October 30, 2005

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

2 Corinthians 5:10-12

 

   "For we must all appear before the judgmen t se at of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). The "all" who make this appearance include believers only, and only the believers who have lived in this present "administration of grace." It is true that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to God that Jesus Christ is Lord, but these believers have already done this. By believing the gospel and owning Jesus Christ as Lord they are saved, forgiven, sanctified, and predestinated for glory. Now for the reward!

   The timing of this "judgment seat" is when the Lord will come and all these believers will be dressed in their "building from God," our "house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." So heaven will be the place with the Lord Jesus on His throne where he will decide our reward and/or loss. Although the term "the judgment seat of Christ" appears only twice in the text of our Bibles, this sacred event is referred to throughout Paul's letters.

   Paul wrote how he, as God's chief architect, had laid the foundation. He cautioned every builder to be sure they followed his blue print. "Every (builder's) work will be made manifest," that is, they will be checked against Paul's letters to see if they have built accord-ing to his "foundation." Their works will be tested by fire, and if their works are like "gold, silver, and precious stones," they will survive God's test of fire and the builder rewarded accordingly. If they have built "wood, hay, or stubble," the builders will suffer loss and their works burned up, but saved, "yet so as by fire" (1 Cor 3:10-15).

   These saints were busy pre-judging Paul. "It is a very small thing that I should be judged by you... I do not judge myself... He who judges me is the Lord... Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes...and then shall every man have praise of God" (1 Cor. 4:3-5). Then will be God's time to judge "things done in his body," and our "body is for the Lord...and the Lord is for the body" (1 Cor. 6:13). So let us live as Paul wrote, "that Christ may be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" (Phil. 1:20).

 

Ivan L. Burgener