The judgment seat of Christ is a prophetic event that will occur after the Rapture. It will happen “when the Lord come” (1 Co. 4:5). See also 2 Ti. 4:1, “the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing.”

The judgment seat of Christ is a major theme of the New Testament faith. See Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10; Ephesians 6:8-9; Colossians 3:24-25; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 2:23.

It is instructive that two of the major passages on the judgment seat of Christ are written to the carnal church at Corinth. It is a corrective to carnality and worldliness. The judgment seat of Christ is revealed to motivate believers to diligent, godly service to Christ. We will have either reward or loss (1 Co. 3:14-15).

This judgment cannot be escaped. The Word of God can be ignored and disobeyed. Sin can be hidden in this present life. Believers can walk in the flesh and make decisions out of God’s will. People can injure homes and churches and go on about their business as if nothing happened, but there will be an accounting. There are thousands of things that are not set right in this world, but they will be set right. “Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid” (1 Ti. 5:24-25).

The judgment seat

The judgment seat itself (bema) is not mentioned in 1 Co. 3, but it is mentioned in Ro. 14:10 and 2 Co. 5:10. See the latter for a study on the bema.

The participants at the judgment seat of Christ

The participants are born again believers. The teaching is addressed to those who are “brethren” and who are “in Christ” (1 Co. 3:1). It is addressed to those who have built their lives upon the eternal foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Co. 3:11). The born again believer can fall on the foundation, but he cannot fall off of it! He can build a shabby structure on the foundation (wood, hay, stubble), but he cannot render the foundation ineffective. “Foundation” is used in two ways in this passage. In verse 10, “foundation” refers to the assembly. This is laid by man. Paul laid the foundation of the church at Corinth by preaching the gospel and baptizing and discipling the first believers. In verse 11, “foundation” refers to salvation, which is the foundation of every church. This foundation cannot be built by man; it was built 100% by God.

This is because salvation is a free gift that was purchased in full by Jesus Christ through His atonement on Calvary. Salvation is a gift, not a reward (Eph. 2:8-9). Fourteen times it is called a gift, and a gift is the very opposite of a reward. A gift is something that is purchased by someone else and is given to me freely. If I pay anything whatsoever for it or work for it in any sense, it is no longer a gift. Christ purchased the believer’s eternal salvation by himself (Heb. 1:3). There is nothing the believer can add to this.

1 Corinthians 3 is one of the clearest passages in the New Testament on the doctrine of eternal security. If the carnal believer who loses everything at the judgment seat of Christ “shall be saved,” how could it be possible for anyone to lose his salvation?

At the same time, we must warn that many who think of themselves as Christians are not true Christians. The Bible warns about unregenerate Christianity (Tit. 1:16). Jesus described those who do many things in His name but they do not know Him personally (Mt. 7:21-23). Some major evidences of salvation are a converted life (Mt. 18:3), the witness of the Spirit (Ro. 8:14-16), love for God’s Word (Joh. 8:47; 10:27), obedience to Christ’s commandments (1 Jo. 2:4), love for the brethren (1 Jo. 3:14), and chastening for sin (Heb. 12:6-8).

The participants are individual believers. We work together, but we will be judged individually (“every man” 1 Co. 3:8; “every man” 1 Co. 3:10; “any man” 1 Co. 3:12; “every man” 1 Co. 3:13; “any man” 1 Co. 3:14; “any man” 1 Co. 3:15). Each believer will be judged on the basis of his own labor -- “every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Co. 3:8). I will not be rewarded for the labor of others. If a church prospers in God’s will and blessing, the individual members will be rewarded according to their own labor.

The purpose of the judgment seat of Christ

At the judgment seat of Christ each believer will give account to the Master for his service in this life.

The judgment seat of Christ is not for punishment but for rewards or loss of rewards (1 Co. 3:14-15). The believer’s complete punishment fell upon Christ! The judgment seat of Christ is like an athlete competing for the Olympics. If he loses the race, he is not punished, but he loses the crown that he could have earned. Paul wanted to win the prize of fulfilling God’s calling (1 Co. 9:24-27). He took the Christian life very seriously. He considered it a race to run.

