FACING THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
Note to the reader: This article includes excerpts from Who are the 144,000?.
One surely cannot read Romans 14:10 without the conviction that ALL BELIEVERS must stand in judgment before Christ! Even if most of the "church" endures the horrors of the Tribulation in order to be given more time to purify and save the "soul", eventually EVERY living Believer will be raptured or resurrected! Then comes the judgment! So what will the judgment be like for the Believer? Well, that will depend on the previous life of that Believer!
Oh what blessings are in store for the faithful! Believers will be crowned for Christ's achievements in their lives. These achievements (works) result as Christ works THROUGH the Believer. (The Believer must yield his will to that of the Holy Spirit within him, for John 15:5 tells us that without Christ we can do nothing!) As we abide in the vine of life (Christ) and allow Him to produce fruit through us, we produce gold, silver and precious stones that will withstand the fiery judgment ahead and fit us for reward (I Corinthians 3:11-15). We learn in II Timothy 2:56 that the one who seeks a crown (reward) unlawfully will not receive it!
Only through yieldedness to the Holy Spirit within can we help others prepare for the judgment (reward being the crown of rejoicing of Philippians 4:1 and I Thessalonians 2:19); finish the course having kept the faith (reward being the crown of life in James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10); and care for and witness to fellow brethren through Godly motive (reward being the crown of glory in I Peter 5:4). This type of crown is incorruptible or not of this world (I Corinthians 9:25) and it requires our utmost commitment to the One who awards it!
Crowns are representative of authority, and indeed the faithful will reign and rule with Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4), and the status of our reign will be determined by the level of our faithfulness in the stewardship of the power and resources He has give us to do the work that His Spirit prompts us to do (Matthew 25:14-30). Some will be given many kingdoms over which to rule, and some just a few. Some will lose all that they had.
Another mention of a crown is found in Revelation 3:11. It is not named, and often ignored because it does not line up will with the more traditional views of the Rapture. Close reading indicates that it is granted to the Believer who is found to be faithful upon the Lord's return, and it appears to EXEMPT that one from the Tribulation. Those who do not receive this crown may be left behind to endure it! Also note that man (the world) can steal it away, implying that one may be worthy at OTHER times, but if not found worthy at that time, it will not be awarded to him, and he will have to endure the Tribulation! This is a wake up call Believers!
Unlike the crown of Revelation 3:11, the rest of the crowns seem to be awarded at the judgment. Some say the "loss" mentioned in I Corinthians 3:11-15 is simply the loss of these crowns, but how can you lose something you never had? Some Believers at the judgment will never be awarded crowns, since the fiery trial will consume all of the wood, hay and stubble that represent their works of "self", and the "loss" these souls experience may be tragic! Going back to Luke 21:36 now, we see that we should pray that we be accounted worthy to "stand before the Son of man". This implies some rather harsh consequences for the one who is not found worthy before Him! The judgment for Believers (Bema in Greek) will bring a wealth of gratitude and unfathomable blessing and reward to the faithful, but the "loss" of the unfaithful may be equally devastating and severe!
God loves us so MUCH, and He doesn't want the first one of us to perish. That is why He devoted so much of His Word to warning us and pleading with us to come to Him. He also told us how to know when it was about time for Him to return. Wake up, brethren! The signs are all here; He's even at the doors"! That is why this message is so urgent!