What Is the Judgment Seat of Christ and How Should We Live in Light of it?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Grace in Focus

Episode Title: What Is the Judgment Seat of Christ and How Should We Live in Light of it?
Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Bob Wilkin (B), Philippe Sterling (C)
Duration: 13 minutes
Theme: An exploration of the Judgment Seat of Christ (the Bema) in Christian eschatology, what it means for believers, scriptural foundations, and how this doctrine should shape Christian living.

---

Overview

This episode of Grace in Focus dives deep into the doctrine of the Judgment Seat of Christ (the Bema), a critical event in Christian eschatology where believers' lives and works will be evaluated by Christ for rewards, not for eternal salvation. Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling draw on New Testament references, theological implications, and practical applications, emphasizing how this future judgment ought to motivate Christians today.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scriptural Foundations of the Judgment Seat of Christ

• Terminology & References (01:01–01:52):

  • The term “Judgment Seat of Christ” (Greek: bema) appears explicitly in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 and Romans 14:10-12.

  • Other scriptural terms and phrases refer to this event: “the day”, “the day of Christ”, “the day of Lord Jesus”.

  • The word bema originally referred to ancient judicial platforms used for rendering judgments.

    “Judgment seat isn’t just a term related to Jesus judging Christians after this age is over. It was a term used throughout the New Testament to refer to a place where judgment took place.”
    —Bob Wilkin (01:52)

2. Nature and Purpose of the Judgment Seat (03:11–06:39)

• Purpose: Evaluation of a Christian’s works, words, and motives—not a judgment of sin, but of faithfulness for the purpose of reward and rulership with Christ.

• Key Texts:

  • Romans 14:10 — “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 — “Each one may receive the things done in the body, whether good or bad.”

• Misconception Addressed: Some translations render “bad” as “worthless”, suggesting only “neutral” works are judged—not sinful ones. The hosts argue for the traditional “good or bad,” noting the Greek context.

  “Our works are going to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ, not as sins, but as works. And so if they're bad works, then they’re going to be part of the judgment. That means even though we’re forgiven, our bad works will come into play.”
  —Bob Wilkin (05:33)

• Words and Motives: Not just actions, but words (Matthew 12:37) and even hidden motives will be brought to light and evaluated.

  “Everything that is hidden will be brought to light, including our motives.”
  —Philippe Sterling (06:39)

3. How Will This Judgment Affect Believers? (07:20–10:40)

• Salvation vs. Reward: Eternal security is assured for all believers (e.g., John 3:16), but approval and levels of responsibility (i.e., rulership in the Kingdom) are not.

• Illustrative Parables:

  • Matthew 24: The fate of the just and unjust servants—faithful believers are rewarded, the unfaithful are rebuked.

  • Luke 19: Parable of the minas—distribution of rulership based on faithfulness.

  • The case of Demas (2 Timothy 4:9-10)—example of a believer losing reward through worldliness.

    “It's not going to just be an awards ceremony... Not everybody is going to rule and reign. Not everybody is going to be told, ‘Well done.’”
    —Bob Wilkin (08:25)

• Performance Review Analogy: The Bema functions like an end-of-life performance review—results can be reward, promotion, or missed opportunities, but not loss of salvation.

  “The bema in essence is a performance review for reward, for rulership, and also for spiritual health.”
  —Philippe Sterling (10:09)

4. Motivations for Christian Living in Light of the Bema (10:40–12:17)

• Possible Outcomes: Both commendation (“Well done, good and faithful servant”) and rebuke/shame are possible outcomes.

  • 1 John 2:28—believers can “shrink back in shame” at Christ’s coming.

• Five Motivations for Faithfulness:

  1. Love and gratitude—service as a thankful response to Christ.
  2. Sense of duty—serving the Creator is right.
  3. Desire for reward now—God also blesses faithfulness in this life.
  4. Fear of chastisement—avoiding God’s corrective discipline.
  5. Anticipation of the Bema—desire for praise, approval, and reward.

