The image of the bema seat as a performance review — an audit of my Christian life — haunted me for years. Did I do enough? Is God pleased with me? Should I try harder so I can earn more reward? All of this ultimately undermines the gospel. Grace means I receive what I do not deserve.

When Grace Becomes a Performance Review

I remember listening to a Christian radio station in the former Panama Canal Zone in the 1970s and early 1980s when I was a young boy. I can never forget the series by Pacific Garden Mission, Unshackled, which told real-life stories of people who came to Christ. There was also the Through the Bible radio program by J. Vernon McGee, in which he taught through the entire Bible verse by verse. I still have fond memories of hearing that Southern voice faithfully expounding the Word.

Christian radio has largely faded in importance today, as the internet has taken its place. Yet I treasure those early formative years, for they gave me exposure to reading through the whole Bible. Over time, however, I began to recognize certain theological assumptions that were simply part of the evangelical air of that era. McGee’s reach through radio far exceeded what the early Reformers were ever able to achieve, and like all teachers who labor within a particular moment in history, his ministry reflected both great strengths and real limitations. That does not diminish the good that was done, but it does remind us that no ministry is without need of ongoing reexamination in the light of Scripture.

One teaching I can never forget was the teaching of the Judgment Seat of Christ — the Bema Seat. It was taught by J. Vernon McGee when he was expounding 2 Corinthians 5:10.

“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.”

His comment was:

At the judgment seat of Christ only believers will appear. It is not a judgment of the believer’s sins, which Christ fully atoned for on the Cross. The judgment is to see whether you are going to receive a reward or not.[i]

It was always framed this way: Saved by grace — but rewards are by works. It is what is due for what we do in the body — good or bad.

Incentive for Obedience

This seemed to be a powerful incentive to try harder to please the Lord — or else lose your rewards or not have any. When this verse was paired with 1 John 2:28, the pressure only increased:

“And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.”

Then the circle was complete. Work hard to gain reward — or suffer shame for lack of performance. The bema had become a performance review or final exam. Over time this seemed to undermine grace altogether. It was believe first — and then work. Work to rise higher in heaven or be ashamed for not working hard enough. This produced the proverbial works treadmill: work harder → fail → work harder → fail.

How is this any different than the medieval church Luther rebelled against? Where is the grace of God? Luther found his answer in Romans: “The just shall live by faith.”

Surely God cannot be merely a more powerful version of George Orwell’s Big Brother. His kingdom does not function on fear, exposure, and surveillance. Yes, fear can make a person obey — but it is the obedience of a slave, not a son. God calls us out of darkness and into the light. We are adopted sons — not slaves. If obedience is by fear–it is no longer by grace.

Context Is Everything

Context matters — and the context of 2 Corinthians 5 is often ignored. Paul is not describing a courtroom scene. He is speaking about our heavenly dwelling and our longing to be there. “For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling…” (v.2) We are told that God has given us the Spirit as a guarantee of our future heavenly bliss (v.5). This guarantee produces something very specific — courage. Paul says it twice. In v. 6, “So we are always of good courage” and in v.8 “Yes, we are of good courage.”

Courage can only come from confidence and confidence is a compound word in Latin meaning “with faith.” It is confidence in God’s promises and His goodness toward us. All of this comes before Paul ever mentions the bema seat. Which means the bema cannot suddenly become a place of terror, anxiety, or shame. The bema is not introduced as a threat. It is introduced in the atmosphere of hope, confidence, and longing.

What Is the Bema?

Nothing in the context suggests a courtroom or criminal trial. The word bema simply means a raised platform. In Roman usage, it could serve several functions:

1. A place of trial

2. A place of honor and reward

3. A place of public announcement

If we assume the bema must mean only a trial, we collapse all meaning into one register: judgment. But if it is some kind of judgment — what is the verdict? Christ has taken away our sin. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Amen and amen.

So, when Paul says: “each one must receive what is due for what he has done… whether good or evil,” we must ask the question honestly: What is due? The verdict concerning our sins is already settled.

Not guilty!

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