Perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts by Christians is
the Judgment Seat of Christ. The mere mention of this event strikes fear and
dread in most Christians: An event thought of as something unpleasant that
must happen before the joys of Heaven and being with our Lord and loved ones
can be experienced. A proper Biblical understanding of this event will not
only remove fear of this event, but will also motivate Christians to serve
our Lord ilimited time we have left. Having a
proper Biblical understanding of the Judgment Seat of Christ will answer your
questions about:
1. When Will It Happen?
2. Are We Judged For Sin We Have Committed?
3. What Criteria Will We Be Judged On?
4. What Are The Rewards/Crowns?
5. What About Those Who Have Accepted Christ But
Have Turned From Him: “Once Saved, Always Saved”?
The Judgment Seat of Christ is reserved for the judgment of
Christians only--born again believers in Christ Jesus. If a person is unsaved
and dies in sin, he will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment
following Christ's millennial reign on earth.
Many times the Judgment Seat of Christ is referred to by
Biblical scholars as “The Bema Seat”. The reason for this is that the phrase
“judgment seaBut in light of Paul’s many references
to athletic competition in the New Testament, he was likely using the term as
it applied to Greek sports. If the winner of a particular contest had
followed the rules of competition and won, he was honored at the bema. There
he was crowned with a laurel wreath.
In the city of Corinth, a stone platform was constructed to
support the Bema seat (judgment seat) of the local officials. The seat was
used to give out awards to athletes for their competitive performances
(usually a crown wreath of leaves), but also to address legal charges brought
against individuals. The great Apostle Paul was quite familiar with this
seat. This is where he was brought before Gallio,
who was the proconsul of Achaia at the Bema seat (Acts 18:12). This seat was also what Paul referred to
in 2 Corinthians
5:9-10 as the
"Judgment
Seat of Christ". In this context, Paul explains to us that
this is where the Christian will receive an evaluation for works done in the
body, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home
in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done
while in the body, whether good or bad.
Note: In this second verse, the Greek word that is translated
into English as “bad” is probably better understood as “worthless” or
“useless to God’s kingdom”. (See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
When
Will It Happen
The Judgment of believers will occur immediately following the
rapture. The timing of the Judgment Seat of Christ is given in the following
scriptures:
In Luke 14:12-14, reward is associated with the
resurrection. The rapture is when the church is resurrected. The term Church
refers to believers.
Luke 14:12-14
12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon
or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your
rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be
repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the
lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you
will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
In Revelation 19:8, when the Lord returns with
His bride at the end of the tribulation, she is seen already rewarded. Her
reward is described as fine linen, the righteous acts of the saints
undoubtedly the result of rewards.
Revelation 19:8
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
In 2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 4:5, rewards are associated with
"that day" and with the Lord's coming. Again, for the church this
means the rapture.
2 Timothy 4:8
8 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.
1 Corinthians 4:5
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till
the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will
expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise
from God.
So the order of events will be:
1. The rapture which includes our
glorification/resurrection bodies
2. Exaltation into the heavens with the Lord
3. Examination before the Bema
4. Compensation or reward
We
Are Not Judged For Sin
Although it is tremendously serious with eternal ramifications,
the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a place or time when the Lord will mete
out punishment for sins committed by a child of God. Rather, it is a place
where rewards will be given, or lost, depending on how one has conducted his
life for the Lord.
It is important to emphasize that the Judgment Seat of Christ does not determine
salvation; that was determined by Christ's sacrifice on behalf of the blood
bought believer (1 John 2:2), and the believer's faith in Him (John 3:16). All confessed sins are forgiven and
believers will never be condemned for them (Romans 8:1). To say otherwise would deny the
completeness of the death of Jesus Christ, and nullify God's promise that
"their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17).
Instead, the purpose of this bema judgment by Jesus Christ is to
reward believers based on how faithfully they served Him (1 Corinthians 9:4-27, 2 Timothy 2:5).
