Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.
On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. For he who comes to God must believe that God is, that He is what? A rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. There is no better demonstration of faith than making temporary sacrifices in this life, built on the assurance, the promise that God is going to reward you in the next life. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. You know, many Christians assume that heaven will be exactly the same for every believer.
But the Bible describes a time of judgment during which every Christian will be evaluated and hopefully rewarded for his or her good works here on earth. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains what we should be doing right now to receive accolades in the next life. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David. And welcome again to Pathway to Victory. You've picked a great day to join us because this week we're wrapping up our teaching series called Perfect Ending. Be ready to jot down our contact information at the end of today's message because I want to send you a copy of my book, Perfect Ending. Why Your Eternal Future Matters Today, along with several other helpful resources. My book represents decades of personal study and clear teaching, all condensed into one volume that's more than 200 pages in length.
And a copy is yours when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory. Plus, when you respond today, I'll also include my popular and practical end times illustrated book. This colorfully illustrated book will give you a panoramic overview of essential Bible prophecies from Genesis all the way to Revelation. And I'll also include my practical Bible prophecy chart as well. It's possible you already have these resources and so we've assembled an impressive collection of other prophecy related materials just for you.
And we'll describe those later on. But right now, let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Many Christians assume that when we die, heaven will be exactly the same for every believer.
Well, you might be surprised to learn that's simply not true. In fact, the Bible describes a time of judgment during which every Christian will be evaluated and hopefully commended for his or her good works on earth. Today, we're going to examine the fascinating topic of rewards in heaven. If you have your Bibles, turn to Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. Now, in our study of Bible prophecy, remember last time we looked at the judgment that awaits all unbelievers. We often refer to it as the great white throne judgment for unbelievers.
But what about Christians? Do we ever have to be concerned about God's evaluation of our lives? Do my words, my thoughts, my actions, my motivations count at all after I become a Christian? Does how I obey God in this life had any impact on the kind of eternal future I enjoy?
The answer to all of those questions is yes. And that's what we're going to talk about today as we talk about the judgment seat of Christ. Last June, we took a trip to the city of Corinth and we visited the ancient ruins there. And you'll remember that Paul was in Corinth on his second missionary journey. And during the 18 months he was there, Paul experienced many people being saved and baptized. But remember, there were also a group of people who were unhappy with Paul, agitated by him. And so they trumped up some charges and they hauled him before the Roman pro-counsel of Corinth, Gallio. Look at Acts 18, verse 12, and let's see what happened when that happened. You may say, what does this have to do with rewards in heaven?
You'll see in just a second. But while Gallio was pro-counsel of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and they brought him before the judgment seat. Underline that in your Bible, the judgment seat. The Greek word there is bima.
It literally means a raised platform. When we were in Corinth, we saw the raised platform, the bima that is being described here on which Gallio set. It was a place of judgment.
It's a place that the government official would sit and issue his edict. And so Paul, and I asked our group to imagine Paul standing before that judgment seat. We stood in the very spot probably where Paul stood as he faced Gallio at the judgment seat. And I asked our group to imagine what it was like to be Paul shackled in chains, standing before this judge, knowing that with one word he could extinguish your life.
Would you be tempted to back down, to waver a little bit in your commitment to the gospel when facing death? Paul didn't waver one bit. You know why he didn't waver? Why he had no fear about standing before Gallio at the bima, the judgment seat? Because Paul understood that one day he was going to stand before another judge at another judgment seat. And this judge had the ability not just to extinguish his physical life, but his soul. And that's why Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5, 9, and 10, therefore we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, that is whether with Christ or here on earth, we have as our ambition to be pleasing to him.
Why? Why is our one goal to please God? Verse 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat, the bima of Jesus Christ, that each one of us may be recompensed for what he has done in the body, whether it be good or whether it be bad.
Literally that word thallen means worthless. Notice what Paul says about this judgment seat. He doesn't say they must all appear before the judgment seat.
