The Judgment Seat of Christ
You might have thought that only nonbelievers would be judged. They will be, but that occurs at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20). That is the final judgment, and it takes place to show the nonbeliever why they are rejected from God’s presence in Heaven. (They rejected God’s offer of forgiveness).
Yet the Bible teaches there is a judgment for Christians as well (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Judgment Seat of Christ is different. It is not about whether or not you get to Heaven. (You are already in Heaven when it happens.) It is about the rewards you will receive.
“Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you” (Luke 14:14 NLT, see also Revelation 22:12).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ”
The word appear in 2 Corinthians 5:10 could be translated “to be made manifest.” This suggests that the purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ is the public manifestation and demonstration of the essential character and motives of the individual. We will not be judged en masse but individually.
“That each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”
Exactly what will be judged is laid out in 2 Corinthians 5:10. The word used for bad in this text is not speaking of something that is ethically or morally evil. Instead, it means “evil of another kind,” “good for nothingness” or “worthlessness.” In other words, it means the wasting of one’s time, energy, and life in general.
At the Judgment Seat of Christ, each of us will have to give an account of what we did with the life, gifts and calling that God gave to us. Speaking again of the Judgment Seat for Christians, Paul wrote:
“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 3:11–15 NIV).
This wood, hay, or straw Paul spoke of refers not so much to gross sin, but to placing greater importance on the passing things of this life rather than the things of God. You might be putting all of your energies into your career, a sport or hobby, or even watching TV—but all of these things will pass.
“If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward”
That treasure we stored up in Heaven (Matthew 6:20; see also Matthew 19:21) will bring us rewards (1 Corinthians 3:14 NIV). We would seem logical that the great men and women of faith will get all the awards. But we may be surprised by the award sweep of relatively unknown believers—those Christians who prayed behind the scenes, served others without expecting recognition, or anonymously gave of their resources, quietly doing what the Lord had called them to do.
Don’t worry about what God has called someone else to do. Concentrate on what He has called you to do. What may not seem very valuable or important now will be worth a lot more in Heaven.
