“And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NET).
Unlike the “Great White Throne Judgment” of the unrighteous dead (as detailed in Revelation 20:11-15), the future judgment of God’s people will follow a different protocol. Consider Jesus’ message from Revelation 3:5: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (see also John 6:37-39, John 10:27-28, and Romans 8:33-39).
In light of this, we can say that the future judgment of God’s people will not involve the question of salvation, for those who accept Jesus’ sacrificial death by faith are released from sin’s death penalty and restored to a right relationship with God through His atoning work. However, God’s people will be called to account for how they used the skills, talents, abilities, gifts, and opportunities He has provided for them. That assessment will take place before the “bema” (or judgment) seat of Christ, a phrase that was sure to evoke a familiar image in the minds of first-century readers.
You see, the bema seat was an elevated platform where Roman authorities gathered to render judicial decisions. A Roman leader would ascend to this platform to address an assembly, administer justice, or honor those who excelled in athletic competition. Paul the Apostle was personally familiar with this arrangement, for we are told in Acts 18:12, “…when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat” (KJV).
Every man or woman of God will undergo this evaluation, for we are told, “…Christ will judge each of us for the good or the bad that we do while living in these bodies” (CEV) in 2 Corinthians 5:10. As one source observes, “The judgment seat of Christ will reveal our lives of service for Christ exactly as they have been. Not only the amount of our service, but also its quality, and even the very motives that prompted it will be brought into review.” (1)
The New Testament epistle of 1 Corinthians adds the following…
“There is going to come a time of testing at Christ’s Judgment Day to see what kind of material each builder has used. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire so that all can see whether or not it keeps its value, and what was really accomplished” (1 Corinthians 3:13 TLB).
Several Biblical passages serve to illustrate the exhaustive nature of this judicial review and we’ll consider a few of them next.
(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad Thomas Nelson Publishers (2 Corinthians 5:10) p.1839