The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Misconceptions About Heavenly Rewards (Part 2 of 6)

Heavenly Rewards

Why when Christians stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ we are not judged for our sins?

Each mid-July our ministry sponsors a Bible conference that is held in the Dallas, Texas area. In 2017, our conference’s theme was “Living with Hope in the End Times.” One of the powerful presentations made at that conference concerned what the Bible has to say about the rewards Jesus will hand out when we stand before His judgment seat. The presentation was made by Glenn Meredith, the pastor of the Brookhaven Church in McKinney, Texas. An excerpt of Pastor Meredith’s eye-opening teaching on heavenly rewards is presented below, or watch it on our television program, Christ in Prophecy.

Payment for our Sins

Glenn Meredith: Why is it that when we are standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ that somehow we don’t have to give an account of our sins? Why is that? Is God just going to overlook our sins? Are we just getting a pass?

No, not according to Colossians 2. Scripture says that there was another judgment that took place that acted as a substitute for our judgment. It was when the Lord Jesus Christ, our glorious Savior, hung on the cross. The Bible reveals Christ’s sacrifice on the cross canceled the charge of the legal indebtedness which stood against us, and which condemned us. Jesus took the judgment for our sins by nailing it to the cross.

The cross was like the electric chair of the Roman Empire. It was the means of public execution. And so, when a person was crucified, the soldiers would nail to the top of the cross the charges for which that criminal was dying. Then all who walked by and saw the person being executed would know the crimes for which that person was dying.

When our Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross, Pilate ordered a similar sign placed, which read, “This is the King of the Jews.” But, the Bible says that’s not really the crime for which Jesus died. The crimes for which He was dying, according to Colossians 2:14, was that God nailed to the cross the record book of your sin. God nailed to the cross the record of your indebtedness, i.e. your sin debt to God. God nailed it to the cross. And, while Jesus was hanging on that cross, God began to treat Jesus like He would have treated you had you stood before God in judgment for your sins. He turned His back. That is why Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Why? Because at that moment Jesus was answering for my sins.

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My sins and your sins were judged upon the cross. Because of the blood that Jesus Christ shed for your sins, because of the death that He died in your place, the Bible says that the record book of your sin was taken away, removed, canceled. No more does a record exist of your sins, that is, if you are a child of Jesus Christ.

Is that not good news? Rather, that’s great news!

In fact, if you stood before God, and God then required for your sins to be judged yet again, He would be unjust. And so, Jesus has totally taken care of your sin. So, if you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, I urge you to do so today, because if you will commit your life to Jesus, then your sins will be completely, totally and forever removed and taken away.

Because the judgment for our sins have already been nailed to the cross, when the Lord Jesus comes for His Bride, the first thing He’s not going to do is beat up on His Bride in judgment. Rather, the first thing He’s going to do is reward His Bride. The Bible tells us there is a promise of rewards. There is the hope of being rewarded for our service to Him.

In the third segment of this series on heavenly rewards, Pastor Meredith will explain the first misconception for why some people get squeamish discussing their eternal awards.

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

2 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I realize that we will not be judged again for our sins, but what about 1 Jn 1:9? There we are disciplined if we don’t confess, and may I add we are disciplined for sins Christ paid for. So, in some sense, there may be some action that Christ will take toward sins at the JSC. We have to answer for the worthless things we’ve done. What does that look like? Thank you in advance for any response to this.

    • Ed, 1 John 1:9 concerns asking for forgiveness for our sins in this life while we’re still on earth. Once resurrected into our glorified bodies and dwelling with Christ in Heaven, there will be no more of us sinning nor need for repentance and forgiveness. Our resurrection completed the process of our sanctification.

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