There aren’t many things more exciting for me than the season of the Olympics when the world’s best athletes gather to demonstrate their incredible talents and skills. As an American I love those moments when one of our own athletes steps to the podium to receive his/her medal earned in the heat of battle against the best of the best. I especially like it when it’s a gold medal and our National Anthem accompanies the ceremony.
Imagine for a moment what it must feel like for these gifted young men and women when they’ve conquered their goals and stand at the pinnacle of their sport. After a lifetime of sacrifice, devotion to rigorous schedules, denial of the common pleasures of life, hours of training and exercise, the injuries endured, the single-minded focus on their efforts, they finally stand head and shoulders above the other competitors to be recognized for their athletic prowess. In a mere fraction of a second their entire lives are forever altered by a win, a gold medal hanging around their necks, and the worldwide attention of millions of TV viewers. It has to be one of the most exhilarating experiences any person could ever enjoy in this life (i.e., The Thrill of Victory).
Turn your attention for a moment to another kind of celebration where people just like you and me can be rewarded for devotion, sacrifice, dedication and spiritual accomplishments. The only persons that qualify for this celebration are the ones who have believed on Jesus Christ as their Savior and their competition isn’t with any other believer, but with themselves alone.
There is just such an opportunity for all who know Jesus Christ and the award ceremony is to be held at the “Judgment Seat of Christ.”
Don’t let the word “Judgment” confuse you into believing that your sins are what are being judged at this still future event. The truth is that all our sins were judged and paid in full by Jesus Christ when He died on Calvary’s cross. Whether you are forgiven right now or not is dependent on whether you have allowed Christ to credit His payment for sin to your deficit spiritual account. And, that can only happen by you personally placing your faith in Jesus as your Savior.
What I am discussing is the “Judgment Seat of Christ” which is a still future event that occurs after church-age believers are called out of this world. It’s the time when all Christians will have their works evaluated as to whether they are worthy of reward or not. Some Christ-followers may have few works to evaluate on that day, if they have squandered their lives and lived for their own ambition rather than according to God’s plans and purposes. They’ll still spend eternity with Him in Heaven but they’ll miss out on the rewards that could have been theirs and the opportunities that accompany those rewards. Others may have worked diligently in their Master’s service, but not according to the scripture or in the selfless manner He requires for their works to be deemed worthy of reward. Again, they’ll enjoy eternity with God in a place of pure joy and contentment, but they’ll miss the pleasure of hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And, others that have worked and given their lives to the service of Jesus Christ may see some accomplishments disqualified for personal rewards, since none of us is perfect, but there will also be much in their works that God will commend and reward at that day.
In other words, just because our sins are forgiven as followers of Jesus Christ, that doesn’t mean that it no longer matters how we live our lives. At least, not if you care about earning the rewards that He has promised to give at the “Judgment Seat of Christ.” Getting into Heaven is about the work Jesus Christ has already done on our behalf, but being rewarded in Heaven is about the works we are doing right now and the manner in which we are doing those works.
Let’s take a moment and consider this “Judgment Seat” so that you might understand what is going to happen on that day when Jesus comes for all His children.
There are two passages that specifically use the phrase, “Judgment Seat of Christ,” though there are several others that allude to the events of that day.
READ: Romans 14:10 & 2 Corinthians 5:10
The words “Judgment Seat” comes from the Greek word “bema” and would have been used in the first century for at least two purposes.
According to Greek scholar Joseph Henry Thayer, the judgment seat or “bema” was "a raised place mounted by steps; a platform, tribune: used of the official seat of a judge, Mt. xxvii. 19; Jn. xix. 13; Acts xvii. 12, 16..." The “bema” was also used to denote a raised stand or platform in Grecian games to award the winning contestants.
When the word is used in the context of...
(A). CIVIL AFFAIRS:
- (Gospels and Acts) It was the place where Roman magistrates/rulers sat to make decisions and pass sentences (Matthew 27:19; John 19:13).
