1 Peter 4:5: Who shall give account to him\nthat is ready to judge the quick and the dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\nhave often made reference to a judgment in which Christians will participate,\nincluding rewards bestowed by the Lord. \nThe question has come us as to what rewards? What are their nature? How are they secured? When are they bestowed? In fact, what is this judgment event\nconcerning Christians? For the Biblical answers, we\nexamine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In context, the meaning\nbeing conveyed by Peter is that they should bear their trials and the\nopposition which they would meet patiently, not feeling that they were\nforgotten, nor attempting to avenge themselves; for the Lord would vindicate\nthem when he should come to judgment, and call those who had injured them to an\naccount for all the wrongs which they had done to the children of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For we who know Jesus\nas savior, the coming of Christ will be an occasion of jubilation for all\nsaints. When the graves are opened and the dead in Christ shall rise first and\nthe living saints shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the\nair, it will be a time such as attends the meeting of a bride with her\nbridegroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Believers never need\nfear a condemnatory judgment for sin. For every Christian this judgment is\nalready past. When Jesus comes again He will have in His body the marks of\ncrucifixion, and this will prove that the penalty for sin has been paid in\nfull. Our Lord reassures us by His own word: \u201cVerily, verily, I say unto you,\nHe that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting\nlife, and shall <\/em>not come into condemnation; but is passed from death\nunto life\u201d ( John\n5:24<\/a>). To this the Apostle Paul adds: \u201cThere is therefore now no\ncondemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus\u201d ( Romans 8:1<\/a>). Our souls rest forever upon\nthese eternal words of our God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet the Bible teaches\nclearly that all men, both living and dead, saved and unsaved, must give an\naccount to Christ. The Apostle Peter, in his great sermon in the house of\nCornelius, said \u201cthat it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of\nquick and dead\u201d ( Acts\n10:42<\/a>). Later, in his First Epistle (our primary test), Peter wrote that\nthe saints<\/em><\/strong> \u201cshall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick\n(the living) and the dead\u201d ( 1 Peter 4:5<\/a>). Those who were dead, those who have died\nsince or will have died, and the living must give account to Jesus Christ who\nis ready to judge all men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While all men will\nexperience judgment, not all men will be judged at the same time and place.\nThere are five future judgments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The Judgment Seat of\nChrist.<\/strong> The first of these will be the judgment of the believer\u2019s\nworks, called \u201cThe Judgment Seat of Christ.\u201d It is this judgment which is our\nprimary concern. But first, we shall\noutline the four future judgments that will follow the judgment of the\nbeliever\u2019s works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The Judgment of\nRegathered Israel.<\/strong>\n<\/em>In Daniel\n12:1<\/a> this judgment is called \u201cThe Time of Jacob\u2019s Trouble.\u201d It will\nbe the punishment of the Jews for their disobedience to God and their rejection\nof Jesus Christ. During the Tribulation Period and after the close of the\npresent Age of Grace, Israel\nwill pay for her sins, being afflicted with unprecedented misery and woe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. The Judgment of the\nLiving Nations.<\/strong> At the end of the Tribulation Period, after Israel has been\njudged, the nations of earth will be judged by Christ and His Church. This\njudgment will not be against individuals but against nations for their\ntreatment of the Jewish people. \u201cFor, behold, in those days, and in that time,\nwhen I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also\ngather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,\nand will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom\nthey have scattered among the nations, and parted my land\u201d ( Joel 3:1-2<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. The Judgment of\nFallen Angels.<\/strong> This is the final judgment against Satan and other fallen\nangels who will be judged with him. Immediately after the one thousand years of\nthe Kingdom Age, Satan and his hosts will meet their doom. \u201cAnd the angels\nwhich kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath\nreserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day\u201d\n( Jude 6<\/a>).\nAt that time we shall see the final fulfillment of that great prophecy in Genesis 3:15<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. The Judgment of the\nUnbelieving Dead.<\/strong> This is called the Great White Throne Judgment. After the\ncasting of Satan into Hell, the wicked dead will be raised to receive the final\nsentence of condemnation ( Revelation\n20:12-15<\/a>). No believer will be judged at that day as the final\njudgment is reserved for all who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ on earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first future\njudgment derives its name from two passages where the term \u201cJudgment Seat of\nChrist\u201d appears:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ ( Romans 14:10<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:10<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This judgment cannot be\nconfused with either of the other judgments because the Holy Spirit used a Greek\nword to describe the Judgment Seat of Christ that is peculiar and different\nfrom the Greek words used in connection with other judgments. Here the word\nused is bema. It appears in classical Greek to identify the judge\u2019s seat in the\narena of the Olympic games. The bema was the seat whereon the judge sat, not to\npunish contestants, but to present awards to the victors. When Christians stand\nbefore the bema of Christ, it will be for the express purpose of being rewarded\naccording to their works. There is no idea of inflicting punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Judge.