The Judgment Seat of Christ
(also called the bema seat)
is the future evaluation of believers
by Jesus Christ.
It is not a judgment to determine salvation,
but an assessment of the believer’s works
for the purpose of reward
or loss of reward.
Every Christian will appear before this judgment seat.
The primary passages are:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God… So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:10, 12)
Paul also describes this evaluation in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, using the imagery of building materials that will be tested by fire. Some works will endure and bring reward; others will be burned up, though the believer himself will be saved.
The Judgment Seat of Christ serves several purposes:
This judgment does not determine whether a person enters heaven. Salvation is already secure for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). It concerns reward, not eternal destiny.
Scripture indicates that Christ will examine:
Those whose works survive the test will receive reward. Those whose works are burned up will suffer loss, yet they themselves will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15).
The Judgment Seat of Christ should motivate believers to live with eternity in view. It is both a sobering and an encouraging truth: sobering because every believer will give an account, and encouraging because Christ will not forget any labor done for Him in faith and love. The goal is to hear His commendation and to live in such a way that our works endure for His glory.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.