“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22:12)
When Jesus Christ returns, He is coming to reward His faithful followers for the good works that they have performed for Him!
Unfortunately, most Christians believe they will automatically receive rewards due to the fact they have been saved. They have not been properly taught that which the Word of God actually says:
Salvation is by grace, but rewards are given according to works!
The misunderstanding over the doctrine of grace and the doctrine of rewards has robbed the Church of the many prizes which God wants to give. In the next chapter we will review the five major Crowns that Christians can earn at the Judgement Seat of Christ.
As we continue in this study, it is imperative to remember that works are not required to be saved. Salvation is completely by faith in Jesus Christ. Once a person is saved, then works become a vital ingredient in their future. God has ordained the good works that He wants every believer to do. If we fail in accomplishing the mission He has for us, we may be very disappointed when we arrive at the Judgement Seat of Christ.
Chapter 2 – The Judgement Seat of Christ
All believers should be aware of what will take place very soon:
“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (II Corinthians 5:10)
As we approach the time of the Lord’s return, it is vital that everyone understands what lies ahead after we are taken to be with the Lord. Notice that the above Scripture says that we will all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ. This is a Judgement Seat before our Lord, to give an account for our lives and all that we have done, whether good or bad.
SHOCK AND SURPRISE
While we long to be with our precious Lord and Saviour, we wonder how many are really ready to face the Judgement Seat of Christ? We even ask ourselves, are we ready to meet Jesus?
After the Rapture takes place, many Christians will experience a great deal of shock and surprise.2 The Lukewarm believers will be left on the earth to face their time of testing under the Antichrist; while the faithful, wise believers will be taken to be with the Lord forever! (See Luke 21:36, Rev. 7:14, Rev. 3:10).
What is it that distinguishes between these two groups? Why were some wise and why were some foolish? Why were some ready, while others were taken by surprise like a thief?
As mentioned in the previous chapter, most church leaders have not taught us properly regarding grace and works: Salvation is by grace, but rewards are given according to works!
The Judgement Seat of Christ will be the time when the faithful Christians wi11 be rewarded for their faithfulness in doing the good works God ordained for them to do. Likewise, for the unfaithful and foolish Christians, the Judgement Seat will be a time of great disappointment:
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” (II Corinthians 5:11)
The Church loves to hear sermons on the love of God, but few pastors and teachers are brave enough to talk about the “terror of the Lord.” The Judgement Seat of Christ will not be a pleasant experience for those Christians who have been living unfaithful lives. All deeds, true motives and designs will be laid bare before the Lord. The Christian “Ministry” of many believers will be revealed as a means to further their own personal aspirations of wealth and fame rather than bringing glory to the Lord.
Now is the time that all Christians should be living their lives in view of the Judgement Seat of Christ and the rewards (Crowns) that can be earned for their faithful lives. Jesus warned us ahead of time that many will try to take these crowns from the believers:
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Revelation 3:11)
Jesus was telling his Church to hold on to that "which thou hast" so that it would not lose their Crowns. The Word of God shows there are five different Crowns that are possible for Christians to earn. All Christians should be earnestly striving for these rewards so that they may cast them unto Jesus in the very near future:
"The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:10-11)
What a glorious day that will be when we are able to worship our great God! Will you have crowns to lay at His feet? Let's see what the five possible crowns are and how they can be obtained.
CROWN
OF
LIFE
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1:12)
The Crown of Life is the first and basic crown. It is given to those Christians who truly love Jesus. Because they love Him, they are faithful to Him. When trials and tests arrive in their lives, they remain true to Him. They are overcomers who endure temptations and win this crown for remaining faithful to Jesus.
INCORRUPTIBLE
CROWN
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run... But I keep my body and bring it into subjection...lest I be a castaway." (I Corinthians 9:24-25)
The Incorruptible Crown is awarded to the Christian who wins the spiritual race that is set before each believer. It is a daily race in which the sins of the flesh must be put off by allowing the Holy Spirit to take control. It is not won until the race is over, and even the Apostle Paul was concerned that he might not win this prize. Yes, even Paul was concerned that he might be a castaway. This should be a lesson for everyone who says it doesn’t matter how you live after you are saved. Even the great Apostle Paul was concerned for his own life.
To win this crown, the believer must be successful in "crucifying the flesh," as is described in Galatians 5:16, 19-26, and by turning from the things of this world.
CROWN
OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (II Timothy 4:7-8)
The Crown of Righteousness is the next level of reward. It is given for keeping the true faith, i.e., keeping God's Word. Directly associated with keeping the faith is "loving his appearing.” Living in the endtime, you would think that all Christians would receive this crown. And yet, very few modern day Christians even care to discuss the return of the Lord. Paul is saying that those Christians who are alert, and