SPELLING EDITED J-45. WHAT is the JUDGMENT SEAT of CHRIST? Some of my readers have asked me what is the Judgment Seat of Christ? And the question has also been asked about do Christians receive REWARDS other than the gift of eternal life in the world to come? I might add that there are some Christians who believe that once a person is drawn by God to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit to become a TRUE BORN AGAIN Christian then they can no longer lose their salvation. In other words, some Christians believe that once a person is saved they are always saved but they CAN lose their rewards if they die in their sins. Please read the study “IS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL?” for all the verses that prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that the eternal security doctrine is not sound Biblical teaching. The question at hand in this study is WHEN IS the Judgment seat of Christ? And basically do we, as good and faithful Christians, also receive REWARDS other than our reward of eternal life in the world to come. Well, the short answer is that we receive rewards, blessings, and benefits both NOW in this PRESENT world and in the world to come. In other words, we receive rewards, in this present world, AT the coming of Jesus, DURING the 1000 year reign of Jesus AND in the ages to come when God creates a new heaven and a new earth. Let us begin by reading the verses with the word “BENEFITS” in them. Benefits Psalm 68:19. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalm 103:2. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:” Psalm 116:12. “What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits toward me?” From these verses, we can see that God’s people have many BENEFITS. And in some cases, not all these benefits are automatically received. In other words, they are received BY FAITH just like we are saved BY FAITH. One such benefit is healing. Please read the study “IT IS ALWAYS GOD’S WILL TO HEAL YOU!” Plus there are many more benefits of being a Christian that can be received and enjoyed DAILY. We can have PEACE in time of trouble. We can have full ASSURANCE that we are saved and many more, too numerous to list in this study. What about God’s BLESSINGS? Most Christians agree that God blesses them now in this present world. So then, a blessing of God is indeed a benefit that we receive now in this present world! Does a blessing require some good work first and then one is rewarded with a blessing. Let us find out from the Scriptures. BLESSINGS Please read 1 Peter 3:9. “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing.” So it seems that the opposite of this is true meaning that if a Christian seeks revenge that they will NOT inherit a blessing from God either in this life nor in the world to come. We reap what we sow. Therefore if we BLESS others, then we shall be BLESSED. But we are NOT to expect the blessing to be returned to us from the person we bless. In other words, it may take some time of you being good to someone before their goodness is returned to you but in the meantime, God will cause a harvest of good things from other people sowing goodness in your life. Jesus also teaches us about laying up TREASURES in heaven. Let us see what the Scriptures say about treasures. Treasures Matthew 19:21. “Jesus said unto him, If you will be perfect, go and sell that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Mark 10:21. “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatsoever you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Well, not many Christians are called to sell all that they have and give it to the poor but I would say that many are willing to do this if they were called to go into fulltime ministry to travel and never have a home of their own. So, in my opinion, Jesus should have called this a SPECIAL treasure in heaven, for you see, the way I see it, only a few will attain this treasure or reward. Jesus also taught about making the treasure in our HEART to be a GOOD treasure so that we will speak forth GOOD things into our life. Please read “THE POWER OF OUR WORDS!” for all the verses on confessing good things. But for now please read. Matthew 12:33-37. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34. O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words, you shall be condemned.” Some Christian may not be aware that some of the bad things happen to them are because they BELIEVE that they will happen to them. Again read the above study to see if negative confessions do indeed come to pass in many instances. How about GIFTS. Would gifts be considered a reward or simply a gift? I mean do not we as parents REWARD are children with GIFTS for their good behavior? Why would our Heavenly Father be any different? Gifts John 4:10. “Jesus answered and said unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.” Acts 2:38. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 8:20. “But Peter said unto him, Your money perish with you because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” The gift of God cannot be purchased with MONEY. Acts 10:45. “And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 11:17. “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?” Romans 1:11. “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established;” Some gifts of the Holy Spirit including the gift of the Holy Spirit can be imparted by another believer who HAS the Holy Spirit and or that particular gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, by the laying on of hands, a Christian who has been FILLED with the Holy Spirit can impart the gift of the Holy Spirit to another Christian. Another example of imparting a gift of the Holy Spirit is when a woman touched the hem of the garment of Jesus and Jesus FELT virtue or power leaving his body. That is how Jesus knew that someone was healed. Another way is by FAITH. A Christian may say, receive you the