There are many passages in the Bible that speak of how one will be judged according to their works in the final judgement (the Bema Seat [βημα]). While most theologies accept this, often what is overlooked is that it is not just rewards that are determined at the final judgment, but also one’s eternal destiny. This refutes the concept that one is justified on the basis of a forensic imputation of an alien righteousness that merely covers an individual. The following are representative passages from the New Testament proving this doctrine; for an exegesis of these texts, particular from the Pauline Corpus, see the excellent volume by Chris Vanlandingham, Judgment and Justification in Early Judaism and the Apostle Paul (Hendrickson, 2006).
When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King shall say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hugred, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked? And clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye have me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked or sick, or in prison and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matt 25:31-36)
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. he that honoureth not the Son honourth not the Father which hath sent him. 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. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done goo, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:22-29 [often critics will only cite vv.23-24, ignoring the rest of the pericope, as did Bill McKeever in a recent debate, that refute their sola fide soteriology)
Who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey righteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace, to every man that worketh good, and to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. (Rom 2:6-10)
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (πάντες γὰρ παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ θεοῦ). For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. o then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. let us therefore judge not one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (Rom 14:10-13)
For other foundation can no man lay that this is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Cor 3:11-17)
For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ (βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ); that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Cor 5:10)
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life were cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:11-15)
