The great day at the Judgment seat of Christ
"But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you
regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the
judgment seat of God" Rom. 14:10.
The judgment seat of Christ, the "bema." There is a vast difference
between the Judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne
judgment Rev 20:11ff. At the judgment seat of Christ, saints will be
judged to determine their rewards in heaven. At the Great white throne
sinners will be judged to determine their retribution on hell. More on
each later. Stay with us.
What is the "bema"
We have been to Corinth, in Greece, and seen the "bema," the "judgment
seat," of the Greek Olympic games where the winners were given their
rewards. Dr. Lehman Strauss, who was a great Bible teacher and friend
of mine wrote, "In the large Olympic arenas there was an elevated seat
on which the judge of the contest sat. After the contests were over,
the successful competitors would assemble before the bema to receive
their rewards or crowns. The bema was not a judicial bench where
someone was condemned; it was a reward seat. Likewise, the Judgment
Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench...the Christian life is a race,
and the divine umpire is watching every contestant. After the church
has run her course, He will gather every member before the bema for
the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to
each."
YOU are a winner
If you have seen the Olympics on TV when the gold, silver and bronze
medals are given to the winners, you know it is an awesome and
wonderful moment. So it will be when the Lord Jesus gives out the
awards to the winners in the race of life we all go through down here.
It will be a very humbling but happy time.
Saved by grace; rewarded for works There is a lot of difference in
what you do to get married and what you do because you are married.
There is a lot of difference in what you do to get saved and what you
do because you are saved. We are saved by the finished work of Christ
when He suffered and died for our sins, we will be rewarded by the
works we do for Christ after we have been born again, saved. More on
this to come.
Prayer: Father, bless Your children and help us to work and put to
use what you have trust us with and what you have told us believers to
do for You so we will have treasures in heaven and crowns to cast at
Your feet in heaven. In Jesus name
God loves you and so do I, all because the Lord Jesus suffered and
died for our sins, paid our debt in full and rose again so we can be
forgiven and go to heaven, sumner.
"If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a
reward" 1 Cor. 3:14.
