By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #281 ~
Did you know that God wants to greatly and eternally reward you for the work you do for Him? Sadly, most Christians don’t know much about rewards because most churches don’t teach on them. But why is it so important that you learn about them? Because knowing that God wants to wonderfully reward you in the coming ages will profoundly affect how you live for him during this church age.
Here are some key verses on rewards and, as you will see, this is no small subject.
* “The law of the Lord… the precepts of the Lord… the commandment of the Lord… by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them, there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11
* “Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.” Isaiah 40:10
* “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5
* “Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you… rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.” Matt. 5:11-12
* “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matt. 6:6
* “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither most nor rust destroys, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt. 6:19-21
* “The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to His deeds.” Matt. 16:27
* “There is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or farms for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mark 10:28-30
* “Blessed are you who are poor… who hunger now… who weep now… be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven.” Luke 6:20-23
* “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great…” Luke 6:35
* “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven.” Luke 12:33
* “He called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back’… The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made 10 minas more.’ He said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be over 10 cities.’” Luke 19:12-19
* “Make friends by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9-10
* “He who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal.” John 4:36
* “He who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” 1 Cor. 3:8
* “Each man’s work will become evident; the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.” 1 Cor. 3:10-15
* “Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” 2 Cor. 4:17
* “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done…” 2 Cor. 5:10
* “Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” Col. 3:23-24
* “There is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.” 2 Tim. 4:8
* “Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” Heb. 10:35
* “By faith Moses… choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Heb. 11:24-26
* “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.” 2 John 2:8
* “The time came… to reward Your bondservants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great.” Rev. 11:18
* “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done.” Rev. 22:12
Here are some thoughts about rewards, and how they relate to your present life on earth, your future in the coming ages, and your relationship with the Lord.
1. God is a very giving and generous Father, and He wants to richly reward you, far more than you can ever imagine, and far more than you deserve. Luke 6:20-26
2. God will reward you for “whatever you do” for Him, whether that’s making a meal, working at a job, praying for someone, sharing the gospel, etc. Col. 3:23-24
3. God will reward each believer “according to his own labor.” Never compare your work and the result of your work with that of another believer. 1 Cor. 3:8
4. God will reward you for faithfully using the money, time, abilities, and gifts He gives you. Matt. 25:14-23
5. Rewards don’t depend on your status, gifts, or abilities – they depend on you being a good steward and faithfully using them for His purposes and glory. A seemingly “small” Christian may receive more rewards than a seemingly “great” Christian. Matt. 25:21
6. Some believers won’t receive many rewards because of their unfaithfulness. “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved.” 1 Cor. 3:14-15
7. The rewards each believer receives from God will be different than what others receive. Yet each believer will be blessed and fully satisfied in heaven. Rev. 21:4
8. We don’t know exactly what these rewards will be, but it seems that they relate to your relationships with God and people, your work for Him in the future, and other special blessings. Psalm 16:11; Luke 16:9; Luke 19:15-18; John 14:21, 23
9. God will reward you at the end of this age, at the coming of Christ. Rev. 22:12
10. Your most important reward is eternal life, which is your relationship with Jesus Christ (Mark 10:30). All specific rewards that you receive have to do with your relationship with Christ, whether it relates to worshiping Him, serving Him, or being specifically blessed by Him. “The Lord is my portion” (Ps. 119:57). “… so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17
God really wants to reward you. And if He wants to reward you, then you should want to be rewarded – and you are not being proud or selfish for desiring to be rewarded. You see, receiving rewards signifies that you were God-glorifying, for they result from loving, trusting, obeying, and humbly and faithfully serving God while you lived on earth. If you aren’t rewarded in the future, then that can only mean you weren’t loving God and living for Him, and weren’t bringing Him glory – and your work was “burned up.” That would be very, very sad. 1 Cor. 3:14-15
Unbelievers work for themselves, for money, fame, needs, and wants, but as a Christian, you must work for God, not to make money, but to meet your needs and to please Him. If you heartily work for God and His glory, you will be truly blessed in this life and greatly rewarded in the future, infinitely more than earthly wages, investments, or retirement plans. Investing your life in the work of God will result in unimaginable, unbelievable, and astonishing rewards.
The message for you is that every moment of your life is relevant, is a way to please God and receive rewards which relate directly to the coming ages. How you live your life for God will dramatically and eternally impact your future and the future of others. So make the most of it! May the Lord say to you, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.” Matthew 25:21
P.S. I can’t stress enough this subject of rewards – that’s why I have written a number of posts about them. I encourage you to read them if you haven’t read them already. “God Really Wants to Reward You”, “Earthly Work Results in Heavenly Rewards”, “Your Reward is the Lord!!!”, “The Truth About Rewards, the Heavenly Prize”, “Winning the Gold for the Glory of God.”