Will God Judge Me?Sýnishorn

Believers will be rewarded for their good deeds

“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Everybody who believes in Jesus Christ receives eternal life as a free gift. This is never a prize or reward for our own efforts or righteousness. The Bible is very clear about that: nobody is able to meet God’s standards on his own and to earn salvation by perfectly obeying His laws. The only way to be saved is to be counted righteous by Jesus’ sinless life.

However, the Bible also tells us that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (sometimes referred to by the Greek word ‘Bema’), not to be condemned for our sins but to receive eternal rewards based on our service to the Lord Jesus, which He Himself has enabled us to do. If we have not done any good work, we will still be saved, “yet so as through fire”. If our works can stand the test, we will receive an imperishable reward. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, the apostle Paul describes the prize he will get as “the crown of righteousness”, comparing it to the olive wreath that the winner of the ancient Olympic Games received. This prize is not just for some “champions of faith”, but for everyone who is eagerly looking forward to Jesus’ coming.

Will your “works” stand the test and receive an eternal reward?