Prophecy
The Judgement Seat of Christ

Pastor Jack Anderson

Introduction. Prophecy forms the major part of the "Word of God". One -third of the Bible is prophetic.  Clearly, therefore, the Christian who is ignorant of prophecy is not well fitted for serving the Lord.  

Having said that, a word of caution is appropriate, for it is very easy to study the prophetic word out of mere curiosity.  Man, after all, is intensely interested in and intrigued by the future.

The study of prophecy ought ever to deepen and extend our communion with God.  It should have the effect of causing us to realize more clearly that Christ is man's only hope in a doomed world. 

If the implications of the prophetic word are truly appreciated it will separate God's people from the world--- unto Holiness of living. 

We must ever keep in mind that God’s purpose in the World today during this dispensation of Grace is centred on the Church the Bride of Christ.

It is with this thought in mind that I want us to focus on a very important event on the calendar of God, the Judgment Seat of Christ.

The Church of Jesus Christ has nearly reached the end of her earthly pilgrimage.  She is looking forward to the imminent return and reunion with her Lord and Saviour.

The Church today consists of two parts.

1. The Church Triumphant--those who are now at home with the Lord.
2. The Church Militant—those who are still on this earth. The continuing witness today of the Gospel of the grace of God in Christ.      

At the Rapture this divided Church will be reunited and so shall she ever be with her Lord.

The Christians hope is two fold  —the Coming of the Lord and our gathering unto Him. The Lord is coming to the Air to take His Redeemed Church home to glory.

The Antichrist—will be revealed shortly after the rapture has occurred. He is the one who will establish; a one-world government; a one-world religion and a one-world economy.    

This time of Great Tribulation will be a literal hell on earth, with famines, natural disasters, sickness at epidemic portions—war and treachery.

Then, Jesus will come to the earth in power and great glory and every eye shall see Him. When He comes He will subdue the Gentile Nations, Satan and the Antichrist will be defeated and Christ will establish His Millennial Kingdom.  

Israel will repent of her sin and acknowledge Jesus, as the Messiah Then Lord will restore His Ancient people. On that Israel will be in the ascendancy as the head of the nations and no longer the tail.

Jesus the King of Kings
Shall reign where ere the sun
Does its successive journey run
His kingdom will stretch from shore to shore
Till moons, shall wax, and wane no more.

The next event in heaven after the Rapture will be the Judgment seat of Christ.

1. The Declaration

The Apostle Paul declares, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”

Note-- the Divine Involvement—it is the judgement seat of Christ. Note the Divine Imperative    we must Note   The Divine Inclusion    we must all appear.

Christians are reminded that the judgements of God will begin in His house.

1 Pet 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

In the first phase of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Church will face her Lord at the judgement seat. It is for this very reason that the Church is repeatedly challenged to be prepared for this very important moment.

On that day, the good works of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives will be rewarded, while the bad works, which are futile and fruitless and human in origin will be rejected and consumed by fire.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul confirms the fact that their Lord will examine the nature of the believer’s lives after their conversion.

Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Rom 14:12 so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 

It is a very interesting study to take note of the times of great Judgements, which are recorded in the Bible. There is judgement Past! Present! And Future!

1 The Judgement of Sin.

This has already taken place. It’s over.  Sin was judged at Calvary when God poured out the fury of His wrath, as Jesus hung on the cross. 

Jesus gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil age.

The Believers sin has been dealt with! God has no more charges against you. 

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”

The Old Hymn puts it so well—

My sin –O the Bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin not in part but the whole
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O, My Soul.

The Judgement of Sin.     Is Past--
The Judgement of Sons     Is Present--- 

The Believer is now being judged as a son as a child in the family of God. God the Father does not allow His Children to live as a law unto themselves.               

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

God disciplines His sons in various ways.  In the Present God is doing his great work of Sanctification, as He conforms His children to the image of His dear Son. We must ever keep in mind.

Paul reminds: 

1 Thess. 4 for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour

Oswald Chambers Are we prepared for what sanctification will do? It will cost an intense narrowing of all our interests on earth and an immense broadening of our interest in God.

