3. The Bema calls us to persuade others (2 Cor. 5:10-11)

This is the Temple of Athena Nike that I took at sunset during the supper
on the first night we arrived in Greece. It was within eyesight as Paul preached at "Mars Hill"

The Bema seat of Christ reminds us to (1) prepare ourselves, to (2) prioritize our good works, and (3) we are to persuade others.

Turn to 2 Corinthians. 5:10-11

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹ Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

You may wonder why it says “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.” NIV. You may ask, “Why should the terror of the Lord cause us to persuade others?” 

First, I think in some respects we should be afraid of not doing enough works to please the Lord and earn rewards in heaven. Imagine, forever in eternity and a recurring question could be "what did you do for eternity?" What would your response be?

   I believe it would be a fearful thing to say, "I was saved and I did a few kind things, but they did not impact eternity." When our works are tested by the fire of eternity, what will last, and what will be burned. 

   Bob Hartman wrote the following about the Bema.

When from our labor, we retire

There will be a trial by fire.

Will your treasure pass the test?

Or will it burn up with the rest?

You may build upon a sure foundation

With your "building" in dilapidation;

When it all come down in rubble

Will it be wood, hay, or stubble?

Or precious stones -- gold and silver --

Are you really sure?

Every talent will be surely counted,

Every word will have to be accounted.

Not a story will be left untold;

We will stand watch the truth unfold.

Every score will be evened;

Nothing will be left to defend

Every building will be shaken

Every motive will be tried.

He'll give reward to the faithful;

Will you receive or be denied?

And we all will stand at the Bema Seat

All will be revealed - it will be complete

Will there be reward in the fiery heat

When we see our lives at the Bema Seat?

Quotes about rewards in heaven.

   But I think there is another reason why Paul says that we should think about the fear of the Lord or even as NKJV translates it as “the terror of the Lord.”

   The only two judgments there are in the afterlife is the judgment of the living and the judgment of the dead.

   The Living are those who are saved, and notice that Paul says “We MUST ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” And in Rom. 14:10 that "we SHALL ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ." 

   If we do not persuade those who are lost to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, they will stand before another seat that is described in Revelation 20. 

  A couple of weeks ago, I just mentioned the book of Revelation and someone said, “Oh, I don't read Revelation. That’s a scary book.” It’s not, if you are saved. It’s not, if you are among the spiritually "living"; that is, if your name is in the Book of Life. It is only a scary book, a terror-filled book, a book to lead to fear, IF you are among the "rest of the dead." Jesus called this in John 5:29 "the resurrection of condemnation."

   There are plenty of references that there is going to be a judgment of the living (those who are in Christ, born again) and those who are dead (those whose names are not written in the book of Life). Paul, Peter, John, and even in the Old Testament, Daniel wrote about two judgments. In Daniel 12:2-3, the prophet stated that "some who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake to eternal life, and others will awake to disgrace and eternal contempt."

The Bema steps at Berea, Greece (steps at the center of the photo)

   Peter also wrote about the judgments of the living and of the dead. 1 Peter 4:5-6, “⁵ They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

   If you are too afraid to turn to Revelation in your own Bible, look below about the second judgment, the Great White Throne Judgment, which is reserved for the dead, those who are not saved. The Great White Throne judgment will come 1,000 years after the Bema seat judgment. John wrote:

    ⁵ But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

 ⁷  Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. ⁹ They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.  ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

 ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.  ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:5-11

Let those words sink in for a moment. If you think life is scary, death without a good God is absolutely terrifying.

The cave which is thought to be where John received and wrote the final chapter of the Bible.
Note the three-fold rocks overhead, bringing to mind a symbolism of the Trinity. 

   Paul knew about the two judgments. He said that knowing the terror of the second judgment should make us persuade people to be a part of the first resurrection and the Bema Judgment.

   In 2 Timothy 4:1, Paul's final epistle, he writes that Jesus will judge believers, the living, at His appearing on the Bema seat to reward us according to our works; and, He will later judge the unbelievers, the dead, at His kingdom, where Christ will sit on a Great White Throne.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living at His appearing and the dead at His kingdom.

   2 Corinthians 5 ends with Paul's impassioned plea for those in Corinth to also passionately plea to others. Christ reconciled us, Paul says, and now it is Paul's job to reconcile those who are Corinth so that they can reconcile others. 

   As I conclude, I show two photos Melissa took of me, one from the Acropolis, the "high city", with the Areopagus, or "Mars Hill", in the background. The second photo is of me standing on the Bema in Corinth. 

Mars Hill in the background at the foot of the Temple of Athena in Athens

The Bema in Corinth

   Imagine the fears Paul overcame to share in this strange new world of Athens and Corinth. We think of Paul as a superhero, but he was a man, beaten, threatened, and suffered from "conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside," (2 Cor. 7:5). 

  And yet, the oldest denominations in Christianity are the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches. Greece was where he lived so long and Rome was where he died. But despite the fears within, he persuaded others with the Lord's help.  He was able to face down his fears, so that others would not have to face the fear of the Lord.

   With the Lord's help, whom can we persuade?