Miss Nan

Listen: MP3

For those of us saved during the Church Age: Before we can enter heaven, we must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat) to account for our works. (2 Cor. 5:10, Romans 14:12)
-Our sins will not be judged. They have been judged and paid for by Christ on the cross (John 5:24).
-Our works will be judged to determine our reward in heaven (Matt. 16:27, 1 Cor. 3:8).

God put us here for a purpose (Jer. 29:11). We will be judged according to our love for Him and how well we follow His plan.

Foundation - God has placed Jesus as the only foundation for works and He gives us a choice of building materials: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or stubble (1 Cor. 3:12). Only Jesus can judge these works (John 5:22).
-Deeds done out of love and obedience to Christ will be called gold, silver and precious stone and will go with us to Heaven (1 Cor. 3:14).
-Deeds done for any other reason (self glory, praise of men, prestige, duty, guilt) will be called wood, hay and stubble and will be burned up (1 Cor. 3:15).
-Will my present service record stand the test of our Lord’s fiery judgment? (Col. 3:17)

Rewards - There will be degrees of reward in heaven, but everyone will be happy with his position because he will know that a just Lord will have rewarded him fairly. The Lord will hand out some special rewards called crowns.
1. Crown of Life - for those who suffer for their faith and those who suffer in the body but do not give up. (Rev. 2:10, James 1:12) If we do not really love Jesus with all our hearts, our suffering and our trials will cause us to become bitter, critical and filled with self-pity.
2. Crown Incorruptible - for those who run the race of life all the way to the finish line. It’s always too early to give up! (Heb. 12:1-2)
3. Crown of Rejoicing - for those who are soul-winners. (1 Thess. 2:19) We are to witness with our mouths and our lives under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We are also to witness by bringing our tithes and offerings. (Phil. 4:15-17) The degree of our joy in heaven will be determined in part by the souls we have had a part in bringing to Jesus.

Crowns #4 and #5 next week!