Though katheudo was used of physical sleep and even death, it was also commonly used of spiritual apathy or carnal indifference to spiritual matters, and this is clearly the context of chapter 5. Romans 3:24-26 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. 12:3-4). 1:6; Col. 2:10; Heb. 1 Cor. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What follows below is a fuller explanation of both terms. 1 Cor. (2) All believers, regardless of their spiritual state, will be raptured and will stand before the Bema to give an account of their lives and will either receive rewards or lose rewards. He did not whip the losers.8 We might add, neither did he sentence them to hard labor. 20:3-5), together with (4) the resurrection of Old Testament saints (Dan. Carnal believers are occupied and controlled by their own self-centered desires (Gal. Revelation 20:5 and 11-15 show this takes place after the conclusion of the millennium following the doom of Satan and the destruction of heaven and earth, but before the eternal state of the new heavens and earth of Revelation 21:1. After which God selected him to lead his people out of slavery. (7) It is a time of death (Rev. I see one Judge two 2 Final Judgment Seats. And not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming (presence). Please note several things here. (3) In 2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 4:5, rewards are associated with that day and with the Lords coming. All fall short of the glory of Godthe immoral, moral, and religious (Rom. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. Titus 3:5-7: He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. I believe Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the grave. A few verses after Phil 1:6, Paul mentions the day of Jesus Christ again. But we shall rejoice also as we realize that the rewards given will be another example of the grace of our Lord; for at best we are unprofitable servants (E. Schuyler English, The Church At the Tribunal, in Prophetic Truth Unfolding Today, ed. Again, there is only one judgment day, but Revelation 20:11-15 tells us the judgment process has two stages. Biblically, the word tribulation comes from the Greek word thlipsis which means affliction, distress. In the Bible it is used (1) in general of any kind of testing or affliction or distress which people experience throughout life, and especially of the church and her problems in this world (John 16:33; Rom. 3 Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. Key Scriptures: Heb. WebThe Archangel* Gabriel is mentioned in the Holy Bible at least four explicit and possibly two implicit times: Daniel 8:1527. 19:17-19; 22:29-30; Rev. 22:3; 21:4; Isa. In August of 2001 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and on August 29th, 2002 he went home to be with the Lord. This means we must each come to God the same wayas a sinner who recognizes his sinfulness, repudiates any form of human works for salvation, and relies totally on Christ alone by faith alone for our salvation. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. In the eternal state there will be no place for that which reminds men of the rebellions of Satan and man with all its wickedness and sorrow (Rev. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son. 25:31-46). 20:4). (5) It is a day of extreme lawlessness, sin, and demonic activity (Rev. 39:28). Thank you for giving me eternal life through faith in your Son. 17:22; 14:30). Both body and soul are eternally separated from God in the eternal Lake of Fire, a very real, literal, and eternal place according the Scripture. Because of this, He cannot have fellowship with anyone who does not have perfect righteousness (Hab. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Two important questions must be asked and answered: According to Romans 5:8, God demonstrated His love for us through the death of His Son. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.. The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Key Verses on Rewards: Rom. It is great because all the unbelievers of all time, from Cain to the final revolt at the end of the Millennium, will be here assembled to face the bar of Gods holy justice. A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate. 6:18-19; Tit. He would just be delighted to be there and do what he was doing. 25:1-30). 4:5b). Since love is a preeminent virtue in Christianity, true selfishness often involves a pursuit of self-interest that violates the law of love.12. 12:5f and 1 Cor. (3) The Promise of Accolades or Commendations. 2:8), but a reward for enduring trials and overcoming temptation. Indeed, He works in us both to will and to do as we volitionally appropriate His grace (Phil. A Christian believes in a God they have never seen through faith. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. The instinct to preserve our lives is the same. 11:2-3; 13:5; 12;6; Dan. As a result, a number of things occurred: (1) they were making a mockery of the significance and meaning of the Lords supper (11:27); (2) they were experiencing personal discipline by the Lord which existed in three conditions, evidently progressively so (11:30, 32); and though not mentioned here, (3) they were producing wood, hay, and stubblethey were losing rewards (1 Cor. 20:34-35a). 