GRACE ANSWERS 9

These are questions sent to GraceLife Ministries by Internet E-Mail. We appreciate each person who sent the questions and hope our answers will be a help to many. If you would like to have a question answered for Grace Answers, please e-mail Mark McGee.

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

QUESTION: I have a letter from a young Bible student regarding a doctrine he is propagating that caused him to be expelled from his church. He sent this letter to every family in the church as well as to every other church in that area. My brother-in-law attends that church and asked me to comment on the letter.
The doctrine concerns what happens to carnal or worldly Christians at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema). While this young man believes that once saved, always saved, he teaches that at this judgment, carnal Christians have "a punishment worse than death" awaiting them. They will have to go "through the fire" to be purified from their sins. This will be a temporal punishment of unknown duration, or until the end of the millenial reign of Christ, whichever comes first. He insists he is not teaching purgatory, but it sure sounds like it. He says it is not a question of justification (whether or not we are saved) but of sanctification (being set apart from sin). If we don't go through the process of sanctification successfully here on earth, then we will have to experience God's judgment and discipline at the Bema Seat. To make his point, he combines 2 Cor.5:10-11 with such passages as Heb. 10:26-31; James 4:3-10; Gal. 5:19-23; Col. 3:23-25; Rev. 3:15-16; 1 Pet. 4:17-18; 2 Tim. 2:11-13, etc.
I believe that the believer's guilt and punishment for sin have been completely removed at the cross of Calvary. We have been completely forgiven. The Bema Seat judgment is to try the value of the believer's service to Christ after salvation, not to punish him for his sinfulness or worldliness. It is a question of reward for service rendered to the glory of God. As far as sanctification is concerned, the believer is "in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30 cf. 1 Cor. 6:11). Positionally, we are already sanctified in Christ and are seated with Him in the heavenlies. Experientially, we go through the process of personal sanctification as we "work out our salvation."
I'm hoping you can share your thoughts with me on this subject, and perhaps give me some direction in answering this young man's arguments.
ANSWER: This doctrine could not be further from the truth of God's Word! It absolutely flies in the face of the Gospel of God's Grace!
2 Corinthians 5 is a continuation of Paul's teaching about the compassion of God toward His children. Paul wrote about the suffering and hardships Christians face in life. He wrote about how God is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." Paul wrote about how God anoints believers, sets His seal of ownership on them, places His Spirit in their hearts as a deposit, "guaranteeing what is to come." Paul wrote about forgiving other Christians who do wrong. He wrote about the glory of the New Covenant and the freedom we have in Christ. Paul wrote about the ministry we received from God's Mercy and how the Treasure of God lives in us, "jars of clay." The purpose is "to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Paul wrote "we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." What impact should that have on a Christian? "Therefore do not lose heart. Thought outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
In all of what Paul wrote in the first four chapters of 2 Corinthians, we have no hint that God will treat His children differently because of what they do or don't do, what they have or don't have, what they think or don't think. Look at the words just preceding the verse the young student quotes.

"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."
2 Corinthians 5:6-9
God gives us a great Gift. It is the Gift of Eternal Life. Paul wrote that "while we are in this tent [human body], we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed [in our earthly body] but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling [in our eternal, spiritual body], so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." (2 Corinthians 5:4) Notice why God made Christians: "so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." God created us in Christ to live with and enjoy Him forever. Paul then wrote, "Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 5:5) Paul mentioned that earlier in chapter 1. Paul also wrote the same promise to all believers in his letter to the Ephesians.

