Grace in Focus Podcast Summary

Episode: Will Confessed Sins Be Judged at The Judgment Seat of Christ?

Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Bob Wilkin & Ken Yates
Podcast: Grace in Focus (Grace Evangelical Society)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode addresses a crucial theological question: Will confessed sins—specifically those forgiven according to 1 John 1:9—be brought up at the Judgment Seat of Christ? Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates explore varying viewpoints within evangelical circles about the fate of both confessed and unconfessed sins at the judgment, providing biblical references and illustrations to clarify Free Grace theology on this vital issue. The conversation aims to distinguish between justification and sanctification, eternal destiny and eternal rewards.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Listener Question

[00:54]

• Tom’s question references 1 John 1:9 about the confession and forgiveness of sins:
  “If I'm a believer and I confess a sin, will that sin be brought up at the judgment seat of Christ?”

2. Evangelical Perspectives on Sin at Judgment

[01:24-02:13]

• Wilkin notes most evangelicals who believe in the Judgment Seat of Christ would say confessed sins will not be brought up.

• Some even argue unconfessed sins won’t be addressed, since "Jesus paid for all of our sins," making the issue moot at judgment.

  Bob Wilkin [01:43]:
  "I would say you have a fairly large amount who would say even unconfessed sins will not come up at the judgment seat of Christ because they'll say Jesus paid for all of our sins... But certainly confessed... would not be brought up."

3. Confession, Fellowship, and Legalism

[02:13-05:26]

• Yates expands on 1 John 1:9, noting “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” covers more than just confessed sins.

• He humorously illustrates the stress legalism can produce: a pastor who set a timer every 10 minutes to confess any possible sins, which led to neurosis not peace.

  Ken Yates [04:48]:
  “That would turn me into a neurotic mess.”
  Wilkin [04:50]:
  “Guess what it did with him—turned him into a neurotic mess.”

• Yates emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s role in convicting believers when confession is needed and defines confession (Greek: homologeo) as agreeing with God about the nature of sin.

4. Will Sins Be Brought Up at the Judgment?

[05:28-07:02]

• Yates’ view: Neither confessed nor unconfessed sins will be brought up at the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne Judgment.

• He references Revelation 20:11-15, where judgment is "according to their works"—the word “sin” is not used, supporting his argument.

• Bad deeds versus sin:
  2 Corinthians 5:10 says we will be recompensed for “the things done in the body, whether good or bad,” but Yates differentiates between bad deeds and sins as technical terms at the judgment seat.

5. Nature of Rewards, Rebuke, and Consequences

[07:03-08:44]

• There are misconceptions that only bad works appear at the Great White Throne Judgment; in truth, “unbelievers are going to have lots of good works.”

• For the believer: John 5:24 assures “the one who believes in Him will not come into judgment.”

  Ken Yates [08:02]:
  “We will be judged, but not to determine our eternal destiny, to determine our eternal life reward.”

• Bad deeds, confessed or unconfessed, may be presented to determine rewards or lack thereof, not eternal destiny.

6. How Does Judgment Work for Believers?

[08:45-11:07]

• Not all bad deeds yield blanket rebuke.

• 1 John 2:28 and Matthew 24:45-51 indicate shame or rebuke may occur, especially for failures in perseverance, but this isn’t universal.

• Degree of reward/rulership (e.g., parable of the minas; Matthew 6:19-21) depends on one’s faithfulness and work quality, not confession status.

  Ken Yates [10:44]:
  “I like to think of it this way, that... there’s going to be degrees of rulership. And the same thing is true with treasure we laid up... Depending on how much treasure we laid up, that's how much treasure will be there.”

• "Bad works" are not rewardable and may reduce reward, but eternal destiny remains secure for the believer.

7. Worthless Works and Motivation

[11:07-12:08]

• Worthless (though not sinful) works (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15) receive neither reward nor rebuke.

• Using the example of Bob’s race walking medals: good things not done for eternal purposes don’t count for reward.

  Bob Wilkin [11:35]:
  “Well, I don’t know, you might. They look awful pretty over there.”

• The fate of bad deeds at judgment serves as motivation to “be someone who is pleasing to the Lord day by day.”

8. Perseverance and Assurance

[12:08-12:34]

• Perseverance is emphasized for reigning with Christ (2 Timothy 2:12).

• The critical message: Know you have eternal life and live each day in light of Christ’s return.

  Ken Yates [12:08]:
  “But the key, the absolute key, is I've got to persevere to the end, because if we endure, we'll reign with him.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On legalism and confession:
  “That would turn me into a neurotic mess.” – Bob Wilkin [04:48]
• On God's intent:
  “God never intended for us to set off a beeper to go every 10 minutes. In fact, we have the Holy Spirit living within us.” – Ken Yates [04:54]
• On judgment for believers:
  “We will be judged, but not to determine our eternal destiny, to determine our eternal life reward.” – Ken Yates [08:02]
• On reward and ruling:
  “There's going to be degrees of rulership. And the same thing is true with treasure we laid up.” – Ken Yates [10:44]
• On accountability:
  “We will give an account. That's the bottom line.” – Bob Wilkin [12:34]

Key Timestamps

• [00:54] Listener question about confessed sin and judgment
• [01:43] Wilkin: Evangelical views on confessed/unconfessed sins
• [02:13] Yates: 1 John 1:9 and confession
• [03:41-04:54] Illustration: Pastor with the 10-minute timer
• [05:28] Discussion: Will sins be mentioned at the judgment seat?
• [06:45] Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 on believer’s judgment
• [08:02] Key: Judgment determines rewards, not destiny
• [10:44] Parable of the minas and degrees of reward
• [11:29] Worthless works and race walking medals
• [12:08] Importance of perseverance

Summary Table

| Topic | Host Insight | Scripture/Basis | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------| | Confessed/Unconfessed Sins at Judgment | "Most say confessed sins not brought up; some say none are." | 1 John 1:9 | 01:43 | | Legalistic approaches to confession | "Setting a timer for confession leads to neurosis not holiness." | Personal story/Illustration | 04:48 | | Sin vs. Works at Judgment | "Judged according to works; 'sin' not mentioned (Rev 20)." | Revelation 20:11-15 | 05:28 | | Degrees of reward/rulership | "Rewards relate to faithfulness; not all rebuked." | Parables/1 John 2:28 | 10:44 | | Motivation | "Let the reality of judgment motivate daily life." | 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 6:19-21 | 12:08 |

Conclusion

Wilkin and Yates make a nuanced case that at the Judgment Seat of Christ, confessed sins are not the focus—rather, believers will be evaluated for rewards based on their works, good and bad, in the body. Confession remains important for fellowship but doesn't erase all consequences for reward at judgment; legalistic approaches to confession are discouraged in favor of Spirit-led conviction. The discussion closes by reminding listeners to live in light of accountability, knowing eternal destiny is secure, but rewards are tied to perseverance and faithfulness.