The context of Paul’s teaching on the judgment seat of Christ is ministering, planting, and building (1 Co. 3:6, 8, 9, 10, 13). The context is service in God’s great harvest. Jesus said the harvest is great (Lu. 10:2). He has commanded that the gospel be preached to every individual on earth, which is a massive undertaking (Mr. 16:15). Each believer has an important part in this great work. He is a priest commissioned to offer spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Pe. 2:5). The priest stands between God and man, preaching the gospel of reconciliation (2 Co. 5:20) and interceding for all men (1 Ti. 2:1-6). Paul described this in Romans 15:16, “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” Paul looked upon the ministry of the gospel as preparing Gentiles as an offering to God. God wants souls to be saved (1 Ti. 2:4-4; 2 Pe. 3:9). He wants a fruitful harvest (Mt. 20:1-6). He not only wants souls to be saved, He wants them to be built up and perfected in Christ (Mt. 28:20; Col. 1:28). That is the work of the church, which is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Ti. 3:15). Each believer is an important member of the church body (1 Co. 12:27). Each believer has a gift and ministry (Ro. 12:3-5; 1 Pe. 4:10-11). Each believer is to be working hard in the harvest and in the church. To serve Christ in these capacities is not an optional part of the Christian life; it is the very essence of the true Christian life.

We are saved by grace unto good works (Eph. 2:8-10), and the judgment seat of Christ will examine this service. We are not saved to continue to live as we please and to serve ourselves; we are now the Lord’s servants, bought with a price.

We are not only to rest in Christ’s salvation, we are to serve Him and learn of Him and put on His yoke of service (Mt. 11:28-30). It is an easy yoke, because Christ is in the yoke with us and He does the heavy pulling, but it is a yoke nonetheless.

We will be judged as sons. “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Gal. 4:6-7). The judgment seat of Christ is the judgment of a son in the family business. If a son is lazy and doesn’t work properly in the father’s business, he is still a son and is still loved by the father, but he is not rewarded as a good and diligent son is rewarded. “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame” (Pr. 10:5).

The work is not impossible work; there is no excuse. God does the hard part. We serve by the gifts and calling of God (1 Co. 3:5). We serve by doing what we can do (1 Co. 3:6). We can plant and water. We can give out the gospel, teach, pray, exhort, preach. We serve by God’s increase (“God gives the increase,” 1 Co. 3:6, 7). This is repeated for emphasis. We serve as a body, as a team (1 Co. 3:8). I don’t have to do everything, I only have to do my part. We serve with God (1 Co. 3:9). We serve by God’s grace (1 Co. 3:10). We serve by God’s Spirit (1 Co. 3:16). We serve in the realm of new life in Christ as a joint heir (1 Co. 3:21-23). He has given me all things in Christ; why should I not serve Him?

The fire at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Co. 3:13)

Note that the fire is not on the person, it is on the works. Contrast hell (Lu. 16:23).

The fire is Christ’s omniscience. John depicts Christ’s eyes “as a flame of fire” (Re. 1:14). This was explained to the church at Thyatira. It was to this church, in particular, that Christ revealed Himself as “the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire” (Re. 2:18). This is defined as follows: “I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works” (Re. 2:23). We see the same thing in 1 Co. 4:5. Christ “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts” (1 Co. 4:5). Christ sees the secrets of every human heart. It is not my pastor who will judge me or my church or my parents or my spouse or my friends; it is Christ Himself who is the judge. We must not live to please ourselves or other people but Christ alone. We must have our eyes upon Christ, not upon man. We must not put our confidence in anything other than Christ. If our eyes are upon man, we will be ashamed (Ps. 118:8-9; 146:3-4; Isa. 2:22; Jer. 17:5).