- Rulers and leaders of the city also used it to make public speeches and declare official decrees to the citizens.
- A person on trial could be condemned or acquitted at the “bema.”
- War heroes were honored and rewarded at the “bema.”
(B). SPORTING EVENTS:
- Paul alludes to the Greek athletic contests often and used this word to speak of the place where the judges of sporting events sat to make sure the contestants followed the rules of the games (cf. 2 Timothy 2:5).
- The victor of a particular event would be led to the “bema” to receive the crown (laurel wreath/cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25) from the judges.
- It was the place where the athletes were publicly honoured and rewarded.
While the Judgment Seat of Christ certainly includes an aspect of regret and/or remorse, it shouldn’t be limited to those experiences alone. In the writings of Paul an emphasis is placed on the encouragement offered to Christians because they will one day stand at the “bema” to receive the crowns and rewards that they have earned. For many, the “Judgment Seat of Christ” will be a day of great honor, even though there will be some that will also “suffer loss” (2 John 8; 1 Corinthians 3:15).
God tells us about this future judgment not primarily to scare us, but to motivate us to reach our fullest potential. Someone has said, “Our potential is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to Him.” Consequently, we should see the “Judgment Seat of Christ” positively, not just negatively.
School teachers understand this concept and it’s the reason they periodically give exams on the material covered in their classes. It isn’t their desire to just make the student’s lives miserable, but it’s a way of motivating them to be prepared. It’s amazing how much students learn in the days immediately preceding a test. If a teacher cares about his/her students then the desire is for them to do well, not poorly on the test. In a similar fashion, God has told us about the upcoming “Judgment Seat of Christ” because He wants us to do well when we are tested. He delights in giving rewards to those who have earned them and have passed the test. It’s His way of helping us to prepare for all the joys He wants to give us on that day.
Some of the misrepresentation of the positive nature of the “Judgment Seat of Christ” may be due to a misunderstanding of some words in the verses that refer to this coming judgment.
For instance, when Paul said that we are going to receive at the “Judgment Seat of Christ” according to our “good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10), some have misconstrued that to mean our sins are being judged at this judgment. As noted earlier, though, the penalty for all our sins was judged on Jesus when He died in our place on Calvary (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The idea of the words “good” and “bad” (in 2 Corinthians 5:10) is not the sense of righteousness versus evil/sinfulness. It’s the idea of valuable (“good” - agathos) as opposed to worthless (“bad” - phaulos). If Paul had wanted to contrast the idea of righteous and evil he would have likely used the words kalos, “good,” and kakos, “evil.” So, what he’s speaking to in 2 Corinthians 5:10 concerns the QUALITY of the WORKS we do (“valuable” or “unacceptable”) as to whether they will be worthy of rewards or whether they are unworthy of them (disqualified).
One of the places in scripture that alludes to the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” though it doesn’t specifically use the phrase, is 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. In that passage Paul makes it clear that this future judgment deals solely with our works done for Christ (not sins) and whether they will be worthy of reward. It is certainly true that living out of fellowship with God and failing to deal with known sin in our lives will have an impact on our works to be judged, but it is not the judgment of our sins specifically that is in view in these contexts. It is about determining whether the works we have done are worthy of being rewarded and the joy that accompanies receiving those rewards.
Having said that, we cannot totally divorce the idea of remorse or regret being felt at the “Judgment Seat of Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 3:15 Paul says that the Christian whose works (as good as they may look to him and others) are unworthy of reward will “suffer loss.” It’s the idea of the reward being lost because the work was not done according to the rules laid down and the consequent pain the disqualification causes.
