14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 19:12). For the non-Christian, the one who has never trusted in the person and work of Jesus Christ, it should cause him to want to search out the truth regarding Jesus Christ, to embrace Him in faith as the Savior from his sin and eternal doom. Again, for the church this means the event of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. 6:2-3; 4:8). But when men reject the knowledge of God and His plan of salvation, they in essence determine to stand on their own merit, or in their own righteousness. Those who hold this view believe that the Christian will stand glorified before Christ without his old sin nature. 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. Compare Isaiah 13:6-22 = judgment; but 14:1-3 the result which is peace, Israel regathered and in blessing (Joel 1:15f 2:1f, 12-18f; 3:1f). In other words, it is a reward seat and portrays a time of rewards or loss of rewards following examination, but it is not a time of punishment where believers are judged for their sins. 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. But what did Paul mean by this? How many times does judgment appear in the Bible? 3 And why do you look at the speck that is in your brothers eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? It is literally if He appears. The conditional clause does not question the reality of Christs coming, only the time of it and thereby points to its imminency. In other words, it was a reward seat and portrayed a time of rewards or loss of rewards following examination. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, the Bible states that He that has the Son has life and we can receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior by personal faith, by trusting in the person of Christ and His death for our sins. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. Without the abiding life, the life of faith and obedience to the Savior, we can do nothing (John 15:1-7). God can therefore find no cause for accusing the Christian judicially any more than He can find cause for accusing Jesus Christ. See Rev. (8) The Many Crowns or Diadems (Rev. (6) The Crown of Glory (1 Pet. Remember that all of our crowns will be cast at the feet of Christ, for only He is worthy (Rev. How many times was Jesus mentioned in the Bible? It is called a throne because here the Lord Jesus Christ will sit in absolute majesty and sovereign authority to consign a Christ-rejecting world to the eternal Lake of Fire. 12 Zane Hodges, Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Autumn, 1991, p. 7. While bema is used in the Gospels and in Acts of the raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence (Matt. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. In the first stage, we are all judged from the books according to our works. The same thing happens in the life of believers, but God brings discipline to stop the process. Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye? 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of mens hearts; and then each mans praise will come to him from God. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Unconfessed sin stands as a barrier to fellowship with the Lord and His control over ones life. 9:25). This verse undoubtedly refers to the Bema and shows there will be both boldness as a result of abiding, and shame before the Lord as a result of failing to abide. The basis of Satans judgment and final disposal is the finished work of Christ on the cross first anticipated in the protevangelium of Gen. 3:15. 16 G. Abott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 1937, p. 252. 2:26). 3:1-5; 5:5-15; Jer. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the. 2 Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. It will begin with an apparent time of prosperity and peace created by this one world government under the deceptions of the man of lawlessness. The result of this judgment will be that each Christian will be grateful for the reward which he receives, and he will have little or no shame. If God were to punish the believer judicially for his sins for which Christ has already rendered payment, He would be requiring two payments for sin and would therefore be unjust. No amount of good living will get us to heaven or give us eternal life. We should not think of discipline as punishment. This is the heritage of the servants of the, And their vindication is from Me, declares the. Although there is undeniably some measure of remorse or regret, this is not the overriding emotion to be experienced throughout the eternal state. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. Charles Lee Feingberg [Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1968], p. 29). Both Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:9 speak of the judgment seat. This is a translation of one Greek word, the word bema. 12:12-17; 13:7). He said to the judges, Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment. (6) Broken Relationships and Disharmony. Compare also Romans 16:20; Ephesians 1:20-21; Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14-17. 3:12f; 2 Cor. Some go even further by stating that Christians must experience some sort of suffering for their sins at the time of this examination. It is not punitive. 19:12). Sin calls for judgment and the cross of Jesus Christ became that place of judgment. 32:3-5). (5) It is a day of extreme lawlessness, sin, and demonic activity (Rev. The judge at the Bema bestowed rewards to the victors. