Bob Josey - The Road to Rewards Part 2- Jul 27, 2025

SLIDES

The Road to Rewards

(Part 2)

A. Introduction

Paydays! Remember Paydays? (No, I’m not talking about Payday candy bars. Some of you are always thinking about food.) Payday is a day when someone that works looks forward to and thinks about. When one receives a paycheck on payday or when it is electronically placed in bank account, people know that the money will be used for paying a credit card bill, a house payment, a car payment, to buy groceries, to put funds away for vacation, to put into some type of savings account or retirement fund, to give to the Lord, etc. Some who live hand to mouth often count the days until payday. To be sure, payday is an important day for most people and families. We look forward to our SSI checks and maybe a pension check. That’s our Payday today.

While attention is usually given to our weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly paydays, almost no significant thought is given to the greatest payday of all in which the results will last for an eternity. This future payday eclipses all former paydays. This future payday will cause us to forget about all former paydays.

Scripture describes this payday as a day of judgement and a day of receiving rewards, either good rewards for one’s faithfulness to the Lord or bad rewards for one’s unfaithfulness. It is clear from Scripture that every person who has lived, is living, or will live, believer and unbeliever, and will have a day in which they will be judged. Hebrews 9:27 confirms this.

And in as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment...

There is a common misconception among unbelievers and some believers that there will be one big day judgement at the end of time. At this judgement God will judge believers and unbelievers at the same time. But the fact is that there is not one judgement but several judgements for different groups of people. We will explore all of these in this series.

For the believer in Jesus, what is that payday called? It is called the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ. That payday is more real and certainly more significant than any payday we have experienced here on earth. It is a rewards ceremony. Yet many Christians know very little about it, or if they do, they seem unconcerned about it and don’t seem to be planning ahead for it. It is coming, and it is significant. As a matter of fact, Jesus gave believers in Him a command concerning rewards in Matthew 6:19-21.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroys, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Here Jesus calls rewards as treasures. Instead of spending time and resources accumulating material things for the short amount of time we are on the earth, Jesus is exhorting believers to accumulate rewards or treasures in heaven that will last for an eternity.

B. Introductory Information Concerning the Judgement Seat of Christ

Before we discuss the Scriptures concerning the Judgement Seat of Christ, let us first discuss some introductory information about it to help prepare for our discussing it.

1. When will the Judgement Seat of Christ occur?

After the Rapture of the Church, two events will occur. One is the Judgement Seat of Christ and the other is the Marriage of the Lamb to His bride, the Church. Both will occur between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ while the those on earth are experiencing the Tribulation period. It appears from the chronology of Revelation 19 and other Scriptures that the Judgement Seat of Christ will occur not long after the Rapture and the Marriage of the Lamb both occur right before the Second Coming.

2. Where will the Judgement Seat of Christ Occur?

Scripture does not give an exact location where the Judgement Seat of Christ will occur. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Scripture says those who are raptured will caught up in the clouds and meet the LORD in the air. At this time all believers, those who are dead and those who are alive will be translated and will receive new resurrected bodies. Scripture does not say specifically that the LORD will take us to the third heaven, but most assume that is where the church will reside for seven years during the Tribulation Period. Paul refers to heaven as “the heavenly places.” Some versions translate it “the heavenlies” rather than the heavenly places. Sometime during our seven years in heavenly places the the Judgement Seat of Christ will occur and then the Marriage of the Lamb, Jesus, to His’ Bride, the Church.

3. Who will be Judge at the Judgement Seat of Christ?

2 Corinthians 5:10 answers who will be the Judge.

For 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.

Paul in this verse does not use the usual word for bad. The Greek word usually translated bad is kakos means “ethically or morally evil.” However, the Greek Paul used in 2 Corinthians 5:10 is phaulos and means “good for nothing” or “worthless.” So, the works that are being evaluated at the Judgement Seat of Christ have nothing to do with sin or evil. 

John 5:22

For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son...

John 5:26-27

26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

2 Corinthians was written to the church in Corinth. It was written to believers in Christ not to Old Testament saints. As we shall see during this series, Old Testament saints, Tribulation saints, and unbelievers in the Old Testament and after the cross will each have their own time for judgement.

4. The Subjects of the Judgement of Christ

The Judgement Seat of Christ is designed only those who are in Christ, only believers who have trusted in Christ from the death of Christ until the Rapture. Only those who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit are in Christ and are eligible to participate in the Judgement Seat of Christ.

There will be other judgements for other believers and unbelievers, but the Judgement Seat of Christ is only designed for those who are in Christ and who have been baptized into the Body of Christ, the Church.

5. The Basis of the Testing at the Judgement of Christ

The first important thing that we must remember about the Judgement Seat of Christ is that this reward ceremony is not to determine if the one being judged in a believer or not. The question of the salvation standing before Christ is not being considered. Every believer was delivered from all his judgement of sin when they trusted in Christ as his or her Savior. A believer’s new birth changed all of that. Sin for a believer was judged at the cross.

John 5:24 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Romans 8:1 - Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

There is no death sentence, punishment, or no penalty of any kind for those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior.

C. Illustrations Describing the Judgement Seat of Christ

1. Illustration of a steward

The first illustration concerns a steward. A steward is one who is entrusted with something that belongs to his master. This illustration about a steward is found in Romans 14:10-12.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.                            

The Scripture is clear here that Christians should not be judging another believers works or ministry. The intent of the believer in Christ judging or criticizing other believers in Christ has everything to do with making himself look better than another person. The word contempt means to despise someone or think of someone or something as being worthless or of no value. This word was also used in Romans 14:3 to reflect the attitude of a believer who was eating one type of food but had contempt for another believer who would not eat that type of food. This is human nature or believer living in the flesh at its best. Paul had been clear that all food was acceptable because God had blessed all types of food.