Holy Spirit and if other Christians believe then they will be filled with the Holy Spirit. But please understand that there is a DIFFERENCE between receiving the gift of healing form HAVING the gift to HEAL others. Every Christians can pray the prayer of FAITH from someone to receive healing but every Christian does not have the GIFT of healing people. Having the GIFT of healing is more like having a CALLING of God on you to heal others. Healing would be your SPECIALTY so to speak. The Holy Spirit will lead those who have the GIFT of healing to those who need healing and who are READY to RECEIVE healing. This does not mean that a Christian who has the gift of healing should not pray for others to be healed when they are not specifically led to those people. But rather it means that Christians who have the GIFT of healing will KNOW when they are being lead to certain people to heal them. But the gifts that we will cover first in this study are the general gifts for ALL believers. And then we will discuss briefly some of the specific gifts that the Holy Spirit decides or as the Holy Spirit WILLS. Romans 5:15. “But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” Romans 5:16. “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.” This means that DEATH, the wages of sin, entered the world because of ONE sin. But the FREE GIFT of salvation is given to redeem MANY sins, as in, ALL your past sins. Romans 5:17. “For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Some people like the Mormons are ignorant of this truth that true born again Christians receive the GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS the very moment a person receives Jesus as their savior by repenting and confessing their sins and believing the word of God that they are forgiven and never to be remembered against them. Please read the study “WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?” Roman 5:18. “Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” It is important to understand that God has already given the free gift of salvation to EVERY single person BUT that does NOT mean that every single person will be saved. And in the same way, not every Christian will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as the gift of healing others or the gift of discerning evil spirits. We are to SEEK the gifts of the Holy Spirit but every Christian can receive healing and also heal others in the power of the name of Jesus. Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:7. “So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:” This is speaking of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 7:7. “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man has his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.” 1 Corinthians 13:2. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” 2 Corinthians 1:11. “You also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.” This is a financial blessing or it can be a help as a service even something as small as someone opening a door for you. 2 Corinthians 8:4. “Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” 2 Corinthians 9:15. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Ephesians 2:8. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” In truth, all three things are the GIFT of God. GRACE is the GIFT of God, FAITH is the GIFT of God and SALVATION is the GIFT of God. If anyone of these things were our own then there would be room for boasting or jealousy and envy. Ephesians 3:7. “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.” It is God who places in the body in the place where he chooses. When a believer exalts themselves to a certain place in the body then it does not always work out as a blessing to the body of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:7. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” This means we all have the same access to the same grace with no limit for any of us to the amount of grace we receive. Please read the study “WHAT WAS PAUL’S THORN IN THE FLESH?”, which teaches that Grace is far more than just an unmerited favor. Grace is POWER to overcome. Philippians 4:17. “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” Paul is teaching us that receiving a blessing from others brings God’s blessings to them that give cheerfully out of love to others. In other words, it is not always the MOTIVE of a pastor to receive a financial gift when he or she TEACHES about being a cheerful giver. 1Timothy 4:14. “Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” This teaches us that we must stir up and USE all the gifts of God but more specifically the gift of the Holy Spirit to pray in other tongues. Please read the study “STIP UP THE GIFT THAT IS WITHIN YOU!” 2 Timothy 1:6. “Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands.” In my own opinion, this means to stir up the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. So again, please read the study “STIR UP THE GIFT THAT IS WITHIN YOU!” Hebrews 6:4. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” This is speaking of receiving the Holy Spirit and then going back to any religion other than true Christianity. James 1:17. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” And every bad gift is an oppression of the Devil. 1 Peter 4:10. “As every man has received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” This can mean any blessing, any spiritual gift, any talent, and even your own personal testimony should be used to bless others. Esteem others more than yourself. If you hate going to church or church is boring then BECOME the church and minister to others. So we saw from these verses that some gifts are given as rewards but in the case of spiritual gifts, they cannot be earned. We can pray for and seek them as we should but they are given as the Holy Spirit chooses. Be faithful in small things does play a part. Now let us see what the Bible says about REWARDS.