13; 17); economically (Rev. Her blessedness is extolled by Elizabeth (Lk 1:45). Joy will indeed be the predominant emotion of life with the Lord; but I suspect that, when our works are made manifest at the tribunal, some grief will be mixed with the joy, and we shall know shame as we suffer loss. 3:23; Hab. Some people are troubled by the doctrine of rewards because this seems to suggest merit instead of grace, and because, it is pointed out, we should only serve the Lord out of love and for Gods glory. 8:18-22; Eph. 3:9-14; 9:24-27). Matt. 30:7; Dan. 20:34-38; Matt. This is a serious matter with consequences both for time and eternity since the failure to do so leads not only to the loss of rewards, but the judgment of Gods discipline of His believing children as a loving Father and as the Vine Dresser who must prune the vine for production (Heb. Explain the nature of Gods judgment of believers in this life. This is none other than the Lord Jesus who is even now examining our lives and will bring to light the true nature of our walk and works when we stand before Him at the Bema (Rev. He wants those who have not trusted in Christ to understand the judgments that this might motivate them to trust in Christ as their personal Savior because He bore the judgment for their sin in their place. This would be somewhat punitive and does not fit the concept of the Bema nor the promises of the Lord that we will not come into judgment. 15 If any mans work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.. 3:9). II, Abridged Edition, John F. Walvoord, Editor, Donald K. Campbell, Roy B. Zuck, Consulting Editors, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1988, p. 501. 2:12-13). 12:1-3 with Rev. Declare it is deloo which means to make evident, clear. Be revealed is apokalupto and means to unveil. Test is dokimazo and means to test for the sake of approval. The quality is hopoios, a correlative and qualitative pronoun meaning of what sort or kind.. 5 One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Added to this are the declarations of the following verses of Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. In other words, they are destroyed, dissolved (2 Pet. While salvation is a gift, there are rewards given for faithfulness in the Christian life and loss of rewards for unfaithfulness. Do you not know that we will judge angels? Therefore, at the judgment seat of Christ forensic punishment will not be meted out for the believers sins.15. Such a concept (punishment for sin) erroneously disparages the all-sufficiency of Christs death on the cross.13 Christ paid the penalty for the believers pre- and post-conversion sins. When we fail to deal with our sinful ways through honest confession, we grieve the Spirits person and quench His power in our lives. For the Christian, the future reality of this event should cause deep concern because of the many (including some of our friends and relatives) who will face this throne of judgment because they never received the Savior by faith. (2) It is a time of Gods wrath or indignation and the vindication of Gods holinessZeph. 2:9-12; Rev. But this sorrow must be somewhat relative because even for the finest of Christians there will be some things worthy of unceasing remorse in the light of Gods unapproachable holiness. The use of the term judgment seat in most translations, ignorance of the historical and cultural background concerning the Bema, and foggy theology regarding the finished work of Christ have all contributed to several common misconceptions which, in one way or another, see God as giving out just retribution to believers for sin, or at least for our unconfessed sin. Of course we should serve the Lord out of love and for Gods glory, and understanding the nature of rewards will help us do that. The crowns of royalty which stand for Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lord who alone has the right to rule and judge the world. This is no more a punishment than when a student turns in a worthless assignment and receives an F or a D. His poor work results in a just grade or recompense. Sin requires a penalty, the penalty of death as Gods holy judgment on sin. Please note that the clause he shall suffer loss would be better rendered it (the reward) shall be forfeited.. But Israel is first gathered at the borders, outside the land of Israel, called in Ezekiel 20:35 the wilderness of the peoples, for judgment, face to face, one by one as sheep pass under the shepherds rod. 9:25). Isaiah 38:17 Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is Thou who hast kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back. 10:1-4; Phil. The Christian will not face the final judgment because Christ was judged for us, but all believers will face a judgment called the Judgment Seat of Christ, the nature of which will be covered in the material to follow. The overwhelming emotion is joyfulness and gratefulness. So, much as we see in Romans 1:18f, God turns the world over to the consequences of its choices. