When you hear the term “The Judgment Seat of Christ,” what are your first thoughts? I have a little history (length of time saved and exposure to many different schools of thought), but I have to say that until this past Sunday, I never thought about this subject in such a positive and encouraging light.

One of our pastors who is an amazing teacher and often brings insight and understanding of basic Christian truths that many can embrace on a practical and tangible level spoke to our church on this subject last Sunday. All of us want to live out our faith as victorious, overcoming, joy-filled believers. However, some churches do not present a loving, kind, generous God who has amazing plans for those of us who have responded to the Good News of the Gospel. Therefore the word “judgment” automatically has a negative connotation with dread and perhaps even fear attached to it. 

There is a judgment to be feared for those who refuse to kneel to Jesus and allow Him to become their Savior and Lord. It is called the Final Judgment at the end of the age as we know it. That judgment was meant for the devil and his rebellious angels to be separated from the love and kindness of God because of their original rebellion and attempt to overthrow the Kingdom of our God. See Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15 for further understanding. It is the separation of the wicked and the righteous where every person will give an account of how they lived their lives. 

As believers, we recognize that Jesus Himself, the Lamb of God took our judgment for sin upon Himself with His crucifixion and death. Our sins were judged and paid for by Him at the cross. We are free from the penalty of sin – forever. 

There have been many periods and times where God judged a people group or situation scattered throughout the Old Testament. (The Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Egypt, the children of Israel, Israel’s enemies – to name a few) Some judgments will occur during the tribulation period in the future. (Revelation 6-16) 

As believers, we are encouraged to judge ourselves in this life. Scripture is full of admonitions to “walk circumspectly,” to allow the Holy Spirit to correct us, etc. They certainly tie in with the end results of our individual appointments with the Judgment Seat of Christ (the Bema Seat judgment) after we die. This is the time when our lives of faithfulness and service will be acknowledged and rewarded.

This is not a judgment to be feared but it is a time of acknowledging and rewarding our deeds as believers while here on earth. I have realized and believe that our time here on this earth is basically like “boot camp” – we are training for our future – our eternal, forever time after this time of testing and preparation. We are in preparation to rule and reign with Christ for the eternal ages to come! How exciting and amazing is that!  I have heard this taught before but never so clearly as this past week, causing me to be even more diligent with the remaining time I have left on this earth, to fully embrace my identity and purpose for being on this Earth at this time in history. 

God deposited within each one of us certain abilities and talents that He designed for each of us to use and multiply during our time on Earth. Just as in the parables of the talents, some are given more than others but each of us is expected to invest those talents so that they will multiply. The only person the master rebuked was the one who hid his talent because of his wrong perception of his master. The master judged him based on his confession and lack of understanding of the true character of his master. He hid his talent and did not even put it in the bank where it would have at least drawn interest. Fear drove him to be unwise and he paid the price by having his one talent taken from him. 2 Samuel 22:26-27 states: “With the merciful, You will show Yourself merciful: with the blameless, You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure, You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious,  You will show Yourself shrewd.” 

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 states: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to the Lord. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Ephesians 2:10 declares that “we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Sunday we were left with a challenge – to ask the Holy Spirit how we can multiply the gifts He has given us – then to obey and be faithful, in the little, so that He can make you the ruler over much. That is an individual challenge each of us must embrace for ourselves. We must identify the areas in our lives that the Lord has gifted us or empowered us in, and then we must find ways for those gifts to be manifested upon the earth to bless the lives of others. 

Our salvation is secure – it is a gift from God – totally. 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 of works, lest any man should boast.” Our righteous works are a result and outworking of our embracing our salvation by showing our gratitude. Grace is undeserved kindness but it is also a force – it is the power to live our lives bringing glory and honor to our God by our good works. 

One commentary I read concerning the Judgment Seat for believers uses the scripture from 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 and sheds some light on our being rewarded for our righteous acts. If we build our lives on the firm foundation (Jesus) with wood, hay, and stubble – selfish works or works done with wrong motives, they will be burned up. If however we build with gold, silver, and precious stones – works that have lasting value, they will be rewarded with what the Bible calls crowns (Revelation 3:11) by the One who is “not unjust, for he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him.” (Hebrews 6:10)

I hope this short article will inspire you to become the best version of yourself! That will bring so much pleasure and glory to the Lord.  You will be satisfied at the end of your earthly life to hear Him say “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25:23)