<\/strong>\nOur Lord Himself said: \u201cThe Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all\njudgment unto the Son\u201d ( John\n5:22<\/a>). The Apostle Paul said to the Athenians that \u201cGod hath\nappointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man\nWhom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He\nhath raised Him from the dead\u201d ( Acts 17:31<\/a>). In this sense every judgment throne\ncan be considered as the judgment seat of Christ, for, as the resurrected Son\nof God, He has been appointed by the Father to be the Judge of all. However,\nthere is only one bema, <\/em>a throne erected for Christ for the purpose of\nawarding the prizes or crowns to the victorious saints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Christ is the\nJudge, and a time and place have been set for the judgment of believers, we are\nwarned against any attempt at judging each other in this life. \u201cWhy dost thou\njudge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all\nstand before the judgment seat of Christ\u201d ( Romans 14:10<\/a>). We are not judges. Therefore\nwe have no right to judge or to despise our brother. It is not possible for any\nof us to judge righteously and justly because we do not know the hearts of each\nother. Jesus warned His disciples: \u201cJudge not, that ye be not judged\u201d ( Matthew 7:1<\/a>).\nWe must exercise a careful discrimination in all matters, but our attitude is\nto be without censoriousness. We are expected to use our reason and the powers\nof discernment, but never to avenge, condemn, nor damn another. Because of our\nlimitations we come to wrong conclusions. Therefore we are to leave all\njudgment with the omniscient Judge who will judge righteously and accurately,\nbut never falsely. When Jesus comes, every Christian dead or alive, will be\nincluded in the great throng that will stand before the bema <\/em>of Christ.\nWe will be there, not merely as spectators or witnesses. The Holy Judge will\nnot need anyone to witness. In that day His word shall stand. \u201cHe knew all men,\nand needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man\u201d ( John 2:24-25<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Judged.<\/strong>\n<\/em>Only believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of\nChrist. In both verses where this judgment is mentioned ( Romans 14:10<\/a>;\n 2 Corinthians 5:10<\/a>),\nthe words are addressed to Christians only. All the wicked dead (unbelievers)\nwill be judged at the Great White Throne after the one thousand year reign of\nChrist on earth. But the subjects to whom the Apostle Paul addressed his\nmessages when he said, \u201cWe must all appear,\u201d were exclusively the saints of\nwhom Paul considered himself one. Someone will question the possibility of\nstanding room for the countless millions of saints, or another may question the\ntime element of such \u201can endlessly drawn out pronouncement of judgment upon so\nlarge a host of individuals.\u201d The Bible is silent on details as to the exact\nlocation of the place of judgment. Whether in Heaven or in the air we cannot\ntell. However, one thing is certain, as Henry W. Frost has said: \u201cA divine\njudgment need not take long.\u201d It is absurd even to conceive of a problem of\nspace when we think of the vast expanse in the heavens. \u201cIt is possible that\nthis judgment of the saints will be instantaneous, and that each Christian will\nrise into the air to enter at once into his proper place and appointed rewarding.\u201d\nIf there are problems regarding the exact location and the manner of this\njudgment, there are none regarding its certainty, \u201cFor we must all appear <\/em>before\nthe judgment seat of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us pause to read\ncarefully the Holy Spirit\u2019s message concerning Christian work and its rewards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For we are labourers\ntogether with God: ye are God\u2019s husbandry, ye are God\u2019s building. According to\nthe grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid\nthe foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how\nhe buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,\nwhich is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,\nprecious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man\u2019s work shall be made manifest:\nfor the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the\nfire shall try every man\u2019s work of what sort it is. If any man\u2019s work abide\nwhich he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man\u2019s work\nshall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as\nby fire ( 1\nCorinthians 3:9-15<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The great Apostle\nrefers to himself and all of his fellow-workers as \u201clabourers together with\nGod.\u201d This is a wonderful truth when we realize that God does not actually need\nany one of us to do His work. It is not necessary that He should consider us at\nall to carry His Gospel, for He can carry out the whole plan of salvation\nwithout us. He could send His holy angels to spread redemption\u2019s message, or He\ncould flash it across the skies to the visibility of every person in the\nuniverse, but He has chosen the believer to tell the story of His sovereign\ngrace and matchless love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The foundation for this\nwork is already laid, \u201cFor other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,\nwhich is Jesus Christ\u201d (verse 11). Now we are to build upon this foundation,\nand the work in which we engage ourselves must stand the test of the judgment\nseat of Christ if we are to receive a reward. \u201cEvery man\u2019s work shall be made\nmanifest . . . and the fire shall try every man\u2019s work of what sort\nit is.