  “We want praise and approval and reward at the judgment seat of Christ. We don’t want shame and a rebuke.”
  —Bob Wilkin (11:26)

• Duration of Shame: Negative emotions at the Bema are temporary—believers will ultimately be joyful and content forever in glorified bodies, although some will experience greater reward.

  “It’s not like we’re going to be bummed out forever. ...We’ll be perfectly joyful and contented forever. But some people are going to have more abundant lives than others, right?”
  —Bob Wilkin (11:50)

5. When Will the Bema Occur? (12:17–12:36)

• Timing: The Judgment Seat of Christ takes place before Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.

• Possible Chronology: Some think it is during the seven-year Tribulation period (in heaven), others on earth just before the Kingdom.

  “Either way, we're going to appear before Christ and we're going to long to hear Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Wouldn't that be great?”
  —Bob Wilkin (12:36)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Judgment seat isn’t just a term related to Jesus judging Christians after this age is over. It was a term used throughout the New Testament to refer to a place where judgment took place.”
  —Bob Wilkin (01:52)

• “Our works are going to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ, not as sins, but as works. And so if they're bad works, then they’re going to be part of the judgment.”
  —Bob Wilkin (05:33)

• “Everything that is hidden will be brought to light, including our motives.”
  —Philippe Sterling (06:39)

• “The bema in essence is a performance review for reward, for rulership, and also for spiritual health.”
  —Philippe Sterling (10:09)

• “It’s not going to just be an awards ceremony... Not everybody is going to rule and reign. Not everybody is going to be told, ‘Well done.'”
  —Bob Wilkin (08:25)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:00 – Episode intro, seminary and conference info
• 01:01–03:11 – What is the Judgment Seat of Christ? Scriptural background
• 03:11–06:39 – How believers will be evaluated: works, words, and motives
• 07:20–10:40 – Rewards, rulership, and loss; parables and performance review analogy
• 10:40–12:17 – What motivates faithful Christian living and potential for temporary rebuke/shame
• 12:17–12:45 – Timing of the Bema and encouragement to live in anticipation

---

Conclusion

Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling clearly distinguish between justification (eternal salvation) and sanctification (Christian living), urging believers to live in anticipation of the Bema. This future evaluation by Christ is not a threat to salvation, but a call to faithfulness, spiritual growth, and preparation for reward and meaningful service in the life to come.

Final Charge:

“Live in light of Christ’s soon return.”
—Philippe Sterling (12:17)

---

For further study and resources, visit faithalone.org.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. What is the judgment seat of Christ and how should people live because of it? Hello friend. Welcome to Grace in Focus, a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our web site, faithalone.org is a place where you can find out more about our online seminary. It's a free seminary and you can earn an M. Div. Degree for free if you maintain a 3.0 average. You can you can get information about our seminary and also about our upcoming national annual conference in May 2026. The dates are the 18th through the 21st. We are hoping that you will be there with us. Find out about registration and all of the other details at our website faithalone.org now with today's continuation of our Eschatology series, here are Bob Wilken and Philippe Sterling.

[B]

We're discussing Esch Eschatology and on our journey in eschatology we've come to what's called the Judgment Seat of Christ. And the expression the judgment seat of Christ only occurs twice in the New Testament with the exact words yes, 2nd Corinthians 5, 9 and 10 and Romans 14:10 through 12. Although in the critical text, which would be your new American Standard, your new international version, your net Bible, it reads the judgment seat of God. But there are lots and lots of references to the judgment seat of Christ in the New Testament. Without using those words.

[C]

Yes, sometimes it's just the day, or first Corinthians Chapter three, talking about how we build and how the day will reveal it.

[B]

And also 1 Corinthians 4 I'm not concerned about any human day, but he's concerned about the day of Christ. Also you have the expression the day of Christ, the day of Jesus Christ, the day of the Lord Jesus. Those all refer to the judgment seat of Christ. Or in 1 John 4 he talks about our day of judgment, 1st John 4, 17, 19. But the word translated judgment seat comes from a Greek word, bema, and bema means judgment seat. And for example, Jesus appeared before Pilate at Pilate's bema, his judgment seat. And Paul appeared before Gallio at his bema, his judgment seat. And he later appeared before Caesar at his bema or judgment seat. So judgment seat isn't just a term related to Jesus judging Christians after this age is over. It was a term used throughout the New Testament to refer to place where judgment took place.

