By Bob Wilkin*
* This article is a slightly edited version of a blog post from August 8, 2024.
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).
I’ve been heading GES since June of 1986. Next summer will mark the fortieth anniversary of GES. At our summer board meeting each year, the board evaluates me. To prepare for that judgment, I must do my job faithfully every day.
If I lose sight of my evaluation, I will slacken in my efforts. That is human nature. But if I focus on my evaluation, I will double my efforts.
The Bema is like that. The Lord has told us a lot about the exam we’ll face after this life is over. We are to prepare for it daily. By being faithful daily, we are well-positioned to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
I assume that you are reading this because you’re already highly motivated to live for Christ, and that one of your motivations is the Bema. You long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” You greatly desire His approval (1 Cor 9:27). You long to reign with Christ in the life to come (2 Tim 2:12; 4:6-8).
Many church people have never even heard of the Bema. That is sad. For those of us who have heard about it and are motivated by it, there is an important application that we may overlook. We are not only to be watchful for His soon return and the Bema, but we are also to teach others this vital truth.
If you don’t tell your family and friends about our coming exam at the Bema, you are leaving them ill-prepared for what is to come.
The Lord Jesus commanded us to teach others what He commanded (Matt 28:18-20). He commanded us to set our hearts on heavenly treasure (Matt 6:19-21). He taught many parables about the importance of watching for His soon return and the Bema that would follow (e.g., Matt 24:4551; 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27).
The Apostle Paul preached to all believers about the Bema (1 Cor 3:5-15; 4:1-5; 9:24-27; 2 Cor 5:9-10; Gal 6:7-9; Phil 3:14; 4:17; 2 Tim 1:12; 4:6-8).
The Lord and His apostles warned about negative consequences at the Bema for unfaithful believers (Matt 24:48-51; 25:24-28; Luke 19:20-26; 1 Cor 15:2i; Gal 6:8; Col 1:21-23; Jas 2:13; 3:1; 5:7; 1 John 2:28; Revelation 2–3).
It is even wise to tell unbelieving family and friends about the Bema if the opportunity arises, though no verse commands us to proclaim it to unbelievers.
The Lord alluded to the Bema when talking with the unbelieving rich young ruler. He promised him treasure in heaven if he sold everything and gave it to the poor (Luke 18:22). The young man wasn’t asking about treasure in heaven. He was asking about inheriting eternal life, by which he meant, “What must I do to have eternal life?” (Matt 19:16). Jesus wanted this unbelieving young man to know that if he believed in Him, he would be eternally secure and that if he followed Him, he would gain eternal rewards.
We are commanded to teach our children, and it is reasonable to assume that we’d teach them about the Bema even if they haven’t yet come to faith in Christ for everlasting life.
Pastor Bob Bryant gave a talk at our conference in which he said then when he evangelizes people, he tells them about the Bema because he finds it helps them understand how God can give everlasting life away with no strings attached while, at the same time—both during this life and after this life— holding believers accountable for their actions.
This isn’t to suggest that unbelievers must understand the Bema to believe the simple message of John 3:16. However, knowing about the Bema can move them in that direction.
I once heard Zane Hodges say that nearly every page of the NT deals with the doctrine of the Bema and eternal rewards. If he’s right, and I believe he is, then we need to explain Bema passages to our family and friends so that they are well-prepared for our coming judgment.
I can’t tell you precisely when the Lord Jesus will return to rapture us to Himself. But I can tell you that He will soon return,ii and that when He does, He will judge us at the Bema.
To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). The Lord expects you to tell your family and friends about the Bema. Don’t leave your family and friends ill-prepared for the most important exam in life.
That exam will be different from a college exam. It will be like an annual performance review at work, except that it will cover not just one year, but your entire Christian life of service. The only way to prepare in advance is to be faithful in your service for the Lord each day.
While everlasting life is a gift that we receive by faith in Christ, apart from works (John 3:16; 6:28-29; Eph 2:8-9), we are accountable for how we live. The Lord commands us to be ready for the Bema, to focus on it daily. We are to share that command with our family and friends. Just as we are to share the message of everlasting life, we are also called to share the message of accountability and eternal rewards.
Keep grace in focus and you will remain highly motivated to please the Lord Jesus Christ and gain His praise and approval and the eternal rewards that follow.
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Bob Wilkin is Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society. He and Sharon live in Highland Village, TX. He has racewalked twelve marathons.
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i The present passive are being saved is conditioned on believers continuing to believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection: “by which you are [being] saved if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” Saved in 1 Cor 15:2 is a sanctification term and refers to being and remaining spiritually healthy. See my Nov 12, 2025 blog entitled, “Was Paul Talking about Sanctification When He Wrote about Salvation in 1 Corinthians?” at https://faithalone.org/tag/1-corinthians-152/.
ii Of course, first century believers also knew that His return was soon. Only a year or two after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, James wrote, “The Judge is standing at the door!” (Jas 5:9). Around thirty years after Jesus’ ascension, John said, “Little children, it is the last hour…” (1 John 2:18). His return has been soon ever since He left. It remains soon. Whether He returns this year or several centuries from now, His return is imminent. We should live every day in the realization that He is coming like a thief in the night. His return could be today.