The fire is the Word of God, the Holy Scripture (Jer. 23:29). In Hebrews 4:12-13 we see both the Scripture and Christ Himself in the judgment. Scripture can make the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Ti. 3:16-17). Through Scripture we can find that good and perfect will of God in this present life and can therefore be prepared to stand before Christ to give an account for our service (Ro. 12:1-2). It is therefore imperative that we study the Bible diligently to rightly divide it (2 Ti. 2:15). We must have sound preaching and teaching (Eph. 4:11-12). We must continue in the Word (Joh. 8:31-32). We must be willing to obey the Word (Joh. 7:17). We must pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). We must receive God’s Word and hide it in our hearts and cry after knowledge and seek it as treasure (Pr. 2:1-5). We must pursue spiritual growth diligently (2 Pe. 1:5-8). We must walk in the light and confess our sins. Through God’s Word we can see our sins in this present life and confess them and correct them, so that we won’t face them at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Co. 11:31-32; 1 Jo. 1:9).

The fire will judge the works (“every man’s work shall be made manifest,” 1 Co. 3:13). “Manifest” is the Greek phaneros, “to make to shine, to cause to appear” (Complete Word Study Bible). It is translated “openly” (Mt. 6:4), “make known” (Mt. 12:16), “come abroad” (Mr. 4:22), “appear” (1 Ti. 4:15).

The believer’s works and service will be exposed in the light of God’s Word. Christ will reveal how He sees the works. He knows everything and judges perfectly. He knows my spiritual maturity at every point in my Christian life and what I am capable of (1 Co. 10:13). John addressed children, young men, and fathers (1 Jo. 2:12-14). Christ doesn’t require of a baby that which he requires of an older saint (Heb. 5:11-12). He knows my faith. He knows my love for Him (Re. 2:4-5). He knows every secret thing. He knows my motives (Ro. 14:6). He knew Ananias and Sapphira’s hypocrisy (Ac. 5:1-2). He knew that Demas left Paul because he loved this present world (2 Ti. 4:10), though Demas probably gave a different reason. Christ knows what I do, He knows why I do it. He knows my repentances and my confessions.

The judgment of works at the judgment seat of Christ is dramatically different from the judgment of works at the Great White Throne. Compare 1 Co. 3:13, “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,” with Re. 20:12-13, “and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ... and they were judged every man according to their works.” At the Great White Throne, the individual himself is judged. He is judged by his works, and since his works are sinful, he is condemned. At the judgment seat of Christ, the individual is not judged. He is in Christ. His judgment fell 100% upon Christ. It is only his works that are judged to see if they are approved of God.

The Bible’s teaching of the judgment seat of Christ refutes the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory. (1) The judgment described in 1 Corinthians 3 is to try men’s works (1 Co. 3:13). The fire does not touch the men themselves. (2) The judgment described in 1 Corinthians 3 is not for some believers who die with so-called “venial sins” on their record, but for every believer (1 Co. 3:13). (3) The judgment described in 1 Corinthians 3 is not for purgation of the soul, but for reward or loss of reward (1 Co. 3:14-15). There is no physical pain for the believer; there is only loss. (4) The judgment described in 1 Corinthians 3 is in the future at the last day, but purgatory is alleged to exist now. (5) There is no teaching in the New Testament that prayers can be said for, or masses offered for, the dead.

The materials tested at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Co. 3:12)
Paul metaphorically describes two types of Christian lives: wood, hay, stubble, and gold, silver, precious stones.

“Wood, hay, and stubble”
- Wood, hay, and stubble are not valuable compared to gold, silver, and precious stones. It refers to a Christian life that is does not please God, a life that is not lived in His will, a life that is lived for oneself rather than for Christ.
- Wood, hay, and stubble are temporal; they are not permanent; they are easily corrupted. It refers to a Christian life that is focused on this world rather than eternity. It is the opposite of living as a pilgrim (Heb. 11:13; 1 Pe. 2:11). It is the opposite of setting one’s affection on things above (Col. 3:1-4).
- Wood, hay, and stubble are things of this world, whereas gold, silver, and precious stones are associated with heaven and the New Jerusalem (Re. 21:18, 21). It refers to a Christian life that is carnal, fleshly, worldly (1 Co. 3:3; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jo. 2:15-17).
- The “wood, hay, stubble” type of Christian life is (1) not growing, not living according to the Spirit, not becoming skillful in God’s Word, not using God’s Word to test everything (Heb. 5:12-14). (2) It is man-centered rather than Christ-centered (1 Co. 3:4-5). (3) It is to be lazy in the harvest (1 Co. 3:8). (4) It is to work for God, but not according to God’s Word (“take heed how he buildeth,” 1 Co. 3:10; “of what sort it is,” 1 Co. 3:13). See also 2 Ti. 2:5, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” (5) It is to harm the church (1 Co. 3:17). (6) It is to follow the wisdom of this world instead of the wisdom of God (1 Co. 3:18-19). (7) It is to be unfaithful as a steward of God (1 Co. 4:2). (8) It is to follow man’s thinking, ways, tradition, doctrine, philosophy, psychology, church tradition, society, culture, pragmatism. How are most churches operated? How do they receive members? choose leaders? operate the services? choose the music? conduct their daily lives? make their decisions? choose marriage partners? raise the children? disciple the youth?

