All #ourCOG News 5.0
Introduction
One of the things I really enjoy doing with the ministry the Lord has blessed me with is answering questions of believers and unbelievers alike. The questions people have never cease to amaze me; most I have never even considered myself.
This QFTBOC (Questions from the Body of Christ) series are articles from these questions I have received and will be in a question and response format.
If you or someone you know has a question pertaining to the Word of God – theology, difficult passages, eschatology, etc. – I would really like to hear from you.
If I end up using your question, and you would like to have your name and/or place of residence listed on the question in the article, please specify with your submitted question; otherwise, if I use your question, it will be listed as “Anonymous.”
Regardless, I will make every attempt to answer every person’s question(s) in a response to the emails I receive. Depending on volume, it may be a little while until you hear back from me, but my intention is to respond to all inquiries.
Other articles in this series are:
QFTBOC: Civil Disobedience and Patriotism
QFTBOC: Memory – Fully Retained or Total Reset?
QFTBOC: Psalm 91, Protection, & God’s Will
QFTBOC: God’s Chastisement of His Children
QFTBOC: What’s Satan’s Problem?
QFTBOC: Can We Know Another’s Salvation?
QFTBOC: Childbirth Purification & Christ
QFTBOC: Peter & John at the Palace of the High Priest
QFTBOC: Living for Christ in a Dark World
QFTBOC: Family and the Afterlife
QFTBOC: Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel
QFTBOC: Salvation in the Tribulation
QFTBOC: ‘Age of Accountability’
QFTBOC: Why the Eternally Lost?
QFTBOC: “Enoch ‘Walked’ with God”
QFTBOC: Revelation 19:14 – Heavenly Horses
QFTBOC: Satan’s Temptation of Christ
Question
Good day to you, brother Mark!
I wanted to thank you for the articles that you post on Rapture Ready. They are very informative and well thought out. Your research is extremely admirable, and I appreciate the time and effort you put into them. May Almighty God continue to use the talents He gave you!!
On to my question.
I’m sure you may have addressed this before, but I want to know your thoughts on the Bema Seat judgement for believers. I know it is for rewards and not a salvation issue.
My question is this: Do you think or believe that believers will experience shame or regret at the Bema Seat?
I know there are numerous verses that tell us that our faces will not be covered with shame, but I wonder what we will possibly experience there.
The last thing I want is to be regretful or feel shame before our Lord.
I’m under the belief that He already knows what our roles will be in His millennial kingdom and beyond. But we don’t.
I have struggled with this for quite some time, and I just want to find rest for my spirit. I just feel like I’m not being very useful to and for Him, though I always pray that I would be every day.
I would welcome your thoughts, insights and prayers on the matter.
May you be blessed beyond measure by our Lord Yeshua in these final moments.
With brotherly love and respect,
Robert Mueller
Saginaw, Michigan
Response
Hi Robert,
It is such a blessing to hear from you again, my beloved brother. I cannot thank you enough for your kind and edifying words of encouragement. I truly appreciate your blessings, and I very much appreciate you and our friendship and fellowship we have developed over the last few years!
As a foundational truth of The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ, this judgment will occur immediately after the resurrection/rapture of the bride of Christ, which begins our seven-year marriage and subsequent Marriage Supper of The Lamb in heaven in the presence of the Father. Obviously, all who are at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ are saved because they were either resurrected (with their spirit/soul complex safe with Christ in heaven following their deaths) with their spirit/soul complexes united with their resurrected glorified bodies or raptured from Earth with their bodies instantly changed into glorified bodies, with both groups meeting the Lord in the air and escorted by our Lord back to heaven to be forever with Him.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus [those who have died with their spirit/soul complex awaiting the resurrection in Paradise in heaven] will God bring with him.
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18
In writing to Timothy and encouraging him before his martyrdom, Paul reminded Timothy that the Lord is the judge, and His judgment for each member of the bride of Christ will occur “at His appearing and His Kingdom.”