\u201d Many Christians who have labored humbly and prayerfully in the Spirit\nwill be rewarded, but that which was done in the energy of the flesh and which\nis merely called \u201cChristian work\u201d will be consumed by the fire of purging. \u201cIf\na man\u2019s work abide, he shall receive a reward. If a man\u2019s work shall be burned,\nhe shall suffer loss.\u201d \u201cWe shall be judged\u201d according to the secret motives and\nthe character of our work. If you cannot do all that you would like to do, be\nsure that whatever you do is of the right \u201csort.\u201d This means that if our work\nis of the right kind or character, we will receive a reward. Contrariwise, if what\na believer does is not of the right character, \u201che shall suffer loss: but he\nhimself shall be saved; yet so as by fire\u201d ( 1 Corinthians 3:15<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Jesus comes each\nbeliever will receive his or her just reward for service according to the\nmeasure and motive of our works. No rewards will be given by political\npreferment, but only in exact proportion to the genuine effort put forth. Parables\nof our Lord which should be studied in connection with Christian service are\nthe Unprofitable Servant ( Luke\n17:7-10<\/a>), The Rich (Luke 18:11-27), The Laborers in the Vineyard ( Matthew 10:1-16<\/a>),\nand The Talents ( Matthew\n25:14-30<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Apostle Paul says:\n\u201cThere is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another\nglory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also\nis the resurrection of the dead\u201d ( 1 Corinthians 15:41-42<\/a>). Every Christian\nwill be given a celestial body in the Resurrection, but these bodies will\ndiffer in the glory that each shall possess and enjoy in Heaven. Paul asks us\nto notice how the stars differ in glory, some shining with a greater brilliance\nthan others. Then he concludes: \u201cSo also is the resurrection of the dead.\u201d All\nbelievers will have glorified bodies, but there will be difference in glory\naccording to the measure of our diligence and devotedness to Christ and His\nwork. Each of the bodies of the saved will bear the glorified and heavenly mark\nof distinction, but the glory of some will differ from the glory of others. Our\ncapacity to serve in Heaven we will take to Heaven with us when Jesus comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behold, I come quickly:\nhold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown ( Revelation 3:11<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, behold, I come\nquickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work\nshall be ( Revelation\n22:12<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Judgment Seat of\nChrist will be a crowning day for those Christians who will receive rewards for\ntheir works. The New Testament teaches that these are called \u201ccrowns.\u201d There\nare five such \u201ccrowns\u201d to be given;<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The Incorruptible\nCrown<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em>\u201cAnd every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in\nall things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an\nincorruptible\u201d ( 1\nCorinthians 9:25<\/a>). Here Paul has in mind the athlete in the Roman\narena. Before the contest each participant practiced self-discipline, being\ntemperate in all things. There were doubtless many pleasures and pastimes that\nthe athletes might have entered into and enjoyed, but they denied themselves\nthese things in order to do their best. A crown awaited the victor. The\nincorruptible crown for the Christian is the victor\u2019s crown for those who keep\nunder the body and bring it into subjection. There are certain pleasures, worldly\namusements, manners of dress, and uses of cosmetics that interfere with one\u2019s\nprogress in spreading the Gospel and winning the lost to Christ. If I live\nvictoriously over all things, \u201cmaking no provision for the flesh to fulfill the\nlusts thereof,\u201d I shall gain the reward for a victorious life which is the\nIncorruptible Crown. If an athlete must subject himself to many months of rigid\ndiscipline and training to obtain a corruptible crown, how much more should we\nbring our bodies into subjection for a crown that is incorruptible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The Crown of\nRejoicing.<\/em><\/strong> \u201cFor what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are\nnot even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For ye are\nour glory and joy\u201d ( 1\nThessalonians 2:19, 20<\/a>). This is the soul-winner\u2019s crown. The first\nthing that a Christian should pray for and seek to cultivate is the desire,\nability, and wisdom to win lost souls to Jesus Christ. Paul was confident that\nwhen he would stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ the Thessalonian\nconverts would guarantee a crown for all those who shared in bringing them to\nChrist. Every time an individual is converted, there is joy in Heaven; but at\nthe day of the giving of rewards the soul-winner will be exceeding joyful when\nthose are presented to God whom he had won to Christ. What is our hope of\nreward as Christ\u2019s witnesses? The answer is in those who will be in Heaven\nbecause of our prayers, gifts, preaching, and personal work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. The Crown of\nRighteousness.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>\u201cHenceforththere is laid up for me a crown of\nrighteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:\nand not to me only, but unto them also that love His appearing\u201d ( 2 Timothy 4:8<\/a>).\nHere the character of the reward corresponds to the character of the Giver.