The Goal of the Ministry:
The Presentation of Believers at the Bema
Colossians 1:28
The Bema Seat
a. But WE are not being judged.
Ø For US (for true believers) there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.
Ø It is not our PERSON who is being judged at the Bema.
Ø That is because our old man was already judged and condemned to death… at the cross.
Ø Our old man was crucified.
Ø As a person, believers have already been judged, condemned, and executed. There is no double jeopardy with God.
b. Our sins are NOT being judged at the Bema.
Ø Our sins were also already judged on the cross.
Ø “Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.”
Ø Our sins have already been forgiven at the moment of saving faith… all of them: past, present, and future.
Ø There is no punishment being dealt out for our sins at the Bema. The Bema is not a Protestant purgatory.
Ø Jesus Christ has already borne ALL of the punishment and condemnation for our sins.
Ø Christ already died FOR our sins. The issue of our sins has been dealt with at Calvary… and settled once and for all and forever by the precious blood of Christ.
1. I Cor. 15:3 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
2. Gal. 1:4 - Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.
3. I John 2:1-2 - we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins.
4. For this reason, as a Christian, we can experience a PURGED conscience… when we realize that our sins have already been judged and condemned… we can experience God’s rest because we KNOW our sins have been paid for and God has been eternally satisfied.
5. And as we continue to live on earth, we can continue to experience this rest of mind and heart KNOWING that we will never have to face a penalty for our sins.
c. It is our WORKS as new creatures that are being judged…
Ø II Cor. 5:10 – “the things done in our body… whether it be good or bad…” worthy of rewards or worthless…
§ Appear = be made manifest.
§ The Bema seat is going to REVEAL God’s estimate of our lives and our works.
§ Man has one estimate… God has another.
§ The TRUTH about our works, our thoughts, our motives, and the intents of the heart will be made manifest in that day.
Ø I Cor. 3:13 - Our works are judged to determine their quality (what SORT) of work we have done…
§ flesh or Spirit
§ for self glory or the glory of God
§ in humility or pride
§ whether we did our best or just did a sloppy job
Ø Col. 3:24-25 – we will be judged and rewarded for the good and for the wrong. (rewards or loss of rewards)
Ø That which is the result of the Spirit of God manifesting the indwelling life and character of Christ is rewarded. It is GOD working in us.
Ø Those works which are the efforts of the flesh is burned up as wood, hay, and stubble.
Ø When God judges our works as new creatures, there will be lots of surprises… because man can only judge by outward appearance… a very shallow and superficial means of judgment.
Ø Heb. 4:12 - God judges much deeper. He judges the heart… the motives and intents of the heart. He digs deeper and distinguishes between the soul and spirit… that which is emotional and truly spiritual.
Ø The reward believers receive is only for that which remains AFTER the fires of the Bema seat burn away all dross, wood, hay, and stubble.
Ø Note that it is not the believer who burns, but his works done in the flesh.
Ø This is not punishment or purgatory. Actually, it is a blessing – to have the dross removed… purifying the gold that remains… pure and white for the Marriage of the Lamb.
Presentation
i. Acts 27:24 - Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar.
ii. Luke 2:22 - And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord
iii. Rom. 6:13 – neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin…
iv. Rom. 12:1 – present your bodies a living sacrifice…
v. Rom. 14:10 –we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (be presented before it… made to stand there…)
vi. Eph. 5:27 - That he might present it to himself a glorious church
vii. Col. 1:22 - to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
viii. Col. 1:28 - that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
i. A day of presenting is coming for us all as believers.
ii. A day of standing before His judgment seat…
iii. Are you ready? The purpose of the ministry of the LC is to help GET you ready!
a. Eph. 5:25 - That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
b. Jude 24 - Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy
c. Col. 1:22 - to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.
d. This is all because our sin and our sins have been eternally judged & condemned once & for all & forever at the cross.
e. Forgiveness has already been granted and there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. None.
f. The believer today is robed in the very “R” of God. (Rom. 3:22) – “Even the “R” of God which is by faith of JC and is unto all and upon all them that believe…”
g. This is entirely to be attributed to Christ’s work for us on the cross. He saved us to the uttermost; He perfected us forever; we have been positionally sanctified once and for all; God sees us IN His Son… robed in the “R” of God.
h. This is entirely by grace through faith. God’s work on our behalf.
i. Positionally, we will be presented before the throne of God faultless… blameless… unreproveable in His sight.
