Are You a Protender
Notes
Transcript
10 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.
The Bible describes the judgment seat of Christ for one main purpose: to affect the way we think and live—to motivate us to anticipate with joy His return and to live our lives to please Him. ~Joe Wall
I wonder if you have ever heard of the story of basketball coach, Cotton Fitzsimmons, who came up with an idea to motivate his hard pressed troubled team.
Before one game, he gave them a rousing speech that focused on the word pretend.
“Gentlemen, when you go out there tonight, instead of remembering that we are in last place, pretend we are in first place; instead of being in a losing streak, pretend we are in a winning streak; instead of this being a regular game, pretend this is a playoff game!”
With renewed inspiration, the team went onto the basketball court and was pounded by the Boston Celtics. Coach Fitzsimmons was visibly upset about the loss. But one of the star players slapped him on the back and said, “Cheer up, Coach. Pretend we won!”
Commenting on this story, Bible teacher Erwin Lutzer says,Many of us appear to be winning in the race of life, but perhaps it is all “pretend.”
The day is coming when every believer in Jesus Christ will stand before the Lord, and we’ll discover what was pretend and what was pleasing to Him.
The Bible calls this future event the judgment or bema seat of Christ.
We will never understand what the Bible says about future rewards unless we first have a basic understanding of this event on God’s prophetic calendar, so let’s spend some time unpacking a few basic details about the judgment seat.
The first question we need to address is this:
What is a judgment seat?
In Scripture, the Greek word translated “judgment seat” is bema.
The word bema means “to step” or “the distance a foot covers.” In ancient Greek and Roman culture, the bema most often referred to a platform or raised stage that had steps from which judgments were handed down.
This stage or platform was elevated so gathered crowds could see and hear the decisions as they were announced.
A judgment seat is like the bar or raised platform upon which court judges sit in a courtroom.
The word bema appears in several contexts in the New Testament:
• Bema is used of Pilate’s place of judgment (Matthew 27:19; John 19:13).• It’s used of Herod’s judgment seat (Acts 12:21)
• The apostle Paul stood before the bema of Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, while he was in the city of Corinth (Acts 18:12, 16-17).
When you visit Corinth today, the bema Paul appeared before still stands on the farthest edge in the agora or marketplace. This is what it looks like today. (See Screen)
The term bema was used in three main ways in ancient Greek culture.
First, it referred to a judicial tribunal where judges dispensed justice.
This is the main use of bema in the New Testament
Second, it was used of the raised platform at athletic contests in the Olympics of that day.
The winning athletes received their awards at the platform.
During his second missionary journey, Paul established his ministry headquarters in Corinth for 18 months. While there, he taught the Word of God. In the city of Isthmia, a few miles from Corinth, the Isthmian Games were held every other year in the spring. Paul would certainly have visited those games while he was in Corinth working as a tentmaker and sharing the gospel. Paul’s frequent use of athletic and awards imagery in his messages probably came from observing those games.
The third main use of the term bema was in connection with the raised stage or stand in a military camp, where medals and rewards were conferred on soldiers who exhibited heroism and bravery in battle.
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, used illustrations that would help his audience to better understand the heavenly bema or divine tribunal at the end of the age.
“For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God… So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10, 12).
“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
The next question we need to address is this:
Who will participant at the Judgement Seat?
Every person reading these words will appear at one of two future judgments. Both believers and unbelievers will face a final accounting. The Bible says, “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
So according to this Hebrews 9:27 every single individual will have a future judgment. So then the question is not “Will we be Judged?” Rather, it is “When and where will we be judged?”
Now those who have believed in Christ as Savior will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. How do we know this because of Romans 14:10
10 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.
There there is 2 Cor. 5:10
10 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.
Now those who have rejected Christ will face what is known as the Great White Throne Judgement.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Only believers in Jesus Christ will be at the judgment seat.
The context of 2 Cor. 5:10 clearly indicates that Paul was referring to himself and other believers. The word “we” refers to believers in Christ. Unbelievers will not be at this judgment.
All who have trusted Christ as their Savior must appear before their Savior as their Judge at the judgment seat of Christ.
Now what about the question of When:
When will the period of the Judgment Seat Begin?
Scripture indicates that the judgment seat will take place after the rapture of believers to heaven but before the second coming of Jesus back to earth to establish His kingdom. First Corinthians 4:5 says,
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
Revelation 19:7-10, which pictures the rewarded bride of Christ in heaven, supports the timing of the judgment seat of Christ between the rapture of believers to heaven and the return of Jesus to Earth.