“Gold, silver, and precious stones”
- Gold, silver, and precious stones denote that which is of God, that which is imperishable and thus has eternal value, that which is in accordance with God’s Word. For example, the objects in the tabernacle that depicted Christ were gold (the ark of the covenant, Ex. 25:10-11; the mercy seat, Ex. 25:17; the cherubims, Ex. 25:18; the table of shewbread, Ex. 25:23-24; the candlestick, Ex. 25:31). The tabernacle service also had silver (Ex. 38:24, 10, 19) and precious stones (Ex. 25:7; 28:17-20). The eternal city, the New Jerusalem, is made of pure gold (Re. 21:18) and has precious stones (Re. 21:19-20).
- The “gold, silver, precious stones” type of Christian life is focused on Christ and eternity, not on this world. It describes the believer who is seeking “true riches” and “durable riches” rather than the cheap things of this world (Pr. 8:18; Lu. 16:11). It is the Christian who sets his affection on things above, not only things on earth (Col. 3:1-4).
- The “gold, silver, precious stones” type of Christian life is described everywhere in the New Testament. It is the believer who seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). It is the believer who puts on Christ’s yoke and learns of Him (Mt. 11:28-30). It is the believer who obeys Christ’s Great Commission and seeks to fulfill it (Mt. 28:18-20). It is the believer who denies himself and takes up his cross and follows Christ (Mr. 8:34-35). It is the believer who is abiding in Christ and bearing fruit for His glory (Joh. 15:1-10). It is the believer who walks in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Ro. 8:4-14). It is the the believer who surrenders his life to God and pursues that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Ro. 12:1-2). It is the believer who beholds Christ and is changed into His image (2 Co. 3:16-18). It is the believer who lives his life by putting off the old man and putting on the new man (Eph. 4:22-24). It is the believer who is the faithful, committed, active, fruitful church member that God wants him to be (Ac. 2:42; Eph. 4:16). It is the believer who builds the type of home that pleases God (Eph. 5:22 - 6:4; Tit. 2:4-5). It is the believer that is rich in good works, laying up treasures in heaven (1 Ti. 6:18-19). It is the believer who is becoming skillful in God’s Word and measuring everything by God’s Word (Heb. 5:12-14). It is the believer who is pursuing spiritual growth (2 Pe. 1:5-8).

We can know what type of Christian life we are building. God has told us what pleases Him, and we can please Him by His grace. If I do, I am building gold, silver, and precious stones. God is not playing games with His people. He has not put His will beyond reach. He is not impossible to please.

The gold, silver, precious stones life is by God’s grace. These things are of God, not man. It is not a religious life, a life lived by man’s ability. It is not a “special” type of Christian life; it is the normal Christian life that God wants His people to live and that He enables His people to live. It is available to every true believer. (“as the Lord gave to every man” 1 Co. 3:5; “God gave the increase” 1 Co. 3:6, 7; “laborers together with God” 1 Co. 3:9; “according to the grace of God” 1 Co. 3:10).

There is no such thing as a perfect gold, silver, precious stone life. No one is without fault. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ... If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 Jo. 1:8, 10). “For in many things we offend all” (Jas. 3:2). “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ec. 7:20). But we should aim to have as much gold, silver, precious stones as possible and as little wood, hay, and stubble as possible. This is the example Paul put before us: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:12-14).