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom…” – 2 Timothy 4:1
Other passages that speak to The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ, other than our primary passage of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (which we will look at momentarily, include the following), are all penned by the Apostle Paul:
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 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.” – 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” – Colossians 3:24-25
“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.” – Ephesians 6:8-9
“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. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:10-12
Verily, all will indeed be giving an account unto our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, but for the born-again Spirit-indwelt believer, our salvation is forever secure.
Those Who May Be Ashamed at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ
In answer to your question, Robert, Scripture does indicate that there will unfortunately be many believers who will be ashamed at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ. Whether this judgment is individual and private in nature or individually evaluated in the presence of the body of Christ, in truth, we are not explicitly told.
One reason many born-again Spirit-indwelt believers may be ashamed at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ is that many of us have quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit at certain times in our lives, while others will regrettably grieve and quench the Holy Spirit on a regular basis.
Sadly, many Christians do not do those things the Lord has commanded them to do in their daily walk with Him and rarely please the Lord who bought them with His precious blood, which would obviously leave them ill-prepared for their judgment. This heart-rending truth, when the rapture occurs and The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ commences, I suspect, should utterly break their hearts with sorrow and regret for not willingly and lovingly applying themselves in pleasing their Savior in their short lives on Earth. They also did not do those things that the Lord would have them do.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10
What would some of these things be that the Lord would have His servants do?
In ‘If So Be That the Spirit of God Dwell in You’, we gave a list that I came up with in QFTBOC: Can We Know Another’s Salvation? that helps to show whether another person may or may not be saved, which includes items that all Christians should seek to accomplish in thankfulness and love for all their Lord and Savior has done for them:
- Dedication to Scripture reading.
- Denying of self and edifying other believers.
- Witnessing to the lost – The Great Commission.
- An obvious change in lifestyle and commitment to holiness.
- Professing Christ in audible and tangible ways.
- A genuine agape love disposition.
- An ability and willingness to forgive in all cases of being wronged or sinned against.
This is just a standard list of the things a believer should be displaying in their daily lives in their walk with their Lord.
If a born-again Spirit-indwelt believer is exhibiting the above characteristics in their lives – and they are doing them simply because of the love and thankfulness that they have for Jesus with a sincere desire to exalt Him – then the chances that they would ever be ashamed at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ are slim to none.
However, if a person is doing these things in order to be seen by men, in order to project a veneer of sacrificial service, then even these “works” will be burned up at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ because they did them not for the Lord but for themselves and to be seen by men. Their motivations were nothing more than a mirage, though they are still saved because they truly believe and are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Many of these Christians, but not all, would fall under the category of Carnal Christians.
Carnal Christians at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ
Here is what we had to say in Blameless and Shameless at the Rapture regarding Carnal Christians, and these would be those who may very well find themselves ashamed at the Bema Seat of Christ:
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Basically, Carnal Christians are true believers, but they live in and are led by their flesh and not by the Spirit.
In the same chapter, Paul goes on to explain the Bema Seat of Christ and their position – if they do not change, allowing their lives to be led by Christ’s Spirit – at Christ’s judgment for believers after the resurrection/rapture of the church regarding rewards or loss of rewards.
“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.” – 1 Corinthians 3:13-15
Carnal Christians, at the Bema Seat of Christ, will have their works burned up because their works were done in the flesh, in pleasing themselves and man, and not in the Spirit totally committed to pleasing God for all He had done for them. They “shall suffer loss” (of rewards they should have had, had they been led by the Holy Spirit and not the flesh), but “shall be saved, yet so as by fire.”
In one notable aspect, as there will be others to consider, he or she that “shall suffer loss [of rewards], but… shall be saved, yet so as by fire,” are among those who will be ashamed at the Lord’s coming for His bride.
“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” – 1 John 2:28
Those who “have confidence” will be greatly rewarded at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ for their genuine diligent service on the Lord’s behalf in thankfulness for their salvation and His eternal love for them “when He shall appear” for them in the resurrection/rapture of the church.
The Fire that will Try Men’s Works at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ
The “fire” that will try each person’s works for their rewards or loss of rewards will be Christ Himself, as the living Word of God, and the written Word of God.