[C]

Yes, a lot of the Greek cities, actually three step platforms where the governor, or we might call them the mayor of a will come and sit and listen to grievances and render judgment.

[B]

Right.

[C]

If you ever take a tour of Greek cities, you may actually see bemers there in the public square.

[B]

So what is the judgment seat of Christ? And why, as believers in Jesus Christ, why should we live in light of it? What's so important about this judgment seat of Christ?

[C]

It is the evaluation of our works, of our lives for the purpose of reward and for the purpose of determining even levels of rulership with Christ. And you already referred to the two specific references to that, the first being Romans 14, verse 10. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so he will evaluate how we dealt with each other. And then Second Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 9 and 10 and following, therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done. Whether good or bad.

[B]

Yeah, and notice the whether good or bad. A lot of people want to translate that, whether good or worthless, because they want to say our bad deeds won't be judged at the judgment seat of Christ because of the blood of Christ. Right. They say the blood of Christ covers all our sins, and therefore we couldn't have our bad deeds judged. The problem with that view is in the majority of manuscripts it reads Agathos or Cacas. Cacus is evil or bad. But in the critical text which you get, the New American Standard, the niv, the NET Bible, the Holman Christian standard, it reads not kakos, but phallos. And phallos is a word that sometimes means worthless. So people say it means worthless here. So it's good or worthless. The problem is, whenever agathos is the opposite of phallos in the New Testament, it's always good or bad. The opposite of good is not worthless. The opposite of good is bad or evil. I would encourage you to do the study I have and look up all uses of agathos and phallos and see the connection, and you'll see it's good or bad. Our works are going to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ, not as sins, but as works. And so if they're bad works, then they're going to be part of the judgment. That means that even though we're forgiven, our bad works will come into play at the judgment seat of Christ.

[C]

And that's even how we've treated each other within the body of Christ will be brought up for evaluation.

[B]

In fact, Jesus said, by your words you will be justified. And by your words you will be condemned. And I would translate justified there. I might translate it justified, but I would explain it. By your words you will be vindicated. And by your words you will be condemned. I think that's looking at the judgment seat of Christ for believers. Of course, unbelievers will be judged according to their works as well at the Great White Throne, but those are separated by a thousand years. But there's basically three things we'll be judged for at the judgment seat of Christ, our works and our words. And then the third thing is our motives.

[C]

Yes, everything that is hidden will be brought to light, including our motives.

[A]

You are invited to subscribe to the Grace Evangelical Society's YouTube channel. You will find our Monday, Wednesday and Friday videos there, enlightening and encouraging and even probably humorous at times. If you like Bob Wilkins humor, indeed, you will get biblical truth about free grace. Themes like faith alone for eternal salvation and why the Grace evangelical society is zero point Calvinistic. We come your way three times a week at the Grace Evangelical YouTube channel. Check it out and tell a friend about the Grace Evangelical Society.

[B]

And so what we ought to recognize is the Lord Jesus longs to say to us, well done, good and faithful servant. He longs to approve of us. He longs to say, rule over 10 cities or rule over five cities. But that doesn't mean that's guaranteed. What's guaranteed is our eternal salvation, right? Our eternal destiny. John 3:16. Once we believed, we're never going to perish. Yes, but that doesn't mean we are going to necessarily get a good report at the judgment seat of Christ. So therefore we ought to strive to be faithful till the end of our lives. There's a parable at the end of Matthew 24, the parable of the just and the unjust servant. And this guy's doing real well. He's feeding his fellow servants. If the Lord were to come at that point, he would be made a ruler over all his goods in the life to come. But then the guy says, my Lord delays his coming.

[C]

Yes. And then he starts mistreating his fellow servants.

