Leslie M. John
THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
”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 hath done, whether it be good or bad”. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Every believer has to account for the deeds he has done on this earth in order to receive the rewards at the Judgment seat of Christ. The judgment seat of Christ is also known as 'Bema seat of Christ'. Although the phrase ‘Bema seat of Christ’ is not in the Bible, this word is commonly used in Christian parlance just as the word ”Trinity” is used for Triune God – The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The believer in Christ shall stand at the judgment seat of Christ not as the one to receive judgment for punishment, but for receiving the rewards he is entitled for working for the Lord.
”For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
During the period of time when the believer is with the Lord and after being ‘caught up’ which is usually called as the ”rapture”, the Lord will honor his servant for the service he rendered unto Him when he was on this earth.
We are not to judge our brothers because we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom.14:10). The time will come when the Lord comes and He brings to the light every hidden things of darkness, and will show the counsels that have taken place in the hearts. While God does this in the presence of every believer at the judgment seat of Christ every man will praise God (1 Cor.4:5).
Lord Jesus Christ is our life and He will appear in the clouds in glory to receive His own unto Himself and honor them with rewards. This judgment seat of Christ is not the Great white Throne judgment about which there is reference in Revelation Chapter 20:14 when those, who have not believed in Him, will be judged. These unbelievers will have their everlasting destiny in the lake of fire to be tormented day in and day out for ever and ever along with the Satan and his angels. The judgment seat of Christ is the raised seat where Lord Jesus sits as the King of kings to administer justice. There shall be no condemnation for the believers, who are in Christ, and who have not walked after the flesh, but sought to walk after the Spirit. (Rom 8:1). The believers will not face judgment at ‘Great white throne’ mentioned in Revelation Chapter 20:11
God was in Christ and reconciled us unto Himself, and made us, who have trusted in Him, and confessed our sins to Him, as his heirs and did not impute our trespasses unto us, but washed our sins in the precious blood of Jesus. We are His workmanship, created in Christ unto good works and we stand worthy of our calling and deserve our rewards at the 'Bema Seat of Christ'. It is a blessed hope for believer that he will be honored for putting on Christ and for living holy life. It is at this time, when we, the believers are with the Lord, that we will be rewarded before He reveals Himself on this earth again.