THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

II Cor. 5:10

I. According to the St. Petersburg Times, on January 20, 1999 the police broke up a high price prostitution ring

A. They found an address book with 7,000 names; the Detroit Press has won the right to print those names.

1. Wives and men with their names on the list were calling the police to explain how their names got on the list

2. Some of them were claiming they were only getting a massage

3. They were trying to escape the embarrassment and disgrace that exposure would bring.

B. The Judgment seat of Christ is a doctrine of vital importance and should influence our lives for the better

1. We do not want to be disgraced when He calls us into account.

2. For our study this morning we will follow three main streams of thought in reference to the Judgment Seat of Christ.

C. We shall consider the Judge, the Judged and the Judgment.

II. The Judge

A. The Judge will be the Lord Jesus and it is not difficult to see why

1. The task of passing final judgment on every member of the family of God is so vast it staggers the imagination.

a. John tells us (5:22) that all judgment has been committed to the Son

b. The judge of necessity must be omniscient as well as perfect to undertake such an awesome task.

c. This makes Him the only person competent to qualify for the office of judge

2. We are often warned that we are not competent to judge others.

a. Matt. 7:1-2 - "Judge not for with what judgment ye judge, you will be judged."

b. I cor. 4:5 - 'Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes to reveal the hidden things of the heart."

3. Why these solemn exhortations? Because we are imperfect in our knowledge; we do not know all the facts, therefore we are incompetent to pass judgment. A certain woman was entertaining a distant relative in her home. One morning while looking through her kitchen window she remarked, "my neighbor is not very careful with the way she washes her clothes. Look at those spots on her sheets." To this remark, her relative replied, "Those spots aren't on her sheets, they are on your window." Our neighbor's wash looks cleaner when our windows are clean.

4. Thus all judgment is His, it is His judgment seat called by the Holy Spirit, the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.

III. The Judged

A. This is a judgment in which the unbelieving world has no part

1. It is a judgment that relates to only believers

2. There is a threefold judgment of all Christians

3. The first is PAST - it is their judgment as sinners

a. When the believing sinner receives Christ as His Savior, he can never again come into judgment as a sinner

b. John 5:24 - "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life."

c. When God cleanses us from sin it is thorough and complete. I John 1:7

d. Since the Christians' judgment for sin is past, this judgment is not for sins committed before or after one has been saved

4. Second judgment for believers is PRESENT - it is our judgment as sons

a. All believers are subject to their heavenly Father's discipline

b. Heb. 12:6 - "For whom the Lord loveth, He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives."

c. Our earthly parents disciplined us, yet they were not perfect in their discipline - but the heavenly Father disciplines us with a perfect wisdom and love

d. The divine purpose in chastisement is always for our profit

e. This present judgment can even result in sickness and earth (I Cor. 11:30)

f. But this is not what takes place at the judgment seat of Christ

5. The Third judgment for Christians is FUTURE - and it is our judgment as Servants (I Cor. 3:13)

a. It is this judgment which takes place at the judgment seat of Christ The judged are believers and this judgment is still future

IV. The Judgment

A. It is this word "judgment" in our English Bible which has caused some wrong conclusions about the nature of the Judgment

1. Usual connotation attached to it is that God is going to mete out a just retribution for sins committed

a. I have already stated that divine judgment for sin was fully satisfied in the death of the Lord Jesus

b. The judgment seat is for Christians only, and does not deal with sin or salvation but it is a judgment of the believers work to determine the extent of his rewards or the loss of them

c. This judgment is related to our motives and sincerity

2. The word BEMA was a familiar term to the people in Paul's day

a. During the contest, the honored citizens and the heads of state would be ushered into the stadium and seated on the platform where they would sit as spectators of the Olympic contests

b. The judges were down on the field. While a contest was being run, the judges would watch carefully to make sure that every rule of the contest was observed.

c. The victor in a given contest, if he had participated lawfully, would be led by the judges from the scene of his victory to this platform, which was called the BEMA

d. There, one of those honored citizens would take an oak leaf cluster, or a laurel wreath, and place it as a chaplet upon his forehead, or as a garland upon his shoulders, which that victor could wear during the rest of the Olympic games as a sign that he had contested lawfully and had been triumphant in the event.

e. Paul then is picturing the believer as a contestant in a race. Those who are victors in the contest will be brought before the BEMA, on which not some honored citizen sits but upon which no less than the Lord Jesus Christ sits. He will give a reward to those who are victors.

f. At the BEMA no one is condemned but he is examined.