Rewards Matthew 5:12. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:46. “For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same?” Matthew 6:1. “Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise, you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 6:2. “Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have the glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Matthew 6:4. “That thine alms may be in secret: and your Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:5. “And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Matthew 6:6. “But you, when you pray, enter into thy closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.” Matthew 6:16. “Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Matthew 6:18. “That you appear not unto men to fast, but unto your Father which is in secret: and your Father, which sees in secret, shall reward you openly.” Matthew 10:41. “He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.” Matthew 10:42. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Matthew 16:27. “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Mark 9:41. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” Luke 6:23. “Rejoice you in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” Luke 6:35. “But love you your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Luke 23:41. “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing amiss.” Acts 1:18. “Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” 1 Corinthians 3:8. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.” 1 Corinthians 3:14. “If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” 1 Corinthians 9:17. “For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” 1 Corinthians 9:18. “ What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.” Colossians 2:18. “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,” Colossians 3:24. “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” 1Timothy 5:18. “For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward.” 2 Timothy 4:14. “ Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:” Hebrews 2:2. “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;” Hebrews 10:35. “Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which has a great recompense of reward.” Hebrews 11:26. “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” 2 Peter 2:13. “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;” 2 John 1:8. “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” Jude1:11. “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” Revelation 11:18. “And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward unto your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.” Revelation 18:6. “Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she has filled fill to her double.” Revelation 22:12. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is WITH me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” So then, from these verses, we can see that we receive rewards in this present world as well and that the rewards laid up in heaven are received AT the second coming of Jesus according to Revelation 11:18 and Revelation 22:12. Revelation 11:18. “And the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the TIME of the dead, that they should be judged, AND that you should GIVE REWARD unto your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.” Revelation 22:12. “And, behold, I come quickly; AND my REWARD is WITH me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” And in Revelation 18:6 we can see that one of our rewards will be to help Jesus execute vengeance upon the wicked what they have done to the Christians and the Jews. Revelation 18:6. “Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she has filled fill to her double.” Now I personally do not believe that we shall all have our own “mansion” to live in but God does promise us a CITY to dwell in which I believe is the New Jerusalem. Please read the study “THE POWER AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER”, which is the true sound Biblical meaning of our mansion that we should be dwelling in NOW in this present world. Hebrews 11:10. “For he looked for a CITY which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:16. “But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a CITY.” Hebrews 12:22. “But you have come unto mount Sion, and unto the CITY of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” Revelation 3:12. “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the CITY of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Revelation 21:2. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:10. “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,” Revelation 21:23. “And the CITY had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Revelation 22:19. “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” So a sure way of losing everything is to add or take away from the book of prophecy. Some interpret this verse to mean that this WARNING is only for the book of Revelation. But I say are YOU willing to take that chance and add or take away from the rest of God’s word? The question was also asked what is the difference between the Judgment seat of Christ and what some Christians call the great white throne judgment? In short, the judgment seat of Christ is ONLY for those of us who are IN Jesus Christ at his second coming before the Millennium which is WHEN we faithful Christians receive our rewards along with the gift of eternal life. Another reward we receive is to rule and reign WITH Jesus over the mortals on the earth. The great white throne judgment takes place at the end of the Millennium after Satan is loosed to deceive the nation one final time to make war against God’s people. The final part of God’s wrath will come down out of heaven to destroy those making war and then comes the final resurrection and then the final judgment. ANOTHER book of life is opened and anyone NOT found in this book of life is cast into the lake of fire to be destroyed. No mention of rewards but we can assume that the righteous who choose Jesus during the 1000 year reign of Jesus will receive eternal life because death and hell are also cast into the lake of fire to be destroyed. Please read Revelation 20:7-15. “ And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and ANOTHER book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which was in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which was in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Thanks for reading and may God bless and keep you so that you receive your FULL REWARD in the name of Jesus. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT |
|
|