Golfer Craig Stadler can tell you something about what it means to be disqualified because of breaking the rules. In the 1987 Andy Williams Open he used a towel to kneel on while hitting a shot from under a tree during the third round of the tournament. He went on to tie for second place, but viewers who saw the replay of that shot called in to say that Stadler had broken a rule. The USGA rule states that you can't "build your stance" and that includes using a towel to protect your pants from grass stains, which is what Stadler was doing. It would have only been a two-stroke penalty for the infraction had he realized what he had done (he should have as a professional golfer). But, he failed to assess himself the penalty strokes and signed for an incorrect score, which always results in an automatic disqualification from a golf tournament and the forfeiture of any prize you might have won ($37,000).
I didn’t hear any of the interviews with Craig Stadler after he learned of his rules violation and subsequent disqualification, but he may have felt like many will feel at the “Judgment Seat of Christ ” as described in 1 John 2:28.
“And now little Children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
The Greek word for “be ashamed” or literally, “not be put to shame” is a verbal form (aorist subjunctive) that points to a future event that is not a continuous state. The “shame” is not a permanent condition, but a momentary experience.
However, there is the prospect that when we stand before Jesus Christ to give account of our works as to whether they are worthy of reward that some of us may well be “ashamed” during the evaluation because we didn’t follow the rules set out to win the reward.
Author Samuel Hoyt writes poignantly about this idea of remorse at the Judgment Seat of Christ. He says, “The elements of remorse, regret, and shame cannot be avoided in an examination of the judgment seat of Christ. But this sorrow must be somewhat relative because even for the finest of Christians there will be some things worthy of unceasing remorse in the light of God’s unapproachable holiness. This would mean that the finest of Christians could be sorrowful throughout eternity. However, this is not the picture that the New Testament gives of heaven. The overwhelming emotion is joyfulness and gratefulness. Although there is undeniably some measure of remorse or regret, this is not the overriding emotion to be experienced throughout the eternal state...The judgment seat of Christ might be compared to a commencement ceremony. 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. 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, “The Judgment Seat of Christ in Theological Perspective,” Part 2, Bibliotheca Sacra, electronic media.)
The fact is that while all of God’s children will enjoy the wonders of Heaven, not everyone will experience it in the same way. With the rewards of Heaven will come opportunities of service in His Kingdom that are determined at the “Judgment Seat of Christ.”
One of my favorite preachers and authors was Dr. Lehman Strauss who went to Heaven in 1997. Dr. Strauss was a gifted communicator that blessed literally thousands of churches and believers with his biblical expositions of scripture. On the subject of the “Judgment Seat of Christ” and these future rewards Dr. Strauss writes,
“The Apostle Paul says: ‘There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead’ (1 Corinthians 15:41-42). Every Christian will be given a celestial body in the Resurrection, but these bodies will differ in the glory that each shall possess and enjoy in Heaven. Paul asks us to notice how the stars differ in glory, some shining with a greater brilliance than others. Then he concludes: ‘So also is the resurrection of the dead.’ All believers will have glorified bodies, but there will be difference in glory according to the measure of our diligence and devotedness to Christ and His work. I hold in my hand three coins. One is gold, one is silver and the third is copper. All three bear the same inscription of the United States of America. However, the glory of the gold is one glory, the glory of the silver is a lesser glory, and the glory of the copper is yet a lesser glory than either the gold or the silver. So also is the resurrection of the dead. Each of the bodies of the saved will bear the glorified and heavenly mark of distinction, but the glory of some will differ from the glory of others. Our capacity to serve in Heaven we will take to Heaven with us when Jesus comes.”
Each of us will be judged as to the measure we use the gifts God has given us and as to whether our motivation in using those gifts was proper. God doesn’t ask me to fulfill His purpose or plan for your life any more than He expects you to fulfill His purpose or plan for my life. There is to be no competition between the participants in this race, but everyone is to be striving to receive the prize awarded to those whose works pass the test.
Occasionally I’ll hear someone intimate that working to receive rewards in Heaven sounds selfish. I suppose that might be true if we were competing against each other in a manner that prevented someone else from winning the prize, as is the case with sporting events. But, there are ample rewards for everyone that completes in this race in the fashion God commands and the ones you can win might not be the same ones I can win.