Paul was writing to Christians, the Corinthians. He said we must all appear before this judgment seat of Christ that each one of us may be recompensed for our deeds, whether they are good or worthless. That is every one of us who is a Christian is going to stand before God and we're going to have our lives evaluated by God, our words, our thoughts, our actions, our motivations.
Now, some people have difficulty with this idea of the judgment seat of Christ, but let me be very clear. This judgment, unlike the white throne judgment, is not a judgment of condemnation. It is a judgment of commendation and the evaluation of our lives.
And there's a big difference. The Bible says that one day we're going to stand before God and we're going to be evaluated. We're going to be commended for the good things that have happened in our life, but we're also going to be evaluated. And yet the fact is many Christians have a difficult time accepting that truth. They have been erroneously taught that once we become a Christian, neither our sins nor our good works make any difference to God. God doesn't care about our works once we become a Christian, but that's not true. I want to be very clear here that this judgment seat of Christ in no way invalidates God's forgiveness of our sins. Remember the illustration last week of the two books and what happens when God forgives us of our sins?
He takes my sin and he wraps it around Jesus Christ and he takes the righteousness of Jesus Christ and he wraps it around me so that when God looks at me, he no longer sees my sin, but the righteousness of Christ. Second Corinthians 5 21, he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. And that is absolutely true, but that does not negate the truth of God's evaluation of our life. Listen, when we become a Christian, we're exempted from God's future condemnation of our life.
We are not exempted from God's evaluation of our life. I think it's important to make a distinction between works before we're a Christian and works after we are a Christian. You know, before we trust in Christ as our savior, our works are only sufficient to condemn us.
That's all that matters before God. Our works condemn us. But after we become a Christian, our works mean a great deal to God. Remember our passage in Ephesians 2, 8 through 10, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. But then in verse 10, Paul says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we might walk in them. We are not saved by good works, but we have been saved for good works. Another way to say it is our works cannot secure our place in heaven, but they do secure our rank in heaven. How we behave after we become a Christian has a great impact on the kind of eternity we experience. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. In verses 11 to 13 of 1 Corinthians 3, Paul tells us about the basis for the judgment seat of Christ. Okay, if this judgment really is going to happen and it has eternal consequences, I want to know how God is going to judge me.
What is the basis? We'll look at verses 11 to 13. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is in Christ Jesus. Now, if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident, for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. Now, Paul mentions in these passages in 1 Corinthians two different criteria by which God is going to do that evaluation of our life. First criterion is the durability of our life.
Write that down. That's what he talks about in verse 12, the durability of our life. Have we constructed our life with gold, silver, precious stones, or is our life constructed with wood, hay, and straw? Gold, silver, precious stones represent those things that are valuable and are lasting.
Wood, hay, and straw represents a life that is built around the worthless and the temporal. If you build your life around career, building a financial portfolio, central pleasures, that is a life that is built around wood, hay, and straw. If you invest your life in advancing the kingdom of God, of sharing his message with others, of developing a godly character in your life, that is building your life with gold, silver, and precious stones. Paul says that's one criterion, the durability of our life. But there's a second criterion, and that is the motives of our life.
That is sometimes why we do something is just as important as what we end up doing. In 1 Corinthians four verse five, Paul talks about that. He says, Therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will bring both to light the things hidden in the darkness, and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God. If I share the gospel with somebody because of my general and real concern for his well-being, that's rendered as gold. If I share the gospel with somebody so I can brag about it to another person, that's wood. If I give a gift to the Lord, a financial gift, because I have a genuine concern about expanding God's kingdom, that's silver.
But if I give the gift so I can be recognized by others, that's straw. God does care about our motives. Proverbs 16 two says, All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord waives the motives.
Now, one word of caution here, folks. Don't use motives as a cop-out for disobedience. Some people will say, Well, my heart's really not in it, so maybe I shouldn't do it at all.
