The Bema for Believers
Devotions for Growing Christians
The Bema for Believers
Romans 14:10-13 - “Why do you judge your brother? And why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written, "As surely as I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 - “Each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
1 Corinthians 4:2,5 - “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 - “So we make it our goal to please Him...For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
2 Timothy 2:11-13 - “Here is a trustworthy saying: "If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we disown Him, He will also disown us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”
In the ruins of ancient Corinth archaeologists have uncovered the ancient agora - the market place, or town square. At one side of this open stone-paved area is a large, rectangular stone-block platform or rostrum rising about eight feet above the pavement of the agora. This was the bema. Judges sat on the bema to decide civil litigation or to observe athletic contests. In fact, starting blocks for foot races have been found in the pavement of the agora, and it is believed that the runners would sprint past the bema as they completed their race. Wrestlers and other athletes may also have competed, or at least paraded, before the bema. The judges on the bema would assess how well the athletes had competed and who should receive prizes.
Many New Testament passages use athletic training and competition to illustrate the Christian life. In Romans 9:24-27, for example, the apostle Paul illustrates the fact that "competing well" in the Christian life requires strict training, discipline and self-denial. Hebrews 12:1-2 pictures a crowd witnessing a race, and encourages us as Christian "runners" to get rid of anything that would entangle us or hinder us from running well. In 2 Timothy 2:5 Paul tells us that athletes must compete according to the rules if they want to win. And at the end of his life, Paul says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race" (2 Timothy 4:7). Many similar references in the New Testament give Christians helpful illustrations of how to live our lives well.
What's the goal for the believer as we "run the race" of the Christian life? Is our goal to gain eternal life and enter heaven? No! We do not earn our way into heaven by living a “good” life! The Bible clearly teaches that we receive eternal life and a ticket to heaven at the moment we put our trust in Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior. Eternal life and heaven forever have already been secured for the believer - not by our good works, but by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus said that anyone who "hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
Notice that the Lord did not say "will have eternal life," but "has eternal life." Present tense. And He did not say "will cross over from death to life," but "has crossed over from death to life." Past tense. And notice that He emphasized these eternal truths by beginning His statement with, "Truly, truly, I say to you." In other words, the Lord was emphatic about the truth of His statement, and He wanted His listeners to have no doubts about it.
So the goal of our lives as Christians is not “living a good life to earn salvation.” The believer already has salvation - praise the Lord! The athletic illustration explains it. Believers are part of a new team! We are "competing" as representatives for our "new country" (Philippians 3:20). And the goal of our life's "race" is to "be pleasing to Him" (2 Corinthians 5:9). In whatever arena He places us, our lives should be lived in ways that will bring and joy and praise to our Lord Jesus!
Our Standing before God
The Bible clearly teaches that believers are eternally saved, and it also clearly teaches that every believer will stand before the heavenly bema for a review of ur lives. The Greek word bema is translated as “judgment seat” in our English Bibles, and the Lord's review of the earthly lives of Christians is translated as "the judgment seat of Christ." At His bema, the Lord Himself will assess how well believers have "run the race" by the quality of their commitment, obedience and service to Him.
Notice - the judgment seat of Christ is not the same as the "great white throne " judgment of unbelievers in Revelation 20. And it is not another name for purgatory. No! Purgatory is not found in the Bible. It’s an invented doctrine. However, the judgment seat of Christ is a doctrine that is clearly taught in Scripture. Romans 4:10 says, "We will all stand before God's judgment seat." So the purpose of the bema of Jesus Christ is not for purging away our accumulated sins. That was accomplished at the cross!
The heavenly bema is not planned to embarrass us or humiliate us with our shortcomings as Christians. And the bema is not a venue for exposing our hidden faults and failures before an audience of fellow-believers! (Whew!) The purpose of the judgment seat of Christ is to review our lives as Christians, so that "each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Running the Race
So there will be rewards in Heaven! The Lord will reward us for living faithful lives that are pleasing to Him. But these rewards are not material rewards. In this life we are so programmed to think in materialistic terms that we tend to think of heavenly rewards as being "bigger mansions" and "shinier crowns."
Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, the Greek word “crown” is not the golden crown worn by a king. It was a wreath of laurel leaves that was placed on the heads of victorious Greek athletes! The difference is very important. The athlete’s laurel leaf “crown” is won by running well! It’s not inherited by birth, as is a king’s crown. And a wreath made of leaves has no intrinsic value in itself. The leaves wither and die in a few days. What made the label wreath valuable was the honor of winning it by running well!
The Bible lists a number of "laurel wreath crowns" that will be awarded for faithful Christian living. A "crown of rejoicing" (1 Thessalonians 2:19) is a reward for winning and discipling souls. Shepherds and overseers who have faithfully pastored the flock of God will receive a "crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:4). The "crown of life" (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10) is a reward for believers who have endured trials and testings, even to the point of martyrdom. Believers who have faithfully "fought the good fight and finished the course," while looking forward to the Lord's return, receive a "crown of righteousness" ( 2 Timothy 4:8.)
Will believers who live unfaithful, negligent, selfish lives receive some kind of booby prize, or dunce cap to wear for eternity? No - but they will suffer loss. No reward. The Lord can't reward us for service that hasn’t been rendered. There are no rewards if we don’t run in the race.