Rick Howard and Jamie Lash in their book, This Was Your Life, have an interesting response to someone that posed the possibility of earning rewards in Heaven as being selfish and unimportant.
“A woman saw me working on this book and asked what it was about. When she learned that the topic was the Judgment Seat and eternal reward, she said, ‘I’m not concerned about reward. I’ll be satisfied just being in heaven.’ I thought of a good answer for her—about three years later. ‘Not concerned about reward? Do you think that just because you get into heaven, everything’s going to be fine? Don’t you realize the Bible says Jesus will be ashamed of some of us [Mark 8:38]? Don’t you realize some of us will shrink back from Him...because we’re not prepared [1 John 2:28]? You treat God’s rewards as if they don’t matter, but the Bible says they are worth enduring suffering, false accusation, exclusion and hatred for [Luke 6:22–23]. Indeed, they are worth dying for [Revelation 2:10]!’
Some people think it is selfish to seek any reward. It is not selfish. Jesus commands it (see Matthew 6:1–20)! It is a healthy ambition, a holy calling, one that frees us from selfishness. It trains us to seek the pleasure and glory of God. Those rich in heavenly reward will not be sifting gold coins through their fingers as they giggle uncontrollably. They will be rich in God’s pleasure, able to enter into the joy of their Master. They will enjoy wonderful intimacy with God. They will be useful to Him. They will be able to ‘take hold of the life which is life indeed’ (1 Timothy 6:19).” (Kindle Edition-location #852, 854, 860)
So, let’s have at it and begin focusing on this future judgment and the rewards we can all earn. Don’t waste your life just doing things that have temporary value. Start looking to the end of the race and see the rewards that can be yours for doing works of eternal value.
On our summer vacation our grandchildren had fun building sandcastles on the beach. They’d dig, place the sand in just the right fashion to stack it ever higher, run down to the water and fill their buckets with water to put in the mote they’d dug, and complain about being covered in sand from head to foot. As the tide rose each day their little design on which they had worked so hard would begin to disappear as the water lapped against it again and again. In a matter of minutes all the work they had put into their design was completely erased and there was no evidence left of the hard work they had expended.
That’s an analogy for what many Christians are going to experience at the “Judgment Seat of Christ” because they that have been building their lives in all the wrong places and with all the wrong materials. When God’s judgment is revealed and their works are tried there will be little or nothing left of their accomplishments. They may have trophy rooms full of expensive hardware, but they have no eternal treasures. Opportunities abounded for them to earn these rewards but they chose to pursue things in life that won't last the test of His divine holiness. Thankfully, in that blessed city we’ll quickly forget what was lost and enjoy all that He has provided. But, eternity could have been even more for them had they only given themselves to things that mattered to God.
It was the famous reformer Martin Luther who said that on his calendar there were just two days: “Today and That Day.” He understood that his earthly existence was all a preparation for that momentous day when he would give an account of himself to God for the works of his life.
How will you fare on “That Day” and what works are you doing right now to earn the rewards He wants to give you?
Application:
- It’s impossible for us to judge the value of someone else’s works, so we should pay attention to what we are doing and leave the judgment of other’s works to Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:16) Butt out of everybody else’s business!
- Don’t compare your works to those of others thinking that your works will be less rewarded because you estimate them to be less important than those of others. (cf. Luke 19:11-27)
Closing Poem:
When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ,
And He shows His plan for me,
The plan of my life as it might have been,
Had He had His way—and I see
How I blocked Him here, and checked Him there,
And I would not yield my will,
Will there be grief in my Savior’s eyes,
Grief though He loves me still?
Would He have me rich and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I cannot retrace?
Lord, of the years that are left to me,
I give them to Thy hand;
Take me and break me and mold me
To the pattern that Thou hast planned! --Author unknown
