O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

Myopia or shortsightedness is prevalent in Singapore. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Health, “Singapore is often labelled as the ‘Myopia Capital of the World’. As much as we are concerned of this worrying trend, we should also be concerned of our spiritual myopia. In our Christian earthly journey, we ought to have an eye on eternity.

We should realize that we are living in the last days and Jesus is coming again. We see the signs as Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24, that there will be false teachings, wars and rumours of wars, nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines and earthquakes. One day, we as believers in Christ will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, we must not be spiritually myopic but having an eye on the future.

The apostle Paul reveals to us that “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.” (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Paul’s eye of faith was very much focused on eternal issues. As he thought of the prospect of death and the service he rendered to the Lord, his motivation was to come prepared before Jesus’ judgement seat one day in heaven.

What is the Judgement Seat of Christ?

The judgement seat is called Bema in Greek. Every marketplace in the Roman times had a bema which is a raised platform. It had various functions:

1.  For an orator to speak to the public (Acts 12:21)

2.  For a magistrate to conduct a legal trial and to mete out judgement (Acts 18:12-17; 25)

3.  For the distribution of rewards. The Roman general, Titus set up his bema and commended and rewarded his soldiers with valour (Josephus, Wars 7.1.2-3).  Also, for the award of crowns for winners in the Olympic games.

Who Will Judge?

Since 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10 indicate that it is the judgement seat of Christ, the Judge will obviously be none other than our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. It is most fitting that Jesus should be the Judge because He is not only God but also Man. He Himself had been under the law during His humiliation on earth, stood in man’s place and was “in all points tempted like as we are and yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:13). He holds the scales of justice evenly because He is God.

When Will It Happen?

Luke tells us that we shall be “recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14) which means it will happen after we are raptured to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).  No believer will be excluded from this judgement seat of Christ. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that we must all appear before this judgement seat.

However, there will be a different judgement for those who do not believe in Christ as their Saviour and Lord. It is called the judgement before the Great White Throne. The apostle John described for us this fearful judgement for unbelievers: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

What Is the Purpose?

The judgement seat of Christ is not a judgement to determine our salvation. It is for us to appear before our Master to give an account of ourselves before God of every work we do, whether good or evil (Romans 14:12; Ecclesiastes 12:14). The kind of life we live here upon earth will be revealed by the kind of materials exhibited at the judgment seat of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:13 indicates that “every man’s work shall be made manifest.” It is going to be a time of great revelation when our works shall be judged and the motives of our lives revealed.

Our salvation is solidly anchored on the foundation, that is Jesus Christ. But our rewards depend on the materials which we are now using to build on this foundation. Paul tells us, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

The first three are materials of high quality that is gold, silver and precious stones. The inferior materials are represented by wood, hay and stubble or straw. The materials represent how we work out our salvation (not work for our salvation) for the Lord Jesus Christ. The precious materials signify the faithfulness of the believer in his love and service for the Lord. The inferior materials would signify the other end of the spectrum.  God wants us to serve Him with the best of our abilities, with love for Him and His people and being faithful and abounding in His work (1 Corinthians 15:58; cf. Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:10). At the judgment seat of Christ, when He tests our “building materials” will it be burnt easily by fire or will it remain pure and intact before Him?

It would be wrong for us to despise the Lord’s rewards which He desires to bestow on us, since we gladly receive earthly rewards from men.  Let us do our utmost for our Lord Jesus while we sojourn on this side of eternity until we come before His glorious presence at His judgement seat and “every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour” (1 Corinthians 3:8). May we not be spiritually myopic but have eternity’s values in view.

– Rev Quek Keng Khwang

Before the Judgment Seat of Christ

I must appear for good or ill.

There to receive my just dessert,

For every word will He fulfill.

Have I been faithful to my trust

Since first I knelt at Calv'ry's Cross,

And will I hear Him say. "Well done,"

Or must I suffer grief and loss?

When all my works by fire are tried

And I have answered for each day,

Will they like gold endure the test

Or burn as wood and hay away?

Then let me live as crucified

That Christ alone may reign within,

Forever dead to what I am,

My better self, the world and sin.

Yea, crucified to fleshly lusts

That ever war against the soul

And knowing Him alone as King,

Yield all I have to His control

For should I fail to win the prize

How disappointed He would be,

If I before the Judgment Seat

Should suffer loss eternally!

--Perry Rockwood--

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Jul 17

        7.30 pm     ERBL: OT Poetic Books (Rev Charles Seet)

Tuesday, Jul 18

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (GB Fortnight)

Thursday, Jul 20

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: The Theology of Prayer (Pastor Tan Soon Yong)

Saturday, Jul 22

        2.30 pm     Ladies’ Tea Fellowship

        3.00 pm     LTF / YF / YAF

Sunday, Jul 23

  8.00 am     Stay the Course! Acts 14:1-28 (Rev Quek Keng Khwang)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Stay the Course! Acts 14:1-28 (Rev Quek Keng Khwang)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.00 pm Session Meeting

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

LIFE B-P CHURCH SURVEY 2023

In order to better understand the spiritual life of our congregation, our church pastoral staff is conducting an online survey of the Pulpit Ministry and the Prayer Meeting. Kindly click on the following URL to participate in this survey. Deadline: Wednesday, 9 August 2023. https://lifebpc.com/survey/index.php/313662?lang=en

WITH ONE VOICE (Evening of Praise 2023)

Date:  7 Oct 2023 (Sat)

Time:  7pm to 9pm

Venue:          Church Sanctuary

Form your groups to present item of praise unto the Lord! Registration will open soon.

Gospel Sunday

30 July 2023 “God has a message for you” by Pastor Wei En Yi.

MM 7^th Anniversary

“Rise Up, O Men of God” by Eld Chia Ah Lak. 29 July 2023, 4-7pm @ Beulah MPH. Dinner will be provided

Door to Door Evangelism 16 Jul 2023 (Today)

Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30 pm. Contact: Desmond or Amos 

Traffic Wardens

Lifers are invited to serve our Lord as Traffic Wardens on Sunday. Kindly contact Bro Yeo HS if you are available.

Exploring Christianity

What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? If there is a good and powerful God, why do we have global pandemics and unrest in this world?  The answers to these questions can be found in the Bible, which is God's word to man.

Exploring Christianity is a course that looks at how the Bible addresses these pertinent questions about life. It is a 5-part series and is suitable for (1) Non-Christians seeking God and (2) Christians who would like to learn how to evangelise.

The first session will be held on a Saturday, 22 July 2023, from 3-6.30pm at Beulah Centre, Room 2-1. Dinner will be provided. Kindly note that the other 3 sessions will be held on Sunday mornings. All Lifers are encouraged to bring their non-Christian friends and family members to this introductory course on the Christian faith. 

Register at https://tinyurl.com/ECJul2023

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