[B]

And then he begins to drink with who?

[C]

The drunkards.

[B]

Yeah, not a good group.

[C]

It's almost like perhaps Demas, you know, who walked with Paul and served with Paul and then went the way of the world.

[B]

2Nd Timothy 4, 9, 10. Yeah, Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. And so you get the same kind of thing in this where you've got a guy who's doing well and then he takes his eyes off Christ and his soon return. He takes his eyes off the behemoth. And as a result he's going to be rebuked, the Lord says, at the judgment seat of Christ. And so we need to recognize that the judgment seat of Christ is not going to just be an awards ceremony. You know how it is today. Everybody gets a trophy. Everybody is going to be told, well done, good. Everybody's going to rule and reign. No, not everybody's going to rule and reign. Not everybody is going to be told, well done. Look at the parable, the minas in Luke 19.

[C]

Yes, the one who did not produce anything, what he had is taken away.

[B]

And the first guy gets 10 cities, the second guy gets five cities, but the unfaithful guy loses the one he would have had. It's given to the 10 city guy. So he now has 11 cities to rule over. And this third guy gets into the kingdom, but he's not praised by Jesus.

[C]

And so for us, the bema anticipating that can also be strong motivating factor for faithfulness. And for just yesterday I had my annual wellness exam and part of it was my cholesterol check. And usually I have high cholesterol and but year by year, you know, the goal is to get better. And I did well yesterday. I had better physical health. We want also Adebima to be spiritually healthy and revealed, you know, as. As spiritually healthy but also rewardable. And many people of course have annual performance reviews. The performance is evaluated for the year and sometimes leading to promotion, increase in salary, and sometimes not too. So the bima in essence is a performance review for reward, for rulership, and also for spiritual health.

[B]

But there will be rebuke and there will be shame. Remember first John 2:28. John says, My little children abide in him so that we may have confidence and not shrink back in shame at his parousia this coming. Let me mention five motivations for service real quick. Number one, love and gratitude. We're so grateful for what Christ has done for us. We love him. That's a great motive to serve him. But number two, a sense of duty. It's just the right thing for me to do, to serve the Creator. Number three, because I want rewards here and now. God rewards faithfulness in this life. We don't have to wait to the judgment seat of Christ to get blessed. We get blessed here too. Number four, to avoid chastisement. Now we don't want God's hand of judgment on us. And number five, the judgment seat of Christ. We want praise and approval and reward at the judgment seat of Christ. We don't want shame and a rebuke at the judgment seat of Christ. And I should mention, if we have any shame or rebuke at the judgment seat of Christ, it's not like we're going to be bummed out forever. Some Christians don't like the whole idea of the judgment seat of Christ because they think how could there be anything negative? Well, the truth is we're going to have glorified bodies. We're going to get over any grief in a matter of moments, seconds, and we'll be perfectly joyful and contented forever. But some people are going to have more abundant lives than others, right? Jesus said I've come that you might have life and you might have it more abundantly. Well, that's true in this life. It's true in the life to come. So live in light of Christ's soon.

[C]

Return and the BIMA will occur sometime before the establishment of the Millennial kingdom. Some of course think it may occur during that seven year period in the heavenlies way of Christ. But it might on earth itself that judgment will take place and then going on into the kingdom and the walls established for us.

[B]

Absolutely. Either way, we're going to appear before Christ and we're going to long to hear him say well done, good and faithful servant. Wouldn't that be great?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Well, thanks so much. Remember, keep grace Grace in focus.

[A]

Be sure to check out Our daily blogs faithalone.org they are short and full of great teaching just like what you've heard today. Find [e-mail] resources blog. We would love to hear from you. Maybe you've got a question, comment or some feedback. If you do, please don't hesitate to send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radioaithalone.org and when you do very important. Please let us know your radio station call letters and the city of your location on our next episode. Everything you ever wanted to know about the millennium. Please join us. And until then, let's keep grace in focus.

[C]

The proceeding has been a listener supported.

[A]

Ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.