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. As a child of God, you are, however, a babe in Christ and you need to grow and be spiritually nourished and built up in the things of Christ. May the reality of this judgment cause us to carefully reflect on the serious consequences of this passage on a Christ-rejecting world. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. While bema is used in the gospels and Acts of the raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence (Matt. Furthermore, we are called upon to make judgments in the sense of evaluations when it comes to selecting elders and deacons, or in dealing with those who have fallen into sin (1 Tim. In the King James version. Other Bible teachers espouse a mediating position. 19:17; 1 Cor. John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 4:10, 11). In the King James version. 1:18-21; 2:12). When God put Adam and Eve in the garden, He furnished them with every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food (Gen. 2:9). (2) The believer who fails to abide experiences shame by the revelatory nature of Christs presence at the Bema. 27:19; John 19:13), its use in the epistles by Paul, because of his many allusions to the Greek athletic contests, is more in keeping with its original use among the Greeks. 19:2, 5). This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 5:19 For as through the one mans disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The goal, however, is always to bring us back to Him (Heb. Why did Christ have to die for us? It is great because it is the final judgment and puts an end to all judgment for all time. The emotional condition of the redeemed is that of complete and unending happiness. (6) Broken Relationships and Disharmony. Instead, it should be defined as the pursuit of our self-interest in our own way, rather than in Gods way. This crown is a reward promised to Elders for faithfulness in the discharge of their responsibilities in shepherding the people. (3) To reward the believer for all the good he or she has done as portrayed by the symbols of gold, silver, and precious stones, that which is valuable and can stand the test of fire without being consumed. English strikes a proper balance on this subject. We may rule over galaxies, celestial bodies, the heavens, and definitely over angels, and the world (cf. 32:3-5). Rom. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. 5:1; 8:1; 1 Cor. It is called white because it will be the supreme and undimmed display of the perfect righteousness and justice of God to all mankind. Now, the word "judge" in its various forms (judgeth, judging, judgment, judges, He used the Greek katheudo in 5:10 rather than koimao, the word he used metaphorically in 4:13-14 of physical death. 18 Samuel Hoyt, The Judgment Seat of Christ in Theological Perspective, Part 2, Bibliotheca Sacra, electronic media. Nevertheless, as mentioned earlier concerning the judgment of Satan, God has manifested His power by defeating Satan and his hordes. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? gimp add alpha channel to selection. This is Gods judgment to cast Satan down from his position in heaven as the anointed cherub with all those angels who followed him to this earth and its atmosphere as the primary abode of their operations (cf. At this resurrection the soul and body are reunited and the person is brought before the throne. Rev. (12) It is a time of martyrdom of believers (Rev. (3) Hades, a reference to the place of torments, the compartment which contains the souls of all unbelievers (Luke 16:23). Study now. 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. By my count (with the help of some BibleWorks magic), there are 1,944 verses in 5:9-10; 1 John 2:28; Rev. WebThirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament. Reasons for this will be set forth and developed as we study the nature, purpose, and basis for the Bema. Whoever sheds mans blood,By man his blood shall be shed,For in the image of GodHe made man. 6:10-12; 1 Pet. (4) Loss of Opportunities. Rev. No amount of human goodness is as good as God. The Bible describes one judgment that takes place at the return of Jesus and two judgments that people will face after death. Evident is phaneros which means known, plain, visible, revealed as to it nature. The day refers to a day well known and refers to the day of the Bema after the rapture of the church. 2 Peter 3:7 But by His word the present (4) The Crown of Life (Jam. To overdo the sorrow aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to make heaven hell. 24:21), and it will be culminated by the personal return of Jesus Christ to earth (Matt. The text reads: Acts 24:15-16 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a re For a summary of three major views, let me quote Samuel L. Hoyt from Bibliotheca Sacra. In the universal anti-Semitism of the Great Tribulation one who befriends Jews will by this evidence manifest his salvation.6. This last view I believe to be the one that is in accord with Scripture. All who have died without faith in Jesus Christregardless of their status in human history, religiously, politically, economically, or morallymust stand before this throne of judgment.