Even so, this judgment will also deal with a loss of rewards. Again, Paul
tells us, in his letter to the Corinthians, "For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according
to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
The Greek word translated as "bad" in this phrase, is based upon
the Greek word Phaulos. According to Strong's
dictionary (#5337), the primary definition of Phaulos
is "easy, slight, ordinary, mean, worthless, of
no account."
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 says that: "12 If any man builds on this
foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work
will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will
be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is
burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one
escaping through the flames.”
Elsewhere, the New Testament confirms that children of God are
covered by grace and will not be punished for sins (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11). The Judgment Seat of
Christ focuses primarily on rewards, not punishment. However, we will feel
remorse and regret due to the poor choices we made in life and the rewards we
forfeited. The bema seat does not deal with the problem of sin. For
Christians, that problem was dealt with at the cross.
We
Are Not Judged For Sin
Quoted from John MacArthur:
You know I remember when I was a little kid, hearing some guy
say, "You know, you may be a Christian, but someday all your sins will
be flashed on a big screen." Did you ever hear anybody say
that? Boy that scared the life out of me. I thought to myself,
"Well, what's the sense of forgiveness if all that stuff going to happen
then?" And I have heard people say that, but that is not what the
Bible teaches.
Your sins are forgiven and even God Himself says, "Your sins and iniquities I will remember no more." They are removed as far as what? As far as
the East is from the West. How far is that? That's far! The
East is from the West; they are buried in the depths of the sea; they are
forgotten by God, because of the Blood of Jesus Christ. You say,
"Well, wait a minute, doesn't it say that we have to give an
account?" Yes, but listen to 2 Corinthians 5:10, this is very important, "We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ." Now the word here is not "krino"
verb or "krima" which means condemnation,
or even "katakrima" which is even a
stronger word. It is not damnation, condemnation, judgment, or
punishment. But, the word is "bema." And it is the
"bema" that was speaking of a reward.
I was in Corinth, the ruins of Corinth, and they took me to the
"Bema" that was there. And whenever they had the Corinthian games, which was the major athletic event, they would take
the winners up on the "Bema." And what it was, was a place of
rewards, not a place of punishment, only the winners went there. So he
is saying here, "We will all appear before the "Bema" of
Christ, so that each one may be rewarded, for his deeds in the body.
The only evaluation for us future, will be the level of reward that we should
receive. And then he says this, "According
to what he has done, whether it is good or bad", and would you please note that word bad. That is the
word in the Greek "phaulos", it really
means useless, worthless. It is not "kakia,"
evil, wicked. It’s useless. And what is left then to evaluate
there, our sins are forgiven, our sins are covered? The only thing to
evaluate is what, out of our life, was spiritually valuable and thus worthy
of reward, and what was just worthless, useless, inconsequential, like mowing
the lawn, or whatever. Not evil, you just don't reward it spiritually.
So I believe that our reward in the future is going to be a
reward related to what we have done and that the waste will be burned away.
The useless things burned away, and what is left, will be the gold, silver,
and precious stones. The other things are not bad, remember 1 Corinthians 3, "Wood,
hay, and stubble?" Wood isn't
bad, you build things out of it. Hay isn't
bad, horses eat it. Even stubble is used to make bricks. But it
just doesn't have any spiritual value, and when fire gets to it, it burns it
up.
So there will be a reward for us, but it will be the gold,
silver, and precious stone, that is left after the rest is set aside, by
which we will be rewarded. And the Apostle Paul looked forward to that,
with all of his heart. He said, you remember that as he looked to the
future, "There would come a time when
God would reveal the hidden things of the heart", 1 Corinthians 4:5. And then he said, "Then shall every man have",
what? "Praise from God!"
The only thing that will be at the coming "Bema" will
be praise and reward, sin will be already done away with. It is already
been exposed, and it has already been covered at the cross of Jesus Christ.
