Some might argue that because the Lord's redemption is complete, that He died for them, they have no need to suffer any punishment. According to their concept, it is simply a matter of being saved or of perishing. If they are saved, one day they will go to heaven. If they are lost, one day they will go to hell. This is the shortsighted and mistaken concept of many Christians today.

We must come back to the pure Word of God. Second Corinthians 5:9-10 says that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. It does not say that we must appear before the throne of grace. Some have mistakenly thought that the judgment seat of Christ referred to in 2 Corinthians is the same as the great white throne in Revelation 20. This is wrong. The great white throne is for the judgment of the unbelievers who are raised up after the millennium. The judgment at the white throne will not be for a reward, but to determine who is saved and who will perish. That judgment relates to eternal perdition. The judgment seat of Christ mentioned in 2 Corinthians is not for the unbelievers, but for the believers. It is not to decide whether they are saved or lost, but to decide whether they should receive a reward or suffer a loss. The word loss is actually a weak word here. It is better to say "punishment," or, according to Hebrews 12, "chastisement."

Many fundamental Christians do not like to consider that a Christian could be punished or chastised at the Lord's coming. Even those who admit that Christians need some chastisement from the Lord consider that it occurs only in this age and not in the next. However, I cannot find one verse in the New Testament which indicates that God's chastisement of His children is only in this age and not in the next. On the contrary, some verses indicate that after the Lord comes back He will deal with His children. For example, Luke 12:46-47 says, "The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." These verses show that not only during this age, but also after the Lord comes back, He will still deal with His children.

Some Christians think that after they die or after the Lord comes back, the possibility of punishment or chastisement will be past. They think to die is to graduate from the punishment. They must drop their concept and come back to the pure Word. They need to read 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 once more. Some may think that because the Lord is merciful and gracious, He will forgive them at that time. They may think that they can pray and repent at that time and everything will be fine. This means they do not know the Lord's dispensation. Today is the age of the Lord's forgiveness. Once the Lord comes back, the age or dispensation of forgiveness will be over. At that time it will be too late to repent. Today if you repent and if you confess your sins, surely the Lord will forgive you. However, if you do not repent and confess today, but wait until that day when you stand before the judgment seat, it will be too late. You may try to repent and confess then, but the Lord will tell you that the dispensation, the time for repenting and confessing is over.

The same principle applies to unbelievers. Today is the age of grace. Any unbeliever may repent and confess to the Lord to receive salvation. But when the Lord Jesus comes back, no one will be saved by repenting and confessing because at that time it will be too late. Zechariah 12:10-14 refers to the repenting Jews at the Lord's coming back. Now is the time for all of us to repent, to confess our failures and wrongdoings. Today if we repent and confess, applying the Lord's precious blood, surely He will forgive us. But not at that time. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the dispensation of forgiveness will be over. Because the time of forgiveness will be past, you will have to suffer some punishment. Whether you call that suffering a loss or chastisement or the Lord's dealing or punishment matters little. The terminology means nothing. The fact is that you have to reckon with 2 Corinthians 5:10 concerning the judgment seat of Christ.

First Corinthians 4:5 says, "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." This verse also indicates that at the time of the Lord's coming back He will judge His children. At that time He will judge not only the outward things, but also the inward motives. He will bring into light all of the hidden things, and He will reveal whatever is concealed in your heart. At that time you will either receive a reward or a kind of dealing from the Lord.