Untitled Sermon (3)

Judging of the Saints

1.​The “Judgment Seat of Christ.”

2 Cor. 5:10. “In the Air.” For “Believers” only.

2.​The “Throne of Glory.”

Matt. 25:31, 32. “On the Earth.” For “The Nations.”

3.​The “Great White Throne.”

Rev. 20:11, 12. “In Heaven.” For the “Wicked Dead.”

The Scriptures speak of Five Separate Judgments. They differ in five general aspects. As to “Subjects,” “Time,” “Place,” “Basis of Judgment” and “Result.”

Judgment No. 1

1.​Subjects—Believers as to “SIN.”

2.​Time—A. D. 30.

3.​Place—Calvary.

4.​Basis of Judgment. Christ’s “FINISHED WORK.”

5.​Result—

1. ​Death as to Christ.

2.​ Justification as to the Believer.

This Judgment is PAST.

The Bible proofs of the results of this Judgment are

Rom. 10:4. “For Christ is the END OF THE LAW for righteousness to every one that Believes.”

Gal. 3:13 “Christ Hath Redeemed us from the CURSE OF THE LAW, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

1 Pet. 2:24 “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, BEING DEAD TO SINS, should live unto righteousness.”

Rom. 8:1,2. “There is therefore NOW no condemnation (Judgment) to them which are IN CHRIST JESUS, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the Law of the ‘SPIRIT OF LIFE’ in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE From the Law of ‘Sin and Death.

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE and shall not come into condemnation (Judgment) but IS PASSED From Death Unto Life.”

The “Believer’s” Judgment for Sin then is PAST, and was settled at the Cross.

But we must not forget that the Judgment of the Believer is threefold.

1.​As a “Sinner.”

2.​As a “Son.”

3.​As a “Servant.”

Now we know that judgment as a “Sinner” is Past. Let us look at his judgment of us as His sons

2. As a “Son.”

As soon as the sinner accepts Christ as his personal Saviour that settles the “Sin” question for him. For if our iniquities are laid on Him (Jesus), then they are not on Us. Isa. 53:5, 6. But the “Sin” question, and the “Sins” question are two different things. Christ died on the Cross to atone for “sin,” to pay the penalty of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden.

“Sin” is that tendency in mankind to do wrong which we call “Natural Depravity.” We do not get rid of this “tendency” by the “New Birth,” but we get a “counteracting force” called the “New Nature.” We become a “dual personality,” composed of the “Old” and “New Natures,” and which shall predominate depends on which we feed and which we starve.

This explains the “warfare” that Paul describes as his experience, after his conversion, in Rom. 7:1–25. This warfare will continue until the “Old” nature is eradicated at death.

“Sins” are the outward acts of wrong-doing that we commit as the result of our tendency to sin. These sins must be put away daily by “confession.”

1 John 2:1; 1 John 1:9; Heb. 12:5–11; 1 Cor. 11:31, 32;

Our duty then as “Sons” is to “self-judge” ourselves daily, “confess our sins,” and so avert the chastisement of our Heavenly Father.

Judgment No. 2 ​

1. Subjects— Believers “WORKS.”

2.​ Time— After the Church is caught out

3.​ Place— “Judgment Seat of Christ” (in the Air).

4.​ Basis of Judgment—Our “WORKS.”

5. ​Result— Reward or Loss.

This Judgment is FUTURE.

2 Cor. 5:10. The pronoun “We” occurs 26 times in the chapter, and in every instance it means the Believer, and the Epistle is addressed to the “Church” and “Saints” at Corinth, so the Judgment spoken of is for Believers “only.” The “Time” of this Judgment is when the Lord comes (1 Cor. 4:5), and the “Place” is “in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17) before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

It will not be a Judgment in the sense of a “trial” to see whether the judged are innocent (saved) or guilty (lost), It is a Judgment of the “saved only.”

Paul describes such a scene in 1 Cor. 9:24–27. It is not a Judgment for sin, but for “works.” This Judgment is described in 1 Cor. 3:11–15.

The result of this Judgment is “reward” or “loss.”. All our “bad” and “dead works,” represented by the wood, hay and stubble, will be consumed, and only our “good works” shall remain. There is much which passess for Christian service which is merely human and secular, and does not count in our eternal reward. For those who deserve a “reward” it will be The Crowning Day.

The New Testament speaks of Five Crowns.

1. The Crown of “LIFE” This is the “Martyr’s” crown, James 1:12

Rev. 2:10. Notice it does not say “until” death, but “unto” death. They were not to recant but to remain faithful unto a martyr’s death. To recant was to lose the crown. This refers to the martyrs of the Tribulation Period and before.

2. The Crown of “GLORY” This is the “Elder’s” or “Pastor’s” given by the Chief Shepherd when He shall appear. But it is not for those who serve for “filthy lucre” or “lord it over God’s heritage.” 1 Pet. 5:2–4.

3. The Crown of “REJOICING” This is the “Soul Winner’s” crown. Those brought to Jesus by us will be our “crown of rejoicing” at His Coming. 1 Thess. 2:19, 20. Phil. 4:1.

4. The Crown of “RIGHTEOUSNESS” This is the crown of those who “love His appearing —the Day of His Appearing. 2 Tim. 4:8.

5. “The INCORRUPTIBLE Crown” This is the “Victor’s” crown, and is for those who “keep under their body.” 1 Cor. 9:25–27; 10:1-14. Who do not yield to their fleshly lusts. Who do not permit themselves to be diverted from the Master’s work by worldly amusements and pleasure, nor saturate their body with drugs. If we do not want to be “ashamed at His Coming,” 1 John 2:28, let us see to it that we keep our body “under” and so live that we shall secure a crown.