The truth of the matter is that our lives are going to be filled
with a lot of things which will bring us no reward. Some things will bring us
chastening. Some things are just neutral; they’re not moral--they’re just
stuff that gets burned up. It isn’t that we’re going to be judged or
punished; it’s just that when it comes to reward time, that’s sorted out. So,
I believe that you’re a new creation: your faith will work, your love will
labor, your hope will endure, you will be different--you will have different
desires, different longings, different goals, different
aspirations. But, you’ll still have in your life two things: sin and
waste--just useless things. And when you come to the judgment seat of Christ,
does the sin have to be dealt with there? Does it? No, why? Where was the sin
dealt with? On the cross. So, we’re not talking about sin; that’s already
dealt with. No condemnation, no issue. But, when you get there, you’ve got
what’s left of your life; the sin--that’s dealt with. What is
left then is the righteous deeds--gold, silver, precious stones--and then the
“stuff.” And when it comes time to reward you, the Lord will just consume the
stuff, and what remains is the gold, silver,
precious stones. That’s why, in a sense, it’s not only important that you
avoid sin, it’s also important that you avoid waste in your life.
Remember Hebrews 12? In Hebrews 12, the writer says, “Lay aside”--for “we are encompassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses”--you know that? “Therefore, run
the race…lay aside the sin and the weight which so easily besets us”--that’s in chapter 12.
He says, “Lay
aside every encumbrance and the sin”. Well, encumbrance must be something other than sin, and what
he is saying is, don’t clutter your life with needless stuff. So, you know,
there are people who fill up--I call it people who fill up their life with
trivia. It isn’t evil; it’s just insignificant. That’s the encumbrance. It’s
like the illustration I used when I taught Hebrews was: now, you can run the
100-yard-dash with an overcoat if you want, but you’re not going to be very fast. And, when it comes to
reward time, you’re going to be at the rear end. Why not junk the overcoat
and run?
So I think what he is saying there is that at the judgment seat
of Christ, even though we are redeemed and even though we are the children of
God and even though our hearts have been changed and transformed and our
desires are really right and we long to honor Christ, because we are still
incarcerated in the unredeemed flesh, we can fill our lives with stuff that
really has no eternal consequences. And that’s going to be just literally
burned away. The fire here--know this--is not a fire of judgment. It’s just
burning away the waste to purify the real stuff that is to be rewarded.
What
We Will Be Judged On
Although the judgment seat of Christ is focused on rewards
rather than punishment, we will regret
having spent time on foolish priorities and worthless deeds. Our hearts will
break when we realize we’ve squandered our lives after all our Savior did for
us. We will lament that we have so little to offer Him in return for His
supreme sacrifice at the cross and faithfulness to us throughout our lives.
Dr. H.L. Wilmington has done a good job of gleaning the truth
about the things upon which Christians will be examined at the Judgment Seat
of Christ. They are as follows:
1. How we treat other
believers:
Hebrews 6:10, Matthew 10:41-42
2. How we exercise our
authority over others:
Hebrews 13:17, James 3:1
3. How we employ our
God-given abilities:
1 Corinthians 12:4, 12:12, 12:2, 2 Timothy 1:6, 1 Peter 4:10
Add to these
Scriptures Jesus' teaching of the parables of the ten pounds (Luke 19: 11-26) and the talents (Matthew 25:14-29). Each believer has at least one talent (1 Corinthians 7:12, Ephesians 4:7, 1 Peter 4:10). There are 18 of these gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4). It's up to each believer to find/discern
his or her gifts.
4. How we use our money:
2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 1 Timothy 6:17-19
5. How we spend our time:
Psalm 90:12, Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5, 1 Peter 1:17
6. How much we suffer for
Jesus:
Matthew 5:11-12, Mark 10:29-30, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Peter
4:12-13
7. How we run the
particular race God has chosen for us:
1 Corinthians 9:24, Philippians 2:16, 3:13-14, Hebrews 12:1
8. How effectively we
control the old nature:
1 Corinthians 9:25-27, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Corinthians 16:3, Philippians
1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:4
9. How many souls we
witness to and win to Christ:
Proverbs 11:30, Daniel 12:3, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
10. How we react to
temptation:
James 1:2-3, Revelation 3:10
11. How much the doctrine
of the rapture means to us:
2 Timothy 4:8
12. How faithful we are to
the Word of God and the flock of God:
Acts 20:26-28, 2 Timothy 4:1-2, 1 Peter 5:2-4
As we move deeper into this subject, we discover that God also
will investigate the motives behind one's works. In other words, the question
will be: "Why did you hold the office of deacon, elder, or Sunday school
teacher? Why did you sing or perform solos? What was your motive in being a
counselor, and usher, a bus driver? What purpose was there in desiring to be
a full-time Christian worker? Was it for power, prestige, or pride? Was it to
be noticed, to be lauded, and applauded?"
