“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. He stresses that as long as we remain in our earthly body, we are absent from the Lord, but as soon as we die, and are thus absent from our earthly body, we enter into the presence of the Lord. This wonderful promise is guaranteed by the presence of His Holy Spirit in our hearts (vs. Here Paul, writing to believers, describes the new bodies that God has prepared for us, “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (vs. The apostle Paul mentions the judgment seat of Christ again in II Corinthians 5:1-10. Romans 6:23 teaches that the wages or payment of sin is death, but Jesus paid the penalty for our sins when He died on Calvary ( I Pet. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus …”īy sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, God judged or condemned sin in the flesh. Whoever does not believe in Him, already stands judged or condemned (“krino”), but, whoever believes in Him is not judged or condemned (“krino”). God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ into the world, was not to judge or condemn (“krino”) the world, but to save the world through His substitutionary death on Calvary. He who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. As believers in Christ, we will not be judged or condemned for our sins at the judgment seat of Christ. The fact that a different word is used indicates that the judgment seat of Christ is a different type of judgment. This same word, “bema,” is also used to describe the judgment seat in Jerusalem, where Jesus was brought before the Roman governor, Pilate ( John 19:13). It is also used in Acts 25:6, 10, 17 where Paul, while being held in Caesarea, was brought to the judgment seat of the governor, Festus. ![]() ![]() The word is used in Acts 18:12, 16 where the apostle Paul, while in Corinth, was brought to the judgment seat of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia. The expression “judgment seat,” that Paul uses to describe the believer’s place of judgment, is from the Greek word “bema.” This word refers to a raised platform or seat, usually in an open court, on which a judge sits. The final result of this judgment is eternal condemnation, for all who stand before this judgment will be thrown into the lake of fire. For example, in Revelation 20:11-15, we read of the great white throne judgment, before which the unbelieving dead will be judged (Greek “krino”) according to their works. The typical word for “judgment” in the New Testament is the Greek word “krino,” which is often translated “condemnation,” and often used in reference to judging sin. What is the nature of this judgment that believers will face? One of the keys to answering this question is found in the term used for “judgment seat.” Not only will we worship and honor Him by bowing the knee to Him and confessing Him with our tongue, but we will also give account of our lives and our service to Him. The expression “stand before” literally means “to be placed beside or near.” We will be presented to the Lord and placed at His disposal for judgment. 14:10-12)Īll believers will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: `As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” ( Rom. “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. In the book of Romans, chapter 14, Paul addresses the problem of believers judging their brothers in Christ. The judgment seat of Christ is described in the writings of the apostle Paul, to whom was committed the truth concerning the dispensation of the grace of God, a body of truth that was a mystery (or secret) until God chose to reveal it to and through Paul ( Col. The Revelation concerns itself with the fulfillment of God’s prophesied plans and purposes for His chosen nation, Israel. Though many of God’s judgments are described in the book of the Revelation, the judgment seat of Christ is not mentioned there. The judgment that concerns us, as members of the church, the body of Christ, is the judgment seat of Christ. The Scriptures speak of many different judgments, at different times, for different groups of people. Many people have the mistaken idea that there will be one great day of judgment in which all people will stand before God to be judged for their lives here on earth.
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