In his book “Understanding End Time Prophecy” - Paul Benware summarizes this timing well:
“This event apparently takes place in connection with the Rapture but prior to the Second Coming because, at the Second Coming, these believers have already been rewarded. The church has been rewarded in Revelation 19:8, where John states that “it was given to her [the church] to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
The garments represent the rewards. The fact that the Bride is wearing her beautiful garments indicates that she has already received her rewards for her deeds of righteousness.
The time of this event is clearly right before the Lord Jesus descends from heaven to conquer the world as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The judgment seat of Christ, therefore, must take place prior to the Second Coming but after the church is taken to heaven by the Lord Jesus. This rewarding of believers assumes that some length of time must be involved. And a rapture that occurs before the final seven years allows for that needed time.”
We have asked the questions What, Who and When, but what about Where and How.
Where will the Judgment Seat take place?
It will take place in Heaven. Remember what the Lord said,
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Someday, any day—maybe even today—Jesus will come to take His bride away to heaven. When we arrive there, the first order of business will be to review and evaluate our lives.
We know this will occur in heaven because the rewarded bride is pictured in heaven before she returns with Jesus back to Earth (Revelation 19:7-10).
That is the Where but what about the How
How the Judgment Seat will take place?
How will believers be judged when they stand before the Lord? The Bible reveals three facts about the way Christ will judge our lives.
First INDIVIDUALLY
Every believer will stand alone and individually before the Lord.
10 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.
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
10 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.
Notice in this verse how Paul moved from the plural “we” to the singular “each one… his… he.”
Erwin Lutzer from his book “Your Eternal Reward captures something of the drama of this scene:
“Imagine staring into the face of Christ. Just the two of you, one-on-one! Your entire life is present before you. In a flash you see what He sees. No hiding. No opportunity to put a better spin on what you did. No attorney to represent you. The look in His eyes says it all. Like it or not, that is precisely where you and I shall be someday.
The scripture also reveals that not only do we stand before the Lord in Judgment individually but also IMPARTIALLY
11 For there is no partiality with God.
25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
God is a fair judge. At the judgment seat, the rich, wealthy, and beautiful won’t be able to get a better deal or purchase rewards. God is impartial.
Everyone will be judged by the same standard.
The standard is thorough, including what we did (our actions) and why we did it (our motives)
When it comes to rewards, the Bible is clear that God is just as concerned about the why of our service as the what or how.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
For works to be good, they must be done for God’s glory.
That motives matter at the judgment seat is clear.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
There are many corrupt motives that can taint our actions. We may serve God and others for personal gain, and we may serve from a spirit of self-promotion and pride. In everything we do, Jesus knows our motive. He knows why we do what we do.
I like the story about the burglar who broke into a house late one night. He thought no one was home. As he tiptoed through the living room, he froze when he heard a loud voice say, “Jesus is watching you!” After silence returned, the burglar crept forward again. “Jesus is watching you!” the voice boomed again.
The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. He was frightened. Frantically, he looked all around. In a dark corner he spotted a bird cage, and in the cage was a parrot. He asked the parrot, “Was that you who said Jesus is watching me?”“Yes,” said the parrot.
The burglar breathed a sigh of relief. Then he asked, “What’s your name?”“Moses,” said the bird.“That’s a dumb name for a parrot,” sneered the burglar. “What idiot named you Moses?”
The parrot responded, “The same idiot who named the Rottweiller Jesus. Sic ’em, Jesus!”
The parrot was right—Jesus is watching you! And He’s watching me. He sees us.
He knows us.God doesn’t judge the book of our life by its cover; He reads the pages and the footnotes.
The word “appears” in 2 Corinthians 5:10 means much more than just showing up at the judgment seat. It means “to be made manifest.”
The Lord will turn us inside out at the judgment seat. Every hidden motive, thought, and deed we have done in Christ’s service will be exposed. As well as those deeds done for our own gain and glory.
At the judgment seat, the conduct, service, and motives of every believer will be turned inside out and will appear in their true light. We can often fool other people about our service and motives and lead them to think we are doing some great things for God. But we can’t fool God Himself.
He knows what we do and why we do it, and His reward will be based on the true estimation of our actions and attitudes.
Many whom we assume will receive great rewards in heaven may walk away with very little, and vice versa. We would do well to remember the words Jesus spoke in Matthew 20:16:
“The last shall be first, and the first last.”
Let us pray...