I will wait till my heart gets right before I do it. Did you know one of the purest motivations for obeying God is faith? That is the faith that God is going to reward me for my obedience to him. I may not feel like giving my money to the church this month, but I'm going to give it because I believe God's going to reward me someday for it. I may not feel like coming to church today.
I might feel like I'd rather be at the lake. But I come and I teach my second grade Sunday school class because I believe somewhere there's going to be a commendation and reward for that. Now, you know, there are people in the church who are more spiritual than God is, or at least they think they are. And they say, Oh, that's terrible, pastor, that anybody would serve God for a reward. That is just unspiritual. We ought to serve God just because we love him. Is that true?
Not at all. The Bible says one of the purest motivations is believing that God is going to reward us. Hebrews 11, 6 says, Without faith it is impossible to believe God. For he who comes to God must believe that God is and that he is what? A rewarder of those who diligently seek him. There is no better demonstration of faith, God pleasing faith, than making temporary sacrifices in this life built on the assurance, the promise that God is going to reward you in the next life.
God honors that kind of faith. We've talked about the reality of the judgment seat of Christ. We've talked about the two criteria, the basis for the judgment seat of Christ. Now, what are the results of the judgment seat of Christ? That is, if I make it into heaven, isn't that enough? Won't I be totally satisfied if I just make it into heaven?
Paul doesn't hesitate in answering those questions. He says there are going to be real, lasting, felt consequences depending upon how we do at the judgment seat of Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians 3, 14 and 15.
Here are the results. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. But if any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved so as through fire. Paul says there are two possible outcomes that await us at the judgment seat of Christ. One possible outcome is rewards. Verse 14 says, the one who does well, he shall receive a reward.
What are those rewards? Let me mention three of them that the Scripture talks about. First of all, there are going to be special privileges in heaven for the faithful. There is special treatment by Christ by those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ. Now, look, I don't pretend to understand what all these perks mean, but the Bible says they are real and they're really worth working for.
They're worth sacrificing for in this life. Special privileges from heaven. Secondly, there's going to be special praise from the Lord for those who are faithful. Matthew 25, 21 says, those who serve faithfully in this life will hear that kind of praise from the Lord. Well done, good and faithful servant. Thirdly, there are going to be positions of authority for those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ. Matthew 25, 21, his master said to him, well done, good and faithful slave. You are faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master. Those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ one day will rule over planets, over the angels, over other believers.
Special positions of authority. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, you've got to be kidding. More work in heaven? That sounds like hell to me. I mean, the last thing I want to do is have the responsibility.
I just want to float around on my cloud up there. Well, think again. You know, Genesis tells us that we were created in God's image. God is a worker. He created us to be workers. He wanted us to find satisfaction in our work.
He wanted us to be exhilarated, not debilitated by our work. The only reason work became painful is because of sin that entered into the world. But one day that sin is going to be gone. We'll no longer have bodies that get tired. We'll no longer have soured relationships that characterize many workplaces.
We'll never have any more government regulations. We'll be able to work as God intended us to work, and it will be satisfying. And those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ are going to have these extra positions of authority.
There's one possibility. One outcome is reward. But there's another possible outcome he speaks of in verse 15, and that is loss. If any man's work is burned up, verse 15, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet is through fire. Or another way we would say it, he'll be saved by the skin of his teeth.
But he will suffer loss. I want you to notice what Paul says, not what Robert says, what Paul says. Some Christians are going to experience real, tangible, measurable loss at the judgment seat of Christ when they realize what could have been theirs had they been more faithful to Christ.
Now, I can hear the howls of protest. People say, wait a minute, pastor. What you're describing is horrible. The idea that there would be real and lasting regret in heaven, how does that square with the fact that heaven is going to be a place of inexplicable joy? And yet you're saying it's also going to be a place of regret. Well, the fact is, joy and regret can coexist with one another.
One doesn't necessarily extinguish the other. For example, suppose that my insurance agent sits down with me and he says, you know, Robert, I've been reviewing your policy and I think you're underinsured. You need an extra $100,000 of insurance for your house and your possessions.
