Ten seconds after the rapture

If a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day, then how long would 10 seconds be? Such calculations would be within the interest and domain of my good friend Conor, but for our purposes here today, we just seek to draw your attention to what is going to happen moments after the rapture occurs. However, just “where” might we be talking about?

While much of the excitement about this tends to focus on the chaos that is sure to ensue here on this earth, few seem to be thinking in the direction of heaven. What I am driving at is that few Christians seem to realize that while this earth may be reeling because of their departure, theirs will be a day of reckoning when they reach that distant shore.

As we examined last week, when Jesus spoke to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3, it was only to Philadelphia that he held out promise of the rapture. But, in addition to this, he also held out a warning to them. In verse 11 we find him saying, “hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Today, then, if you call yourself a Christian, this verse is for you.

The truth is that shortly after the rapture, every Christian will stand before what the Bible calls the judgment seat of Christ. It is here that they will be judged for the life that they have lived, and will be rewarded if their life has been lived according to the Bible. But it is also here where they can also lose their reward, and so enter the millennial kingdom empty handed.

To understand this, we first need to recognize that these rewards, here called crowns, are performance based. That is, they must be earned. There are several crowns listed in the New Testament, one of which is the shepherd’s crown, found in I Peter 5. Even just a casual glance at this crown reveals two verses of performance criteria that must be met before being awarded.

Notice, having the biggest church is not on Peter’s list.

If crowns can be earned, then it ought to be obvious that they can also be lost, which is the second concept we must grasp. I think one of the reasons modern Christianity has such trouble comprehending loss of reward is due to their fixation on the doctrine of eternal security. Yet, while we are eternally secure in salvation, the Bible does teach loss of reward as well.

There is perhaps no clearer verse in all of scripture than that of I Corinthians 3:15, which says: “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

Again, a casual glance at the context reveals “works” of value (gold, silver, precious stones) and “works” of no value (wood, hay, stubble). And despite objections to the contrary, it is also apparent that it is entirely possible for a Christian to have lived a life totally valueless to Christ, yet still retain their salvation.

For those still at a “loss” as to how Christians can lose their crown, we have one final concept to comprehend, that of inheritance. While we do not have space to completely develop their relationships, rewards, crowns and inheritance are all related to each other where it concerns the believer in Jesus Christ.

For those of you familiar with the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, you will perhaps remember how he wasted his inheritance on riotous living. While most would prefer to dwell on the forgiveness that his father extended him, it must not be overlooked the words his father would give to his older brother: “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” These words are so significant.

These words were said after the prodigal’s forgiveness. These words were said after the ring was put on the prodigal’s hand. And because the prodigal had already had his inheritance given to him, this means that his father did not take away from the inheritance of his older brother to restore his wasted inheritance. This would have been more than just unfair — it would have been unjust.

But, what belonged to his brother would remain his brother’s.

Oh, Christian, are you truly ready for the rapture? Or, is your life more in line with that of the prodigal, having wasted a precious inheritance? While it might be more entertaining to focus on earthly chaos and calamity, the time is now for you to focus on your own standing when you arrive. While it is sure that you cannot change your past, you can change the direction of your future.

Ron Hamman is pastor of Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla; contact him at 357-4229 or ron.hamman@gci.net.

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