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What does the Bible says about our rewards in heaven? Does this have anything to do with jobs or duties, etc?

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What does the Bible says about our rewards in heaven?  Does this have anything to do with jobs or duties, etc? Empty What does the Bible says about our rewards in heaven? Does this have anything to do with jobs or duties, etc?

Post by Admin Tue Jan 26, 2016 3:45 am

First of all, it is important to remember that, when the Bible talks about Christians being judged, this is NOT about eternity in heaven. With Jesus dwelling in our hearts and lives, heaven is both secured and ensured. So whether a person became a believer in a deathbed conversion or was a lifetime member of the family of God, the initial outcome of the Christian life is the same: heaven, enjoying the presence of the Father and the Son forever. So the judgment of Christians, and thus the reward, is about evaluating what we have done on behalf of our Master.
First of all, there will be reward in heaven—but based on what we did for our Father, not on what we did for ourselves. As Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you—Jesus Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:11-12. Christ continued his message by warning the crowd that if they did their acts of righteousness to be seen by men, they would not receive a reward in heaven. As He said, Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you—Jesus Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:1-6. And, as He concluded, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also—Jesus Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:19-21. Jesus Christ’s message is crystal clear: Rather than fixate on earthly vanities, such as the admiration of men, we ought to focus on such eternal verities as the approval of the Master.
Moreover, Jesus made essentially the same point in his parables. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30), Jesus tells the story of a man who entrusts his property to his servants before going on a long journey. Each servant received an amount comparable to his abilities. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to a third he gave one. The servant who received five talents doubled his money, as did the servant who had received two. The last servant, however, showed gross negligence (not to mention incredible laziness) and buried his master’s money in the ground. When the master returned, he rewarded the faithful servants with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The unfaithful servant not only forfeited his reward but was thrown into outer darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Furthermore, Scripture communicates degrees of reward in the resurrection. The basis of our salvation is the finished work of Christ, but Christians can erect a building of rewards upon that foundation. As Paul puts it, For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames—Paul, I Corinthians 3:9-15. Paul here illustrates the sober reality that some Christians will be resurrected with precious little to show for the time they spent on earth—they “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” This creates the picture of people escaping burning buildings with little more than the burned clothes upon their backs. This may happen to even the most visible Christian leaders whose motives were selfish rather than selfless. At the same time, those who build selflessly upon the foundation of Christ using “gold, silver and costly stones” will receive enduring rewards. Indeed, a selfless Christian layman who labors in virtual obscurity will hear the words he has longed for throughout his life: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!—Jesus Christ, Matthew 25:21. While deeds are our duty, not even the smallest act of kindness will go without its reward. As the Bible teaches so clearly, Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account—Hebrews 4:13. God sees everything we do for Him. He won’t forget. As Paul wrote, So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad—Paul, II Corinthians 5:9-10. And, as Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done—Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:24-27. One of the coolest references to rewards, to what we have to look forward to in heaven, is what the prophet Daniel mentioned in the last chapter of his book: Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever—Daniel 12:3. That opportunity is available to all of us, to let our lights shine while here on earth (Matthew 5:16), that we may shine forever in heaven. What a promise!

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