And I think, well, you know, with Christmas coming up, I don't want to spend my money on insurance premiums. I'll just take my chances. And so a few months later, I awaken one night to the smell of smoke in my house. I nudge Amy and I say, Amy, I think our house is on fire. So we get up and we grope through the smog and the smoke and we can't find an entrance out.
Every exit is blocked. And finally, we go into one of the bedrooms and we throw a chair through the window and we climb out of the window. And as we stand there on our front line, we watch our entire house erupt into flames. Now, what do you think my emotion is going to be at that point in time? Currently, there's going to be great joy and gratitude that we escape the fire.
Nobody can extinguish that. But with that joy, it's going to be a measure of regret. As I remember what the insurance agent said and think, if only I had made the right investment, I wouldn't suffer this loss right now. Now, ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says you'll find that same mixture of joy and loss at the judgment seat of Christ. Joy, eternal joy that we have escaped the flames of hell because of what Christ has done for us. But for some, there'll be a sadness, a regret, a loss as we realize what could have been ours had we been more faithful to Christ.
The Bible says what we do now does make an eternal difference. My friend, Erwin Lutzer, tells the story of a beggar in India who stood along the side of the road with a little bowl begging for rice. One day, a wealthy Raja pulled up in a chariot. He stepped down from the chariot and he went up to that beggar and said, give me some of your rice. The beggar couldn't believe it, but he held out the bowl and the Raja picked up one grain of rice. He said, give me another. And so he held out the bowl and the Raja took another grain of rice. By this time, the beggar was seething with anger.
He couldn't believe somebody so wealthy with so much would ask that of somebody who had so little. Once he had regained his composure, the beggar looked down to that bowl and he noticed something glittering. On further inspection, he realized it was a grain of gold. For every grain of rice he had given the Raja, the Raja had returned it with a grain of gold.
Erwin Lutzer makes this application. If we clutch our bowl of rice, we shall lose our reward. If we are faithful and give God each grain, he gives us gold in return and the gold God gives will survive the fire. Ladies and gentlemen, there are real measurable rewards awaiting those who are obedient to Christ. And it's the reality of those rewards that cause Paul to write these words. Therefore, we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to God.
Why? For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each man may be recompensed for deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether they be good or worthless. Perhaps you're surprised to learn that rewards in heaven will separate the faithful from the complacent. As your Bible teacher here on Pathway to Victory, let me encourage you to become intentional about preparing for your final judgment.
A judgment not of condemnation, but of commendation if you're a Christian. And now, as we conclude today's program, it's important to remind you that this is one of your last opportunities to request the exclusive resources that have been carefully designed to help you go even deeper in your study of Bible prophecy. Wars, dissension, terrorism, moral decay, and economic turmoil fill the headlines every day. Many people believe the end is just around the corner.
Are they right? Well, even though no one knows where we are on God's prophetic clock, we do know the countdown to Christ's return has begun. And my book, Perfect Ending, will answer your pressing questions. And a copy is yours when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Now, in addition to the book, I'll also send you a companion guide to Perfect Ending. It's a book called The End Times Illustrated. This exclusive reference tool takes the great prophecies of Scripture and traces them from their origin in the book of Genesis all the way to their culmination in the book of Revelation.
And I'll also be sure to include the multifolded Bible prophecy chart as well. Then, let me thank you for your continued support of Pathway to Victory. It's my voice you hear teaching every day, but it's your generous giving that makes Pathway to Victory available on your station. I couldn't do this work without you.
Thank you so much. David. Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we'll say thanks by sending you a copy of Dr. Jeffress' best-selling book, Perfect Ending, along with the companion book called The End Times Illustrated. Plus, you'll get a copy of the Bible Prophecy Chart. To make your request, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org.
And when your gift is $75 or more, you'll also receive the complete Perfect Ending teaching series on both CD and DVD. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. You could write to us if you'd like. Here's that address, P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.
Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins, inviting you to join us again next time for a message called The Truth About Eternity. That's Tuesday, here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
