The Bema Seat judgement was covered in week #4 of the series. In that message you learn about the rewards that are given or removed from believers lives according to how they used the gifts, skills, opportunities, etc. during their life on earth. You can read even more about this topic HERE.
In order to answer this question it is helpful to distinguish the various “judgments” that are yet to come and who they apply to.
Humanity falls into two categories. Those who put their faith in Christ, and those who denied Christ.
- Those who put their faith in Christ during the church age are part of the “Church”. The the church is raptured, and judged at the Bema Seat for what they did with what they were given. (1 Corinthians 3:9-15).
- ALL who denied Christ, for all time, stand before Christ to account for their sins and will be judged and sentenced to the “lake of fire” for eternity at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Christians are “saved by faith” from Judgement #2 which condemns them to eternal death.
I liken the Bema Seat judgment to a graduation. Everyone completed the work to pass through that stage of life to the next in our case this is by a faith relationship. However everyone does not go forward with the same opportunities. Some are top of the class and get to move on to higher education or positions of authority, etc. Others are happily part of the graduating class and are able to contribute to the next phase of life in other ways. All are celebrating, and the case of Christians we are all celebrating Christ, in the presence of Christ, with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. How does it get any better than this?