5. The Examination and Rewarding of the believers works.
"Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12). If it
is true that the general teaching of Christendom upon the subject of the
Resurrection is unscriptural, the popular conception of future judgment is
still more erroneous. It is generally believed that at the end of time saints
and sinners shall all stand before the judgment-bar of God; that they will be
divided into two great classes - "the sheep and the goats;" that those whose
names are found written in the book of life will pass into Heaven, and that the
wicked will be consigned to the Lake of Fire. For this conception (excepting
the last clause) there is not a single verse of Scripture when rightly
interpreted. So far as believers are concerned the Sin question has been
closed for ever, for their sins were all judged at the Cross where their
Substitute died the Just for the unjust. Consequently, all who have believed
in the Lord Jesus are for ever beyond the Curse of the Law. This is clear from
our Lord's own words - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come
into condemnation," or as the Revised Version more correctly renders it,
"shall not come into judgment" (John 5:24). How erroneous then the
prevailing conception; and how absurd! Shall the apostle Paul, who has already
been in Heaven for more than eighteen hundred years, yet have to appear before
the judgment-bar of God, in order to ascertain whether he shall spend eternity
in Heaven or in the Lake of Fire? How could this be, when we are distinctly
told "There is therefore no no condemnation (judgment) to them which are
in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Furthermore, observe that it is said of the
sleeping saints they are raised in glory" (1 Cor. 15:43). How then
could a glorified saint be consigned to the Lake of Fire? And if there
is no possibility of him going there, then what need is there for any Assize to
decide his eternal destiny? No; the judgment of the Great White Throne
concerns the wicked only.
But are we not told in 2 Cor. 5:10 "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"? Yes, we are. Let us then examine this Scripture. First, it is to be
remarked that the Greek word which is here translated "judgment-seat" is
"Bema." At the time the New Testament was written the Bema was not a judicial
bench upon which a judge sat, passing sentence upon criminals (an entirely
different word was used for it), but was the throne from which the judge
distributed prizes to the victors in the games. Such will be the Bema
of Christ.
In the second place, the purpose of the
appearing of believers "before the Bema of Christ" is not to test their title
and fitness for Heaven, but in order that their works may be examined and their
service rewarded. A Scripture which throws much light upon this is to be found
in 1 Cor. 3:11-15, "For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest:
for the day will 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 thereon, 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." Here we learn that the foundation of the believer's salvation is Jesus
Christ Himself and that his subsequent works and service are likened to a
building which he erects upon this foundation. The different kinds of works
and service are likened to a building which he erects upon this foundation.
The different kinds of works which the believer performs - good and bad - are
regarded as two classes of materials which he employs in the building he is
erecting. In the day of Christ's appearing his building is to be tested by
fire, which means that his works will be examined and the motives which
produced them carefully scrutinized. Those works which will endure the
searching process will be rewarded, those which are worthless will perish, and
in the latter instance, the individual, though saved, will "suffer loss."
When the Lord returns, every servant will be
called upon to give an account of his stewardship. Notice will be taken of how
our talents were employed and how our time was redeemed. The whole life of the
believer will be examined in detail in the light of the Throne and his deeds
measured by the Divine standard. Words spoken now and actions performed in
this world, will then be weighed in the Balances of the Sanctuary. Things will
then be seen in their true colors and labeled at their real worth by the
impartial hand of the Omniscient Christ.
The difference between the two classes of
materials mentioned in the above Scripture points to a most solemn truth.
"Gold, silver, precious stones are of intrinsic value, whereas "wood,
hay, stubble" are a natural growth. In Scripture "gold" symbolizes the
Divine nature, "silver" Divine redemption, and "precious stones" the Divine
glory. Those works of the believer which have issued from the Divine nature
within us, are based upon Christ's redemption, and have been performed for
God's glory, will receive reward; but those which were wrought by those who
felt they must do something, those performed in the energy of the flesh, those
done merely for self-aggrandisement will all be burned up. What a
conflagration there will be in that day! What surprises there will be at the
Bema of Christ! An hundred-dollar subscription, given to get a name, will be
ashes in that day; while a dime given to help the poor for the Lord's
sake will receive an imperishable reward.
"Deeds of merit as we thought them
He will show us were but sin:
Little acts we had forgotten
He will tell us were for Him."
No work done out of love for Christ will lose
its reward. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love,
which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints"
(Heb. 6:10). All that endures the test of that day will be publicly,
abundantly and eternally rewarded. There, before His Father and in the
presence of the holy angels, our gracious Redeemer will delight to say to the
rewarded one, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will made thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the
joy of thy Lord" (Matt. 25:23).
The subject of rewards is a wide one and
we can only deal briefly with it here. Four crowns are mentioned in the New
Testament: the Incorruptible crown (1 Cor. 9:25), which is the reward for
faithful service; the crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), which is given to
those who love Christ's appearing; the crown of Glory (1 Pet. 5:4), which is
reserved for faithful pastors who have tended the flock; and the crown of Life
(Rev. 2:10), which is a special reward reserved for martyrs. Each crown is
conditional, conditional upon faithfulness to an absent Christ. But to return
now to 2 Cor. 5:10.
The prospect of our manifestation before the Bema
of Christ is both joyous and solemn. It is "joyous" because it is then that
everything will come out into the light and all misunderstandings will be
cleared up; because everything which will not endure the Divine test will be
"burned up;" and because every work which was done with an eye single to God's
glory will receive commendation from our blessed Lord Himself. It is "solemn"
because then it will be seen how much of our work was nothing but "wood, hay,
and stubble;" because we shall then discover how sadly we had failed to "redeem
the time;" and because we shall "suffer loss." Ah! my brethren it behooves us
to live in the light of that day now so near at hand. Let our chief ambition
be that all we say and do shall meet with the approval of our Lord at the Bema.
Yes, the contemplation of the Bema is solemn and searching. He who has lived
in selfish ease and carnal gratification will be the loser throughout all
eternity. But he who has "denied himself" out of love for and gratitude to the
Saviour, shall yet hear His "Well done" and enter into His joy.