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” – Jeremiah 23:29
“… all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” – Revelation 2:23
As Christ is God, we see Him in His glorified state with fire being His innate eternal nature. For instance, when Ezekiel saw the throne of God, he described it thusly:
“And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
“And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” – Ezekiel 1:26-28
When the Apostle John saw Christ in His glory, he described Him with the following words:
“And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
“And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” – Revelation 1:13-16
The Lord, as the Son of man, has “eyes… as flaming fire,” signifying His omniscience in knowing all things and seeing all things, with “His countenance… as the sun [which is a flaming ball of fire] shineth in his strength,” radiating Yeshua’s majesty and glory for all to behold.
As Paul stated…
“For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” – 1 Corinthians 4:4-5
Treasures in Heaven
Our Lord assured His disciples that their good works would earn them treasures in heaven.
Our Lord taught His servants to be salt and light in the world, let their light shine forth, never be angry with others, not to lust or commit adultery, not to take oaths, to resist evil and turn the other cheek, and to love their neighbors and even their enemies (Matthew 5:13-48). His disciples should also be giving alms to others, but never in the sight of or with the knowledge of men (as much as is possible), pray sincerely and in secret and not as a show for others, and fast without others taking notice (Matthew 6:1-8).
Then our Lord directed His servants to…
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21
Those treasures we cherish in this life will be evidence of where our heart is.
Desiring treasures in heaven should never be the sole reason for a believer to do good works, as that would be inauthentic, with those works being burned up at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ. Storing up treasures in heaven should always be earned without any thought to obtaining them because of a Saint’s reverent love for Christ and a sincere desire to honor and exalt the Lord and Savior to the world. We love and serve Him and love and serve others, not to obtain those heavenly treasures we would acquire by our good works, but because we are doing those things that give pleasure to the One we want to please with all our heart, soul, mind, strength, and being (Mark 12:30).
Rewards for the Spirit Indwelt Believer
Rewards for each member of the bride of Christ are often spoken of in the Word of God.
We love and serve our Savior with all of our hearts for all He has lovingly done for us, and in doing so, we shall “receive the reward of the inheritance” of everlasting life and an eternity within the Family of God.
“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:24
“Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” – 1 Timothy 6:19
Obviously, our Lord commanded us to share His glorious gospel with the lost – His Great Commission – and that noble and worthy service to our loving Lord will be very worthy of His rewards to us.
We will rule and reign with Messiah Yeshua in the Messianic Kingdom.
“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” – Revelation 2:25-27
For those whom the Lord will find to be faithful and wise servants at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ, Jesus will “make [them] rulers over all His goods… and rulers over many things”…
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh [the resurrection/rapture of the church].
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” – Matthew 24:44-47
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” – Matthew 25:21
… and a “good servant…. [that] hast been faithful [even] in very little” shall have “authority over… cities” in the Messianic Kingdom…
“And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.” – Luke 19:17
We will even get to sit on His throne!
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” – Revelation 3:21
Even our confidence in Christ Jesus and the salvation He provides for us and the patience we need in this life pays dividends for the believer!
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” – Hebrews 10:35-37
“Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” – 2 John 8
So, stay strong in the Lord, precious Saint, He is coming back for His bride!
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” – Revelation 22:12
Crowns for the Born-Again Spirit-Indwelt Believer at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ
Here are the crowns that are mentioned in Scripture, and each is obtainable by every member of the bride of Christ.
Crown of Glory
Those who shepherd our Lord’s flock will also “receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” – 1 Peter 5:4
Crown of Life
Enduring temptations in the believer’s life is worthy of a “crown of life” from our King to “them that love Him.”
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” – James 1:12
Persecuted martyrs for Christ Jesus will receive a “crown of [eternal] life.”
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” – Revelation 2:10
Incorruptible Crown
Believers who run the race with patience and “striveth for the mastery [and] is temperate in all things” will receive “an incorruptible crown.”
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” – 1 Corinthians 9:25
Crown of Rejoicing
For the soul-winning believer, those that have won others to Christ are a “crown of rejoicing” unto themselves.