\nBoth are said to be righteous. The doctrine of our Lord\u2019s return is regarded\nvery highly by God. In spite of the fact that Jesus said He would come again,\nthere are many people who scoff at the thought of Christ\u2019s appearing. This and\nkindred truths have brought suffering and hardship, and in some cases death, to\nthose who insisted on preaching and teaching them. But how wonderful to know\nthat God has prepared a special reward for all who look for that blessed hope,\nwho wait for His son from Heaven, and who love His appearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. The Crown of Life.<\/em><\/strong>\n<\/em>\u201cBlessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is\ntried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them\nthat love Him\u201d ( James\n1:12<\/a>). \u201cFear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold,\nthe devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye\nshall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give\nthee a crown of life\u201d ( Revelation\n2:10<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Crown of Life is\nreserved for those who have given all their lives for the sake of the Gospel.\nNot all of our Lord\u2019s witnesses have been called to suffering and martyrdom.\nNot all would be willing to pay with their lives to take the message of\nsalvation to the lost. How thoughtful and just our heavenly Father was when He\nprepared a martyr\u2019s crown for those who suffer persecution for Christ\u2019s sake!\nThough some of us will not receive the Crown of Life, we will rejoice with\nthose who refused to count the cost and have died proclaiming the Gospel of\nChrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. The Crown of Glory.<\/em><\/strong>\n\u201cFeed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by\nconstraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither\nas being lords over God\u2019s heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when\nthe chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth\nnot away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of\nyou be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth\nthe proud, and giveth grace to the humble\u201d ( 1 Peter 5:2-5<\/a>). There are many who have\nbeen called and ordained by God to preach and teach His Word. These are the\nundershepherds who care for the flock of God during the absence of the Chief\nShepherd. My brother-minister, let us give ourselves without ostentation to the\ncare of the sheep of His pasture, for the crown of unfading glory awaits us in\nthe day when the Chief Shepherd shall appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there is to be joy\nand rejoicing for those who receive the crowns, surely there will be\ndisappointment and sorrow for those who will not receive them. God keeps an\nexact record of the sins and works of His children. The record includes all of\nour motives and acts, our response to or our rejection of God\u2019s call to\nfaithful stewardship and service. When an unfaithful Christian hears and sees\nthe true record of his unfaithfulness; when he is reminded of the large sum of\nmoney he left behind, a portion of which could have been given to the spreading\nof the Gospel; when he sees how the cause of Christ has suffered because of his\nneglect and indifference when a Christian who has wronged his brother and never\nrepented of his sin sees that ugly deed dragged out of its hiding place, will\nthat Christian be unmoved by the revealing of his empty and wasted life while\non earth? Will there be no regret, no shame, no consternation? Listen once\nagain to God\u2019s immortal declaration: \u201cIf a man\u2019s work shall be burned, he shall\nsuffer . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Judgment Seat of\nChrist seems a necessity to the writer. Think of the believers, all members of\nthe body of Christ, who are divided because of differences. In organizations,\nin churches, and in families I have seen Christians who are not on speaking\nterms. People who were at one time very close and intimate friends are now\nseparated and a bitter feeling exists between them. Each blames the separation\non the other, and they continue on, trying to serve the Lord, but their\ndifference has not been adjusted. Now if our Lord returns before there is a\nreconciliation of such Christians here on earth, it is necessary that they get\nright with each other somewhere, for certainly they cannot continue on forever\nin holding hatred and animosity in their hearts. Heaven knows no such actions.\nHatred and unforgiveness is sin. Yet there is no sin in Heaven. Hence the\nnecessity of the Judgment Seat of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Judgment Seat of\nChrist is necessary because not one believer has received his reward for any\nservice he has rendered in this life. Often, and frequently at funerals, we\nhear it said that the departed one has gone to his eternal reward. This is not\nScripturally correct. The departed saints are with the Lord, but not one has\nreceived his reward as yet. We are not rewarded one by one at death. None of\nthe disciples nor the apostles has received his rewards yet, nor will he until\nJesus comes back and all saints are gathered together. Jesus said to the\nPharisee in whose house He had dined: \u201cThou shalt be blessed; for they cannot\nrecompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just\u201d\n( Luke 14:14<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Peter 4:5: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. We have often made reference to a judgment in which Christians will participate, including rewards bestowed by the Lord. The question has come us as to what rewards? What are their nature? How are they secured? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526,535],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAll\nMen and Fallen Angels are to be Judged<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Five\nSeparate Future Judgments:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Judgment\nSeat of Christ<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Christian\u2019s\nWorks Will be Tested <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Saints\nWill Differ in Heaven <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 Scriptural Comparison:\nThe Crowns or Rewards <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n