A Study of John's Gospel. Pt. 26 A Resurrection of Life and Reward for Believers.

Good morning to each one of our Readers. 

We appreciate your effort to understand God's Word better by coming to our Bible study blog. We all have so much to learn about our vast God and how we might live our lives to please Him. My goal is always to provide you with careful, accurate teaching and the practical application of God's Word. 

Believing leads to eternal life.

John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 

Jesus spoke truth to the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus' day about who He was and His relationship with the Father in heaven. Jesus spoke to them with plain, clear language so that they would be able to understand  what Christ was teaching them. He speaks what the Father speaks and they must believe on Jesus Christ. 

Again, John wrote his gospel to lead his readers to believe. All those who believe and put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation have no more condemnation (damnation) hanging over their heads and are granted everlasting life. 

Think about what Jesus said for a moment. Belief on Jesus Christ moves a sinner from death to new life! Belief on Jesus Christ removes the wrath of divine condemnation and replaces it with a peace of God that passes  understanding. 

Believers who have died will hear Jesus' voice and live!

John 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 

Jesus began to speak in more detail about what will happen at the resurrections. The two resurrections are polar opposites, one of life and one of death. The 2 resurrections are separated by this 1,000 year period known as the Millennial kingdom reign of Jesus Christ. 

The first resurrection which is the resurrection of life, occurs when Jesus comes to the earth to take all born again believers home to heaven. At the moment Christ returns with a mighty shout and the trumpet of God, all the dead in Christ shall rise first and then all other believers who are living when He returns will be caught up in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). All believers will receive new, glorified bodies and the sin nature will be completely eradicated (1 Corinthians 15:42-58 & Philippians 3:21). 

Two major events surrounding the first resurrection will also happen according to scripture. First, there will be the judgment seat of Christ where all believers will receive a reward for their service to Christ or suffer a loss of reward if they lived for self. Second is the marriage supper of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. These events will be  filled with great joy in heaven and they take place during the 7 years of tribulation on earth. Yes, heaven will be full of praise and rejoicing even as the wrath of God is poured out on all the unbelieving people on the earth. 

Testimony of the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:4-6  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

There are believers taken home to heaven at the rapture and there are going to be more believers  who will be martyred for their faith during the tribulation period. They will be beheaded because they refuse to worship the beast or false prophet and they refuse to take the mark of the beast. All of these believers are also a part of the first resurrection. 

All those in the graves will hear the voice of Christ.

John 5:28-29  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

We looked at this text once already in regard to the distinctions of the two resurrections. The judgment for believers is called the "Bema" seat as opposed to the Great White throne reserved for the unbelieving. 

The Bema seat is a tribunal for rewards. In the large Olympic arenas, there was an elevated seat on which the judge of the contests sat. After the contests were over, the successful competitors would assemble before the Bema seat to receive their rewards or crowns. The Bema seat was not a judicial bench where someone was condemned. Rather, it was a reward seat where accomplishments were recognized. 

Likewise, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench. The Christian life is a race, and the divine umpire is Jesus Christ. After the race is over for each believer, He will gather every member before the Bema seat for the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to each believer.

All believers will appear at the Bema seat of Christ. 

2 Corinthians 5:8-10  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9) Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10) 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. 

Paul expressed a happy willingness to be absent from his body through death, so that he could be living in the presence of Christ. All believers will appear at His Bema seat. We will receive a reward for what we did in this life after we were born again. Did we love God and love others? Did we serve our Savior and seek to do His will or did we live for self?

Our motivation for serving Christ will be judged.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 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. 

Paul tells us that at the Bema seat of Christ our works will be tried by fire. The word translated works is "ergon" which is part of the word ergonomics. Ergonomics is a study of the efficiency of people in their work environment.  Did we use our time wisely and effectively for our Lord? (See Ephesians 5:6 & Colossians 4:5).

Is your faith dead or alive?

James 2:17-18  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18)  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

The first principle of judging our works answers this question. Did we do any work for Christ? If we say we are born again and we have no desire to discover how we might serve our Lord, then our faith is not real. It is dead faith. 

Is your service done with your whole heart & soul engaged?

Joshua 22:5  But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

If we say we are born again the Bible tells us how to serve Christ. We serve Him with all our heart and soul. We are to cleave to Him which is the idea of living in total dependence upon our Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we are born again we will have a love for God in us that we never had before and this will cause us to walk in His ways and not our own selfish paths. 

Not all born again believers will choose to serve the Lord as they ought. The text reflects that some believers lived selfishly  which is like building something out of wood, hay or stubble. These are inferior building materials  that quickly burn up in a fire. It symbolizes living for ourselves after being born again instead of living for Jesus. 

Yet, there will be those whose works are made up from gold, silver or precious stones. These materials represent those who served and loved God and served and loved others with a pure heart. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

The Bema seat of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of life and the marriage supper of the Lamb are all tied together for us when we are born again. Jesus said it plainly: "Ye must be born again." Are you?

The Bema seat of Christ will judge the motivation of our heart when we served Him. Are we using our time, energy and resources for His glory? Are we serving Him with our whole heart engaged? 

We who are alive right now and are born again have the potential to receive a reward from our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Let us not be weary in well doing. Let us immerse ourselves in the things of God and seek those things which are above. Let us be bold witnesses for Christ and let us live an obedient life that pleases and honors the One who died for us.

May Christ Jesus be praised with our response to His word.

Bob