Good works do not determine our salvation they determine our reward. 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 similarly says, “for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
A careful study of the wording of this passage confirms that we are looking at a general judgment. The inspired text makes clear: “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” If we are to take this passage at face value we must assume we are looking at a picture of all mankind being brought to account for its deeds at the coming of Christ. Manifestly, from the wording, it is not just believers that will stand before Christ when He appears, but unbelievers also.
This assumption is reinforced by the fact that both the “good and bad” that has been done by man will be judged. The Greek word for “good” here is agathos which means of good constitution or nature, upright, and honourable. This cannot be speaking about anyone other than the elect. After all, this is accurately describing the moral nature of those who have experienced the new birth. Remember, the believer’s sin has already been judged and paid for at the cross. The word phaulos, on the other hand, means foul, ethically bad, base, wicked or evil. This is undoubtedly speaking of the immoral, the unsaved.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
We are talking about judgment in the context of mankind being brought to account before the holy bar of God to give an account for their lives. It is the place where God hands out His eternal sentences upon all men. Multiple Scripture locates this at the second coming. We are not talking about the wicked being physically killed when Jesus appears. Even that, you limit and fill your future millennium with countless billions of mortal rebels.
Romans 14:10-12 says, “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Here Paul personalizes this by saying, “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” The judgment for believers is one of rewards, however, we will give account for our talents and giftings on the Judgment day. Our faithfulness to the same will then determine our reward on "that day."
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-8, “every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that 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.”
Scripture presents the second coming of the Lord as the day when “every man's work shall be made manifest” (or be revealed). There is no hiding for anyone when Jesus Comes. He is coming to mete out final justice for all. Every man’s works shall be judged as by fire. This day involves the judgement of both the righteous and the wicked. This they will see the righteous rewarded, and the wicked punished (“the day shall declare it”).
Revelation 22:12 says, “behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Many Scriptures tell us that Jesus brings His reward with Him when He becomes. All men will be judged then. Both the saved and unsaved will be brought to account and will receive their due eternal reward at the second coming.
I have learned, that when someone speaks of making
"A careful study" of something, they are only diverting attention away from their glaring errors, with longwinded displays of scholarship. They also always include the learned words of great theological dissertation, such as passages, assumptions reinforced, holy bar of God, eternal sentences, mortal rebels, giftings, and unnecessary dives into original languages.
It is nothing but cover for missing the obvious, like swallowing camels while straining at gnats:
There is no way anyone can honestly mistake the second coming of the Lord to earth, with the final day of the earth's destruction by fire.
The first is prophesied with:
1. The Lord coming as lightening from one end to the other.
2. The Lord comes with clouds and every eye shall see Him.
3. The Lord comes on a white horse with His armies.
4. The Lord destroys the armies of the nations gathered at Armageddon, with the brightness of His come.
5. The fowls of the air from all the earth eat their flesh.
6. The Lord comes from Bozrah with the blood of His enemies covering His garments.
7. The Lord rules them of the nations not gathered with the armies.
8. Many inhabitors over all the earth will be hiding in caves and dens of rocks from the wrath of the Lamb.
The last day of earth is prophesied with:
1. All nations of God and Magog gather around the holy city on earth, not at Armageddon.
2. Fire comes down from God in heaven and destroys them all at once, and scorches the whole earth.
It is impossible to conflate the two, either by expanded theological arguments of other things, or by writing off many Scriptures as symbol and parable only.
Or by showcasing a smattering of both:
We are not talking about the wicked being physically killed when Jesus appears.
You are not, but Scripture plainly is, both at His return to earth in personal bloodshed, and at the last day of earth, with Gog and Magog being scorched by fire.
I'm thinking one of the main reasons some people are so vehemently against the Lord and King reigning over His kingdom on earth, is that it's much more intellectually stimulating and fun to spend countless hours perfecting pseudo-scholarship, rather than just take Scripture as written and believe it.
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.