Obviously, if God does not see the behavior of the believers but only the righteousness of His Son, and if this condition holds true at the Judgment Seat of Christ, then it is not possible for the Christian to receive the bad he has practiced in his body.

In defense of their position, some Christians claim that the Judgment Seat (beema ) of Christ is the place where the believers receive only their rewards for their works of Christian service. This is not accurate, for two reasons: one, the verse includes receiving the bad we have practiced; and two, the term beema is used consistently in the New Testament to mean a court before which persons accused of crimes are brought. It never is used as a place where contestants receive laurel wreaths. Jesus was brought before the beema of Pilate.

We know from the Scriptures that when any person receives Christ as his Savior, His past sins are washed away. We know also that God covers him with the blood of Christ so he is as righteous as though he never had sinned. We know this is true. It is the foundation stone of the Divine redemption. This part of current teaching is scriptural.

The extension of this concept to mean that all the aspects of our inheritance, including marriage to the Lamb, are imputed (legally assigned) to us for eternity while we remain unchanged, is not scriptural.

The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy—all in the Holy Spirit. If the only righteousness of the Kingdom is that which is legally assigned to us, then the peace and joy of the Kingdom would also be legally assigned to us rather than experienced, and we certainly would not desire this! If the peace and joy are actual, then the righteousness is actual and not merely imputed.

Christian teachers sometimes state that "the things done in his body" (II Corinthians 5:10) refers to works of service and not to moral behavior, not to sin.

If such were the case, how could the believer receive the bad practiced in his body, unless we consider the absence of works of service as the "bad" that Paul mentions. In that instance, are we saying that the absence of Christian service is not a moral transgression? Jesus commanded that the man who had wasted his talent be cast into the outer darkness. He received the bad he had practiced while in his body. Lack of service, or improper service, leaves the offender spiritually naked in the Day of Christ—and sometimes subject to severe chastisement!

Let us consider the verse once again. Is it referring to rewards for Christian service, or is it referring to righteousness and unrighteousness?

. . . that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10)

To be continued.