So what is the judgment seat?
Here's what it is. It is the evaluating and rewarding of service rendered to Christ from the moment you're saved until the day you go to heaven. All of that will be evaluated.
Again, we're not saved by good works, but we are saved to do good work. What's in it for me? That's often our motivating factor when choosing how to expend our time, energy, and money.
We want to know how we will benefit. And today on Connect with Skip Heitzig, Skip examines what's in it for you when you choose to follow Christ. But first, Skip wants to invite you to connect with him on social media. Hey, Pastor Skip here.
If you want to stay up to date on the latest from this ministry, follow at Skip Heitzig on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. That's Skip, H-E-I-T-Z-I-G. Now, we're in 2 Corinthians 5 as we dive into our study with Skip Heitzig. In fact, it was before the bema seat or the bema toss in Corinth that Paul, four years before the writing of this letter, appeared. In Acts 18, verse 12, we're told, they rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat. Furthermore, every Greek citizen at some point had to serve as a judge on the bema toss, or we would call it in our modern jurisprudence part of the jury. And every member of the jury was given two bronze discs. One was hollow, one was solid.
And there was a brass or a bronze urn up on that raised platform. And you would vote if you thought the person was guilty or innocent. If the person was guilty, you'd put in the hollow disc.
If he was guilty, you'd put in the solid disc. And all of those were tallied up and judgment was rendered at the bema toss. But as time went on, the term bema seat referred to the Olympic Games, the place where rewards were given based upon the performance at the Olympics. Now, the first Olympics started back in 776 BC. Men only competed. Very few sports were engaged in the original Olympics. The foot race, the chariot race, the javelin throw, boxing and wrestling. And whoever competed in the original Olympics were brought before the judges, the bema toss. And they were rewarded. If they won, they were given rewards, a crown. Today it's a gold medal or a silver medal or a bronze medal, but not back then. They gave something really special, a little leaf crown, a crown of laurel leafs.
That's all you got. Called a Stefanos. If your name is Steve or Steven, your name comes from that little laurel crown called the Stefanos.
And so all of that labor and work and training for a little leaf crown, that's going to fade away in about a week. Paul has this in mind in 1 Corinthians 9, verse 25. I'll read it to you. 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 obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we do it for an imperishable crown. Now here's the Olympic athlete trains and trains to stand before the judge at the bema seat to receive a reward of a leaf.
It's going to fade away in a couple of weeks or few days. We do it. We serve Christ wholeheartedly because we're going to get an imperishable crown. Probably the most grueling of all bike races is the Tour de France. Have you ever watched that on television? I'd always thought it'd be great to be there, not to participate, but to watch, though I like to bicycle. We're talking 2,000 miles of bicycling through the mountains of France.
Grueling. One of the participants called it the annual madness. When it's all said and done, you know what you get if you win the Tour de France? You think, what, a hundred thousand dollars? Maybe ten thousand dollars?
Nope. You get a nice little bicycle jersey. Isn't that great? 2,000 miles. Working, working, working. A little bicycle jersey.
And the ability to say, I finished and won the Tour de France. That's marvelous. But it's short-lived. That's Paul's point in that text I just read. It's a short-lived, a perishable crown. We work for an imperishable one. All right, back to this judgment seat of Christ. What kind of judgment will this be?
Let me first say what it will not be. When we're talking about standing before the judgment seat of Christ, this is not referring to the great white throne judgment in Revelation 20. That's for unbelievers only. That's where Christ judges the wicked and they're banished forever.
It's not speaking about that. You and I will never face judgment for our sins, ever. That's already settled. Romans chapter 8 verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, period. And Jesus said in John chapter 5, whoever believes in me, or hears my word and believes in him who sent me, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. So this is not a judgment for our eternal faith. That's already settled. And by the way, we're not saved by any works, right? We're saved, the Bible says, Ephesians 2, by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves, not by works, lest any man should boast.
So it's not that. Nor is the Bema Seat some kind of competition to see if you can outlive your friend or get a bigger, my mansion's bigger than your mansion. We're not going to be doing that in heaven. You know, some people get the idea that in heaven God's going to throw in the DVD, the video of your life and the whole world sees every little thing you've done and you get all embarrassed because of it. I heard about a preacher who died and he went to heaven and there was Peter.
Of course, he's always in every lame joke like this and Peter was there. And the preacher noticed a New York taxi driver also in heaven who got a bigger reward than the preacher did. And the preacher was miffed over this. He said, look Peter, I've given my whole life to love my congregation and this cab driver gets like the biggest reward I can imagine, bigger than mine.
What's up with that? Peter said, look Reverend, here in heaven it's our policy to reward results. The preacher was all ears. Peter continued, Reverend, when you gave a sermon what would often happen? The preacher hung his head and said, I know a lot of people fell asleep when I would speak. Peter said, exactly. That's different with this guy.
Anybody who got in this guy's taxi cab, they stayed awake. Not only that, but they prayed the whole time. Well, I don't think the Bemisy judgment is going to be like that. It's not an idea of comparison. It talks about in verse 10 receiving something and it's put in Greek in the middle voice. It's reflexive. It would be best translated, each will receive for oneself. This is an individual evaluation between you and Christ. So what is the judgment seat? Here's what it is. It is the evaluating and rewarding of service rendered to Christ from the moment you're saved until the day you go to heaven.