Paul asked those at the church in Rome why some were judging and showing contempt for others in the church who were doing different works than they were doing or were not doing some works the same way they were doing it. They were evaluating and analyzing the works of other believers. Yes, believers have the right and the responsibility to exhort, rebuke, and confront other believers who are living in overt sin or those who are trying to hide living in certain sins. But believers do not have the right to judge and evaluate another believer’s works, deeds, or ministry unless it is outright blatant sin. Why, because all believers will stand before the Judgement Seat of God and be evaluated by Jesus for their own ministry while on the earth. There is only one Judge and it is not you and it’s not me. Of great importance, as we shall see, is that all believers in Christ will not be judged by the works of other believers, by will be judged by the reality of how faithful they were in the blessings and spiritual gift(s) that God had entrusted to them. The rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ will be based on how faithful a steward they were and not based on the faithfulness or faithlessness of another believer in Jesus. Paul also indicates in verses 10-11 that on that day of judgement that,

“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,

AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

Here Paul quoted Isaiah. The word would be better translated confess and this is parallel to what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:10-11.

10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11. and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

Did you notice that not only will the works of the believer be judged, but the motive behind doing them. It’s not the quantity of work that will be evaluated but more the quality of the work and the motive behind it. Also, Paul is clear that all believes will receive praise from the LORD because each will have something that Jesus can praise. We are to be good stewards of what God has given is in spiritual gifts and abilities and material possessions. We are responsible  for what ministry God has called us to, not the ministry to others ministries. 

2. Illustrations of a Race and Boxing

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul compares the Christians life in relation to rewards to a race and to boxing.

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I, myself. will not be disqualified.

Most everyone knows that one must be disciplined and in great physical shape to be able to win or compete successfully in races like the Boston Marathon, the Peachtree Road Race, the New York Marathon, etc. Likewise, the believers doing the ministry God has called them to be disciplined and in great spiritual shape as a runner and a boxer should be physically. is. The Christian life absolutely requires discipline and being in spiritual shape.

The Corinthians were familiar with athletic contests. The Isthmian Games took place in a nearby town every two or three years. They were second only to the Olympic Games in importance in all of Greece. Paul stated in this verse that only one prize was given to the participants who competed in the race. There was no second or third place winners as in today’s Olympic games. The prize for the one who won race was not made from metal but was a crown or wreath made from laurel leaves. "Laurel" can refer to several things: a type of tree, a symbol of victory, or a city. The bay laurel tree (Laurus nobilis) is an evergreen with aromatic leaves used as a culinary herb (bay leaf). In ancient times, a laurel wreath was a symbol of victory and honor, often given to victors in athletic and poetic competitions. Additionally, "Laurel" is the name of two cities - one in Mississippi and one in Maryland. One important fact is that the Laurel crown or wreath would deteriorate in a few days.

The differences between the races 2000 years ago and the Christian race today is that many Christians will have rewards instead of just one receiving a wreath. Also, rewards given to us by Jesus will last for eternity, instead of just a few days like the Laurel wreath.

Paul transitions from games popular in that day to running the Christian life. Believers in Jesus should run our race in such a way that we will receive a reward from the Judge. Paul stated that in the Christian race we do not compete with one another for the prize. We compete with ourselves. The emphasis is on self-discipline, not competition. In a foot race only one person is the winner, but in the Christian race all who keep the rules and run hard will receive a reward (cf. Matt. 6:19–21; 2 Tim. 2:5).

In view of the comparative value of these rewards, Paul ran the Christian race purposefully and with intent, not aimlessly or halfheartedly. To use a different figure and make the same point, he did not throw wild punches but sought to make every punch count. Christian service is not just activity. It is an activity focused on a target, namely, the building of the church and the defeat of the enemy who wants to destroy people. It is the work of the sharing the gospel to the lost and teaching and discipling believers that is important and should be our priority.

Like Paul, the old nature, the flesh, was his constant nemesis. It never stopped trying to keep from being disqualified from the ministry, Paul, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, disciplined his body to say yes when it should say yes and say no when it should say no. Paul had no fear that he would lose his salvation (Rom. 8:1, 29–39) and neither should we. In the context, what he was concerned about loose was rewards. How ironic it would be for Paul to forfeit a crown by his own lack of self-discipline, or by breaking the Judge’s rules, since he had instructed others concerning how to win one.

In our next lesson, we will discuss the third illustration that Paul used to describe the Judgement Seat of Christ. The illustration Paul uses to describe the Judgement Seat of Christ is that of building a building as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

Questions

1 Since all who will participate in the Judgement Seat of Christ are saved by grace and not by works, then all in attendance will l receive an equal number of rewards?

2 The Judgement Seat of Christ will occur immediately after the Second Coming but before Jesus sets up HIs Messianic Kingdom.

3 Since Jesus fulfilled His ministry of being the sacrifice of the world on the Roman cross, the Father will fulfill His ministry of being the Judge at the Judgement Seat of Christ and the other judgements.

4 Believers should never have the attitude of striving for receiving more rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ, but just be satisfied of the reward of being allowed to enter heaven?

5 Believers should always strive to be disciplined and in spiritual shape to live the Christian life as a runner and a boxer should be disciplined and be in good physical shape to be able to compete in athletic competitions.

6 Believers do not have the right to judge or condemn evaluating another believer’s works, deeds, or ministry unless it is outright blatant sin.

 SELAH