3. After the church has run its course, Christ will gather every member before His bema for the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to each

A. This must have been what the Apostle had in mind in I Cor. 9:24-27, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, they ye may obtain. 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. I therefore so run not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it to subjection, let that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

b. There is a clear indication in these words of Paul that a day of reckoning what to him a stimulant to faithfulness in service and self-discipline

c. It is a wise Christian who governs his present life in the light of future rewards

4. I don't know if Moses knew anything about the beam seat or not but the same principle actuated him.

a. Heb. 11:24-26 - He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because He had respect for and looking ahead to his reward

b. Therefore, it is only right and proper that we Christians live our present life in the light of future rewards

B. Our life will be laid bare before His Bema

1. I Cor. 3:13 - Every man's work shall be made manifest

a. Notice it is our work that will be made manifest

b. Vine says it means open to sight, to be revealed in one's true character

c. Dwight Pentecost said, "We must all be turned inside out."

d. What a day of revelation that is going to be

2. He is going to determine the nature and quality of our work

a. Notice whether they be good or bad

b. The word for "bad" is not the usual Greek work, but is one that means "worthlessness"

c. Trench says, "He is not speaking of our evil, but rather of its good for nothingness, no true gain can ever come from it. The central notion is that of worthlessness."

d. Think of it - in one sweeping view our entire life of service will be fully and completely revealed

e. Some people may sing our praises but He knows the truth

f. For some, the laying bare, the exposure will bring reward

g. For others, it means a suffering loss

3. This judgment then is not to determine what is morally evil or ethically good, but rather what is acceptable and that which is worthless

a. May I illustrate it by referring to two Sunday School teachers? One teaches out of a heart prompted by the spirit of god, is faithful before the Lord in preparation, and teaches not for her own pleasure, not to satisfy someone who has asked her to teach, not to gain reputation for being a good teacher, but teaches faithfully for the glory of the Lord.

b. On the other hand, the second is a teacher who desires a position of prominence, likes to be influential, wants to be respected for having an interest in spiritual things.

c. They both have done the same thing, but at the bema of Christ, God is going to say to one, "That is acceptable to Me because it brought glory to Me." And to the other He will say, "That is unacceptable to Me because it brought glory to you and I got no glory out of it whatsoever."

d. One could stand in a pulpit and preach because he loves to preach, or because of the influence that it brings to him, or the admiration and respect. God would say, "I disown all of it. It is of no use to ME."

e. It is not the fact that I have preached that will gain me a reward but my motive for preaching that determines my reward

4. The Apostle make this quite clear in I Cor. 3:13 - the fire will try every man's work of what sort it is

C. What are the rewards that we are to receive?

1. They are spoken of in the New Testament as Crowns

a. There are five such crowns mentioned in the Word

b. The number that we receive at the bema will be determined by our motives and faithfulness

2. The Incorruptible Crown, to those who practice self-control (I Cor., 9:24-27)

the Soul-Winners Crown to those who are faithful in witnessing for Christ (I Thess. 2:19-20)

the Crown of Righteousness to those who love and look for Christ's appearing (II Tim. 4:5-8)

the Crown of Life to those who endure trial because of their love for Christ (James 1:12, Rev. 2:10, John 21:15-17)

the Shepherd's or Pastor's Crown to those who faithfully feed their flocks and live exemplary lives before them

(I Peter 5:1-4)

3. I would like to close with these words - I Cor. 4:5

"Then shall every man have praise of God" - I can think of nothing more wonderful than to have the praise of God - that's all that matters.