The Judgment Seat of Christ — Bruce Rodgers

The Judgment Seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians

So tonight I'm going to be continuing in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 primarily, or maybe I shouldn't say primarily, I'm going to be, that's my base, looking at the judgment seat of Christ in verses 9 and 10 and 11 and so on.

But we're going to look, as we did last night, at the thread beginning in chapter 1 again, where you have a link with some of this truth. So 2 Corinthians chapter 1, and the verses we're going to read tonight are just after the ones we read last night.

Verse 12 says,. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you were it, for we write none other things unto you than what you read or acknowledge, and I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end, as also you have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

So you can see that this little section actually leads us to that day of what follows that experience. And then we'll read in the last verse of chapter 2, 2 Corinthians 2 and 17,. For we are not as many who corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

And then chapter 3 focuses upon the great reality of the ministry of the Spirit, the ministry of the new covenant, placed in contrast to the old covenant, and it consummates in glory, and the Spirit of the Lord is bringing us not only to liberty, but also to that ultimate glory.

And verse 18 of chapter 3 says,. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed, that is, we are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

And chapter 4, verse 1 says,. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty or shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, amending ourselves to every conscience, and so on.

So you see this repeated refrain through these verses of manifestation of truth, conscience, and so on, in the sight of God. Now chapter 4, verse 17, I made reference to this last night, says,. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

So again, you have a very vital link between the present and that future. So chapter 5 then, and verse 9,. Wherefore, we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him, or acceptable, pleasing to him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

For we commend not ourselves again to you, but give you of them who glory in appearance and not in heart. So it's not too difficult to see the theme or thread that is running through these verses, and I'm going to be referring to quite a number of other verses as we think about different aspects of the judgment seat of Christ.

Conscience and the Sincerity of God

So in chapter 1, which is a very, very important foundation for the whole epistle, as I mentioned last night, the first 11 verses emphasize the sympathy of God to us, as the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, and so his sympathetic care and attitude toward us.

When we come to verse 12 down, he's emphasizing more the sincerity of God, the genuineness of God, and Paul insists very strenuously in chapter 1 that he has imbibed that same character within his being.

He is in harmony with God's character, and he himself has, as he says, the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we've had our conduct in the world and more abundantly to you.

Now, one of the things that I have appreciated in studying through the concept of conscience in the Bible is to see that basically the function of conscience is really leading us to the reality that the judgment seat of Christ expresses in perfection.

That is, conscience brings us to an awareness that we're not alone, that we are living our life, thinking our thoughts, our motivations, our attitudes, our behaviors, everything is being lived out in the very presence of God, in the sight of God.

And you see that phrase, the sight of God, repeated in the following verses. And so conscience is a God-given faculty that should protect us from evil. It should prevent us from doing things that are unsuitable, that are wrong.

And so conscience is not only a witness, it's actually an inner judge as well as an inner witness. But it bears witness to something beyond itself. And so it's not just that I have a good conscience or a bad conscience, it's that it bears witness to the reality that I live before the sight of God.

And ultimately, as Paul expresses here, his carefulness to live according to a good conscience, a pure conscience, makes perfect sense in light of the great reality that he will emphasize in Chapter 5.

And so the word simplicity. Now I notice that some Greek texts actually use the word holiness instead of simplicity, but there's really not a lot of difference when we really analyze it and think through what it means.

The sense of simplicity here is what we could call mental honesty. It's really the virtue of someone who is free from pretense and hypocrisy. The same word is translated or used in the expression singleness of heart in Ephesians 6 and 5 and Colossians 3 and 22, which relate to servants in employment, serving with singleness of heart, that is with unmixed motivations.

We could call it single-mindedness, having a pure motivation and direction of life. And in contrast to that is the idea of fleshly wisdom, which lives out from a self-centered, self-focused, self-protective, and self-promoting framework of mind that lives to gratify myself and uses other people around me to bring me pleasure or advancement and so on.