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” – 1 Thessalonians 2:19
Crown of Righteousness
For those fighting the good fight, finishing their course, and keeping the faith in eagerly watching and waiting for the coming of their Bridegroom for His bride in the resurrection/rapture of the church, they will receive a “crown of righteousness” from our Lord and Savior!
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Crown of Gold
The 24 Elders will have golden crowns on their heads – whether them only or all believers in the body of Christ, we are not told – yet, as they will, we will most certainly do as well with our crowns by, “cast[ing] their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
“And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold… The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” – Revelation 4:4, 10-11
When it comes to you, Robert, do these crowns and rewards motivate you into holy and righteous living in our Lord and Savior? I have no doubt they do. I have every reason to believe that you would not be ashamed at The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ. Why do I say this? Because of your heart in asking and the fact that you obviously do not want to be ashamed. In fact, I am sure you do not realize it, but your kind and generous words of encouragement for me are a sign that you are sensitive to the Lord and His calling for you in your life.
But how? By sharing with me your kind and edifying words, you are actually fulfilling my prayers. You see, I will often ask that the Lord confirm to me that I am in His will with the ministry He has entrusted to me — and that is exactly what you and so many others have done when they write to encourage me with their gracious words, just as you have done!
And, again, the fact that you desire to be in the Lord’s will, not wanting to be regretful or ashamed before Him at His coming for His bride, is a great sign!
You shared that at times you do not feel like you are being very useful to the Lord, though you are in prayer that you can be used by the Lord. Yes, you may have missed opportunities to share the gospel with others, or share your testimony and witness, or a serving occasion here or there. We all have! When these situations happen, we must learn from those missed opportunities, buckle up our bootstraps, lift up our heads, walk out that door with a mission – Christ’s mission – and try again!
You are not alone in all of this, Robert. We all feel like this at times. But we must remember that the Lord does not evaluate us on quantity, but on quality. Our greatest roles for Him, this side of heaven, are learning more about His word in daily reading and studying, praying for others, loving and serving God, loving and serving others, and sharing the gospel with the lost. Are you doing these things in the best way you possibly can with the leading of the Holy Spirit and all for the glory of God? Then you are on track for many rewards!
This is one of the reasons that at the end of every article I write, I have the following petition for my beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, with the links to these articles that can help them in the Lord’s calling for their lives:
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
If you are in the Word of God daily and in prayer without ceasing, loving and serving the Lord, loving and serving others, and reaching the lost with the life-saving gospel of Jesus Christ – and you do these things only to know Him better and because of your great love for your Lord and Savior, and for no other reason – then how could you or any other believer who works the works of God ever be ashamed before the Lord at His Bema Seat Judgment? The believer who does these things will never be ashamed — they will be rewarded mightily!
So, please, if you are in the Lord’s will in this way, Robert, please do not keep struggling with this, and find rest for your soul, as you are doing just fine. Just keep growing in the Lord’s grace, understanding His mission for your life, and be the wonderful Ambassador for Christ that the Father called you to be.
And, yes, the Lord knows exactly what roles we will do for Him in His Messianic Millennial Kingdom, as we all will be Priests and Kings in that Kingdom, and this life prepares us just for that!
Thank you again, Robert, for your great question, your loving heart and desire to serve our Lord, your gracious words of encouragement and edification, and your wonderful friendship, brotherhood, and fellowship with me. I so much appreciate you, my beloved Brother in Christ!
[Another article that could be helpful on this topic of The Bema Seat Judgment of Christ is The Judgment Seat of Christ by David Cloud at Way of Life Literature.]
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
***
➢ Email: [email protected] – I would love to hear from you!
➢ If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ and are seeking answers about God, Jesus Christ, the gospel, and salvation, please email me at [email protected] for information.
➢ I am still taking questions for the Questions from the Body of Christ series. If you or someone you know has a question pertaining to the Word of God – theology, difficult passages, eschatology, etc. – I would really like to hear from you.
➢ To view my entire catalogue of articles, please visit my Home Page on FaithWriters.com.
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