Graduation
ceremonies are filled with mixed emotions. Tears flow because old friends will
be separating and going different directions. But at the same time there is
a sense of relief that it's over. You've passed! Still others sit through the
ceremony nervously awaiting to see whether they will be awarded a scholarship
or other social award.
Having attended numerous graduations, l have made several observations which
are pertinent to our subject at hand. For example, the only people who are in
the ceremony itself are the graduates. Everyone who walks up on the platform
has completed his or her requirements for graduation. In addition, each graduate
wears a gown to indicate that he is a candidate for graduation. Futhermore,
every graduate receives some honor. It may be a diploma or it might even include
a scholarship or special award of achievement. I've also observed that each
graduate leaves a former lifestyle (student in high school or college) to advance
toward a more productive lifestyle (high school to college or work, college
to the work force, etc.). In addition, each graduate leaves his known world
to advance into the world of the unknown.
What I've observed in graduation ceremonies can be related to the Bible's prediction
of a super graduation day. Scriptures refer to this commencement as the judgment
seat of Christ. However, before you examine what this judgment is, first understand
what it is not.
A. MISCONCENIONS CONCERNING THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
1 . The judgment seat does not determine who makes it to heaven.
Like the graduation ceremony, it is for graduates only. The judgment seat of
Christ is for believers only
a) How does Paul describe the believer's position (
Romans
8:1)?
b) What does Jesus say about the believer (
John
5:24)?
2. The judgment seat of Christ is not a place to punish believers for unconfessed
sin.
a) How many of the believer's sins does God remember (
Hebrews
10:17)?
b) What dees John say each believer can have in the day of Christ's judgment
seat (
1
John 4:17)?
The judgment seat of Christ is neither a determination as to who makes it to
heaven nor a judgment of believers' sins. What then is this future phenomenon?
B. THE MEANING OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
The New Testament uses two words for judgment. One Greek word is criterion,
from which our English term "criterion" is derived. The criterion is the standard
by which judgment is given or the place where judgment is given. This word is
used in
1
Corinthians 6:24 and
James
2:6.
The second word for judgment is the Greek word bema. L. Sale-Harrison in his
book
Judgment Seat of Christ describes the bema, in the following manner:
In Grecian games in Athens, the old arena contained a raised platform on which
the president or umpire of the arena sat. From here he rewarded all the contestants;
and here he rewarded all winners. It was called the 'bema' or 'reward seat.'
It was never used of a judicial bench (p. 8).
Therefore, when the Bible refers to the judgment seat of Christ, it focuses
on rewards for service rather than on punishment for sin. It is the place where
Jesus Christ will honor those who have honored Him on earth. It resounds with
the words,"Well done, good and faithful servant."
C. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
The Bible refers to this event in about a dozen passages, but three major passages
provide the basic teaching on this subject:
Romans
14:10-12,
1
Corinthians 3:10-15, and
2
Corinthians 5:6-10.
Read each passage and respond to the questions under them.
ROMANS
14:10-12
1. How should we treat fellow believers in light of the fact that we will stand
before the bema seat?
2. How many believers will be at this bema seat?
1
CORINTHIANS 3:10-15
1. What metaphor is Paul using?
2. What foundation is Paul referring to?
3. The apostle presents six kinds of building materials. But he divides them
into the destructible and the indestructible. Which are which?
Destructible Indestructible
a) a)
b) b)
c) c)
4. Name five works that you would consider destructible. Why?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
5. Name five works that you would consider indestructible. Why?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
6. Does a person lose his salvation if his works are destroyed? Explain.
7. What loss would he suffer?
The destructible works are primarily those which are done in the power of the
flesh or with the motive of self-glory. The works themselves may be good, but
if they are for the wrong purpose or with the wrong motive, they will perish.
FURTHER REFERENCES
1. What three good works does Jesus warn about doing for self-glory (
Matthew
6:2,5,16)
a)
b)
c)
2) What other good works were being performed with a selfish motive (
Matthew
23:15,23,25,29)?
a)
b)
c)
d)
The indestructible works are those done in the power of God s Holy Spirit for
His glory and honor. How do the following passages describe such works?
3.
1
Corinthians 10:31
4.
John
15:8
5.
Matthew
5:16
Though no one knows for certain what each building material represents, several
Bible commentators have suggested some possibilities. For example, Dr. John
F. Walvoord has written in his book T
he Church in Prophecy, "Wood obviously
is the best construction of the three and may represent temporary things in
our life of a necessary nature as scaffolding in the construction of a building
. . .Hay represents that which is more transitory, useful for animals but not
fit for human consumption. Stubble represents that which is completely worthless.
All alike, however, are reduced to ashes."
"By contrast, the gold, silver and precious stones, though much smaller in size
and more difficult to obtain, are able to survive the fire. Gold in Scripture
is typical of the glory of God and the perfection of His attributes and may
represent that in our lives which is Christlike or which reveals the perfection
of God's handiwork and grace. Silver is characteristically the metal of redemption
and may speak of personal evangelism and of efforts in the extension of the
Gospel. Precious stones are not identified and probably purposely are not related
to any particular stone. This seems to refer to all other works of God manifest
in the life of believers offering a great variety of beauty and color and illustrating
that believers may serve the Lord in many different ways'' (p. 149).
2
CORINTHIANS 5:6-10
1. What should be the Christian's greatest ambition in life?
2. How does Paul express the purpose for the judgment seat of Christ?
The words "good" or "bad" do not refer to that which is morally good or evil,
but rather to that which is either profitable or worthless. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost
comments, ''Thus the judgment is not to determine what is ethically good or
evil, but rather that which is acceptable and that which is worthless. It is
not the Lord's purpose here to chasten His child for his sins, but to reward
his service for those things done in the name of the Lord" (Things to Come,
p. 223).
SUMMARY
In this chapter you've learned that the judgment seat of Christ is somewhat
like a universal graduation. This great event is for believers only, who will
be arrayed in white robes to receive the honor due them. Some will experience
great honor while others will be honored by the fact that they are present at
the bema seat. Each believer has left the world of the known and passed into
the world of the unknown-into the heavens.
You've further discovered that the believer is not at the bema seat to be convicted
of past sins, but rather to be rewarded for what he has done, whether his life
has demonstrated profitable or worthless works. All deeds which are motivated
by fleshly interests will perish, but those motivated by godly interests will
survive.
The next chapter will expand on this strategic event. You will learn about the
specific rewards and the process God uses to test your works. But before you
read on, pause at this moment and reflect on what you've learned and how it
applies to you.
•