How God Will Judge

So according to 1 Corinthians 3 and host of other scriptures, God will judge (1) our works, (2) our words, (3) every secret thing, and (4) the heart.  The question now to consider is HOW God will judge?  In what manner will this judgment seat of Christ be carried out?

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 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. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be BURNED, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by FIRE.

It is obvious from the passage that our works will be tried by – FIRE.

Now, I am a Bible literalist.  I believe that unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, what we read in the word of God is to be taken literally.  Which means I have no reason to believe that the fire of 1 Corinthians 3 – the judgment seat of Christ fire – is not a literal, burning fire. 

No explanation is given as the source of the fire, the size of the fire, the location of the fire, how our works pass through the fire, etc.  But there are some very interesting cross references that connect fire and judgment to a couple different things. 

What God Will Judge

The next stop in this study of the Judgment Seat of Christ is 1 Corinthians 3.  Here the phrase is not mentioned, but the event is described in greater detail.  This passage will form the basis for a deeper consideration of three points relating to this judgment:

1.  What God Will Judge

2.  How God Will Judge

3.  The Outcomes of this Judgment

Accepted of Him -- Part 2

Lessons learned from 2 Corinthians 5 regarding the judgment seat of Christ:

1.     We know, we have absolute confidence that we are on our way to heaven (vv. 1, 6, 8).

2.     So we’re laboring, not to get saved, but to live acceptably before the one who saved us (v. 9).

3.     This will only be possible if we walk by faith, believing the word of God (v. 7).

4.     Whether or not our works were acceptable to God will be revealed at the judgment seat of Christ (v. 10), where we will be rewarded or suffer loss, accordingly.

One more point to make from this chapter.  The very next verse (11) says:

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.

Accepted of Him -- Part 1

2 Corinthians 5:10 contains the second direct New Testament mention of the judgment seat of Christ.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Here’s what we have in the verse:

1.  We MUST all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (cr. Hebrews 9:27).

2.  The reason – to be rewarded for our deeds (cr. Ezekiel 12:14; Jeremiah 17:10).

3.  The first word of the verse – and this is what we’d like to focus on – is For…  What that means is that the statements of verse 10 are made to explain or give the reason for something else that is stated in the chapter.

Let’s start all the way back in verse 1 to find out what that is.

Giving Account to God -- Part 4

From Romans 14 and its cross references, we have garnered the following points, as they relate to the Judgment Seat of Christ:

I.  EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT

II.  EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF

III.  EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD

IV.  GOD DOES NOT GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO US

Before we move on to the next New Testament passage on the Judgment Seat of Christ, there are three specific things for which the Bible says God will hold us accountable.  These are worthy of special mention:

A.  Our Influence

B.  Our Authority

C.  Our Words

Giving Account to God -- Part 3

Romans 14:10 is one of only two verses in scripture to specifically mention the judgment seat of Christ.  The passage's description of that judgment in verse 12 has led us to consider the following points:

I.  EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT

II.  EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF

III.  EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD

There are two additional points that we should make along these lines.  In addition to the acknowledgement that we will all give an account TO GOD, there are some scriptures that direct us to the helpful realization that:

IV.  GOD DOES NOT GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO US

Giving Account to God -- Part 2

Romans 14:10-12 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…So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Let’s break down this statement.

I.  SO THEN EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT

What does it mean to give account?  Consider this example from Luke 16:1-2 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Giving Account to God

The first passage we will study that specifically mentions the judgment seat of Christ is Romans 14:7-13.

Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 

I always thought that this verse was speaking to the influence my actions have on those around me.  That’s a valid application of the statement that doesn’t violate the text and is supported by other scriptures, but if you examine the context (2 Peter 1:20), that’s not the meaning here.  Verse 7 is defined by verse 8.

Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 

Eternal Perspective

The objective of entering into a study of the judgment seat of Christ is to influence Christians to live a life now that will matter for eternity; to live a life now that will count for something at the judgment seat of Christ; to approach people and places and situations and decisions with an eternal perspective.  That is the theme of this second introductory lesson.

I.  GOD CALLS US TO AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

The Judgment Seat of Christ: Groundwork

One of the most important, if not the most important event in the future of every believer is an event referred to in the Bible as “the judgment seat of Christ.”  The actual phrase is used only twice in scripture (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10).  A detailed description of the event is found in 1 Corinthians 3.  And as we will see as we study this topic in a series of posts throughout the coming weeks, there are many passages that deal with the various aspects of this final judgment for believers. 

Before we jump into the scripture in search of truth regarding the day when our works as Christians will be judged by the Lord, it is necessary to lay some groundwork.