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The promised second coming of our Lord will mean for
us the beginning of the promised joys of heaven. It will mean being with Christ,
which is better by far. But that will not be the whole story. It will
precipitate the greatest series of judgmental events in the history of
the world. Paul foretold a resurrection of the righteous and of the
wicked, when all will face the outcome of deeds done in the body (Acts
24:15).
The prospect of a coming day of judgment is one of
the least popular articles of the Christian faith and is denied even by
some who claim to be Christians. But it is not a concept that is peculiar
to Christianity; it is common to other religions and philosophies as
well. The Buddhist, for example, believes in 16 hells. The universal
conscience of humanity bears witness to a sense of guilt, a feeling of
moral responsibility to a supreme being or god. People are accountable to
God, and He will reward good and punish evil.
The distinctive tenet of Christianity is that God
has delegated this office to His Son, Jesus Christ, who will judge the
living and the dead. "Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has
entrusted all judgment to the Son" (Jn. 5:22). "He [Jesus of
Nazareth] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is
the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead"
(Acts 10:42).
No one who accepts the authority of Christ and the authenticity
of His Word can doubt that there is a judgment to come. But there is a
vast difference between the judgment of believers and that of
nonbelievers. For the believer, there lies ahead the bemaor judgment seat
of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). For the impenitent, there is the inescapable
prospect of standing before the great white throne of judgment (Rev.
20:5,11-12).
It is neither possible nor necessary to compile an
exact timetable for these awesome events; it is the absolute certainty of
them that is important. Hebrews 9:27 says that "man is destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment." We must bear in mind
that when these events do take place, the measures of time and space as
we now know them will have no relevance.
But, speaking in terms with which we are familiar,
would it not be reasonable to conclude that, since the "day of
salvation" has extended over two millennia, we need not try to
compress the day of judgment into a brief period? Conversely, does this
judgment necessarily require a long time as we know it? In these days of
the marvels of the computer world and television and the immeasurably
greater marvel of the human brain, coupled with the omniscience of God,
the slowness of our judicial processes affords no comparison. It is a well-established
phenomenon that, in crisis, the whole content of a life may be flashed
before the mind of a person in a moment of time.
Here, I am speaking only about the judgment of
believers at the bema. This is one of the most important events connected
with the return of Christ, as far as the believer is concerned. "For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether
good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).
Does this mean that we will have to wait until that
day to know whether we are saved or lost? Does Scripture not teach that
upon believing in Christ we pass from death to life and will not come
into condemnation?
Indeed it does. The explanation of 2 Corinthians 5:10
lies in the fact that Scripture recognizes two kinds of judgment. There
is the judgment in criminal proceedings where the judge sits on the
bench, hears the evidence, and decides the guilt, condemnation, or
acquittal of the person charged. Then there is the judgment of the
umpire, or referee who, as at the Olympic games, ascends his judgment
seat to pronounce the winner and award the prize, because the victor has
run fairly and well. Of course, the corollary is that those who have not
run fairly and well "suffer loss" and win no prize. It is this
second judgment seat that Paul has in view in this verse.
A person's eternal destiny is already determined in
this life, according to whether or not he or she has trusted Christ for
salvation. "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to
God" (Rom. 14:12). Few verses of Scripture are more soul-searching
than this. Daniel Webster, the noted American statesman, on being asked
what was the greatest thought he had ever entertained, replied, "The
greatest thought that has ever entered my mind is that one day I will
have to stand before a holy God and give an account of my life."
The judgment seat of Christ, then, is His
"umpire" seat. The primary purpose of His judgment is to assess
and reward believers for the manner in which they have used their
opportunities and discharged their responsibilities. The basis on which
we will be judged is stated in clear terms: "that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether
good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).
But motives as well as deeds will be taken into
account. "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait
till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will expose the motives of men's hearts" (1 Cor. 4:5).
In a very penetrating paragraph Paul told us how
this process is carried out:
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 Cor. 3:11-15).
Whatever else this paragraph teaches, it makes clear
that there can be a saved soul but a lost life because of unfaithfulness
in the stewardship of life.
What do gold, silver, and costly stones symbolize?
It is well to examine this subject in view of the serious possibilities
implicit in the passage. What will be taken into account in the
assessment?
1. Our testimony for Christ (Phil. 2:16).
2. Our suffering for Christ (1 Pet. 4:13).
3. Our faithfulness to Christ (Lk. 12:42-43; Rev.
2:10).
4. Our service for Christ (1 Cor. 3:8; Heb. 6:10).
5. Our generosity for Christ (2 Cor. 9:6; 1 Tim.
6:17-19).
6. Our use of time for Christ (Eph. 5:15-16; Col.
4:5).