Read 2 Timothy 2:3-13. It’s written to believers. The context is a discussion of living for Christ and serving Christ. If we deny our Lord by failing to live a life that is pleasing to Him, He will not deny us salvation - but He can’t give us a reward if we haven't done anything! Why not? Because He can’t deny His own just and righteous character. He must be faithful to His divine principles, and to the principle of reward for faithful living. He can’t reward lives whose primary goals have been earthly gain and selfish pleasure, with little consideration for pleasing Jesus Christ and furthering His kingdom.
Comparing heavenly awards at Jesus Christ’s bema with today’s athletics awards ceremonies is something we can easily picture. At an awards ceremony, those who have done well receive greater recognition. But you may have noticed that the coach always manages to find something complimentary to say about every member of the team! At an awards ceremony, even a small athletic achievement or a minor contribution to the team is noticed and mentioned, and even the bench-warmers are included in the team!
1 Corinthians 4:5 indicates that at the judgment seat of Christ every person will receive some praise from our Coach. However, think of the eternal regret we will suffer when we realize that we could have brought much more glory to our Lord and our "team" if we had been more dedicated and disciplined athletes. What sorrow we will experience if we spend our earthly lives lounging selfishly and negligently on the sidelines, when we could have run well in our life's race!
Besides the joy of sharing and enhancing the glory of God forever in heaven, the Bible seems to indicate that rewards at the judgment seat of Christ will also be related to our place in the future kingdom of Christ on earth. Revelation 20:6 says that during His future kingdom on earth we will be "priests of God and of Christ and reign with Him for a thousand years." The parable of the “minas” in Luke 19 suggests that our responsibility and authority in that kingdom is determined by how well and faithfully we serve Him now.
Surviving the Fire
Another illustration of rewards is given in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. Here the apostle Paul likens the reward system to constructing a building on a foundation that has already been finished. The foundation is Jesus Christ, and it has already been put in place for us. Throughout their live, all believers continually "build" on that solid foundation.
The point of the passage is that it matters how we build! The building materials we use, and the quality of our construction work will be reviewed or tested - for the purpose of reward (v13-14).
In the illustration, just as the quality of a building is seen if it is subjected to a fire, so the building quality of our lives will be tested. As gold, silver and precious stones would not be reduced to ashes by a fire, so lives that are "constructed" with quality materials (such as growth in the knowledge of God, fruitful service and Christ-like living) will remain, and will be rewarded. However, a life that’s constructed to gain selfish earthly goals is described as wood, hay and straw. What happens to those construction materials in a fire?
It's obvious. Lives constructed of worthless or inferior material - selfish ambition and worldly goals - will go up in smoke in the Lord's testing fire. Nothing will remain for reward. The size or importance of our earthly construction or accomplishments will be worth absolutely nothing if God's blueprints for our lives are ignored or set aside. How much will be left when your life's work undergoes the Lord's testing fire? How much will go up in smoke?
Remember, this is not the fires of hell. This is a testing fire. 1 Corinthian 3:15 assures us that those believers whose life's construction is burned up "will be saved, but only as one escaping through flames." What does that mean? Remember the story of Lot in Genesis 19? He was saved from Sodom “as one escaping through flames.” He escaped with his life, but his life's work in Sodom was completely consumed! Will you enter Heaven empty-handed - like escaping from a burning building, with nothing but the flame-singed clothes on your back? You will be eternally grateful that you're in Heaven, but to your great regret, you won’t get much reward. The Savior who died for you will not be able to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).
Making a Report
Perhaps the most awesome aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is the fact that each one of us will be required to give a "life's report" to the Lord Himself. Romans 14:12 implies that we won't just stand there - we will be asked to give an account of ourselves! What does the Lord want to see and hear as His people stand before His bema? Besides our reports of service to Him, He will want to hear that the fruit of the Holy Spirit was developed in our lives (Galatians 522-23). God wants to make us more like Jesus (Romans 8:29), so He's very interested in who we are becoming.
2 Peter 1:5-7 encourages us to make every effort to add to our faith goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v8). If we are “effective and productive in our knowledge of Christ," we will "receive an abundant welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (v11). Christian service will automatically flow from a life that is becoming more and more like Jesus! Are the qualities of His life increasingly seen in my life? Are my attitudes and actions becoming more like His? Is my report ready?
In Romans 14 the apostle Paul discusses the problem of judging or condemning our fellow-believers for the way they live their lives as Christians. Verse 12 says that "each of us will give an account of himself to God." In other words, we each will answer to the Lord for the way we lived our own lives. And he adds, since we won’t answer for other believers' then, we shouldn’t judge their lives by our own prejudices and opinions now! They will give their own account to God. Criticism and condemnation of others is a common but very serious fault among believers.
Notice: Judgment is God's prerogative! Monitoring and censuring other believers is a serious matter (v13), and if we do it we’ll have to answer for it at God's bema! It will be a required portion of our report. 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 indicates that all hidden matters will be revealed as the Lord examines our lives and points out how we may have wrongfully condemned others. So let's be careful not to censure our fellow-believers, because it's big in the eyes of our Lord! Romans 14:17 says that we should strive for "righteousness, peace and joy" with other believers, because "anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God."
Make no mistake about it, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There are no "byes" in this athletic review! However, the judgment seat of Christ is not meant to frighten us into doing "good works." It’s not the unbiblical concept of purgatory. It's not meant to produce an attitude of begrudging attempts to chalk up points with God. And it's not intended to pressure us into a Christian “performance mentality.”
The judgment seat of Christ is meant to motivate us towards our goal of becoming more like Christ, and a lifestyle of obedience and service for the Lord who died for us. As we look forward to the day when we will see Him, let's joyfully prepare a good report for Him!
- Dave Reid