Romans 14:10-12 (WEL) So why do you judge your brother, or why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” [Isaiah 45:23] 12 So then every one of us will give an account of himself to God.
V10 So why do you judge your brother, or why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema) seat is a chair/throne for making official decisions. Believers are not judged to be Christians or not. This judgment is for rewards—crowns and honor. What Jesus judges is our faithfulness, loyalty, and service.
This seat of judgment is mentioned in Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3:10–4:5, and 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.
For Christian believers (Pentecost to Rapture) the Bema Seat judgment for rewards, not salvation, which happens just after the Rapture. See (1 Corinthians 15:50-51, John 14:3, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Bible crowns are given by Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat judgment, which is for rewards, not salvation. See Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3:10–4:5, and 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.
The Five Crowns
- The Crown of Victory: Like Paul, we run the race even to our death and use self-discipline to continue living the Christian faith regardless of life’s challenges—1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
- The Crown of Rejoicing: sharing the Gospel—1 Thessalonians 2:19.
- The Crown of Life: persevering through afflictions, torture, difficulties, mockery, hate, abuse, but continuing—James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10.
- The Crown of Righteousness: for those who eagerly wait, long for, love, and pray for the Rapture and the coming of the Lord—2 Timothy 4:8.
- The Crown of Glory: for those in ministry, whether great or little, persevering and not deserting in difficult times and circumstances—1 Peter 5:1-4.
The Lord is the Lord Jesus who judges us for rewards at the Bema Seat judgment. The Lord is righteous. Paul will receive crowns, too, and so all those who love Christ’s return.
These crowns are for our life of desiring and obeying God’s ways and rules. They are not works for salvation and sanctification. We will cast the reward crowns at Jesus’s feet because of His mercy and grace, not works for salvation—Revelation 4:10.
V11 For it is written, “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” [Isaiah 45:23]
The Greek word for confess is G1843 ἐξομολογέω exomologéō, speak out, that is, say something that you believe, and assent is spoken out loud. Thus, the word has the idea of confess (Word Hippo)—“To reveal or make public (information) and To state a fact or belief forcefully or confidently.”
All beings will not express their faith and loyalty to Jesus as King of kings but will acknowledge that He is Lord. This declaration does not mean they are saved and believers in God. It is recognition of the ultimate authority of Jesus Christ.
V12 So then every one of us will give an account of himself to God.
The Lord Jesus will ask questions of us in front all others. He will being judging our faithfulness in service, obedience, loyalty, etc.
Constable: “In this summary statement, Paul identified the personal responsibility of every Christian to give an account of himself or herself to God. We will not have to answer for our fellow Christians or anyone else, but we will have to account for our own deeds.”
Bible Knowledge Commentary: “Each believer’s life of service will be under review, in which some loss will be experienced (cf. 1Co 3:12-15), but he will be rewarded for what endures (cf. 1Co 4:4-5). This judgment of believers climactically demonstrates God’s lordship.”
Wayne Barber:
“Romans 14:12 says that we will stand alone and we will answer for ourselves. Watch this. “So then each one [no one is exempt] of us shall give account of himself to God.” That is very, very significant. Recently, I took my son to Colorado on a skiing trip. I noticed that somehow we ran into some of the most obnoxious people I had ever met! I mean, people were rude and horrible. There were times on this trip when somebody would just act like you were an idiot because you didn’t do something, right or wrong, and I just wanted to take my ski pole and cram it clean down their throat. There were other things I felt like doing while I was there. But you know, Romans 12-14 has so drastically affected me, it was like God was saying, “Son, you are not going to be held accountable for what they did to you. But son, you are going to be held accountable by Me for how you responded to what they did to you.” You know what it made me do? It made me stop and rethink, “Okay, die to self.” Immediately, I could say, “Lord, I can’t and You never said I could. Now Lord, You give me a kind word, give me a peaceful word, give me something to say that will build up and edify, not tear down.” I started practicing that on that trip. I want to tell you something, I guess maybe I have done it over the years but not with the intensity of Romans 14 hanging over me because I know that one day I am going to be held accountable. You see, folks, we don’t understand that because we live in wicked bodies of the flesh and our mind says, “Well, I have a right to treat him that way. Look at what he did to me.” You do not have that right. Period. And neither do I. We are not our own, we are bought with a price. We don’t have the luxury that the lost people have, but we have the privilege of being able to trust God and treat them the right way. Respond to them the right way. One day we are going to stand before God and it is going to be brought out before everyone as to how we lived. It may surprise you what you see.”
We learn:
- Be careful how and why we judge a fellow believer.
- We will have to give an account to Jesus for our service and life to Him.
Questions:
- Are you judging other believers correctly?
- Are you ready to give an account to the Lord Jesus?