A Consuming Fire

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. 

(2 Corinthians 5:10, KJV)

¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;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.¹⁴ If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.¹⁵ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15, KJV, emphasis mine)

I have been trying to picture what it will be like when I stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ. The Complete Word Study Bible tells us that bema is “by implication any elevated place to which the ascent is by steps.”

I imagine myself as being very small as I climb those majestic steps with my head hung down, feeling nothing except the overwhelming awe, power, and glory of the Lord.

I have been using this mental picture when I pray and worship because it transforms me to a state of complete humility and total obedience.

It also reminds me that any works that I do of my own accord will be burned up as wood, hay, and stubble at the judgment seat of Christ. I will either be rewarded or suffer loss based upon everything I have done in the body, which should be a sobering thought for all believers.

Unfortunately, however, the importance of the judgment seat of Christ has either been shut up completely or reduced to a school-like “report card” with no staggering consequences.

There will be a great deal of shock and surprise beyond the rapture for many believers, which is the apt title of the late Pastor Gary Whipple’s book. He teaches that:

• Wood represents works that are done through the world and its influences
• Hay is works that are done through our flesh or old nature, apart from the Holy Spirit
• Stubble (straw) are the works of Satan in our lives

On the flip side:

• Gold represents works related to the Kingdom doctrines
• Silver represents redemption and the three parts of man (body, spirit, and soul)
• Precious stones represent the Holy Spirit working in our lives

I have also been studying how fire is associated with the Lord. Scripture tells us that:

• The Lord our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29)
• The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire (Exodus 24:17)
• A devouring fire came out of His mouth (2 Samuel 22:9, Psalm 18:8)
• Fire came down from Him (2 Chronicles 7:3)
• He was a wall of fire around Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:5)
• He is like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2)
• Our works will be revealed by fire (1 Corinthians 3:13)
• His eyes were as a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14)

Now as I picture the judgment seat of Christ, I am beginning to wonder if Christ is literally the fire that will either burn up or refine our works? 

Understanding Unexplainable Bible Passages

Have you ever come across Scripture passages that don’t make sense?  The kind that church leaders could never explain to your satisfaction, or worse, they told you to ignore? Here are some that used to confound me (all from the Amplified Bible):

Hebrews 9:28: Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him. (Emphasis mine)

What is this full and future salvation?  And why does it sound like it is only for those who are continually looking for Christ’s return? There were other unexplainable passages about it:

1 Peter 1:5: Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

1 Peter 1:9: [At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

These passages say that this future or final salvation is the salvation of our soul. How is it different from the salvation that we receive when we believe in Christ? Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that salvation is a free gift based upon our faith in Christ and not upon our works, lest we should boast.

Then how do you explain James 2:14?:

What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul].

These passages did not make any sense until I understood the difference between present salvation (spirit salvation) and future salvation (soul salvation).  Chitwood explains the difference in this short tract.

The Millennial Kingdom in Revelation

While reading the Book of Revelation (the only book in Scripture that promises a blessing to its readers) I felt led to write down the rewards for overcomers side-by-side. I saw that they seem to build upon each other in relation to positions of authority in the Millennial Kingdom!

To the church in Ephesus: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev 2:7). 

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture, we first learn about the tree of life in Genesis 2:9. God placed it in the middle of the garden and Adam and Eve were free to eat of it. Some authors suggest that this passage speaks to paradise regained in the Millennial Kingdom, or the promise of increased knowledge (Whipple).

To the church in Smyrna: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Rev 2:11). 

The second death refers to salvation of the soul (1 Corinthians 3:12-15), which unlike salvation of the spirit (the free gift of eternal life) is the reward of gaining entrance into the Millennial Kingdom. This will be determined by whether our works are burned up or refined by fire at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jesus himself tells us that some will only be able to see the Kingdom while others will be able to enter it (John 3:3, John 3:5, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 18:3). In the Matthew parables, He speaks of believers who will be cast into the outer darkness for the thousand years, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30).

To the church in Pergamos: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Rev 2:17) 

In Exodus 16:15, manna was the miraculous food and sustenance the Lord provided each day for the children of Israel. The Revelation passage may refer to hidden wisdom that will be revealed to those who receive salvation of the soul. It also alludes to receiving a position of authority in the Millennial Kingdom. We see this in the type in Genesis 17:5, when God gave Abram a new name: Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee (emphasis mine).

To the church in Thyatira: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:26-28) 

These passages fulfill the parables of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the minas (Luke 19:11-26), where Jesus said that those who are wise and faithful over a few things will be made rulers over many things in the Millennial Kingdom. 

To the church in Sardis: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Rev 3:5)  

If we let Scripture interpret Scripture, Revelation 4:4 tells us that those who are clothed in white raiment have the honor of sitting around the throne and are wearing crowns of gold.

To the church in Philadelphia: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12) 

This appears to be another position of authority in the temple, a possible fulfillment of the type in 1 Kings 7:21 when Solomon set up the pillars in the porch of the temple.

To the church in Laodicea: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Rev 3:21) 

Jesus had such harsh words for the Laodiceans.  He said that He would spew them out of His mouth. But those who open their eyes to the Kingdom truths, “come out” of this church, repent, and “sup” with Him can achieve this incredible reward, the highest position mentioned for overcomers.

Many teach that all believers are overcomers and will receive the same rewards, but Scripture clearly does not support this. When you understand the ramifications of the judgment seat of Christ, and can distinguish passages from Scripture that deal with salvation of the spirit (John 3:16, 11:26) from those that concern salvation of the soul (1 Peter 1:9), you see just how dangerous this teaching is.

A Double Portion

I have been thinking about how blessed I am to be gaining deeper insights about the gospel of grace — the milk, salvation of the spirit, and the free gift of eternal life, plus the gospel of the kingdom — the meat, salvation of the soul, and the reward of entrance into the Millennial Kingdom; knowledge that I consider to be my “earthly” double portion.

Had my eyes and ears not been opened to see and hear the gospel of the kingdom, I would have spent the remainder of my Sundays in a Laodicean church, hearing subtle variations of the same message week after week.

I would have continued to struggle wearily under weight of this world without any real encouragement or the lasting comfort of our blessed hope, which is the visible and earthly return of our Lord Christ Jesus.

I would not have been warned that the hour is growing very late and that I need to be in the Word and resting in God every day, allowing Him to work through me to produce works of gold and silver — and not self-driven works of hay and stubble — so that when I stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, I have a chance to receive the reward of salvation of my soul, my heavenly double portion.

I would have continued to believe that all Christians are the bride of Christ, that we are all overcomers, and that we will all receive the same inheritance.

I would have been one of the five foolish virgins, awakened from my slumber at the midnight hour, begging the five wise virgins to give me some of their oil before the door was shut forever. I would not have understood that I must buy that oil for myself by studying Scripture from beginning to end, learning more about the Bridegroom and the things that I must bind and loose if I hope to be found worthy enough to become His bride.

Through the parables in Matthew, Jesus tells me that if I am a wise and faithful servant who provides meat in due season, and if I am faithful over a few things, I can become a ruler over many things in the Millennial Kingdom. It is hard to imagine.

I think it would be humbling enough just to gain entrance into the kingdom and feel His presence from behind, like the woman who touched his garments in Mark 5:21-34.