7. Our exercise of spiritual gifts (Mt. 25:14-28; 1
Pet. 4:10).
8. Our self-discipline for Christ (1 Cor. 9:24-25).
9. Our leading of souls to Christ (1 Th. 2:19).
The awards conferred by our Lord from His umpire
seat are symbolized by using the figure of crowns.
But the bemais not all joy and the winning of prizes
for all believers. Paul told the Corinthian Christians that just as the
stars differ in glory, so also will the saints (1 Cor. 15:41-42).
Some will be ashamed when He comes because of
unfaithfulness to Him, of persistence in known sin, or of having been
ashamed of Him before people. The apostle John wrote, "Dear
children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and
unashamed before Him at His coming" (1 Jn. 2:28).
Some will suffer loss because they have used wood,
hay, and straw in building on the foundation, and these materials cannot
withstand fire (1 Cor. 3:12). As F. E. Marsh has said:
They have built the material of earth's products
upon the foundation of Christ's being and work. The gold of Christ's
deity, the silver of His vicarious sacrifice, and the precious stones of
His peerless worth and coming glory, are truths that will stand the tests
of God's fire; but the wood of self-esteem, the hay of man's frailty, and
the straw of human eloquence will all be burned up, although the worker
himself will be saved.
Paul wrote, "If [any man's work] is burned up,
he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping
through the flames" (1 Cor. 3:15).
Who will receive rewards?
Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because
great is your reward in heaven" (Lk. 6:22-23).
"The whole subject of rewards for the believer
in heaven is one that seems to be thought of only seldom by the ordinary
Christian, or even by the average student of the Scriptures. It is at once
both a joyous and a solemn theme, and should serve as a potent incentive
for holiness of life." So wrote Wilbur M. Smith many years ago, and
circumstances have changed little since then with regard to this topic.
There are spiritual teachers who regard the whole
concept of rewards for service as a very second-rate motivation. They
liken it to offering candy to a child if he will be good. But Jesus in no
way offered support to this viewpoint. In fact, He taught the reverse.
The apostle Paul also taught about rewards in several of his letters.
No meritorious acts of ours can win salvation, for
that is a result of God's incredible and unmerited love. But the very
fact that Jesus spoke of rewards for service on a number of occasions
would indicate that He considered their granting an important article of
faith. But in no way did He suggest or imply that service was a method of
accumulating merit and thus receiving salvation. Eternal life is a gift,
not a reward.
The language in which the biblical concept of
rewards is expressed is highly symbolic and metaphorical and should be
interpreted accordingly. Of course, faithful service will bring rewards
in this life as well as in the life to come. Both are mentioned in the
following verse: "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said to them, 'no
one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the
sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in
this age and, in the age to come, eternal life'" (Lk. 18:29-30).
The New Testament opens with the Lord's promise of
reward in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of
Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven" (Mt.
5:11-12). This reward is for the person who endures slander and
persecution for the sake of the Lord.
The New Testament closes with the Lord's assurance,
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to
everyone according to what he has done" (Rev. 22:12).
Since Jesus said that the reward for affliction
suffered for His sake is great and is a cause for rejoicing, we should
take His words seriously and not dismiss them carelessly as some do.
Paul is equally definite on this point: "For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether
good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). From this passage we learn that our past
deeds will confront us at the judgment seat, but it is equally clear that
there the salvation of the believer is not at issue. That important
matter was settled forever at the cross, when our substitute graciously
bore the judgment that was justly due to us for our sins. As a result of
that blessed event, Paul assured believers, "Through Him [Christ]
everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be
justified from by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39). The blessed
consequence is, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).
So the believer doesn't need to fear that he will
lose eternal life at the judgment seat. But it might be objected,
"Didn't Paul have a fear of being a castaway?" When Paul wrote
of that possibility, it was not because he was in fear of losing his
salvation. The word castaway, as it is rendered in the King James Version
of 1 Corinthians 9:27, is better rendered "disqualified." Paul
was speaking in the context of competing in the Isthmian games. The fear
he entertained was that, after having exhorted others how to run so as to
win the coveted prize, he himself might be disqualified for the victor's
crown. After all, eternal life is not a reward but a gift.
All true believers who stand before the judgment
seat will qualify for heaven, but not all will receive the same reward.
Someone once said, "Rewards will be calculated more on the basis of
fidelity and suffering rather than on successful ventures." We are
strongly exhorted, however, to "watch out that you do not lose what
you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully" (2 Jn. 8).
In the parables of the minas (Lk. 19:11-27) and the
talents (Mt. 25:14-30), Jesus taught that each believer has differing
abilities and capacities. That is something over which we have no control
and for which we are not responsible. The parable of the minas teaches
that where there is equal ability but unequal faithfulness, there will be
a smaller reward. On the other hand, the parable of the talents tells us
that where there is unequal ability but equal faithfulness, the rewards
will be the same. Christ's judgment and the reward bestowed will be
according to the use we made of the opportunities given to us.