The goal of Paul’s ministry: Preparing Men for the Bema
1. Paul preached Christ… that lost, condemned men might be saved.
a. The gospel ministry first seeks to bring the saving message to EVERY MAN… to the uttermost parts of the earth. (Salvation)
b. The purpose of the ministry is ultimately, that every man might be presented before the Lord… perfect in Christ. (Glorification)
c. But in the meantime… in the interim, the purpose of the ministry is to bring men to maturity in the faith – unto a measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (sanctification)
2. Paul’s goal was not to get believers ready positionally to be presented before the Lord. That work was done by Christ on the cross… once and for all… and at the moment of saving faith, a man is placed IN Christ… & IN that a glorious heavenly position in Him.
3. The goal of Paul’s ministry was rather to get believers prepared CONDITIONALLY to stand before the Lord… so that they would be presented as:
Ø spiritual (as opposed to carnal & fleshly)
Ø mature/perfect (as opposed to immature & childish)
Ø complete (as opposed to having things lacking in their faith)
Ø fruitful in every good work, (as opposed to barren)
Ø consistently faithful (as opposed to occasionally faithful)
Ø heavenly (as opposed to earthly)
Ø filled with Christ-like character as opposed to being filled with self.
4. The goal: to prepare men, women, and children for that day… when we will be presented before the Bema Seat of Christ… and thus prepared for the Marriage of the Lamb.
a. There is a HUGE gap between our perfect position in Christ… and our very imperfect condition on earth…
b. Hence the need for the believer to be striving towards perfection… maturity… Christlikeness… all throughout this earthly sojourn.
c. Bridging that gap is the goal of the ministry… slowly, but steadily, consistently, and surely… from glory to glory!
d. Paul knew that he had not yet arrived at absolute perfection. He had arrived at maturity in a relative sense, but not in an absolute sense. There was still so much more ground to go!
e. If this was true of the apostle Paul, it is certainly true of the rest of us.
f. Since we have NOT yet attained absolute perfection… maturity… perfect Christlikeness… hence, there is the NEED for the ministry…
g. The goal of the ministry is NOT:
Ø just to fill a building with people; (reading the church growth manuals one might make that conclusion!)
Ø to keep folks happy & entertained; (to observe what’s going on across the country one might assume this is the goal of the ministry)
Ø to provide lots of social activities;
Ø or to provide food, clothing, & shelter;
Ø to provide a platform for social or political activism;
Ø The goal of the ministry is not to help make life on earth more comfortable. The goal of the ministry is to prepare believers for eternity in heaven!
Ø The goal of the ministry is to get you ready to be presented before the Bema Seat of Christ… and ultimately that formal and eternal consummation of our relationship to Christ – the Marriage of the Lamb.
h. Col. 1:22 – Paul knew that ultimately, every true believer will be presented positionally perfected.
Ø Col. 1:28 – But he also knew that we sheep are often lax in striving to be conditionally perfect…
Ø Col. 1:29 – this was the goal towards which Paul labored his entire Christian life.
5. Paul & the other apostles always kept the Bema Seat in mind as they ministered. Any faithful Bible teacher should.
a. I Thess. 3:10 – he desired to perfect that which was lacking in their faith.
b. II Cor. 13:9 – He longed for their perfection.
c. II Cor. 13:11 – Be exhorted them to be perfect.
d. II Cor. 5:8-11 – knowing the terror (a sobering reverence) of standing before the Lord motivated Paul his whole life long.
Ø Because he knew he would one day be with the Lord, he labored… he strove… to be accepted before him, conditionally.
Ø He reminds the Corinthians (and us) that we must ALL stand before the Bema one day… and that we must give an account!
Ø Knowing this should motivate us all.
Ø Our present life is God’s university for His children.
Ø Today is the day of preparation.
Ø The Bema Seat is our time final exam.