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (3) A Graduate at Commencement. Since the church is gone, caught up to be with the Lord (1 Thess. Confession of sin restores us to fellowship and to the Spirits control. (4) It is a day of destruction and global catastrophes (Joel 1:15; 2:3; 1 Thess. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;Lovingkindness and truth go before You. Do Those Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell? See Appendix C for an overview of the Tribulation. 9:27). 32:3-4). Colossians 1:29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Teach me good discernment and knowledge,For I believe in Your commandments. These could refer to special blessing of rewards to those believers who overcomer special trials and tests rather than a general promise to all believers. They maintain the seriousness of the examination and yet emphasize the commendation aspect of the judgment seat. 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. Commenting on this Samuel Hoyt writes: Within the church today there exists considerable confusion and debate regarding the exact nature of the examination at the judgment seat of Christ. II, Abridged Edition, John F. Walvoord, Editor, Donald K. Campbell, Roy B. Zuck, Consulting Editors, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1988, p. 501. 17); politically (Rev. 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. They emphasize the importance and necessity of faithful living today but reject any thought of forensic punishment at the Bema. They were showing favoritism and hurting other believers rather than showing love and concern as it should be among believers in Christ. (11) It is a time of unprecedented apostasy and blasphemy against God (Rev. Condemned along with the world in 1 Corinthians 11:32 most likely refers to the judgment of Rom. 2:12-13), but the decision to serve, and the diligence employed in doing so, are our responsibility and our contribution and God sees this as rewardable. It is not to judge believers for sin of any kind, confessed or unconfessed. (1) The Crown of Thorns (Matt. Throughout history God has revealed Himself in creation (Rom. 2:5). To execute on them the judgment written;This is an honor for all His godly ones.Praise the Lord! The question of sin in regard to Gods justice has been forever satisfied in the mind of God by the all-sufficient sacrifice of His Son. 4:5; cf. Scripture teaches that Christs death was all-sufficient, completely satisfying Gods wrath toward sin in the believer. (3) The recompense (NASB) or the receive back (KJV) of 2 Corinthians 5:10 refers to the dispensing of rewards or their loss. How do we know who falls into the category of swine, those incapable of appreciating the truth, if we do not make certain judgments? (1) Stephanos. 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. Self-interest in Gods way is legitimate. Of course all sickness, weakness, or suffering is not a product of sin, but it can be and often is (1 Cor. Though some of them were not living as they should, looking ahead and seeing them in glory brought joy and would bring great rejoicing. This is further verified by the time periods of Revelation which divide the tribulation into two periods of three and one-half years (Rev. 6; 9:15, 18; 11:13). Matthew 25:1-30 shows that God will judge living Israel to separate the saved from the unsaved. A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. Our rewards may be likened to our spiritual gifts. 20:1-3, 7-10; 2 Pet. 2:7; 2:11, 17, 26. John 3:16-18: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. In these passages we read such things as give account of himself, suffer loss, shrink away from Him in shame, and recompense for his deeds whether good or bad.. (2) Christs Judgment Unto Sins Reign; the Judgment of the Believers Sin Nature. Through the Scriptures and the remnant of His people, He has taught man that he must have Gods righteousness, that God is of purer eyes than to approve evil or to accept or look upon wickedness (Hab. Part of this removal occurs through the Tribulation judgments themselves (Rev. It occurs 107 times in the Old Testament, but 93 times in the book of Ezekiel. Now, the word "judge" in its various forms (judgeth, judging, judgment, judges, It is the purpose of this study to cover all the major judgments (past, present, and future) that we find in Scripture to help resolve this confusion. All fall short of the glory of Godthe immoral, moral, and religious (Rom. But even this will be Gods judgment and the expression of His wrath. Some will reign with Him, but, because of loss of rewards, evidently some will not. And not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming (presence). Please note several things here. Death refers to the body now resurrected while Hades refers to the soul, the immaterial part of man. But this will only be momentary or short-lived at best in view of passages like Revelation 7:17; 21:4 and Isaiah 65:17. Hope will at last become reality for all those who are delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 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. Emotion proceeds from the realization of facts in personal experience. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. The Lord performs righteous deedsAnd judgments for all who are oppressed. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. To overdo the sorrow aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to make heaven hell. 4:8). 24:4-26). 20:12b, 13b, 15a). 