Matthew 6:1-6
1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before
men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father
in heaven. 2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with
trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be
honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have
received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 "And when
you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in
the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when
you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is
unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18
16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do,
for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But
when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will
not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is
unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Romans 2: 15-16
15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their
hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately
accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel,
God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
There is no doubt as to the meaning of Christ's startling words.
He declares that there are two places to be rewarded, here upon earth as one
seeks the praise of men or later in heaven when the Father who saw the works
performed in secret without notoriety and rewards those who did the job
simply out of love for Him. When Jesus returns to call His people unto
himself in the twinkling of an eye and the judgment begins, what will your
motives have been in the Christian race?
1 Corinthians 4:5 states
“Therefore
judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will
bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of
men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God”.
This teaching is also found in 1 Corinthians 3:11, 15:11 “For no one can lay any foundation
other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds
on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13
his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to
light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of
each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his
reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved,
but only as one escaping through the flames”.
Again, there is no doubt about the explicit teaching within this
portion of scripture. It states, the fire shall try every man's work and show
what it is.
Rewards,
The Crowns
The Judgment Seat of Christ will be a crowning day for those
Christians who will receive rewards for their works. (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5).
Unlike the laurel and ivy crowns received from officials at the Bema seat of
the Olympics in Corinth, the child of God will receive eternal crowns from
the Lord Jesus Himself. There are five such crowns to be rewarded:
The Incorruptible Crown This is the Runner’s crown
“Do
you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games
goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but
we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a
man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat
my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I
myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Once again, Paul has in
mind the athlete in the Roman arena. Before the contest, each participant
practiced self-discipline, being temperate in all things. As is true of the
world today, there were doubtless many pleasures and pastimes that the
athletes might have entered into and enjoyed, but they denied themselves
these things in order to do their best, and receive the crown of the victor.
The incorruptible crown for the Christian is the victor's crown for those who
keep the flesh under control and bring it into subjection. It is a conquering
of the old nature. We see in verse 24 that though there are numerous runners
yet only one becomes the winner. The analogy is that though multitudes of
believers have run and are in the race of Christian service, competing for
"good
works", however it will be but a minority who receive the
runner's crown. Hence, "Run that you may obtain."
The Greek athletes were temperate in all things, subjecting
their bodies to the most stringent health rules. They trained, they
exercised, and they abstained from anything that would render them unfit for
the contest. Verse 25 [King James]: “And every man that striveth for the mastery [victory] is temperate [under
self-control] in ALL things”.
“Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1) The result? An incorruptible crown!
We must also keep in mind, to qualify for this crown we must be
faithful in our work (whatever it is) until the end. That is why some refer
to this crown as the Worker's Crown. "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an
Incorruptible" (1 Corinthians 9:25). Labor for the Lord in any
lawful fashion is a candidate for the Incorruptible Crown. "Whatever you
do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men"
(Colossians 3:23). The concept that
"full-time Christian workers", i.e., pastors, evangelists,
missionaries, etc., are alone doing the LORD's work is entirely false. Any Saint
who faithfully and honestly labors to supply his own temporal needs-- and
that of his family-- does the LORD's work. "Make it your ambition to lead a
quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we
told you" (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Also, "If anyone does
not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he
has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8
).
The Crown of Rejoicing This is the
soul-winner's crown.
"For
what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the
presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our
glory and joy." (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). The first
thing that a Christian should pray for and seek to cultivate is the desire,
ability, and wisdom to win lost souls to Jesus Christ. Paul was confident
that when he would stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Thessalonian converts would guarantee a crown for all
those who shared in bringing them to Christ. Every time an individual is
converted, there is joy in Heaven; but at the day of the giving of rewards,
the soul-winner will be exceedingly joyful, when those are presented to God
whom he had won to Christ. What is our hope of reward as Christ's witnesses?
