passages as specifying five
separate crowns, these being

1. The Crown of Life (The Crown of Life, also called the Martyr's Crown, is referred to in James
1:12 and Revelation 2:10; it is bestowed upon "those who accept the Jesus as Lord and savior,
persevere under trials and have not denied Jesus.)

2. The Incorruptible Crown (It is therefore given to those individuals who demonstrate "self-
denial and perseverance" 1 Corinthians 9:25)

3. The Crown of Righteousness ( is promised to "those who love and anticipate" the Second
Coming of Christ. These Christians desire intimacy with God, 2 Timothy 4:8)

4. The Crown of Glory (is granted to Christian clergy, who "shepherd the flock in unselfish love
being a good example to others, 1 Peter 5:2-4)

5. and the Crown of Exultation or rejoicing ( 1 Thessalonians 2:19 and Philippians 4:1, it is given
to people who engage in evangelism of those outside the Christian Church.[13] In the New
Testament, Paul earns this crown after winning the Thessalonians to faith in Jesus).

Introduction of the Marriage Supper

Pastor Enoch Adeboye

Marriage, here, symbolises the union between Christ and the Church – Eph.5: 22-32. It is
important to note that the second coming of Christ is the next event after the Marriage Supper
of the Lamb. May the Holy Spirit teach us and bless us richly, as we look at this topic in detail,
Dan.7: 13; 1 Tim.6: 14; Acts 1:10-11.

The Marriage

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is the consummation of the union between Christ and the
Church, Eph.5: 27; Rev.19: 1-14; Matt.22: 1-14; Matt.25: 1-13. It is one of the greatest Biblical
prophetic events. It will take place before the second coming of Christ. Christ is the groom,
while the living church, made up of all saints through the ages, living or dead, is the bride. They
will experience the first resurrection, Rev.21: 2, 2:9-10.

The Significance

• To assemble all saints for the last supper with Christ.

• To present the just of all ages to God, the Father.

• To wipe away tears of the saints.

• To remove the saints before the anti-Christ.

• To remove the saints before the tribulation.

The Qualification

Only those that belong to Christ are qualified, 2 Cor.5: 17, eagerly waiting for His second
coming, Matt.25: 1-13. They will be patient and focused, refusing to be distracted by or
entangled with the affairs of this world. Holiness will be their highest priority and pleasing God
at all times their unwavering goal, Matt.21: 10-14; Rev.21: 8-27; Heb.12: 14. As citizens of
heaven, their wedding garment will be white without spot or wrinkle, Rev.22: 14-15; Eph.2: 16;
Matt.7: 21-23. The qualified must be willing to pay the ultimate price.