Revelation 20:11-15
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Charles Bing - Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship - The Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15
(Salvation) Interpretation: All people will face a final judgment at the Great White Throne where their works will give evidence of their salvation or not.
Second (Salvation) Interpretation: Only unbelievers will be finally condemned at the Great White Throne judgment where their works will determine the severity of their punishment.
One of the greatest (Salvation) / (Discipleship) distinctions the student of God's Word should recognize is the two different judgments of Scripture. All people face a judgment before God (Heb. 9:27), however, the judgments are different for believers and for unbelievers. Believers face the Judgment Seat of Christ where their works are evaluated and tested (Rom. 14:10-12: 1 Cor. 3:11-15: 2 Cor. 5:10). This judgment apparently happens before or at the beginning of the millennial kingdom. It is not a judgment of their salvation, because Jesus promised in John 5:24, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
The judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 is different from the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is usually called the Great White Throne Judgment and takes place at the end of the millennial kingdom. It is a judgment for unbelievers only. I have designated it (Salvation truth), but it has (Discipleship) implications, because it should comfort believers to know that they are excluded from this. All believers have been resurrected before Revelation 20:11, some at the Rapture of the church and some at the beginning of Jesus Christ's millennial rule (Rev. 20:4). Those who believe during the millennium (some of those born during the millennium) will perhaps be transformed immediately upon believing, because "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (cf. 1 Cor. 15:50-54). The Scripture does not tell us when they will be judged or whether they will need to be, since they will be living transformed lives. That leaves "the rest of the dead" who will come to life at the end of the thousand-year kingdom (Rev. 20:5). These will stand before God where the record of their works will be reviewed and the absence of their name from the Book of Life will also be verified (Revelation 20:12) before they are thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
The chief observation to be made is that those judged at the Great White Throne are never given any designation or destiny as believers. They are all thrown into the lake. But before that, they are judged by their works. It is unbelief in Christ as Savior that condemns them to their fiery fate, but their past deeds evidently determine the severity of that eternal punishment, because the text says twice that they are judged "according to their works." It makes sense that a murderer rapist would experience a more severe judgment than an unbelieving family man.
Interpreting the judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 correctly is a comfort to Christians because our sins and eternal destiny have already been judged. Only unbelievers face the terrifying prospect of final judgment and sentencing to the Lake of fire. We also see how works are important in every person's life. To the Christian, they determine eternal rewards (or lack of rewards), and to the non-Christian they determine the severity of their eternal suffering. In no way should this passage be made to say that one's works will be the final proof or determination of one's salvation.