The answer is in those who will be in Heaven because of our prayers, gifts,
preaching, and personal work.
Daniel 12:3 declares “Those who are
wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many
to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever”. Stand
outside on a clear night, fix your eyes upon heaven and study God's
breathtaking creation. Stars, billions of miles away, twinkle as plainly as
the flickering candle on the dining room table. Is it any wonder that Proverbs 11:30 states, He that wins
souls is wise. The inference here is: "He who does not win souls is
foolish." Why? He cast aside eternal rewards as though they were bubble
gum wrappers. Wise men have more sense than this.
The Crown of Righteousness This is the
watcher’s crown
"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 4:8). Here the character of the
reward corresponds to the character of the Giver. Both are said to be
righteous. The doctrine of our Lord's return is regarded very highly by God.
In spite of the fact that Jesus said He would come again, there are many
people who scoff at the thought of Christ's appearing. This, as well as other
Biblical truths, have brought suffering and hardship, and in some cases
death, to those who insisted on preaching and teaching them. But how
wonderful to know that God has prepared a special reward for all who look for
that blessed hope, who wait for His son from Heaven, and who love His
appearing.
This is reasonable when one realizes that "expectancy" and
"purity" are closely related. One cannot longingly look for Christ
return and practice abominable sins. The two never coexist in a rational
mind. That is why 1 John 3:2-3 states “Dear
friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been
made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself,
just as he is pure”.
Adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, drunkards, drug addicts,
extortionist, swindlers, liars, and earthly minded are not anxiously awaiting
Christ's return. Neither are carnal believers who neglect the Bible, prayer,
God's house, soul-winning, and personal holiness. No, those who look daily
and expectantly are not among the earthly minded, who sit in bars, theaters,
rock concerts, gambling casinos, and other pagan dens. They do not want to be
found there when Jesus comes. Their desire, the blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), makes them consistently live for
His return. They want to be commended but congratulated and crowned in their
fight to the finish. They do not want a confrontation producing consternation
and castigation at that day. They long to hear Jesus say, "Well done thou
good and faithful servant."
Because the Savior’s appearing is closely aligned with holiness of
life, it is to be expected that the carnal rebel and refuse the teaching of
prophecy. They cry, "Do not preach prophecy! It is sensational and
speculative nonsense anyway". One should expect this from the
indifferent, the lethargic, the worldly, and the backslidden. They definitely
do not want to hear about a time when they must meet Christ with wasted lives
because his appearing means the disintegration and dissolution of the selfish
substandard works. They know that they are going to be among the
"ashamed" (see 1 John 2:28), and that they shall be saved as
by fire (1 Corinthians 3:15). They hate to
think of meeting Jesus empty handed and being "rejects" at the Judgment
Seat. Small wonder they dislike this Bible doctrine. But, like it or not, it
will happen!
The Crown of Life This
is the Sufferer’s Crown
"Blessed
is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he
will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
(James 1:12). "Do not be afraid of what you are
about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test
you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the
point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10).
The Crown of Life is reserved for those who have given all their lives
for the sake of the Gospel. Not all of our Lord's witnesses have been called
to suffering and martyrdom. Not all would be willing to pay with their lives
to take the message of salvation to the lost. How thoughtful and just our
heavenly Father was when He prepared a martyr's crown for those who suffer
persecution for Christ's sake! Though some of us will not receive the Crown
of Life, we will rejoice with those who refused to count the cost and have
died proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.
"Blessed
are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12). The reward
will also be presented to those who bore illness and infirmity with a smile
believing that all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28).
The crown is also given to those who are faithful unto the end, Revelation 2:10 declares “Be
faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life”.
This is not a reward for salvation, but for service, and is presented to
those who remain faithful throughout life, it is the same crown mentioned
previously in James 1:12 presented to all
who bore trial and testing out of love for the Lord Jesus.
