Going For The Gold

Millions of viewers have watched this year’s Olympics and have been amazed at the feats achieved by the bronze, silver, and most notably, gold medal winners. The medal ceremony models a practice began by the ancient Greeks, who instituted the Olympics in the eighth century B.C. A judge sat at what they called the Bema at a respective race’s finish line. It was that judge who determined the winner and gave him an award immediately after the completion of the race.

The Bema is the Biblical title given the Judgment Seat of Christ which is promised to Christian believers in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the (Bema) judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

The judgment of each Christian is not a determination of who will be saved and enter heaven, because God tells us in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

All believers will appear before the Bema Seat of Christ to receive rewards, if any, earned (after accepting Christ as Savior) for good works that bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16, John 15:8, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 10:31, 1 Peter 4:11) during their earthly lives as Christians. The judging of each believer’s works is highlighted in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.  If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” My friend, Steve Douglass who was the President of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ), prior to his going Home to Heaven, made this sad observation, “Many in Heaven will only be able to say, ‘My ash heap is bigger than your ash heap’.”

A second judgment will be forthcoming as God at His Great White Throne renders judgment on the whole of history’s unsaved unbelievers. Believers do not have to appear at the Great White Throne of Judgment to receive condemnation for sin because Christ paid for their sin on the cross. 

The Great White Throne Judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-14 “Then I saw a great white throne and He who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.”

Luke 12:47-48 appears to indicate differing levels of punishment for unbelievers based on knowledge and actions.  “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

In summary, the Great White Throne Judgment represents the final reckoning for unbelievers, where their deeds are evaluated, and their eternal destiny is proclaimed. It underscores the seriousness of every person’s choices and their need for salvation available only through faith in Christ.

The good news is that each of us can have a gold medal of salvation since it is a free gift from God who loves us. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. God wants to give each believer an eternal award to be with Him. However, for those believers who choose in their earthly lives to do good works and run the race for God’s glory, God gives them additional rewards at the Bema. 

After salvation, the Gold Medal award that I desire most is to hear the words from my Triune God, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”