Ø In a sense, everything we do in this life is working toward that day… when our lives will be examined by fire. It is a sobering thought. It put the fear of God in Paul. It should in us too!
e. Phil.1:9-11 - And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God
f. I Thess. 2:11-12 - As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
g. Heb. 13:20-21 – the apostle prayed for their perfection.
h. I Pet. 1:7 – Peter’s goal was for the suffering saints to “hang in there” during their times of trial, because he knew that at the Bema Seat, it would bring rewards to them, and praise, honor, and glory to God.
Ø Peter was also aware of how easy it is in a time of trial to throw in the towel, capitulate to the enemy, fail the test… and thus LOSE the reward we could have had.
Ø Peter wanted something better for his readers at the Bema Seat. He wanted them all to come forth as gold… so that they would be presented as pure gold before the Bema… rather than full of dross.
i. With respect to the world, they had the GWT in mind… and the salvation of the lost. With respect to believers, they had the Bema Seat in mind.
j. The apostles strove to teach God’s Word so that they might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus in that day.
6. II Cor. 11:2 – to present them as a chaste virgin to Christ
a. But Paul FEARED… because being presented to Christ in perfection… maturity… is NOT a given.
b. Though the Corinthians started off well, Paul feared that they might not end well… like Solomon.
c. He feared that they would listen to the false teachers and that their progress towards maturity and Christlikeness would be hindered… as he feared for the Galatian believers.
d. He wanted to present them before the Lord as a chaste virgin, but he feared that it might not happen.
e. He feared that MUCH of their lives would be burnt up as dross… worthless… carnal… what a waste!
7. I know exactly what Paul means.
a. I have often feared for the spiritual well being of many believers who have passed through these doors over the years.
b. I have watched believers disintegrate spiritually right before my very eyes… regress spiritually… drift away… slowly, gradually… refusing help… refusing to respond to the Word.
c. Some drifted back to the pleasures of the world… like Demas. Some drifted into false teaching like Hymenaeus. Some allowed their spiritual lives to be choked out by the riches and cares of the world. Some through neglect, just lost interest in spiritual things. Some drifted away because someone offended them. Some drifted away because they were unwilling to put away a particular sin. Others drifted away because they came under the sway of some radical and extremist teaching. Some drifted away because they were no longer the center of attention.
d. For the shepherd and the rest of the sheep observing such drifting… it is heart breaking… but that is part of the ministry. Jesus too was grieved when He observed how men in His day neglected spiritual things.
e. But we don’t quit exhorting. We continue… because God says so… and because God speaks to His children THROUGH His children… as they use the Word to exhort and admonish.
f. Jas. 5:19-20 – by exhorting a brother, we might be used of God to “convert” him… bring about repentance… and perhaps save him from the misery of a multitude of sins… and perhaps save him from many wasted years… and loss of rewards…
g. Write letters. Send cards. Send emails. Include Bible verses. Visit the brethren. Have them over your home for fellowship and encouragement.
h. One little word of encouragement or challenge… just speaking a Bible verse to a brother might be all it takes to cause a brother sitting on a fence to fall over on the right side.
i. You and I can influence the spiritual lives of members of the Body… for good.
j. God can use us to prepare them to stand before Him… and receive a well down… rather than have years go up in smoke.
k. That’s the goal of the ministry in Col. 1:28.
Personal Responsibility & Cooperation
1. The pastor and teachers in the LC can provide the most nourishing food for the sheep… food which promotes spiritual health and spiritual growth.
a. But it does no good unless the sheep EAT the food… take it in… receive the Word.
b. Believers have a responsibility to RESPOND in faith and obedience… or they will be ashamed at the Bema Seat of Christ.
2. The shepherd and the sheep have a responsibility to exhort such drifters… but ultimately, it is up to the individual to RESPOND to the exhortation.
a. We are only watchmen. Our job is to blow the trumpet and warn of danger. If we remain silent, we are guilty if the sheep are destroyed.
b. But if we sound the trumpet, and the sheep refuse to respond… God holds them accountable.
c. Those sheep will experience great LOSS at the Bema Seat…
d. The GOAL of the ministry is to prepare men, women, and children for the Bema.
e. Thus, we are to keep after one another… in love… provoke one another… exhort one another…
f. We don’t want to see believers ruin their spiritual lives… or waste time… or become ensnared by the tricks of the devil. We want to see believers go on to perfection… grow up… mature… become fruitful… Christlike… and thus be presented perfect in Christ Jesus at the Bema.
g. If folks don’t respond in faith and obedience, they will NOT be prepared to stand before the Lord. They will find themselves ASHAMED at His coming.
