The Bema - Part 1

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. Many of you are looking forward to the return of Christ. Hopefully all of you are. But if you understand what happens when Christ returns, some might be a little hesitant.

The Judgment Seat of Christ and the Bema

And we're going to try to change that this morning. Because there will be some who are saved, but they will be saved through the fire. What do I mean by that? Let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And the subject we're going to be looking at this morning is the judgment seat of Christ.

Also, in Greek, it's referred to as the bima, which refers to a raised platform. You know, you think of a courtroom, right? The judge sits in a chair that's elevated higher than everyone else in the room.

That's the judgment seat. Also, in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1, the apostle Paul tells us that when Jesus appears to set up his kingdom, he will judge the living and the dead. As we pick up in verse 9, you remember from last week when we talked about how to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Look at verse 9, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, starting in verse 9. Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to him. 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 he has done, whether good or bad.

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, verse 11, we persuade men, but we are all well known to God. And I also trust are well known in your consciences. So I'm going to break the sermon down this morning into three points.

Point number one, who will participate? So regarding the judgment seat of Christ, point number one, who will participate? Point number two, what is the purpose? And then point number three, how can a person prepare?

So participation, purpose and preparation. So point number one, the judgment seat of Christ, who will participate? Well, what does Paul say here in 2 Corinthians chapter 5? He says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

So the word all means all. Right. So every human being on earth will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Right. Wrong. That's not what he means. The word all must be taken in context. All of who?

All human beings? All believers? All of who? Alright, let's turn to Romans chapter 14. This of course was the scripture reading. This is the only other place in the English Bible where we find this phrase, the judgment seat of Christ.

So if the answer of who will participate is not clear from 2 Corinthians 5, I think it will be clear from Romans chapter 14. Alright, so again, the question, who shall appear? Who will participate in the judgment seat of Christ?

Romans chapter 14 verse 9. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Notice he says each of us and then we and what is he talking about? Alright, so who will participate? We get the context in verse 10. Paul says in referring to we, what is he talking about? He says, why do you judge your brother?

Right? So the brethren will stand. We refers to the brethren. So point number one, who will participate? The judgment seat of Christ is for believers and believers only. Therefore, it is different from the great white throne judgment mentioned in Revelation chapter 20.

Those who stand before the great white throne, they are all cast into the lake of fire. But those who stand before the judgment seat of Christ, what's the purpose? And this leads to point number two, the purpose of the judgment seat of Christ.

Rewards, Loss, and the Fire That Tests Works

So think of it this way. If the great white throne is unto condemnation, the judgment seat of Christ is unto commendation and rewards. Now, how much commendation, how many rewards? That depends. All right.

Paul says in verse 12, look at it again. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. So to illustrate this, many people at their places of employment are familiar with the annual review. How many of you love to have that annual review?

You know, maybe you have to fill something out, go before your supervisor, your boss, and they evaluate you based on your conduct and your job performance. Well, think about the great white throne. That would be a judgment if you're going to compare it to a review.

That's where you're getting fired. OK, no pun intended. But the judgment seat of Christ, think of this as your review for your performance. So if you've been saved X amount of years, the judgment seat of Christ will be an examination of how well you did in the Christian life for that time period.

Back in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul says, for we must all appear, that is referring to believers, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

So since you become a Christian, you've done some good things. You've done some not so good things. You've done some good things for the right reason. You've done some good things, maybe not for the right reason.

Maybe you thought you were doing things for the right reason, but you ended up realizing after the fact that you were misguided and it didn't turn out so well. Whatever the case, let's remember, if you're saved, you're saved.

If the blood of Christ has forgiven you for all of your sin, then you will not, listen to me, you will not have to pay for your sins at the judgment seat of Christ. It is for those things done in the body and you will receive accordingly or you will not receive accordingly.

So it's important to remember that. Unbelievers at the great white throne are judged for their sin, condemnation at the judgment seat of Christ. It's for believers for commendation and rewards. No one pays for their sin.

Why? Because as a believer, your sins have already been paid for. They were paid for at Calvary. They were paid for on the cross. Therefore, God would be unjust to punish you again for your sin if he already punished your sin upon Christ at the cross.

All right. So the judgment seat of Christ is about rewards. Now turn to first Corinthians chapter three. But as I said at the beginning, what about this idea of being hesitant about the return of the Lord and the judgment seat?

Why would you be? Because there will be some, as I said, that are saved through fire. And we'll see that in a moment. So point number one, who will participate at the judgment seat of Christ? Who is it?

Believers and believers only. And of course, Christ is participating as the judge, obviously. Point number two, what is the purpose? To give an account, to receive the things done in the body. So this judgment is a judgment of rewards.

And that appears to be what Paul is describing here in first Corinthians chapter three. So let's begin reading in verse 10. Paul says, 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. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clear.

For the day will declare it because it will be revealed by what? By fire. And the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work, which he has built on it, endures, he will receive a reward.

The Terror of the Lord and the Need for Faithfulness

But if anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. So what have we learned so far? That when Christ returns to set up his kingdom, he will judge the living and the dead.

So if you think about that, what happens? Deceased believers will be resurrected and they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Those who are living at Christ return will be raptured and translated, and then they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

So we all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account. And each one will either receive reward for their work or they will suffer loss. But even those who suffer loss, they will be saved, yet so as through fire.

That doesn't sound very pleasant, does it? That part. So that statement, yet so as through fire. On the one hand, it is comforting, but on the other hand, it's troubling. It's comforting because it assures the believer that even if they have wasted to some degree their talents and abilities and gifts, they're still going to be saved.

But it's troubling how they're going to be saved, yet so as through fire. Maybe this is why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, the passage we read at the beginning, he said, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Oh, God is a God of love. Yes, yes, he is. God is a God of mercy. Yes, he is. God is a God of grace. Yes, he is. But he is a terrible God. What does that mean? The terror of the Lord. If God appeared before you today, if you were to stand before God today, you'd be terrified, right?

The terror of the Lord. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. That's part that doesn't get preached much. So being saved, yet so as through fire, that's not our goal. Amen? That's not our goal.

We don't want that. What do we want? We want the well done, good, and faithful servant. We don't want the, hey, watch out, while it just all goes up in smoke. That's going to happen to some people if you believe the scripture.

So the purpose of the judgment seat of Christ is about rewards for faithfulness in the Christian life. So the question at this point that some of you want to know is, okay, some people will be getting rewards.

What are the rewards? What are they? What do they look like? Do we get a bigger mansion in heaven? Is that the reward? Well, I don't think so. And I'm going to share with you my understanding on the nature of these rewards.

Rewards in the Millennium

So turn now to Matthew chapter 19. Matthew chapter 19. From years of study with acknowledging that there are some things that we simply don't know about rewards. It certainly does seem to me that it is the millennium or the 1 ,000-year kingdom upon the earth.

That is when rewards will be handed out. That is when rewards will be exercised. Whether or not they continue on through eternity, I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. But I am convinced they are primarily for the millennium.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornett Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCornettChurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.