Don’t look for Marion Jones’ name in the Olympic record books anymore. As far as the IOC is concerned, her five-medal performance at the 2000 Sydney Games never happened. Jones was erased from the Olympic records when the IOC formally stripped her of her three gold and two bronze medals. Once the world’s biggest track and field star, Jones is now just a disgraced drug cheat.

When Christ hands out the rewards at the Judgement Seat, that day will be far more thrilling for faithful Christians than receiving an Olympic medal. That day’s importance is beyond our full understanding. Every Christian will be there. There will be no secret cheats for God will look beyond our outward appearance into the depths of our hearts.

For all who receive rewards, it will be a grand occasion, but for those who lose rewards, it will be a day of disgrace. Those who enter heaven “yet so as by fire” (1Co 3:15) will lose everything but their eternal life. Some Christians think it won’t matter if the Lord does not reward them, but that is not the case. Read 1Jn 2:28. Ashamed means dishonoured, or to be put to shame.

Transition

A Christian whose works are burned up will be ashamed in three ways, which we must work now to avoid.

Regret will Cause Shame

  1. They will regret having lived a wasted life (1Co 3:15).
    1. They will receive no commendation from the Lord. They will have no crown to lie at Jesus’ feet. Imagine how you would feel if you stood before the Lord and watched nearly all you did in this life go up in smoke? They will be saved “yet so as by fire” – losing everything but life itself.
    2. Many Christians who lived for themselves instead of living for the Lord will have nothing left except regret. Perhaps that is why God will be wiping tears from their eyes. Now is the time to be “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16)
  2. They will regret not abiding in Christ (1Jn 2:28).
    1. The Lord wants his children to abide in Him. To do so we must remain close to Him, obey Him, serve Him, love Him, and live a flourishing Christian life.
    2. Jesus said in (John 15:4) “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” Those who fail to abide in Christ will be ashamed.
      ² We feel ashamed when a visitor comes to our home and the place is a mess. It will be FAR more shameful to have the Lord review our life and find it a spiritual mess. If we have not been living godly lives, if we have lived in the moral gutters of society, if we have fed on filth and pornography, if we have lived for self, if we have robbed God, our regret will cause terrible shame.

Rebuke will Cause Shame

  1. Christ’s visual rebuke will cause shame (Luke 22:60-62)
    1. Peter was crushed when the Lord looked at him after his denial. On that occasion, the Lord did not say a word to Peter; he simply looked at him with disappointment. (Proverbs 5:21) For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
    2. As Christ looks at us on that day, his eyes will see through our outward show and bring conviction in areas of failure. (Proverbs 15:3) “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
  2. Christ’s verbal rebuke will cause shame (Mat 25:26)
    1. In the parable of the talents, the lord rebuked his servant for not investing his talent.
    2. This parable told by Jesus suggests that at least some of the rebuke for failure to serve as we should will be verbal. Last week we considered the wonderful honour of being commended by the Lord. Viewing the opposite, we can scarcely imagine the disgrace of being verbally rebuked by the Lord. I don’t want to have him rebuke me, and I am sure you don’t either.

Retribution will Cause Shame

“Retribution” is a justly deserved penalty. We know for sure that this retribution will not be hell if the person is truly saved (Jn 5:24). What then will that retribution include for the Christian who has not lived his life for the glory of the Lord?

  1. Retribution will include Christ denying recognition (2Tim 2:12)
    1. Christ will deny recognition to those who are unwilling to suffer for him (loss of reward). Suffering for Christ is one of the ultimate ways a Christian can stand up for the Lord.
    2. The opposite of suffering for Christ is denying him. Some deny the Lord because they never truly knew him in the first place. Others deny the Lord in time of temptation. We just noted how Peter did this. I do not believe that God is saying that he will deny the believer of salvation; for only saved Christians will be at the judgment seat. When a true Christian plays the coward and denies the Lord with his life or his lips, the Lord will deny him recognition on that day. That believer will reap what he has sown in this life.
  2. Retribution includes disqualification from reward (1Co 9:27)
    1. Paul feared being a castaway, one who is disqualified from receiving any reward.
    2. The fear of disqualification ought to motivate us to live self-controlled lives for the glory of God. We ought to set aside the carnal things that we “like” and live spiritual lives.
  3. Retribution includes payment for wrongdoing (Col 3:22-25)
    1. When addressing the relationships of servants and their masters, the Holy Spirit breathed these words. Every Christian is a servant of the Lord.
      1. All who honour the Lord by working heartily at their job as to the Lord will be rewarded with heavenly inheritance. Exactly what that means, God does not say, but it obviously is good.
      2. All who work poorly (only when watched and half-heartedly) will receive for their wrong. The context suggests that they will lose part of their heavenly inheritance. The way you work before others is a testimony to the Lord you represent. Be honest and do your best.
    2. We find the same truth in 2 Corinthians 5:10 where the Lord broadens the application to all the work we do in this body. “For we must all appear before the judgment 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.” Those who have done bad or evil will reap what they sowed (Gal 6:7). Again, they will not lose their salvation, but they will receive a just retribution from God.

Conclusion

“Who cares if they get a reward at the Bema?” God cares and on that day EVERY Christian will care! Having looked at the losses that careless Christians will suffer at the Judgment Seat of Christ, our hearts ought to be stirred to press on for better things. We ought to so fear the shame of regret, the rebuke, and the retribution awaiting apathetic Christians that we will not allow ourselves to become slack.

I challenge you to ask the Lord to specifically identify changes that you need to make in order to avoid the shame of regret, rebuke, and retribution. Then with God’s help, make those changes.

If you are not positive that you would go to heaven when you die, then that must be your priority. If Christ has not cleansed your sin and given you eternal life, you will face a much more severe judgment. You will be separated from God in hell for eternity. God loves you and wants to cleanse you, but you must admit your need. You can know for positive you are on your way to heaven (1 John 5:11-13). Let me know and I would be delighted to explain it to you.

Song: Have I Done My Best – 368
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Judgment Seat of Christ
What will losing reward include?
17 May 2015 pm – 1 John 2:28 – Bema – Scott Childs