come suddenly, but we can believe His promise and wait daily for
its glorious fulfillment. This is the blessed Hope of the Church. For
this we are told to wait. Ere He begins His judgment work, before the
last scenes of tribulation and wrath can be enacted upon this earth and
He returns as the King of Glory to claim His blood-bought inheritance,
He will come into the air to meet His redeemed host and co-heirs. This
is the first event in connection with His future work.

The Judgment Seat of Christ.

All judgment is to be executed by the Lord Jesus Christ. "For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John
v:22). Up to the present time no judgment work has been done by Him. Nor
have His people received their crowns and rewards for service and
faithfulness. The meeting of the Saints in the presence of the Lord will
be immediately followed by the judgment seat of Christ. "For we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. xiv:10). "For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. v:10). No unsaved person appears
before this judgment for they were not raised from the dead, nor changed
in the twinkling of an eye. This judgment concerns only believers. This
judgment, however, does not decide their eternal salvation. That was
settled when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. The words of our
Lord in John v:24 make this clear. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed
from death unto life." "There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ" (Rom. viii:1). The works and the service of His
people will be dealt with by the Lord in this first judgment act in His
future work. Of this we read in 1 Cor. iv:5--"Therefore judge nothing
before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the hidden counsels of
the hearts; and then shall have every man praise of God."

Everything will be made manifest before that judgment seat. The
unconfessed sins in the believer's life will be brought to light and all
hidden things will be uncovered. Then the works of the believer will be
made manifest. "Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day
shall d