Judgment Seat of Messiah

The 5th Judgment is the Judgment Seat of Messiah, Romans 14:9-10.

9For to this end Messiah both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat (bema) of Messiah.

This judgment is not the judgment of the world. The Judgment Seat of Messiah is not for nonbelievers.  God declared in John 5:24:

24Verily, verily, I say unto you,  He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

As a believer, one does not participate in the judgment of John 5:24.  That judgment is for non-believers, believers are taken out of it.  Believers are the ones who will eventually judge the world, 1 Corinthians 6:2.

2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

The Judgment Seat of Messiah is exclusively for believers.  Paul writes about it again in 2 Corinthians 5:10.

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat (bema) of Messiah; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Next Works of the Believer

Gift vs. Reward

Back to Family of God

Return to Judging Various Matters in the Congregation

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