How does our will become sanctified? By conforming itself unreservedly, to the will of God. We will all that He wills, and will nothing that he does not will.

Then we find in his good pleasure an inexhaustible source of peace and consolation. There are also three Judgements, which are future, which we should ever keep in mind. 

The Judgement of the Nations

This judgment is referred to in <Matt. 25:31-46>.

The Lord will subdue the Gentile Powers. He will rule with a rod of iron and He will judge the Nations.  

The peculiar basis of this judgment is the way the nations will deal with Israel during the Tribulation period preceding the second advent of Christ.               

These nations will then be subordinate to Israel. As the millennial state merges into the eternal state there will be another judgement.

The Judgement of the Great White Throne    Is Future

This last great judgment comprehends the judgment of all the unsaved of all ages <Rev. 20:11-15>. All who are not found in "the book of life" are cast into "the lake of fire."

This is called "the second death," which means final and complete cutting off from God's presence and a sin-cleansed universe.

Many today think that Christianity has run its course, and that the gloom of Good Friday is now settling over the long history of the church.

But they are wrong. The reality of the resurrection cannot so easily be undone.

In truth, it is the world of unbelievers that remain on notice of judgment. The judgment of God is the reaping that comes from sowing. Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Illustration-- It is said that the last words of Third Viscount Lord Palmerston as he lay dying in 1865 were these: "Die, my dear Doctor? That's the last thing I shall do." Of course, that isn't the last thing we'll do.   

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" Heb 9:27,

The Judgement of Fallen Angels

Satan and his rebellious angels will eventually stand before Christ at the great white Throne.

These fallen angels displayed the same hate, anger, lust, arrogance, and pride that motivated Satan to exalt himself above God. But on this final judgement day these wicked angels will be imprisoned forever with Satan in the lake of everlasting fire.

By Grace alone no believer will ever stand at the great white Throne; only those who have died in an unrepentant state without Christ.

Believers will stand at the judgement seat of Christ. At the Judgement seat, all believers will have one thing in common—the foundation of the new birth.

1. The Declaration   “we must all appear “
2. The Objective.

In 1 Cor. 3:13, we read, "Every man's work shall be made manifest:  for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

The Lord Jesus, on this occasion, seeks to determine what kind of life each Christian lived after his redemption. He will seek to determine if His commission was carried out to be His witness; and to let His light shine in a dark world.

In most cases, when we think of the future as it relates to the believer, we think only of that which will be glorious. There will be much that is glorious, but there will also be this event that could be grievous for many.

The Apostle John-- gave us the admonition in

I John 2:28, " And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

The implication of John is that some could be ashamed and   feel great shame when the Lord returns. I think he had in mind the Judgment Seat. 

It could well be that we are closer to this impending judgement than we realise.

There are many motivations in the Word of God for living for Jesus and serving Him. But the thought of this impending judgment is one of the greatest.

Paul, after mentioning the Judgment Seat, goes on to say    2. Cor.5: 11, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences."

Thought of the Judgment Seat, was stirring to the heart of Paul. It moved him to persuade men, and to be an open book before God and men. The Judgment Seat of Christ is a time of serious, solemn, and spiritual examination. It is an examination of our life and labour.

The Lord will not ask, "Have you accepted Me?" but will ask, "Have you lived for Me?" and "Have you served Me?"   It will be our service that shall be examined! The deeds done in the body will be scrutinised!

On that day, -- will shall appear as we really are; all the veneer of pretence and sham will be removed. Our true character will be revealed, as will our motives in service.    All shall appear and all shall be revealed on that day.

Beloved, you and I will stand with countless millions of Saints around us, but, when we answer our name, we shall stand alone before the Lord.

We shall then be judged as to whether we lived for God or for self.  Did we redeem the time using it wisely for the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom? Or did we spend our time in careless carnal living? The Objective of the Judgement seat

The fire will test and critically appraise the character and the worth of each person has done.  This is not a judgment of Salvation; it is a judgement of works.

As stewards, we shall be accountable for the privileges we enjoyed and for faithfulness displayed.