The type of Christian life we build shows how much we value God and His business. If we offer hay and stubble to adorn God’s house, we obviously don’t have a high regard for it. “Gold, silver and precious stones are the fit adornment of the church as the temple of God, but wood, hay and stubble are worthless material fit not for a temple, but for a mud hovel” (Annotated Bible).

We see that it is not the size of one’s Christian labor, but its value before God that is important. It is possible to build a large and impressive structure out of wood, but when touched by fire it will quickly be reduced to ashes. Likewise, it is possible to live a Christian life and build a Christian ministry that impresses men but which has little or no value before God. Jesus described those who will do many wonderful works, but they do not know Christ personally (Mt. 7:22-23).

The reward at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Co. 3:14)

In His amazing grace, God not only saves believing sinners, He also rewards them for faithful service.

God is not a severe task master. As the good Father, His heart’s desire is to bless and benefit and help and reward His redeemed children. His grace and mercy will be evident at the judgment seat of Christ. We see this in 1 Co. 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” This refers to God’s praise or commendation of man. It is not praise to God, but praise of God. This speaks of God’s great grace. After God exposes everything to the bright light of His holy omniscience, every man will have praise of Him. John Darby comments on the grace that will be displayed at the judgment seat of Christ as follows: “In the counsels of God I am elect before the foundation of the world; hence I think that my own history will be detailed before the judgment seat, and, parallel with it, the history of the grace and of the mercy of God toward me. The why and the how we did this or that will be manifested then. For us the scene will be declarative, not judicial. We are not in the flesh before God; in His eyes, by His grace, we are dead. But then, if we have walked according to the flesh, we must see how we lost in blessing thereby, and what loss we have incurred. On the other hand, the ways of God towards us, all ways of wisdom, of mercy, and of grace, will be perfectly known and understood by us for the first time” (Darby, Synopsis of the Books of the Bible).

Every born Christian can have rewards at Christ’s judgment seat. That is God’s will, and He has provided everything we need. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (1 Pe. 1:3).

Rewards are mentioned dozens of times in the New Testament. See Mt. 24:44-47; 25:19-23; Lu. 19:12-19; 1 Co. 9:17; Col. 3:24; 1 Ti. 6:19; Heb. 10:35; 1 Pe. 5:4; 2 Pe. 1:10-11; 2 Jo. 1:8; Re. 2:25-27; 3:21; 11:18; 22:12.

God has promised to reward the smallest thing that is done sincerely in His name (Mt. 10:40-42). Note that the context is receiving and helping prophets and righteous men and disciples.

Of the woman who anointed His feet (Mary), Jesus said, “She hath done what she could” (Mr. 14:8). She was rewarded with eternal commendation (Mr. 14:9).

The reward consists of crowns, which refer to positions of authority in Christ’s kingdom (Re. 3:11; 2:26-27).

The reward will consist of treasures (Mt. 6:19-21; 1 Ti. 6:17-19).

The reward will be Christ’s personal commendation (Mt. 25:21-23). This is the greatest reward. To know that I have pleased my Lord and Saviour is reward enough and more.

To suffer loss of reward is not a small thing. The one who loses his rewards will know that he foolishly wasted his Christian life on something other than God’s will. We will see what our lives could have been. How sad and mortifying this will be. The one who loses his rewards will not hear those blessed words from the lips of Christ, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Being saved though as by fire reminds us of Lot, who was saved out of Sodom but he lost everything there, including his own family. Unlike Abraham, who lived by faith and made his choices based on God’s revealed will, Lot followed his eyes and his lusts and own desires (Ge. 13:10-13). He spent years in Sodom gaining wealth and building up a reputation (he even became a judge and sat in the gate of the city) and marrying his daughters into prominent Sodomite families, but in the end he lost everything. Imagine living one’s life only to see it burned up because it did not please God!