The Crown of Glory This
is the Shepherd’s Crown
“Be
shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not
because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not
greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to
you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears,
you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Young men, in
the same way be submissive to those who are older.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward
one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the
humble." (1 Peter 5:2-5). There are many who have
been called and ordained by God to preach and teach His Word. These are the “under shepherds” who
care for the flock of God during the absence of the Chief Shepherd. This
award is mentioned in 1 Peter 5:1-4 and is
undoubtedly reserved for faithful ministers.
Peter in writing to the elders or spiritual shepherds, exhorts his
fellow minister's to "feed
the flock". God so loves His precious people that He wants
the pastors to meet the nutritious needs of His children, spiritually. Hence,
the shepherds are to feast on the Word of God daily; in order to meet the
needs of the spiritually hungry. This takes discipline and perseverance. It
means that the golf game, the tennis court, and other recreational amusements
must be in second place. It means that the obedient preacher cannot wait
until the last minute to prepare the "Saturday Night Special" for
the Lord's Day.
The ministers are to lead exemplary lives. They are not to be
power-crazy dictators. Their leadership must be in love. They are to rule the
Church as God's appointed directors, but with compassion. As rulers they are
not to be board-dominated "puppets" which is an insult to God and
His Word. 1 Timothy 3:4-5 states a
minister should rule well his own house, having his children in subjection
with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall
he take care of [or rule] the church of God?)
He must live according to the God-demanded requirements mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 which says, “2 Now the
overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate,
self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to
drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4
He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with
proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how
can he take care of God's church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he
may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must
also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into
disgrace and into the devil's trap”.
The Lord also gives us a list of rewards that he will give to all who
overcome in Revelation chapters 2-3
Revelation 2:11
11He
who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the
assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be
injured by the second death.
Revelation 2:17
17He
who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the
assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of
the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name
engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who
receives it.
Revelation 2:26-28
26And
he who overcomes (is victorious) and who obeys My commands to the [very] end
[doing the works that please Me], I will give him authority and power over
the nations;
27And he shall rule them with a sceptre (rod)
of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, and [his power over them
shall be] like that which I Myself have received from My Father;
28And I will give him the Morning Star.
Revelation 3:5
5Thus
shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will
not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him
[as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His
angels
Revelation 3:12
12He
who overcomes (is victorious), I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of
My God; he shall never be put out of it or go out of it, and I will write on
him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem,
which descends from My God out of heaven, and My own new name.
Revelation 3:21
21He
who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My
throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father
on His throne.
Once Saved Always Saved (But Tragic Loss of Reward)
1 John 2:28 declares “And now, dear
children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and
unashamed before him at his coming”. Notice carefully that when
Christ returns, all believers are summoned into His presence-the confident
and the ashamed. The confident appear before the tribunal with "good works"
whereas the ashamed have naught but "bad works" (see 2 Corinthians 5:10).
This is exceedingly important to understand because multitudes today
think that one sin can keep a child of God out of heaven. The text plainly
states that the "ashamed" meet Christ at His appearing. At the
sound of the trumpet, when the dead in Christ rise first and living believers
join the dead to meet Christ in the clouds (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16), the
"ashamed" also enter heaven, but the abundant entrance is reserved
for those who earned it upon earth (see 2 Peter 1:11).
If English means anything, and it does, this text proves that the wayward go home to meet
Christ, though ashamed. Since one can only bear shame for error and
wrongdoing, then it is dogmatically clear that the wrongdoers meet Christ at His
appearing or return. I grant you that they are embarrassed and lose all of
their rewards, but they are nevertheless present at the roll call of the
ages, though saved as by fire (1 Corinthians 3:15), by the
"skin of their teeth," to use a modern day expression.
Multitudes of God's people could do so much more for Christ if they
would, but the flesh stands in the way. When they do serve, it is often with
selfish motives. Modern Christianity has become big business. Religious
performers today charge exorbitant rates. Some receive $1,000 to $2,500 for a
performance. What a judgment of terror awaits these mercenary "gospel
entertainers". Though saved by fire, their works will dissolve into
incinerated ashes. The wood, hay, and stubble will disintegrate because they
had their reward here on Earth.