3. The goal of this minister and this ministry is to present every man here perfect in Christ Jesus at the Bema Seat. Consider YOUR personal responsibility in that process:
a. The sheep hear the Word in the LC, but unless they are DOERS of the Word… it is not accomplishing God’s will for sanctification in their lives. (James 1:22)
b. The sheep have a responsibility to have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. (Heb. 5:14)
c. Chastening is designed for our spiritual growth, sanctification, and perfection… but it is useless unless we are EXERCISED thereby. (Heb. 12:11)
d. It is the believer’s responsibility to go on to perfection. (Heb. 6:1) God expects him to be making progress rather than regress… by implementing that which is learned.
e. The branch is required to abide in the Vine or it will bear no fruit. Apart from abiding in a close relationship to Christ, we can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)
f. The believer/priest is required to give diligence to be continually adding Christian virtue to their lives. (II Pet. 1:5)
g. God expects the believer to continually press toward the mark… (Phil. 3:14)
h. God expects us as believers to minister one to another… and to function in the Body according to the ability that God gives. (I Pet. 4:10-11)
i. God expects us to be in the Word and beholding the glory of the Lord… if we want this perfection/transformation process to occur. (II Cor. 3:18)
j. God expects us all to be continually walking in the Spirit… and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16) This is OUR responsibility. This involves walking by faith; reckoning self to be dead and yet alive; yielding our members to God; and walking in the good works that He has ordained for us.
k. God expects us to be continually examining our hearts…and dealing with sin. Confessing it and forsaking it. Ask the Lord to reveal areas in our hearts that need changing… repentance. (Psa.139:23-24)
4. One day we will all be PRESENTED before the Bema Seat of Christ… placed at His disposal.
a. We ought to be presenting our old man over to the cross by faith on a daily basis… reckoning him to be dead.
b. We ought to be yielding our members over to Him today… we ought to be presenting our bodies to Him TODAY… in preparation of that final exam!
c. If we are faithful in presenting our old man to the cross, presenting our members to God, and presenting our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, then we will be ready to be presented before the Bema.
d. Ready or not… Christ is coming… so be ready. Be prepared. Occupy till He comes!
5. And if you are NOT yet saved…
a. What are you waiting for? Swallow your pride and BELIEVE!
b. If you continue to postpone getting saved, one day soon you will be presented before the GWT.
c. In that day, it will be too late to be saved. ALL those at the GWT are cast into the Lake of Fire… no exceptions.
d. Today is the day to be saved. Today you are either completely and eternally saved… or you are completely and eternally lost and on your way to Hell.
e. The only escape is by being born again… you need NEW LIFE. And Christ offers it to you freely… by faith.
f. But you must RECEIVE Christ by faith. Do it today.
Position
The Sphere of Perfection: In Christ (Col. 1:28)
Ø Music: I have all the right CDs
Ø Clothes: all my clothes have been approved by the board
Ø Words: my vocabulary has met all the requirements
Ø Entertainment: I only participate in the approved forms of entertainment.
Ø Therefore: I am mature!
Ø Not so! That kind of living results in self righteousness rather than spiritual maturity.
Ø That kind of living results in flesh glorying in its own accomplishments…
i. The end results are changes that are heartfelt…
ii. This results in internal changes in behavior because we want to honor Christ… we truly desire to manifest Him… we want to display HIS grace, holiness, purity, love, righteousness…
iii. It is not FORCING behavioral changes against our will in order to “fit in” with the expectations of men… but rather, it is a WILLING submission to the yoke of Christ… listening music that honors Him… willing to sacrifice self in order to attend church services because we WANT to… choosing clothing to please the Lord, not self (dressing up to come to church; modest clothing; avoiding outlandish styles; etc.) refusing to support questionable Hollywood movies, NOT because they are on a taboo list, but because they dishonor Christ!
iv. Convictions that are our own… not someone else’s… and those are the only kind of convictions that stick.
v. Changes in lifestyle that is sourced in the HS rather than the flesh…
vi. And a life that glorifies God, rather than our own accomplishments…