All of that will be evaluated. Again, we are not saved by good works. But we are saved to do good works. That's exactly what Paul writes in Ephesians 2 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works. And throughout the New Testament, it's plain to see that in heaven there will be differences of rewards and differences of position because of our works.
Here's a smattering of texts. Matthew 6 20, Jesus says, Don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth or rust cannot destroy. In Matthew 25, Jesus gave a parable of the talents, which is like a big bag of money.
These are temporal resources. And he said, I will say, Well done, good and faithful servant, you are faithful over a few things. So I will make you ruler over many things, enter into the joy of your Lord, the joy will be at that point the reward that is given. Revelation 22, verse 12, Jesus says, I am coming quickly, my reward is with me to give to everyone according to their works. And then how many times in the Sermon on the Mount, did Jesus talk about doing something so that people will see you versus doing it privately versus doing it privately when no one sees you, whether it's giving alms or praying. Don't do it publicly because Jesus said, You already have your reward, but do it in secret.
Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. When will he reward you openly? At the beam of seed judgment of Christ.
That's when all of those rewards are given to believers. I'd like you to turn one book back with me, go to First Corinthians, chapter three for a moment. I trust you brought your Bible, you'll certainly need one to look at that. First Corinthians, chapter three is a parallel text to what we're reading this morning.
Same guy, Paul writing to same church, the Corinthians. Verse nine of chapter three says, for we are God's fellow workers, you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. Speaking about building your life and what things you do, and what things you do, and the analogy will be different materials that you use that will last or not. For no other foundation can anyone lay which is laid, that's Jesus Christ. So the foundation we build on isn't Peter, it's not any institution or organization, it's Christ himself. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, those are long lasting and valuable.
Wood, hay, straw, you can see those are very temporal and not very valuable. Each one's work will become clear, for the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire. The fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he is built on endures he will receive a reward. It's the Bema Seat, the reward seat. If anyone's work is burned he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
So this is the reward seat. Everything will be evaluated, tested, and a verdict will be rendered based upon works that we do in life for Christ. Now the the judgment seat of Christ takes a load off of us now. What it means is you and I don't have to look at other believers works and what they do in the church and get all myth because nobody's volunteering like I am. You don't have to do that. You don't have to ever get angry at another brother or sister for performing or not performing because it says in Romans 14 verse 10, why do you judge your brother? Why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Here's the bottom line then. There is a record kept in heaven of everything done on earth by saved and unsaved and we will be rewarded accordingly. God will be the judge, Christ himself who is impartial and perfect. There's a great text out of the last chapter of the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 3.
It goes something like this, and those who feared the Lord and who meditated on his name the Lord heard and a book of remembrance was written before the Lord for those who feared his name. God keeps a record of all those things said and done for him. Another question about this bema seat, this bemitas judgment is when is this going to take place in the future? At what point?
Well there's a lot of disagreement on that. Some say the moment you die it's a one by one judgment so the moment you die you're in Christ's presence. That's when it takes place for you. Next person who dies it takes place for them. That's one thought.
That's one thought. Some think it will happen in the intermediate heaven from between the moment of your death and the coming of Christ at the rapture of the church. Others believe it will take place at the rapture when we receive our resurrection body because they say we're being judged for what we did in this body. Others say it will take place during the tribulation period between the rapture and the second coming while the tribulation is going on on the earth. We'll be being rewarded in heaven.
There's another thought I'd like to propose. It could take place at the end of the tribulation period after the second coming but before the thousand year millennial reign of Christ on the earth. I'd like you to turn to a passage of scripture, Daniel chapter 12. Let's turn to Daniel 12 and look at just a couple of verses together quickly. Daniel chapter 12 is about the end of days, the end of the end. And in that last chapter of the book of Daniel chapter 12 verse 9 he said, go your way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified made white and refined but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand.
Now watch this. From the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up there shall be 1290 days. Blessed or oh how happy is he who waits and comes to the 1335 days.
What on earth is he talking about? Well we know something from other portions of scripture and we've studied this before. We know that in that last period of history, the tribulation period, seven years, Daniel 70th week, there will be three and a half years from the midpoint, the abomination of desolation to the coming of Jesus Christ. And it will be according to revelation 11 and 12 exactly 1260 days. That's three and a half years in 360 day per year increments the ancient reckoning. So here in verse 11 we have an additional 30 days. What's going to happen during that 30 days?
Here's a possibility. Matthew 25 could happen during that period. The judgment of the nations and how the nations of the world treated the nation of Israel, the brethren of Christ. But then look in verse 12, 45 more days because now you have 1335 days and blessed is the one who makes it to the end. What happens during that time?