And so this singleness, this simplicity, then he says godly sincerity. Now that expression literally is sincerity of God. It's a beautiful expression and it again draws from this great underlying reality that the Eternal One, God Himself, is absolutely sincere without any pretense.

He is absolutely genuine in all that He is. And so we as servants of God, as those who seek to please Him and serve Him, we are called to share in that same character. And it's beautiful to see that it's also connected with the grace of God.

And so all the strength, the wisdom, the goodness of God that flows out from God is of this nature and character. It's absolutely genuine in its motivation and intent for blessing. And so that's the character of God and that's what is called upon us as well.

And so our conscience then should be a very useful element of our spiritual life that protects us from getting away from that purity and sincerity of heart. So in chapter 2 then, he places himself in contrast to those who would dare to corrupt the Word of God.

He says, but as of sincerity, as of God, that is, as speaking from God and in the sight of God, speak we in Christ. And then chapter 4, he again confirms this and emphasizes this once again. Now I did forget to mention back in chapter 1 again, this reference to the day of the Lord Jesus.

And the point I want to bring out there, verses 13 and 14, is this, that we are connected together. Now while I believe it is accurate to say that we are going to be rewarded individually in the Lord's presence.

Now I don't mean privately, I mean individually. Each one will be rewarded according to his own labor, as 1st Corinthians chapter 3 mentions. But at the same time, as chapter 1 here in verse 14 says, that you acknowledge us in part that we are your rejoicing, that we are your boast, even as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Now this is linking us together in his presence. And again that's mentioned in chapter 4, present us with you in the presence of God. And I'm going to make reference a little later on to a couple of other passages that link this same reality.

And so that is something, another aspect of the judgment seat of Christ that it's important not to miss. It's not just going to be me and the Lord. There is going to be the company of God's people. And there's going to be an active interest in the revealing and manifesting of each one in his presence.

And the outcome of it is going to be that there's going to be joy together in his presence, in what is revealed of God in each one. Now, in chapter 4 then, again he emphasizes this, because we have this ministry, because we have this tremendous ministry granted to us from God to convey the gospel, all the truth about Christ.

He says, we have renounced, we have rejected everything that belongs to dishonesty or shame. And we're not going to walk in craftiness. We're not going to handle the Word of God deceitfully. In contrast, he says, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

And so again, if we can grasp this fact, and if I could just put it as bluntly as I can, in the experience of the judgment seat of Christ, not only am I going to be totally revealed and manifested in the sight of God and to God before Christ, I am going to be before you as well.

You are going to know me as you maybe never have known me in my life here in this world. We are going to be known, manifested, not only to God, but to one another as well. And so Paul's exercise of heart and attitude that he cultivated day by day is that by manifestation of truth, by this genuineness, by sincerity, by reality, and by the proclaiming of the truth of God, commending ourselves to every man's conscience.

Now this is something different than just living to please people. We are in danger when we're motivated by just trying to please people, because that puts us in contrast often with trying to honor God.

If we're too worried about what people think, we may fail to worry about what God thinks. And so God must be supreme. He must dominate the scene, you might say. But at the same time, in Paul's sincerity, in his desire to bless others with this ministry and all that God is for them, he says, I want it to be so that I am not in any way a stumbling block to you within your conscience towards this great treasure of God.

Commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. So these are very, very important things to see connected together. So let's then look into chapter 5 and just think about some of the details that are given to us right here.

And then try to draw in some of the other well-known passages just to highlight what is here. So in the very first thing, it says in verse 10 of chapter 5, for we must all appear in the seat of Christ.

So we need to ask the question, what does this word appear mean? And I'm just going to draw attention to the fact that this word appear is the same word that is cropping up throughout these other verses, the word manifest.

And it's in the passive voice, which means it's not that I am appearing or putting in an appearance at the judgment seat of Christ, but that I am going to be made manifest at the judgment seat of Christ.

