Jesus Christ Will Evaluate the Christian’s Works to Determine If They Merit Rewards

The New Testament writers make clear that Jesus Christ Himself will be the judge of the church (Revelation 1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:5f; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 John 2:28).

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself declared to the Jews that the Father had given Him authority to judge the living and the dead (John 5:22-29).

The Father awarded His Son Jesus Christ the sovereign rulership over the entire cosmos as a result of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.

Consequently, Jesus Christ will preside over and conduct the judgment of the church.

The bema seat of Christ is an evaluation of the Christian’s works to determine if they merit rewards or not.

Eternal salvation is not the issue at this judgment since this was determined the moment the Christian was declared justified through faith alone in Christ alone.

At the Bema Seat, the believer’s sins are never mentioned whether these sins were confessed by the believer on earth or were not.

These sins were judged at the cross (1 John 2:12).

Therefore, the Bema Seat is not punitive.

The purpose of the Bema Seat is to evaluate the quality of every believer’s work whether it is good in the sense of acceptable or bad in the sense of being unacceptable.

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ evaluates the church every day according to Revelation 2-3.

The Bema Seat Evaluation of the church is a time when those works that the believer performed in the energy of the sin nature will be destroyed.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (NASB95)

The Bible teaches that every sin committed by the believer in his lifetime, both confessed and unconfessed have been forgiven as a result of Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross, which the Holy Spirit appropriated for the believer when they trusted in Christ as Savior (Psalm 102:12; John 3:18; Romans 5:1-2, 19; 8:1; 1 John 2:12).

The Bema Seat is a time when the believer will be rewarded for his actions that were empowered by the Spirit and in response to God’s love for him.

The believer who was properly motivated to serve Him and the body of Christ out of love and appreciation for what the Lord did for him will be rewarded at the Bema Seat.

The believer will be rewarded for living in light of the imminent return of Christ at the rapture of the church.

Every moment that the believer lives, is an opportunity to bring glory to God and receive rewards for loving one’s neighbor as oneself.

The “overcomer” church age believer or in other words those who were faithful till death or the rapture will receive rewards at the “Bema Seat Evaluation” of the church, which takes place immediately after the rapture of the church.

There are two words in the Greek New Testament that are used to describe rewards for believers: (1) Stephanos, “wreath, garland, crown.” (2) Brebeion, “prize.”

In the ancient world, the stephanos was the wreath or garland, the actual crown for winning an event whereas the brabeion was the prize given to the victor in the athletic games of the ancient world.

Believers who execute the Father’s plan for their life are called in Revelation 2 and 3 “overcomers,” meaning that they overcame their old sin nature, the devil and his cosmic system by obeying the Word of God, which is motivated by love for God.

These believers will receive the following rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Evaluation:

The “crown of righteousness,” is a reward given to believers for their faithfulness in executing their own spiritual life and functioning in their spiritual gift.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up 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 loved His appearing. (NASB95)

“The Incorruptible Crown” describes all the crowns and is also a special crown given for faithfulness in running the race and exercising self-control in order to serve the Lord and finish the race.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (NASB95)

The “crown of life” is given to the believer for enduring testings (trials) and temptation.

James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (NASB95)

Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (NASB95)

The “unfading crown of glory” is a reward promised to pastor-teachers for their faithfulness in the discharge of their responsibilities in shepherding their flocks.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (NASB95)

“White garment” is a reward for faithfulness in the form of a translucent uniform of glory over the resurrection body.

Revelation 3:4 “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” (NASB95)

The overcome or winner believer will receive a “white stone” and “hidden manna” and a “new name” written on the stone, which refers to intimate access to the Lord Jesus Christ and great responsibility in Christ’s millennial government and in the eternal state (Rev. 2:17).

The “hidden manna” in Revelation 2:17 refers to the special intimate access to the Person of Christ during His millennial reign and throughout all of eternity and will be given only to the overcomer or winner believer.

The new title on the white stone in Revelation 2:17 refers to the privilege of having intimate access to the Person of Christ during His millennial reign and throughout all of eternity which will be exclusively to the overcomer.

He will also receive a New Title in the Lamb’s book of life and will have a membership to the Paradise Club and access to the Gazebo in the Garden (Rev. 2:7).

The winner believer will have his name recorded in the historical record section of heaven (Rev. 3:12).

The overcomer will have a special audience with God the Father (Revelation 3:5).

The noun brabeion, “prize,” refers to the believer’s inheritance or escrow blessings, which are released to the believer upon executing the Father’s plan for their lives (Eph. 1:14, 18; Phlp. 3:14; Col. 1:12; 3:23-24; 1 Pet. 1:4; He. 9:15).

Philippians 3:14 I am sprinting towards the finish line for the prize, which is God the Father’s invitation to privilege residing in the Person of Christ Jesus. (My translation)

Every church age believer has the opportunity to receive his eternal inheritance if he fulfills the condition of being faithful till death or the rapture whichever comes first and thus executes the Father’s will for his life.

If we are not faithful and don’t stay habitually in fellowship with the Lord and not perform all of our activities as unto the Lord, we will be disqualified from receiving rewards (Colossians 3:23-25).

The prize is given to the overcomer and refers to the privilege of ruling with Christ during His millennial reign and throughout the eternal state, and only the overcomer will receive it (Ro. 8:16-18; 2 Tim. 2:12a; Rev. 2:26; 3:21).

The prize is also intimate access to the Person of Christ during His millennial reign and the eternal state and thus it involves having the privilege of being a companion to the Lord during His millennial reign and throughout the eternal state.

The believer who does not execute the Father’s plan by habitually remaining out of fellowship through disobedience will experience loss of rewards and temporary shame and embarrassment when he stands before the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Evaluation (1 John 2:28).