If this Judgement were to take place today would we stand ashamed before Him?

-- Oh that we might grasp the Reality of this Impending Judgement for it would transform our lives and service. 

Never loose sight of the Reality of the Judgement seat, nor of the Authority of this Judgement. It’s the Judgement seat of Christ.

The Declaration   “we must all appear “

The Objective.   Every man's work shall be made manifest: 

The Precision     “the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.”

God has committed this judgement into the hands of His Son as part of His exaltation and to manifest to all His Divine Authority.

The Judgment Seat of Christ is a place of no exemption and no excuses. It’s a place, of individual review. Surely, this must make us  reflect as to how we are living today. We ought to live every day of our lives with eternity in view.

Quote       It was said of Jonathan Edwards -- That he enjoyed walking slowly along garden pathways, praying and meditating.      

Sometimes he would stop, pick up some little clear stone he found on the ground, he would hold it up and look through it at the sunlight.

When he was asked what he was doing. Edwards would simply reply, “That he was thinking about heaven”

One day someone said the problem with Jonathan Edwards was that “Eternity is stamped on His Eyelids”

When I read those words, I thought—what a way for a person to go through life! For so often you and I can have the world stamped on our Eyelids.

Jonathan Edwards saw life from a different perspective. I believe that we, too, will begin to see life from a new point of view when we stop to ponder the words of our Lord  

The Precision of this judgement is to search out the qualities of a person’s work. To examine the materials used, as one sought to build for God and to see if they were Worthy or Worthless.      1 Cor. 3V 11-15) We have works that are preserved and works that are polluted.

Paul-- is telling us that we are all builders for God. The foundation has been laid which is Christ our Lord.                   We are to build on this foundation; taking heed as to how we build and what material we build.

1Cor 3V12 we have listed two types of materials, which we can choose to use in our service for the Lord. We can use Gold! Silver! And Precious Stones, or we can use Wood! Hay! And Stubble.

The Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones clearly represent quality materials. The Wood, Hay, and Stubble represent inferior materials.

GOLD- speaks of service that is Spiritual, Faithful, and therefore endurable.  Our service for the Lord ought ever to be of Gold, something that is worthy of our Lord. A Service of Gold brings glory to His Name.

SILVER- in the Bible typifies the sacrificial work of Christ—silver speaks of Redemption.

The Believer’s service is to be one that is sacrificial, as they redeem the time while it is day-- for the night is coming when no man will be able to work, the dispensation of Grace will be over.

PRECIOUS STONES- would speak of Steadfastness in our service for the Master.

Precious stones need to be searched for! They are not found like pebbles on a beach.  Precious stones need to be patiently   dug out and carefully gathered out of the mud of mother earth.

Our service is to declare the unsearchable riches of the Grace of God in Christ, to declare His work on the Cross-to our generation.

Seeking to reclaim the earth and the fallen sons of humanity for whom Christ died and whom God has chosen to be His Precious Jewels.

Is ours really a service of Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones?   Or is ours a service of the inferior quality of Wood! Hay! And Stubble! 

A service that is Useless! Worthless! And Fruitless—to be consumed by fire. In just one moment a life of service totally consumed by the fire of the Righteous judge.

Oh, will I hang my head in shame
When the Saviour calls my name
Not a day’s work that my Redeemer there can hold

What are the good works of Gold, Silver and Precious stones?

1.          Allowing God to work in us to complete His will:

Eph 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

2.     Rejoicing under Persecution:    Matthew 5:11 & 12, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

Verse 12, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

3. Having Compassion on those in trouble:                                  

4. Being genuine in your service to the Lord:

Matt 5:16-21; 18, "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

5. Loving your enemies:

Luke 6:27,35; 35, "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

Just a few examples of works considered gold, silver, and precious stones. We must have a right heart in our service to the Lord.

If we let the love of God direct our service to Him and man, we will be ensured of rewards in Heaven. Why? Because the Scriptures states that love never fails. Love is the gold, silver, and precious stones.

