Keeping the Bema Seat in View — E.A. Johnston

I've been to hell and back, so to speak, time after time in my tortured life. It's a marvel of God's grace that I'm even still in this world, friends. There are things I've learned as a Christian, and some truths that stand out in my experience, which I'll share with you today.

Satan's Assault on Vulnerable Believers

Number one, Satan is a powerful adversary who hates the name of Jesus. He hates all true followers of Jesus, and he gets absolutely livid against a God-called preacher who damages his kingdom. And he's a coward who will attack you when you are at your lowest point, there, while you are vulnerable.

Jesus Christ's Faithfulness and Worth

He will unload his arsenal of hell upon you. Number two, Jesus of Nazareth is a true and faithful friend who will never fail or disappoint, as other men will. One thing I've learned about my beloved Savior is that Jesus is not only worthy, he's worth it.

False Security and the Unsaved Churchgoer

He's worth losing all for, so he may be gained. Number three, the majority of church people are unsaved individuals who sit upon a rotten foundation of an empty religious profession, and they hold a wrong view of God.

They don't believe in a God who will and must punish sin, and therefore they feel this God of theirs will never punish them in hell, because they feel they are too good to go to hell. So hell fills by the hour with baptized hypocrites who will spend eternity in the most unspeakable miseries.

Worldly Living Versus Eternal Priorities

Number four, most Christians live lives consumed with the things of this world, and fail to live lives that are consumed with eternity. They miss God's best for them, because they are unwilling to go out on a limb for God and risk everything for Christ and the sake of the gospel.

Keeping the Bema Seat in View

By playing it safe, they preserve their lives, but miss out on a deeper walk with God and deny themselves any deep usefulness to God. Number five, men fail to keep the Bema Seat in view. Life is short, eternity is forever, and all that matters are the souls of men.

When we take our eyes off of heaven and hell, then we gaze stupidly at this perishing world, which is merely an empty bubble, and we squander opportunities to pull men from the fire. Was Christ's blood spent just for our own selfish benefit, or was it a springboard to live selfless lives on the out-and-out for Christ to reach the lost and perishing?

The Bema Seat Judgment in 1 Corinthians 3

We read about the Bema Seat in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire.

Rewards and Loss at Christ's Judgment Seat

And the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so is by fire.

The Final Review of a Christian's Life

When we stand before Christ Jesus on that day, and all our life's work is brought before Him for testing and review, will we stand there as gold, silver, and precious stones, reflecting His great glory, or will we stand knee-deep in the ashes of wasted life, and then lean over to scoop up those ashes to press them into His nail-pierced hands?

A Prayer for Faithful Eternal Investment

O great God, let me spend the rest of my days with Your Bema Seat in view, and on that day when You review the moments of my life, my thoughts, my deeds, every word I spoke since knowing You, and all is placed into the fire for testing and review, will what remains be gold and silver, or ashes heaped with hay?

Eternity Reveals How We Lived

The day will declare to what degree I lived my life for You.