Then again, there are those who have little or no time for spiritual
exercises. They seldom read God's Holy Word, seldom attend God's house.
Seldom give their tithes, and never win souls. This is sin! James 4:17 states, “Anyone, then,
who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins”.
These sins of omission (failing to do God's will) also produce remorse in
that day. If this is describing you, it is not too late to change. As long as
one has the breath of life, you can decide to do the will of God. Confess
your sins, seek again your first love for Christ, rekindle
the flames of devotion to the Lord Jesus immediately. Then use your
opportunities to serve Him wisely.
Then, too, there will be many tears over neglected holiness. No doubt
about it, God demands that His people live holy lives: “For God did not call us to be
impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). “who has saved us
and called us to a holy life” (2 Timothy 1:9). “Make every effort to live in peace
with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord”.
(Hebrews 12:14). "Be holy, because I am holy"
(1 Peter 1:16). This means that we are not to
fashion ourselves according to the former lusts (1 Peter 1:14), and that we are to abstain from
fleshly lusts (1 Peter 2:11), and that we are to put on Christ
and not make any provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14).
What weeping, wailing, heartache, and heartbreak as they meet Jesus
face to face. Their entrance into God's presence will not be abundant (2 Peter 1:11), They shall be tremendously
ashamed (1 John 2:28). No wonder the lukewarm are
weeping. They blew it all. They suffered the loss of all things except
salvation.
This loss extends beyond the loss of rewards for a meaningless
life. It includes losing, through foolish living, rewards previously earned
through years of spiritual service. God has a system of addition and
subtraction, pluses and minuses, on His books. Therefore, one's accumulation
of "good
works" can be wiped out swiftly through disobedient
living. You do not believe it? “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked
for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (2 John 1:8). “I am coming soon. Hold on to what
you have, so that no one will take your crown”. (Revelation 3:11)
In simpler terminology, God says, "Hang on to your earned crown
and do not let anyone entice you, mislead you, drag you down, or destroy the
good works already accumulated or you will suffer loss." Paul, led by
the Holy Spirit, also declares in 1 Corinthians 9:27 “No, I beat my
body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself
will not be disqualified for the prize”. He could not mean the
loss of salvation because we have already seen that the "ashamed"
are present at heaven's roll call through saved by fire. Instead, Paul is
saying, "Look I am a red-blooded man with desires similar to others.
However, I will not allow my flesh to control me. Instead, I constantly
battle and batter my fleshly appetites into subjection. Yes, I keep my bodily
appetites under control lest I lose everything I have ever earned." Now,
if this be true for Paul, it is equally true for all. In fact outside of
Christ, Paul's service record is unparalleled in the history of Christendom.
One who obeys God will not be sorry. The faithful will be rewarded a
hundred fold at the Bema Seat. Scholars calculate that to be a 10,000 percent
yield. No wonder Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously”. One cannot out give God at 10,000
percent interest. Galatians 6:7, often quoted to the
unsaved, but directed to Christians concerning giving, states
”Do
not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows”.
If the judgment took place within the next 24 hours, would you lose some or
all of your rewards? Millions are going home ashamed, embarrassed, and
red-faced. The result will be intermittent weeping for 1,007 years. This is
proven by studying the chronological outline of the Book of Revelation. Let's
look at it.
The seven years of Tribulation follow in chapters 6-18. Christ returns
to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:11-16). He rules the
earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6), and judges
the world after the thousand years (Revelation 20:11-15). Then, finally
and forever, God wipes all tears away from their eyes (Revelation 21:4).
Chronologically, this is after the Tribulation, after the Millennium. In
other words, from the rapture call in Revelation 4:1 onward, there is intermittent and spasmodic crying/remorse for the next
1,007 years. Is your foolish episode with the world that important to you?
Will it be worth it all when you see Jesus? Do not lose out on rewards
eternally for a short fling presently!
References
Holy Bible
Charles Stanly: In Touch Ministries
John MacArthur: Grace to You
H.L. Wilmington: Author
Jack Van Impe: Jack Van Impe
Ministries
Tom Steward: Author