JUDGMENT - OF THE BELIEVER'S WORKS

The Judgment of the Believer's Works

(See passages on examination of the Church to follow).

 

The Subjects of this Judgment: 2 Cor. 5:10 those who are truly saved.
"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."
Time: 1 Cor. 3:10-15, 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 22:12 at sometime between the translation of the Church and the Marriage.
"According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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."
"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Place: 2 Cor. 5:10  The Bema Seat - not the throne of His glory.
"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."

Basis: 1 Cor. 3:12-13 The enduring quality (kind) of works. Here in this passage are plenty of works, but some will be burned because they have no enduring quality.
"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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."

Results: 1 Cor. 3:14 - Receive a reward.
"If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward."

1 Cor. 3:15 - Suffer loss. This last verse does not excuse a sinful life. At this point Paul is talking about service.
"If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

These words describe a possible condition of a saint of God in the Day of final testing. The subject is one of service. That of life is not in view except as in some senses that is always involved in service. As we have seen, the saint of God is in fellowship with the Lord in responsibility. That means work; and Paul here deals with it under the figure of building upon the foundation. All such building is to be tested by fire. That which is true and precious will be made more beautiful by the fire. That which is false and unworthy will be destroyed by the fire. When that is so, the man himself will be "saved, get so as through fire." His ultimate salvation will be secured by the destruction of his work. Can anything be more calculated to give us cause in our work? What are we building? That is, what sort of material are we laying upon the foundation? The things of gold, silver, costly stones, are the things of eternity. Those of wood hay, stubble, are those which are only of time. When the saints of God are tempted to forget the spiritual and eternal implication and application of all they do, they are in danger of doing work which must be destroyed in order that they may be saved. We are humbled by the grace which will destroy our unworthy works to save us are constrained thereby to take how we build.