I am going to be revealed, made visible, made open. And so, again, relating some of the other verses, this word manifest is there over and over and over again. And I'm going to note a few of them as we go through.

So as I mentioned already, this is not only before God, but it's also going to be before others who are believers, all the people of God. And so there's some important reasons for this, which I will touch on in a few minutes.

For, he says, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. So we need to understand clearly then what is the character of this judgment? What is the content of the judgment? Now, so I'm just going to make a few kind of important clarifications.

Judgment for Servants, Not Condemnation for Sinners

It's not as sinners before God that we're at the judgment seat. We are going to be in front of the one who already has borne our judgment before God for sin. We will not be going from the judgment seat of Christ into hell.

We have been delivered from that. And it's interesting that the very last verse of this chapter brings strong assurance of that, that He made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

And so, thankfully, we are not before God as sinners under judgment. That does not mean that there will be nothing negative at the judgment seat of Christ, because right in this very verse, it talks about we're going to receive the things done in the body according to what we have done, whether it be good or bad.

And so it's important to understand the context, the content of what is being looked at here. So I'm going to put it this way. We're not there in His presence as sinners before God, nor even as sons before God, but as servants.

Judgment seat of Christ is connected to our role as servants. And I think it would be accurate to say we could call the judgment seat of Christ promotion day. It is the day when we are going to find out what we are going to be able to do for the Lord for the rest of eternity.

We are going to, through the judgment seat experience, be fitted and placed in a position of honor, authority, and service. And so we could look at our whole Christian life as the preparation time leading up to this wonderful moment when we are going to be give account of our stewardship.

Now, the word steward is a key word in many of these passages. And again, the idea of a steward is someone to whom something has been entrusted. Or as we see in some passages, some people have been entrusted.

Those who are overseers in the local assembly have the Lord's people entrusted to them, and they are entrusted as stewards over the house of God. But every one of us have received spiritual gifts. It's a stewardship for which we will give account at this time.

And so it is as servants. So our salvation is already secured. And that's something that's very important to know. In addition to that, like last night, we were focusing on the body and the fact that this present body is temporary.

It's going to be replaced. It's going to be dispensed with. And we are going to be standing before the Lord in that moment in new bodies that are perfect, that are eternal. And so our salvation is absolutely secure before him.

And so there's a number of things that are, you know, that are important to clarify. Now, you notice that it says we must all, we must all appear, we must all be manifested. And so there is no one that is exempted from this accountability before him and this review in his presence.

I'm just going to quote a couple of phrases from Romans chapter 14, verses 10 to 12, which is another important passage on the judgment seat of Christ. The context of Romans 14 is the futility, the foolishness, the fault there is in us spending our time criticizing one another, judging one another, despising one another.

And again, in that passage, he emphasizes, God will uphold his own servants. God will make his servants stand before him. But here it says in Romans 14, for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

And then at the end of that section, it says, so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. And so it is clearly that we individually will be there before the face of the Lord Jesus. Now, in 1 Corinthians 3, there's some very important things taught to us there too.

And I'm just going to remind you of them. Paul is speaking to the assembly very sorrowfully because some of them are not acknowledging him and his stewardship towards them. And there's a rivalry amongst and the believers are in their carnality, placing one servant ahead of another.

But then he emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 3, that we're workers together with God. We're laborers in the field of God. And he's particularly thinking of the local assembly there. But he says this, every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

So even though we work together as Christians, God knows everything that you do. He knows every motivation. He knows what's in your heart. He knows your zeal for him. And so it's not just going to be a general, well, you boys did a good job in Black River Falls or in Charlton or in Sudbury or wherever we may happen to be.

It's there's an individual labor and there's individual reward. Then he also emphasizes that every man's work shall be made manifest for it shall be revealed by fire. So this concept is just repeated over and over and over again in these passages.