These parables, and indeed the whole subject of
rewards for service, underline the importance of how we act here and now.
It is now that we are determining our future status and reward in heaven.
Charles Wesley wrote the following:
In
hope of that immortal crown,
I
now the cross sustain
And
gladly wander up and down,
And
smile at toil and pain;
I
suffer out my threescore years,
Till
my Deliverer come,
And
wipe away His servant's tears,
And
take His exile home.
What do the crowns signify?
The apostle Paul wrote, "Now there is in store
for me the crown of righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:8). The rewards
promised in heaven are sometimes represented by the symbol of a crown. In
the Greek culture a crown might be either an ornamental headdress worn by
a king or queen or a wreath worn as a symbol of victory.
Before considering the significance of the crown
awarded to victors, we should have a clear conception of the nature of
heaven's rewards, for we are apt to equate them with our earthly reward
system -- equal pay for equal work. The idea of merit is thus involved.
But a heavenly crown is not a matter of quid pro quo. In the heavenly
rewards, merit is expressly excluded. Our Lord's word to His disciples
makes this clear:
Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking
after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the
field, "Come along now and sit down to eat"? Would he not
rather say, "Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me
while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink"? Would he
thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also,
when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, "We
are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty" (Lk. 17:7-10).
Heaven's rewards are all a matter of God's grace.
They are God's generous recognition of selfless and sacrificial service.
G. Campbell Morgan goes so far as to assert that service for reward is
not Christian, but un-Christian! "He emptied Himself. He served 'for
the joy set before Him.' Yes, but what was that joy? The joy of lifting
other people and blessing them" (The Gospel of Luke,p. 197).
The fact that the laborer who was hired to work only
at the eleventh hour received the same wage as the one who had worked all
day underlines the fact that most of the wage he received was not earned,
but was a generous gift from the master. When one of the fulltime
laborers charged his master with unfairness, he replied:
Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you
agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the
man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to
do what I want with my own money?
Or are you envious because I am generous? (Mt.
20:13-15).
We are not told precisely what form the crowns in
heaven will take, but John MacArthur Jr.'s view has much to commend it:
"Believers' rewards aren't something you wear on your head like a
crown. . . . Your reward in heaven will be your capacity for service in
heaven. . . . Heaven's crowns are what we will experience, eternal life,
eternal joy, eternal service, and eternal blessedness" (Heaven,pp.
114-115).
In the New Testament, there are two Greek words
translated "crown." One is diadema, a royal turban worn by
Persian kings. It is always the symbol of kingly or imperial dignity. It
refers to the kind of crown Jesus receives. The other word is stephanos,
the victor's crown, "a symbol of triumph in the Olympic games or
some such contest - hence by metonymy, a reward or prize" (Vine). It
was a crown of leaves or vines, beautifully woven. This is the word that
is used to denote the rewards of heaven.
Here are the crowns mentioned in Scripture:
1. Crown of Life. "Blessed is the man who
perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will
receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love
him" (Jas. 1:12). "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and
I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).
This crown is bestowed in recognition of enduring
and triumphing over trial and persecution even to the point of martyrdom.
The motivation must be love for Christ.
2. Crown of Righteousness. "Now there is in
store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to
all who have longed for His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).
This crown is awarded to those who have completed
the Christian race with integrity, with eyes fixed on the coming Lord. It
is the reward for fulfilling the ministry entrusted to one.
3. Incorruptible Crown. "They do it to get a
crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last
forever" (1 Cor. 9:25).
This crown is won by those who strive for mastery,
for excellence. Here Paul was using the figure of the pentathlon with its
tremendous demand of physical stamina. The crown is awarded to the
disciplined.
4. Crown of Rejoicing. "For what is our hope,
our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord
Jesus when He comes?" (1 Th. 2:19).
This is the crown of the soul-winner. It will be
cause for rejoicing when, in heaven, we meet those who have been won to
Christ through our ministry. This crown is open to every believer.
5. Crown of Glory. "Be shepherds of God's flock
that is under your care, serving as overseers -- not because you must,
but because you are willing, as God wants you to be. . . . And when the
Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will
never fade away" (1 Pet. 5:2-4).
This promised award for spiritual leaders in the
church should provide strong motivation for sacrificial pastoral
ministry.
None of these crowns, however, is awarded
automatically. There are qualifying conditions attached to each, and it
is possible to forfeit a crown through unwatchfulness. In the letter to
the church at Philadelphia, the risen Lord warned the believers, "I
am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your
crown" (Rev. 3:11). This is a contemporary warning to us as well,
who are often surrounded by competing claims for our love and loyalty.