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."
Ephesians 1:13-14
Paul wrote no qualifiers in either section. He didn't write, "Now, to everyone who has been good and obedient and hasn't sinned and isn't carnal, you get to go straight to heaven without first paying for your sins by going through a fire for hundreds of years." No! Paul wrote to "the saints in Ephesus" and "the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia." Fact is many of the believers in Ephesus, Corinth and Achaia were carnal. They sinned, made mistakes, goofed up, didn't love enough, didn't care enough, didn't study enough, didn't love enough. They were just people, like you, me and the young student. Paul made no differentiation. Neither does God The seal of God's ownership, the Spirit of God, lives in every Christian. Paul wrote the Romans "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:9) Every believer has the Spirit of God living in them. The Spirit is God's guarantee we belong to Him and are going to live with Him throughout eternity.
Paul wrote the Corinthians in an earlier letter about the new body believers would have in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). Paul wrote, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." Paul said nothing to the Corinthians about anyone suffering for their sins or canality after physical death. He wrote that "we will all be changed." Paul wrote to them about a spiritual "Victory." There is no victory in going from death to centuries of punishment. Paul didn't teach it!
Paul wrote the Thessalonians, "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep [died]. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) Again, no mention of any of the dead or the alive going in some other direction than instantly up and into the presence of the Lord. What encouragement would there be for Christians if some were going to spend centuries in torment? None. Paul doesn't teach it. Paul also wrote the Thessalonians, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11) God's anger is not something any Christian will have to face.
Now let's move on to the main text for our study: 2 Corinthians 5:10.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."
The Greek reads tous gar pantas hemas phanerothenai dei emprosthen tou bematos tou Christou . The keys words are bematos tou Christou : "judgment seat of Christ." A "bematos" (or "bema") was a raised platform for a tribunal. The judge would sit on a special seat or throne, hear arguments for and against an accused and make decisions or judgments. The Corinthians would have immediately understood the setting. All Christians will appear before Christ and He will judge what?

"...that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
Christians will receive what is due them for the things they did while on earth, whether good or "bad". The word "bad" is phaulon . It means "worthless." Dr. Fritz Rienecker wrote: "The word indicates the impossibility of any true gain ever coming forth from it, and the notion of worthlessness is the central notion." Unfortunately, much of what Christians do with their time, energy and money is "worthless." Christ will make that clear during His judgment of our works on earth.
Paul told the Ephesians they were saved by Grace through Faith, "and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) No one can work or earn their way into salvation. It is the gift of God. Look at what Paul writes next. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) Many Christians forget about that statement. God saved us apart from works, but He saved us with a view toward doing good works while we're on earth. Each Christian has the opportunity to serve God by doing good things for Him and others. Paul's letters abound with insight into the life of spiritual labor God wants us to live. Like any good father or employer, God will reward Christians for their labor. He will reward His children for what they do right. The salvation is free. We don't work for that. But we do get rewards for what we do for God after we're saved.
Paul speaks of rewards from God in his letters to the early churches.
(I recommend to everyone that they read the entire context of each group of verses so as to not make a false interpretation. I am listing these verses simply as examples of how God rewards Christians for doing good works.)

"If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging my trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it."
1 Corinthians 9:17-18

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."
Ephesians 6:7-8

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Colossians 3:23-24
God also had a reward system for the disciples of the Kingdom Dispensation. Jesus told them, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) Jesus also told them how they could lose their reward for service: "Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1) Even though we're looking at different Economies of God (Kingdom and Grace), we find Christ will judge and reward based on what his followers did on earth.
This issue of Christ judging the works of Christians was nothing new to the Corinthians. Paul had written about it in detail in his first letter to them. Again, I remind you of the importance of reading the entire context leading up to these verses.

