Carl Witty
11/14/16
While we teach against the idea that we can somehow earn our salvation, the fact is that God speaks of heaven as a reward! This article will give some thoughts about avoiding shortsightedness and missing the reward God wants to give us in heaven. Three passages will help us to think of the joys awaiting the faithful in Him:
Matthew 5:11, 12a - "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven."
Hebrews 10:35, 36 - "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise."
Paul reminded those who work for others to do their work "as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance" (Colossians 3:23, 24).
Is there any doubt that the scriptures picture heaven's blessings as a reward? We will inherit the consequence of lives lived for Him who lived and died for us. In referring to the day when we will be judged, Jesus said that, "The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matthew 16:27). He promised, "I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Revelation 22:12). An inspection of our motives and actions should help us to obey 2 John 8: "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."
One of the very pleasant thoughts we may have of heaven's rewards is that of remembrance. Our works, good or bad, will be remembered. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). We should remember that the only things missing from God's record of our deeds are our sins that have been forgiven! The Hebrews writer reminds us of God's promises that the new covenant will provide mercy and forgiveness: "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more" (8:12). With our sins blotted out by the blood of Christ, only the good we have done will be remembered! Those who served God in the days of Malachi were assured that their record would read: "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. 'They shall be mine,' says the Lord of hosts, 'on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.' Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him" (Malachi 3:16-18). Think how very rewarding it will be to stand before God and be received as an obedient child.
One of God's great servants in the Old Testament was Nehemiah. He accomplished by his leadership the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (in 52 days!) and worked constantly to increase faith in God among his people. In four passages Nehemiah asks God to remember him for what he had done.
He describes how he fed many people during this intensive work and requests of God: "Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people" (Nehemiah 5:19).
Nehemiah urged the Jews to reinstate the tithes commanded for the Levites so that they might serve God in the temple. He prays about this: "Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!" (Nehemiah 13:14).
The Sabbath was not being correctly observed, and Nehemiah made the needed corrections. He asks: "Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!" (Nehemiah 12:22).
Many pagan practices were being mixed into the Jews' worship, and Nehemiah cleansed the people of those defilements. Again, he prays, "Remember me, O my God, for good!" (Nehemiah 13:31). We may be assured that God's memory is everlasting: "The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance" (Psalms 112:6). The Hebrew writer reminded the brethren that "God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name..." (Hebrews 6:10).
Jesus taught that even tiny acts of kindness are not unnoticed by God: "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:41). We can share the optimism of the apostle Paul expressed to his beloved Timothy: "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).
Tillit S. Teddlie, in his song Earth Holds No Treasure, wrote:
"Earth holds no treasures but perish with using,
However precious they be;
Yet there's a country to which I am going:
Heaven holds all to me.
Heaven holds all to me,
Brighter its glory will be;
Joy without measure will be my treasure:
Heaven holds all to me."