1 Corinthians 3, the emphasis is the fire. And I would consider this to be the fire of God's own holiness. And that whatever we have done, whatever we've accomplished, whatever influence we have had towards God's people and his work, whatever is compatible with his holiness and his character will be honored.

It will stand the fire and it will remain forever. That's an amazing thing to think about. We're building into God's people. And even though assembly testimony is not eternal, it's for this present time, yet we are building what is eternal in character.

Of course, what is incompatible, as he speaks of wood, hay and stubble, it will be burned up. It will be extinguished and removed. And unfortunately, the worker will suffer loss, as is mentioned there.

Now, just let me remind you again of the next chapter in 1 Corinthians 4. And this will answer a question as to when the judgment seat of Christ takes place and who will be there. In 1 Corinthians 4, in the first five verses, Paul, again, he's really defending himself against their attitude toward him.

And he acknowledges us as stewards of the mysteries of God. And he says, it's required of a man, of a steward to be found faithful. Then he says, it's a small thing. It's just a small thing for me to be judged by you.

And then he goes on to say that now is not the time of judgment. He says, judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and again, will make manifest the counsels of the heart.

And then shall every man have praise of God. So we see this idea of manifest here again, it's what is hidden, what is secret, what is not readily available to the inspection of others. It says that he is going to make manifest the counsels of the heart.

And so in other words, don't waste your time judging other Christians for their service. Don't keep analyzing their motives and trying to prove them wrong in some way. We can be observant, we need to be observant, we need to be alert to danger.

But at the same time, we are limited in our capacity to judge and evaluate other servants. There is a work of God that is ongoing. And there's a day coming when the Lord himself will bring to light everything according to his own wonderful capability.

The Timing and Scope of the Judgment Seat

So I would suggest that it's very clear that the judgment seat of Christ will take place following his coming. And I would suggest that it's following the rapture of the church. The church is brought together into his presence, and we are reviewed in his presence.

And so I would suggest that there are different aspects of judgment of God's servants, the church, immediately after the rapture. Then there are those who are the Old Testament saints. Their time of review and reward and so on seems to be related to the closing part of the tribulation period.

There's some passages that relate that. And then of course there's the tribulation saints as Revelation chapter 20. And I would suggest that they would be rewarded, reviewed, and rewarded following his coming in glory.

And Matthew 25 would give some reference to that likewise. And so what is the purpose of the judgment seat of Christ? Well we see here very clearly that it is we must all appear, we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ that each one, that everyone may receive.

So I'm just going to take again notice of some of these terms that are used here. The word judgment seat is the Greek term bima, and we have we have heard that used many times I'm sure when anyone has spoken on the judgment seat of Christ we often talk about at the bima, at the bima.

And most often the word is associated in our minds when someone draws attention to that word with the Olympic Games, the athletes. The word itself does not determine or describe what kind of judgment is involved.

It just refers to an elevated platform. And so it's a public, it's a public process that is involved. It's public glory or public disgrace if we're thinking in terms of of the Olympics and so on. But I need to point out that the same word is used of pilot judgment seat in Matthew 27 at the trial of the Lord Jesus, and also in the references to judges in the Book of the Acts.

It's again the bima. And so it's not limited just to something like, you know, the, the Olympics. It's also used of civil courts and criminal courts. But the key words that are associated with it are are the words open and public and so on.

Now, I don't know how often you have thought about this or wondered about it. When you just try to think about all of this, just just kind of from a logical reasoning, it would almost seem as sensible for for us to be evaluated individually when we die and enter his presence.

And and I've tried to think about this recently and and and there's certain aspects would seem, you know, would seem that would seem suitable. But it's a very incomplete idea, because it seems that although we are obviously known to the Lord perfectly, even now, as verse 11 mentions, and certainly when we come into his presence, if we happen to die before the Lord comes, obviously he knows us through and through then.