"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
The context is divisions in the Corinthian church. Paul implores them to get their priorities straight and to see what's important and what's not. The Corinthians had their eyes on men. Paul directed their eyes to heaven to see God's purpose in their service. It's a good reminder for all of us.
Paul laid the foundation of the Christian Church, the Body of Christ. Others were building on that foundation (just like you and I are doing today). Paul used six examples of building materials known to the Corinthians: gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay and straw. Paul wrote that "the Day will bring it to light." The Greek is he gar hemera delosei . The article refers to a "day" of which the Corinthians were well aware. It was the day of Christ's judgment of believer's works. This was something Paul had taught the Corinthians during his ministry with them. That day of judgment would reveal each work. It would "test the quality of each man's work." One of the definitions of quality I like best is: "Quality is doing right things right the first time." That's what Christians should do every day: "right things right the first time." Do right things, not wrong things. Do them right. Don't do right things wrong. And do right things right the "first" time. We should make it our goal to do right things right the first time we do them.
Christ's Judgment is about testing the quality of Christians' works of service, not Christians' souls. Jesus took care of that judgment on the Cross. Paul never teaches that Christ judges believers to punish them. God punished our sins in Christ's body when He bled and died for us. What Christ will do at a future time is pass judgment on how we served Him. If we used the proper spiritual building materials, we will receive a special reward. If we used improper, worthless spiritual building materials in our service, we will suffer loss.
The one who suffers loss will be saved, "but only as one escaping through the flames." The Greek reads, outos de os dia puros . Barrett commented that "the preposition is to be taken in a local sense; that is, 'as one who dashes through the flames safe, but with the smell of fire upon him.'" The Christian who sees his works go up in flames will suffer terrible loss. I believe we will feel the loss deeply. It will hurt to see the glorious Savior in front of us and then see Him judge what we did for Him while we were on earth as "worthless." We will be saved. We will enter into the joy of the Lord. But we will also suffer loss. Christians who gave their best for Christ will receive a special reward from Christ.
Paul wrote the Corinthians about a prize and crown.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 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. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Notice that Paul is writing about a prize for which he "could" have been disqualified. Was that the prize of eternal life? Was it the prize of being with Christ forever as soon as he entered the Savior's Presence? Of course not. That would negate everything else Paul wrote about salvation. What Paul wrote about was a reward Christ will give to Christians who serve Him well on earth.
Paul wrote Timothy the same thing.

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules."
2 Timothy 2:1-5
It's all about "pleasing" our Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't care now about what the "reward" or "prize" or "crown" may be. What I care about is the fact that Jesus Christ humiliated Himself for me, took my sins on His Body on the Cross, rose from the dead for me, and saved my eternal soul forever. That's what I care about. It's about serving Christ from a gracious and loving heart; not because we're afraid of what will happen to us if we don't.
You mentioned that the young Bible student used Heb. 10:26-31; James 4:3-10; Gal. 5:19-23; Col. 3:23-25; Rev. 3:15-16; 1 Pet. 4:17-18; 2 Tim. 2:11-13, and other verses. Hebrews, James, Peter and Revelation were written to disciples of the Kingdom Dispensation. It's improper to place the rules and prophecies of one economy on another. It doesn't work. God never intended it to work that way. That's why Paul told Timothy to "rightly divide" the word of truth (KJV) and "correctly handle" the word of truth (NIV). It is the mixing, matching and mishandling of God's Word that leads to so much confusion today.
Galatians 5:19-23 is a reminder to Christians not to behave like the lost; like they did before they were saved. God gave them a new life and they should focus on it as their new lifestyle.
We dealt with Colossians 3:23-25 earlier. It deals with service to Christ and the future judgment of Christ about that service.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 deals with the struggle believers were having then and still have today and how God deals with us. It deals with the "endurance" of Christians. The "trustworthy saying" Paul mentions is pistos ho logos . That translates "Faithful or trustworthy is the word." The "word" to which he refers is the previous verse. "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." The word ei ("if") is the particle of a fulfilled condition. The word means, "in view of the fact." "Died with him" is in the aorist tense, which speaks of a past fact, not a present situation. The word "suffer" is hupomeno . It means to "endure, persevere." It means to persevere through the trials of being a Christian and to hold to one's faith in Christ. Paul's point is that even when we fail to endure and persevere, Christ "will remain faithful." Why? "For he cannot disown himself." Jesus gave us salvation as a free Gift. It's not something He will or even can take back just because we don't behave well or serve Him well. Christ will give rewards to those who do serve well and He will withhold rewards from those who don't, but Christ will not put His children, members of His Holy Body, through a torture chamber. Our future is secure in the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
The young student is wrong. He may have the right motive, but his interpretation of Scripture is wrong. He teaches that Christians should serve Christ out of fear for what will happen to them if they don't. Paul does not teach that. Christ wants us to serve Him out of love and appreciation for what He did for us on the Cross and what will happen to us when we receive our glorious new spiritual bodies in Heaven. That's what GraceLife is about: serving God because it's the greatest life on earth and it's the right thing to do!