The loss at the judgment seat of Christ will also consist of shame (1 Jo. 2:28). Think of standing before Christ and realizing that you were foolish and self-serving in your earthly life, that you wasted the gifts and opportunities that God gave you. What a shameful thing this will be before the Lord who loved you and saved you. And it will be shameful in light of the “great crowd of witnesses” in heaven who served the Lord diligently and suffered for His name’s sake (Heb. 12:1). Consider again the Parable of the Pound (Lu. 19:24, “And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds”). Each believer should put himself in the place of this individual. Here Christ indicates that the judgment of believers will take place publicly rather than privately. There will be public shame for the careless Christian.

For more about the judgment seat of Christ, see the comments on 1 Co. 4:5 and 2 Co. 5:9-10 (Way of Life Commentary Series, The Corinthian Epistles).

The motivation of the judgment seat of Christ

The judgment seat of Christ is taught in Scripture for the purpose of motivating believers to prepare themselves. It is not for entertainment, it is for conviction. Every church needs a lot of preaching on the judgment seat of Christ.

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh (1 Co. 3:1-3). Paul taught on the judgment seat of Christ in the context of warning the brethren at Corinth about their carnality and challenging them to be godly.

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to be busy and faithful in Christ’s service (1 Co. 3:5-10). In his teaching on the judgment seat of Christ, Paul emphasized the believer’s work in the Lord’s harvest, and he further mentioned the necessity of faithfulness. “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Co. 4:2). See also 2 Co. 5:9, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” When I am mindful that I must stand at the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for my life, I am motivated to use my time wisely and fruitfully in His service. I am motivated to stay on fire for God and to pursue His perfect will to the end. If there were more emphasis on the judgment seat of Christ and of Christ’s imminent return, there would be less half-heartedness, lukewarmness, and worldliness.

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to persevere in the ministry in the face of difficulties, suffering, trials. Gospel work and church building is the most difficult work on earth. It is spiritual warfare. It encompasses the troubles delineated by Paul. See 2 Co. 11:23-28. Many turn aside because of the difficulties. The judgment seat of Christ is a strong motivation to persevere in the ministry.

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to keep his eyes on the Lord and not on men (1 Co. 3:5-9). Paul concludes the passage on the judgment seat of Christ with the following words: “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Co. 3:21-23). The believers at Corinth were man-followers. They were divided into man-centered parties (1 Co. 3:3-4). By instructing the carnal brethren at Corinth about the judgment seat of Christ, Paul was challenging them to look beyond man to Christ. This is a great need in churches in the 21st century. Men should be given the honor they deserve according to the Bible, but they are only men and they will always let you down in some way. They are not to be given “unquestioning loyalty.” That type of loyalty belongs solely to Jesus Christ. The judgment seat of Christ reminds us that in the church we are not dealing merely with men; we are dealing with the Son of God Himself, who said, “I will build my church” (Mt. 16:18). We need to honor the undershepherds God gives us, but we must keep our eyes first and foremost on the Great Shepherd to whom we will give account at His judgment seat.

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to honor the Lord’s church (1 Co. 3:16-17).
- The context of 1 Co. 3 is the church. We see this in 1 Co. 3:9 where Paul mentions the Lord’s building, and we see this in 1 Co. 3:16-17 where he warns against defiling the temple of God. Paul uses the term “ye,” which is plural. The church is the house of God and the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Ti. 3:15).
- This warning about defiling the church instructs us that church issues will come up at the judgment. The biblical pattern is for each believer to be a faithful, functional, fruitful member of a New Testament church (Ac. 2:41-42). If a church member is unruly and disobedient and hurts the church by unfaithfulness or by gossip or by a poor testimony or by backbiting or by insubordination, this is not a light matter. It will be dealt with at Christ’s judgment seat. When a church tries to discipline a member for such things, it is common for that person to leave and join another church and try to go on like nothing happened, and some people get away with that in this present life. But if the individual is saved, the matter will be dealt with sooner or later. “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after” (1 Ti. 5:24). Consider Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Disobedience to biblical church authority and causing grief to one’s leaders (assuming they are leading according to God’s Word) is “unprofitable for you.” Doubtless this refers both to this life and to the next.

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to reject the wisdom of this world (1 Co. 3:18-20).

The judgment seat of Christ motivates the believer to refuse to be a man follower (1 Co. 3:21-23).