Seventh, at His coming all who are united to Him by the Holy Ghost through faith having been caught up with risen believers to meet Him in the air, there immediately follows the judgment of the saints, and the distribution of rewards according to the fidelity of each. Of course by the judgment of the saints, it is not meant that their persons will be judged, as if it were still uncertain whether they personally had been purchased by the blood of Christ; nor is it meant that their sins will be judged, as if the question of their salvation were still unsettled; but only that their works will be judged, and their station in the kingdom be thus determined. As to their persons our Lord expressly declares there is no judgment:

John iii. 18.—He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John v. 24.—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 into life.

(The words condemned and condemnation should be translated judged and judgment); and as to their sins the Holy Ghost often declares that they are cast behind God's back, cast into the depths of the sea, all forgiven, and never to be remembered:

Isa. xxxviii. 17.—Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Micah vii. 19.—He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Col. ii. 13.—And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

Heb. x. 17.—And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

The bodies of believers, whether raised from the grave or changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, will appear in the judgment precisely like Christ's glorious body, and hence it is more than absurd to suppose that they may be cast into hell. The saints who have already departed to be with Him are certainly not troubled about the results of the judgment, and the saints still living certainly have as little reason to fear, if they are resting simply upon His word:

Luke xii. 32.—Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

John x. 27-29.—My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

I Cor. xv. 50-57. I Cor. v. 6-8.—Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Phil. i. 23.—For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.

Phil. iii. 21.—Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

But it is a solemn thought that all our works as Christians must appear in judgment, and nothing will stand the searching test except that which has been done solely for Jesus:

Matt. xxv. 14-31. Mark ix. 41.—For whoso ever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

Luke. xix. 12-26. Rom. xiv. 10-12.—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. 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.

I Cor. iii. 8-15.—Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 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.

I 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 counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

I Cor. ix. 24-27.—Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

II Cor. v. 9, 10.—Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 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.

Eph. vi. 8.—Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Phil. iii. 14.—I press toward the Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Col. iii. 23, 24.—And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

II Tim. iv. 8.—Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing

James i. 12.—Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

I Pet. v. 4.—And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Rev. ii. 10.—Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried: and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Rev. xxii. 12.—And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.