And so it's kind of hard to assess some of these aspects that are dealt with the judgment seat of Christ as in this in-between time. But the answer probably is, is that it will only be when the church is complete, that the full scope and consequence of each servant's life and service and deeds will be able to be manifested.

Now, just think about it in this way. There's people still being saved through the writings of the apostles, the scriptures. There are consequences from generation to generation of men and women who have lived for God, who have taught the Word of God, have influenced others.

And so every one of us who are Christians today, there are those in our past who influenced us, who taught us the scriptures, who poured the grace of God into our lives, who ministered the Word of God, and so on.

Who were examples for us. And so a full outcome of their life and service won't be able to be fully manifested until we're all there complete in that complete glory. And you can even think of the value of written material, of commentaries, of hymns, and so on, of books.

And so many of us can acknowledge that we have been enriched and blessed and equipped more fully to serve God through these various means. And so what this triggers in my mind is to think of what a difference it could make to our own service now, just to realize what consequences there may be, for good or bad, as to how we live.

Reward According to Labor and Influence

Now, this is where I'm just going to draw attention to a couple of other passages. The first one's in Philippians chapter 2, verses 17 to 18, where Paul, in speaking of his own life and possible death, he says, if I be poured out upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.

Now what he's really saying there is that he considered that their Christian life was an outflow of their faith towards God. And so if we can just enjoy this reality that our whole Christian life, summing up all that we do as Christians, it's an outflow of our faith.

It's an outflow of our love. It's very precious to him now. He receives it as a fragrant sacrifice. But it's also going to be rewarded in that day. It's going to be recognized. And Paul, as he anticipates this, enjoys in this what he sees in their lives, he rejoices in the fact that he has had some part in their lives.

Now, of course, he had a very significant part in their lives. He was the one that preached the gospel to them and brought them into the knowledge of salvation. He taught them for a brief time. So again, this just highlights this emphasis that I wanted to touch on, that his life and their lives, his service and their service, his glory and their glory, his joy and their joy, are all intermingled both now and in the future.

And the judgment seat of Christ is going to be able to bring that out into manifestation. Now, when I think about all these things, I think of just how totally incompetent I am to ever evaluate another Christian service, to evaluate the worth of their life.

I'm totally incompetent to do that. And how competent the Lord is to do it and how he will do this. Now, in 1 Thessalonians 2 verses 19 to 20, Paul says much the same thing. He's again looking forward to being in the presence of the Lord.

And he says, what is our hope? What is our joy? What is our crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of the Lord? And so what an amazing thing it's going to be that we're all going to be there together.

And as each brother, as each sister is reviewed and manifested in the presence, all that that believer has done and been that has influenced all the others there in that wonderful gathering is going to somehow be revealed.

And again, I can't even imagine how it all happens, let alone figure it out to be able to do it. But he says in verse 20, 1 Thessalonians 2 and 20, for you are our glory and joy. So I wonder if we were able to grasp some of the glory of this, if we would serve one another more joyfully, with more zeal, with more delight, with more hopefulness, with more confidence to think that what we serve and how we serve is not futile.

It's not for nothing. It's going to contribute to the glory and blessing and joy of fellow saints, but it's also going to ultimately express the glory of the Lord Jesus. Now, I have to touch on a couple of things here that are pretty sobering, serious, and which I realize that a lot of Christians struggle with.

And when they, some have listened to me teach on this, they have been very upset. So if what I am going to say about the bad part that is mentioned here, if it is upsetting to you, I just ask you to kind of try to be patient and let sink in what the scriptures say, even if you are hesitant to accept what I'm going to say.

Good and Bad Works Before Christ

First of all, the word to receive means to receive back, to pay back. Now, remember a couple of verses, I'm just going to quote to you, Ephesians 6 and 8. This is again talking about servants. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

So in other words, he's saying, whatever good thing that you do, you're going to receive it back at the hand of the Lord. So there's going to be like a payback for what you have done. And then Colossians 3 and 25 says, but he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done, and there is no respect to persons.

