1. “Each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10; see also Rev. 22:12; Matt. 16:27).
The Lord’s judgment of us before His judgment seat will be based on our actions after we were saved. There the Lord will judge us according to what we have practiced, whether good or bad, and He will repay us according to His judgment.
2. “The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one’s work” (1 Cor. 3:13).
The Lord will judge us at His judgment seat not only for our actions but also for our work after being saved. The work that we have done for the Lord after our salvation will be manifested at the judgment seat of Christ to be proved and judged by His fire.
Thus, after we are saved, we cannot be loose in the way that we behave and work for the Lord. These matters will both be judged by the Lord before His judgment seat. The Lord does not save us and then forget us, allowing us to act and work as we please. All that we have done since our salvation will be judged by Him. He will judge us according to these things and give us a recompense. Therefore, it is very important how we live and act after we are saved.
1. “Each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad”; “My reward...to render” (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12).
At the judgment seat of Christ every believer will receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad. If we have practiced good things, we will receive a good recompense, a reward. If we have practiced evil, we will receive an evil recompense, a punishment. Therefore, the judgment that we receive before the judgment seat of Christ depends upon our actions after we were saved. The judgment seat of Christ will manifest the nature of our actions after we were saved.
2. “If anyone’s work...remains, he will receive a reward; if anyone’s work is consumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:14-15).
These verses are clearly worded. At the judgment seat of Christ some will receive a reward, and others will suffer loss. Some will be rewarded because their work will remain after passing through the Lord’s testing fire of judgment. Others will suffer loss because their work will be consumed by the Lord’s testing fire of judgment. Although they will suffer loss, they themselves will be saved. They will be saved, but it will be as if passing through fire. According to God’s salvation, believers are saved eternally. The quality of our work cannot affect or change this matter. Although we may suffer loss, we will not lose our salvation. Although we may suffer loss, we will still be saved. Salvation alone, however, does not mean that we will be without problems. We can still suffer loss as if passing through fire.
The judgment we will face at the judgment seat of Christ is not related to eternal salvation or perdition. It is related to whether or not we will receive a reward or punishment. The matter of our eternal salvation was resolved through God’s judgment of Christ at the cross. However, there is still the matter of reward and punishment, which can be decided only at the judgment seat of Christ. Salvation or perdition is related to our sins before salvation; reward or punishment is related to our actions and work after salvation. Our sins were dealt with at the cross of Christ, but our actions and work will be dealt with at the judgment seat of Christ.
Unbelievers will not be judged at the judgment seat of Christ; only believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Since the matter of our salvation has been resolved, we will never perish. Only believers need to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ in order to manifest of what sort our actions and work are after our salvation. To the extent that we please the Lord, we will be rewarded. To the extent that we displease the Lord, we will suffer loss. This determination will be made at the judgment seat of Christ. In addition to the verses above, Matthew 25:19-30; Luke 19:15-26; and James 5:9 also refer to this matter.
God will also judge man before Christ’s throne of glory. The first four judgments of God are related to the believers. The fifth and sixth kind of judgments are related to the nations, the Gentiles, who will be divided into two groups—the living and the dead. God’s judgment of the Gentiles will occur at two different times. He will first judge the living nations, the Gentiles, and later judge the dead unbelievers. In the fifth judgment the living Gentiles will be judged, and in the sixth judgment the dead unbelievers will be judged.