Philip Doddridge wrote:
'Tis
God's all-animating voice
That
calls thee from on high,
'Tis
His own hand presents the prize
To
thine aspiring eye.
That
prize with peerless glories bright,
Which
shall new luster boast,
When
victor's wreaths and monarch's gems
Shall
blend in common dust.
Blest
Savior, introduced by Thee
Have
I my race begun;
And
crowned with victory at Thy feet
I'll
lay my honors down.
How
to gain entrance into Heaven.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you
change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom
of heaven" (Mt. 18:3).
The Scriptures definitely support the belief in life
after death and the existence of such a place as heaven. There is no doubt
that our Lord and His apostles taught these truths, and they also taught
with equal clarity that there is such a place as hell, where the
impenitent receive the reward of their deeds.
The popular idea, according to recent polls, is that
good people go to heaven, and a majority of those polled rated their own
chances of going there to be good. There are few who don't want to go to
heaven. Most base their expectation on their performance in this life,
irrespective of their relationship to Christ. Is this a valid hope?
Here again we are driven to the Scriptures for an
authoritative answer. All else is speculation, but in a matter of such
far-reaching importance, we need more than that -- we want certainty.
In a world where there is so much injustice and
inequality, where the righteous suffer and the evil prosper, where the
weak are exploited and the powerful flourish, it is easy to conclude as
Israel did, "The way of the Lord is not just" (Ezek. 18:25). In
our contemporary society the administration of the judicial system often
gives the breaks to the criminal rather than to the victim. The greater
number of crimes go unpunished, while meritorious action is often
unrewarded. It is the two nations who instigated World War II who have
prospered most since then. This creates a puzzling moral problem.
The psalmist Asaph, faced with a similar problem,
had no answer and almost lost his faith. Hear him:
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had
nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are
healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they
are not plagued by human ills (Ps. 73:2-5).
Because of human sin, life on earth is manifestly
unjust. If God is as good and just as the Scriptures state and as we have
maintained, how can He retain His character while permitting such a state
of affairs to continue? If He remains inactive in this situation, it
would appear that He is either uncaring or is powerless to redress the
obvious injustices of this life.
But both Scripture and history are replete with
affirmations that He is neither uncaring nor inactive. This life is not
the end of all. Such inequalities will be redressed.
Where did Asaph discover the solution to his
problem? He wrote, "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in
vain have I washed my hands in innocence. . . . When I tried to
understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary
of God; then I understood their final destiny" (vv. 13,16-17). Like
him, we should take our perplexing problems into the presence of God and
try to see things from His perspective. It is the end-view that is
important.
Scripture abounds with intimations that a day is
coming when injustices will be made right and inequalities straightened
out, when evil will be punished and virtue appropriately rewarded. This
will take place at the day of judgment. Those who in this life have not
availed themselves of the only way of salvation through the grace of God
and the atoning death of Christ will not enter the gates of heaven. The
Word is unequivocal: "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will
anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names
are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. 21:27).
What does it mean to have one's name written in the
Lamb's Book of Life? The metaphor of books of record occurs throughout
Scripture, beginning with Moses' plea to God to be "blotted
out" of God's book as an atonement for the sins of the people of
Israel (Ex. 32:32). This figure of speech is drawn from the registers of
the tribes of Israel. Its final appearance is in the text we are
considering.
Concerning the judgment in front of the great white
throne, we read, "Then I saw a great white throne. . . . And I saw
the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books"
(Rev. 20:11-12).
One set of books, then, contains the record of each
person's life history. The other book is the Lamb's Book of Life. The
first record can bring only condemnation, for all have fallen short of
God's standards. In the Book of Life are recorded the names of those who
have repented of their sins and exercised saving faith in Christ as
Redeemer and Savior.
Remember that it's our decision whether or not our
names are written there. John Bunyan in his Pilgrim's Progress describes
the armed man who came up to the table where the man with the book and
the inkhorn was seated, and said, "Set down my name." It is
open to anyone to do just that. A living faith in Christ, "the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29), is the sole
condition for having our names written in that book, and that constitutes
our passport through the pearly gates. "They that trust in Jesus
Christ," writes Alexander Maclaren, "shall have their names
written in the Book of Life; graven on the High Priest's breastplate, and
inscribed on His mighty hand and His faithful heart."
If someone that you know hasn’t accepted Christ as
their Lord, why not make absolutely certain of their entrance into heaven
by having them open their heart to Christ the Savior and Lord right now, inviting
Him to enter, to cleanse it from sin, and to make it His permanent
dwelling place? He gives this assurance: "If anyone hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me"
(Rev. 3:20).
Curtis
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