Probably the mop up after Armageddon, quite a slaughter. The setup for the millennial kingdom and the whole governmental structure will be set up and you and I are going to rule and reign with him during that time the Bible says. So it could be that the bema seat, the bementas judgment, the reward judgment takes place at that time in that transitional period between the second coming, the mop up of Armageddon and just before we get into the millennial reign of Christ. Seems to make sense because Jesus gave a parable in Luke 19 of the nobleman and he said you are faithful over a little therefore I will give you authority over 10 cities.
It's an administrative capability of serving during that time. That's a possibility. Let's go back and finish up this text. Look at the last verse in our three verses that we chose this morning. Verse 11, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men. But we are well known to God and I also trust are well known in your consciences. This last verse gives what is to be our earth word occupation. What happens in the in-between period from now until the day we enter heaven?
What should we be doing? Paul says well knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men. Now there's a phrase in that verse that most people do not like.
Can you guess what it is? Terror of the Lord. People don't like to think of that. In fact they will interpret this very differently.
They'll say that's a bad translation. It should be rendered the fear of the Lord. That reverential awe that motivates us and gives us the impetus etc.
That is a possibility. Paul could simply be saying knowing how awesome it's going to be to stand before Christ and be rewarded that that prompts me to persuade Christians to live solely for Christ to give it their utmost to run the race. However the word fear here phobos in Greek can range from reverential awe fear of the Lord all the way to panic and terror. And it could mean that he's not just thinking of how awesome it's going to be for us to stand before Christ thus a reverential awe but the terror for unbelievers who don't know Christ. It motivates us knowing that everybody's going to stand to give an account.
It's going to be really bad for them who don't know Christ. I'm going to read a text to you. This comes from Peter.
You can jot it down. It's out of 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 17 and 18. Listen to what Peter writes. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God. For now if the righteous one is saved by the righteous one is scarcely saved. Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear.
It could be the same thought that Paul is saying I know how awesome it's going to be to be in glory and to be rewarded for what we do for Christ on earth. But for unbelievers it's going to be sheer terror because of their future judgment. Therefore with everything in me I want to persuade as many men and women to come to saving faith in Christ as possible.
Either way both are true right. We always want to persuade Christians to wholeheartedly follow Christ to make Christ their aim. And we want to persuade as many unbelievers to get saved as possible. Christian when you die you're going to heaven.
We know that. But my question this morning is what are you doing until you get to heaven. A preacher asked a group of Sunday school students how many of you want to go to heaven. They all raised their hand except for one little boy.
Folded his arms shook his head. Preacher noticed it said young man you don't want to go to heaven shook his head nope I don't want to go to heaven. The preacher was it was unbelievable he said no wait a minute you don't want to go to heaven when you die. And the kid said oh when I die I it sounded like you wanted to get a group to go tonight. Chances are you're not going to heaven tonight.
God willing you'll be with us for a long time and you have many years to live. Until you go to heaven what are you doing. Thomas Guthrie used to say heaven will be for enjoyment now is the time for employment. Jesus said the same thing. Work he said while it is yet day for the night is coming when no man can work.
So as C.T. Studd used to say there's only one life. It will soon be past only what's done for Christ will last.
And we'll stand before him every one of us will appear and we're given a count for everything we did and Paul's hope is that none of us will ever have to say oh why did I waste my time and energy on that worthless pursuit that has nothing at all to do with eternal value. That wraps up Skip Heitzig's message from the series from the Edge of Eternity. Right now we want to share about an exciting resource that helps you navigate your life circumstances so you can embrace your God-given potential. I've enjoyed watching the growth and the ministry of my friend Levi Lusko. This month's Connect with Skip resource Take Back Your Life the new book by Levi Lusko.
Here's Levi to tell you about it. It's all around this idea of taking back your life. It's a 40-day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right and it's going to be really powerful and special I think for people to have this.
Not only is it in hard cover which just makes me happy because I've never had a book released in hard cover but it has a ribbon so you'll be able to keep track of your progress through these 40 days. It would be an incredible gift to someone who is looking to grow in their faith or for any of us who want to maybe kind of do an oil change for your heart a checkup on on your wellness on where you're at. It'll deal with internal difficulties and help you deal better with external circumstances that are challenging as we explore how we can get to the very best version of ourselves that we are meant to be. Get the book Take Back Your Life with a donation of $35 to connect with Skip. Call 1-800-922-1888 or online at connectwithskip.com. This hardcover book by Levi Lusko will help you take back your life.
It's a 40-day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right. 1-800-922-1888. Here at Connect with Skip Heitzig, we get to hear some amazing stories about how this ministry impacts lives around the world and you are a vital part of making that happen. Your support helps expand the reach of this ministry so more listeners can connect with God's word and hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. We invite you to continue in that conversation with Skip Heitzig we invite you to continue in that partnership today. Just visit connectwithskip.com slash donate to give now. That's connectwithskip.com slash donate or you can call 800-922-1888.
800-922-1888. Thank you for connecting more people to Jesus. Tune in tomorrow as Skip Heitzig shares if you can ever truly experience heaven on earth. But to Bible readers we know that that's exactly what the Bible promises will happen one day on this earth for a thousand years when Christ rules and reigns. Now for that to happen we can quickly understand that this earth would have to go to a reconstruction period. We would call it an extreme makeover. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
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