Bible Word of the Day
Bema (Bema Seat, Bema Seat of Christ)
Meaning
The “Bema Seat of Christ” is a place of reward and it only applies to Christians, those who place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God calls all Christians to use their time, talents and resources to further the kingdom of God and spread the Gospel of Christ, based on the love we have for God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. The Bema Seat is the place where Christians will be rewarded for what we did with what God gave us. But we are only rewarded of those things we did for others because of the love we have for Jesus. All those times when we did stuff for the recognition, for the status or for the benefits it could bring us, or to look good in front of people adds up to nothing more than wasted energy before the Lord. God tells us our best works done for ourselves and not out of love for God and love for others are as filthy rags before the eyes of God.
The Apostle Paul in his second letters to the Corinthian church tells us, that all followers of Christ will appear before His Bema Seat. Basically the Bema Seat of Christ involves believers giving an account of their lives of Jesus and what we did with our lives. Again, this has nothing to do with salvation we have been given salvation as a free gift from God because of our faith in Jesus, In addition, we are also co-heirs with Jesus in the kingdom of God because of our faith in Him. However, at the Bema Seat of Christ, we will be rewarded on how faithfully we served Jesus. This will include things like the Great Commission, which is what we did to spread the Gospel message. Also how victorious we were over sin by relying on the Holy Spirit, as well as how well we controlled our tongues in speaking ill of others.
The Apostle Paul gives us a description of the outcome of those Christians who have lived for themselves, which is all their works will be burned in the fire and only they, themselves will escape. In other words, if we as Christians live for ourselves, we will make it into heaven, but as one who is completely naked having just escaped a fire.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2nd Corinthians 5:10)
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (1st Corinthians 3:11-15)