So we have to accept both sides of this amazing truth. There is a reward, there is a recompense, there is a paying back. And it says the things done in the body. Now, as we mentioned earlier, our present body is temporary, it's fragile, it fails us.

But this things done in the body is reference to our present life as Christians, what we have done in this present body, in and through the bodies. We're going to be in our new bodies with new minds. And their minds are going to be able to appreciate everything from his perfect viewpoint.

And personally, this is how I look at it now. I believe that I will be happy that only what is good, what is just, what is pure will be honored in his presence. And I sincerely believe that we will not in that day want any pretense.

We won't want to be credited with something we weren't really justifiably honorable about. We won't want any unjustified reputation. It's one of the problems that some of us have who, for instance, have been in the Lord's work.

And we've done certain work for the Lord in certain places and so on. And we can gain a kind of reputation. And we can live on that reputation. And we carry that reputation. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, as Paul says in Philippians chapter two, hold such a reputation.

And so, yes, everything that is honorable, that is good, that is of God, will carry a reputation. So some of us have already experienced some of the joy and honor of that. But it's possible for that to become our motivation.

And that would become a failure within ourselves. But so it's to receive back, recompense, repay the things done in the body, he says, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. Now, let me just briefly give some explanation of the two terms that are used here.

The word good is the very, it's the most common word translated good in our New Testament. And it's that word that refers to what is morally good, what is healthy, what is helpful, what is beneficial.

The word that is translated bad here, it's translated as evil at least 40 times in our Bible. There are other words that are translated evil that emphasize the wickedness of the evil, the treachery of the evil.

This word, I think, seems to emphasize primarily the effect of it, the harm that it causes. It's harmful, it's destructive. And we could add the concept of what is worthless. And so what is this really saying, man?

We're not saying that God, as the God of truth, is going to judge everything that has transpired according to its goodness, according to its evil, according to its harm, its detrimental effect. Now, it's maybe a very difficult thing to accept that this is true for us as well as for others.

And as I've tried to say, we're not there as sinners before God. We won't carry the burden of that guilt of harm done and so on into eternity and be cast away from his presence. But we will suffer loss as servants because it is being weighed as to its value in his presence.

I was his servant in that situation. I acted in a certain way. I carried a certain motivation. I behaved myself in a way. If it was honorable, if it was good, if it was beneficial, he will approve of it.

He will honor it. He will acknowledge it. And it will be carried into his kingdom forever as an eternal goodness and blessing. If he cannot approve of it, if it was false, if it was unjust, if it was detrimental and destructive and harmful, he must judge it.

He must express his disapproval and it be put away from before his throne. One way you could look at it is that there's absolutely nothing unjust will ever pass by his throne into his eternal kingdom.

There's many things never get judged properly, adequately here in this world. Man's judgment is inadequate and sometimes completely unjust. That will never take place. That will never happen before God, whether it's relating to believers, servants, or whether it is ultimately at the great white throne for those who will perish forever.

Hidden Sin and the Revelation of All Things

Now there's another very sobering passage which I almost hesitate to read because it uses the word sin. But in 1 Timothy chapter 5 verses 24 and 25, the context of that passage is relating to those who are brought into a position of authority as overseers or elders in the assembly.

Paul warns Timothy not to lay hands suddenly on anyone. That is, don't associate yourself with that person without due consideration. Then he says, neither be partaker of any other man's sins. Keep yourself pure.

Then he says in verse 24 and 25, it's very, very sobering truth. He says, some men's sin is open beforehand, going to judgment, and some they fall after. Likewise, the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and those that are otherwise cannot be hid.

Now you could just think of this simply on the present level as someone who would be brought into a position of oversight in the assembly. And this is very, very good counsel. It's important to weigh someone's life, what you know of them, and so on, at the same time recognizing that you can't know everything about every person, even if you are relating to putting them into position of authority.