5:1-14). Reasons for this will be set forth and developed as we study the nature, purpose, and basis for the Bema. 19:28; 24:45-47; 25:21, 23; Lk. (7) The Casting of Crowns (Rev. Will there be great sorrow? In the King James versionthe word - judgment - appears 294 timesthe word - God graciously supplies the means by which we may serve Him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or lost depending on how one has used his or her life for the Lord. This evidently takes place after the resurrection of the unbelieving dead from the grave and Hades. Yet Ryries Notes Say Otherwise. A Christian believes in a God they have never seen through faith. This in no way suggests a permanent condition. There were also divisions and factions and the focus on personalities rather than the Savior. But we need to understand the nature of these rewards to understand the nature of the motivation. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 5 Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, Dunham Publishing Co., Findlay, OH, 1958, p. 411. At this resurrection the soul and body are reunited and the person is brought before the throne. (1) Unconfessed sin relates to fellowship in this life, not ones relationship or standing with God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 15:17; Jn. Thank you for giving me eternal life through faith in your Son. Rev. 3:23; Hab. The judgment of the Nation of Israel (Matt. 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. A great deal of confusion exists with respect to the subject of Gods judgments and particularly regarding the final judgment. Why? 3:10). Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Rather, God disciplines us as a father disciplines his sons to bring us back into fellowship that we might be conformed to His Son. If It Is During The Millennium How Will There Not Be Pain And Tears When The Devil Is Released To Deceive The Nations? Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. (2) It is a time of Gods wrath or indignation and the vindication of Gods holinessZeph. This always results in moral devolution and degeneration. Compare also Ephesians 4:17-19: This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 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. 9:24-25). (6) Israel is the earthly kingdom and will undoubtedly have authority over portions and sections of the millennial kingdom and the eternal kingdom as emphasized in Matt. It will become unprecedented in its affliction as suggested by the description, the Great Tribulation (Matt. It is discipline designed to train and bring believers back to a walk with God. Then in anticipation of His death on the cross, the Lord spoke of Satans judgment and doom in John 12:31; 16:11, and Luke 10:18-19. This word was taken from Isthmian games where the contestants would compete for the prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (cf. Isaiah 44:22 I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, And your sins like a heavy mist. This was the victors crown, the wreath given to the victorious athlete before the judge at the Bema. In Revelation 4:2 John beheld a throne set in heaven from which the Tribulation judgments proceeded. 11:28-32. The graduates do not leave the auditorium weeping because they did not earn better grades. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 4:5f; 2 Cor. 2 One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The Christian has been in court, condemned, sentenced, and executed in his substitute, Jesus Christ. The Principle. also 1 John 5:16-17). Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, much as we see in Romans 1:18f, God turns the world over to the consequences of its choices. But these were not the only consequences of failing to judge sin in their lives. And why does God judge believers for unconfessed sin as with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 and some of the believers in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 11:28f? 24:29-31). This is clear from both the context of 5:4-8 and by the fact he changed the words he used for sleep. Hebrews 10:17-18 And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. However, this is not the picture that the New Testament gives of heaven. But the point of Scripture is that even this is a part of Gods judgment upon a world that has sought its answers apart from the true God. 7:18, 22, 27. 4:34f). When He appears. The when points to the imminency of the return of the Lord. 3:11-12. The point, then, is this: Because of the perfect and finished nature of Christs death (note the words who died for us of verse 10), whether we are spiritually alert or not, we will live together with Him through the rapture to face the examination of the Bema. We are all sinners. This last view I believe to be the one that is in accord with Scripture. After the fall of Adam and Eve, and as a judgment for mankinds disobedience regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17), certain curses or judgments were placed upon Satan (the promise of his final doom), upon Adam and Eve, and upon the earth. (Emphasis mine.). The Tribulation judgments (Matt. Or, to put it another way, it is a record of those who have not rejected Gods plan of salvation and have responded to Christ in faith; for these their faith is reckoned for righteousness and their sins have not been imputed to them (Rom. Within the church, there exists a good deal of confusion and disagreement concerning the exact nature of the Bema. 1:30; Eph. Bring to light is photizo, to bring to light, make visible. Disclose is phaneroo, to manifest, reveal. 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