The Declaration “we must all appear “

The Objective.       Every man's work shall be made manifest: 

The Precision       “the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.”

The Satisfaction

1 Cor 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

The words "Judgment Seat" come from the Greek word "bema." It was an ancient seat at the Grecian games in Athens, where the umpire or judge sat.

He would carefully watch the athletic contestants.    When the winner was decided’ he would be brought to the Bema and he would be rewarded.

The winner of an event in the Grecian games was given a crown (a victors wreath).  Paul had this in mind when he wrote to the church in Philippi 

Phil.3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, an reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul was saying “It’s the crown that I am going after” The Bible speaks of several crowns that will be awarded at the Judgment Seat.

For this will not only be a Day of Review! It will be a day of Recognition. The Judgement seat of Christ—is not a place of Condemnation—it is a place for Commendation.

A Place where the Lord can honour and reward His faithful servants with Crowns for their achievements.

Jesus-- himself will do the judging and he will do the rewarding.  And a cup of cold water that has been given in His Name-- shall not loose its reward. The Victors shall receive their Crowns.

The Victor’s Crown

1 Cor 9: 25  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

The Crown of Life.

James 1:12   Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (Testing)-- for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.   

The Book of the Revelation adds these words

Fear none of those things, which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.         

Friends, even to this very day there are Believers who are suffering for their Faith in Christ. Enduring humiliation, deprivation, and bitter persecution.   

It is happening today in –China- in Indonesia, in India, in the Sudan, all over the world there are dear brothers and sisters in the Lord who are suffering greatly.

But, when they stand at the Judgement seat, the Lord will not overlook their suffering. No, they shall be crowned with the beautiful crown of life

Whatever suffering we have had to endure it will be worth it all when we see Christ.

1. The Victor’s Crown
2. The Crown of Life.
3. The Crown of Rejoicing

This reward has been called the soul winners Crown

1Thess 2:19   For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

He that goes forth weeping bearing precious seed—

Shall doubtless come again with Rejoicing

Bringing his sheaves with him.

There will be a Crown given to those who take a lot of people to heaven with them.  Oh, the joy of being able to look around heaven and to see precious souls there who were won to Christ through our witness. 

How sad it would be to meet the Lord empty handed.

Must I go and empty-handed

And my dear Redeemer meet

With not one soul with which, to greet him,

And to lay no treasure at His feet.

The Crown of Righteousness

Perhaps you have been going through a difficult, or even a tragic experience over the past few months or years.

Because of this, more and more, you have treasured the hope of the Lord’s Return.

Perhaps there are others and you are reading the signs which point to His near Return. You are Watching and Waiting for the Coming of the Lord.

I want to assure you that there is a special reward for those who have loved and longed for His appearing.

2 Tim 4: 7, 8  the words of the Apostle Paul  

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Frankly—I don’t see too many doing this today!  In many churches the message of His return is not proclaimed form the pulpit.

Many of God’s dear people are not longing for His return, because they are too busy living in the fast lane of life to take time to look for the coming of the Lord.

The Crown of life is for those who say from the heart.  

We are waiting Blessed Saviour

We are watching for the Hour

When in Majesty descending

Thou shall come in mighty power

What are we going to do with these crowns and rewards after we receive them? We will cast our crowns before the throne, saying:

"You are worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power

 What a scene! And what an awesome day that will be!

When that day comes, I don't want to be empty-handed. I want to have something with which I, too, can honor my Lord and Savior, who redeemed me with His own blood.

I want to be able to say to Him, "Lord God, I could never repay You for what You have done for me, but I want to lay this crown at Your feet, in token of all You have done for me."

When that moment comes, I don't want to have to reflect and remember, what I should have done--Heaven is no place for regrets! 

Beloved Pursue-- your reward till He comes,

This is no time to be idle or to allow ourselves to be caught up in peripheral matters that sap our energy and strength and desire.

Let's follow Jonathan Edwards and let people say we have eternity stamped on our eyeballs.

Let's live for heaven, remembering that He could come with the next heartbeat and remembering that the smile of His favour is worth everything, far far more than earth's best treasures.