FACT: Believers will be judged of their works to determine their degrees of rewards.

Key Scripture: "For 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" (Matthew 16:27).



A day will come when all believers will be judged of their works, not to determine their eternal destiny, but to ascertain their degrees of rewards (2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 20:12).



We are not saved by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but we are saved to do good works (Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:14). All believers are given one or more spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit at the time of their salvation, and they are expected to use those gifts to advance the Lord's kingdom on earth.



Believers will be judged not only on the quantity of their works, but also on their quality (1 Corinthians 3:13) and their motive (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). Some who are saved but who never used their spiritual gifts for the Lord, or who did so for the wrong motive (like personal glory), will have all their works burned up and will receive no special rewards beyond eternal life (1 Corinthians 3:15).



God's Memory

The Bible says in Malachi 3:16 that there is a Book of Remembrance in which God has written down all the things we have done for Him. Most of these things we have forgotten, but not God. Jesus said we would even be rewarded for giving a person a cup of cold water (Matthew 10:41-42)! Hebrews 6:10 say that "God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints." Once again, we are assured that God will never forget any of our good works.



As to the specific rewards, there is a great variety of them mentioned in the Scriptures. These include special crowns (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) and robes (Revelation 19:8), heavenly treasures (Matthew 6:19), levels of glory (Romans 8:18) and degrees of reigning responsibility (Luke 19:11-27).



Various Crowns

The Bible teaches there are five different types of crowns that will be rewarded to believers.



1) The Victor's Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) - This crown will be given to those who showed exceptional self-discipline in their service to the Lord, always putting His will before their own.



2) The Soul Winner's Crown (1 Thessalonians 2:19) - This crown will be bestowed upon those who were involved in soul winning - including evangelists, Bible teachers, personal witnessers and those who financed their efforts.



3) The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) - This crown will be rewarded to those who lived their lives longing for the Lord's return - those who lived with an eternal perspective.



4) The Shepherd's Crown (1 Peter 5:4) - This is the reward for faithful pastors and elders.



5) The Crown of Life (James 1:2) - This reward is reserved for those who persevered under trial - those who endured difficult trials, temptations, suffering, persecution and even martyrdom. Jesus mentioned this reward specifically in Revelation 2:10.



Heavenly Treasure

The Bible says the redeemed will receive different amounts of treasure in Heaven. Jesus Himself made this promise in Matthew 6:9 when He said: "Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourself treasures in Heaven . . ."



The Apostle Paul mentions the same reward in 1 Timothy 6:17-19. Here he tells Timothy to instruct believers "to do good" and "to be rich in good works" and "generous to share," for by doing so, they are "storing up for themselves the treasures of a good foundation for the future."



Levels of Glory

The Scriptures also assure us that there will be distinctions of glory that will be given to believers. Consider these words of Paul: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). Paul speaks of this type of reward again in 2 Corinthians 4:17 where he writes: "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison . . ."



What all this means is not precisely spelled out in any detail, but the possibilities are mind-boggling. So much so, that when we experience it, we may well find ourselves wishing that we had been given more opportunities to suffer for the Lord!



Degrees of Reigning Authority

Another type of reward mentioned in the Bible is one that relates to both the Millennium and the Eternal State, It is the degree of reigning authority we will share with Jesus under His oversight.



We are assured that we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12 and Revelation 5:9-10). But our degree of participation in His reign will be related to our service to Him now (Luke 19:1-27). Some will reign over one city, some over five and some over none.



Attitudes Toward Rewards

Unfortunately, Most Christians seem to have a very cavalier attitude toward rewards, and there are several reasons for this lack of concern.



First, many seem to think that if they are motivated by a reward, they will lose the reward! This strange attitude is based on a teaching of Jesus that is recorded in Matthew 6:1-4. In this passage, Jesus warns His disciples "not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them" because "if you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."



What Jesus is warning against is doing our good works in order to receive the praise of people. He is saying that we should be motivated instead for the praise of God. We are supposed to be motivated by the hope that when we stand before Jesus to be judged, He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).



A second reason some believers are not passionate about rewards is because they believe they will be temporary. This attitude is based on a scene in Heaven that is described by the Apostle John in Revelation 4. John says he saw 24 elders worshiping God (Revelation 4:10-11). As part of their worship, they kneel and cast their crowns before God's throne.



This scene has produced a teaching that as soon as we receive our rewards in Heaven, we will cast them at the feet of Jesus and be done with them. They are, therefore, viewed as no big deal.



But Revelation 4:9 presents a qualifying word. It says that the 24 elders do this "whenever" (NIV) worship occurs. That does not indicate a once and for all action. In 1 Peter 5:4 we are told that the crowns will never fade away.



A Socialist View of Rewards

Some argue the rewards have to be temporary because there can be no distinctions in Heaven, otherwise there would be jealousy, and such a sin cannot exist in the perfect atmosphere of Heaven. But this is an earthly view. In Heaven, our sin nature will not exist. We will live in perfect love.



Thus, when we see a saint wearing a special crown or exhibiting some other reward, our hearts will be filled with admiration and appreciation - the same as we feel in this life when one of our children receives a special reward.



Pastor Glenn Meredith of McKiney, Texas, who has taught extensively about heavenly rewards, has concluded: "Believe me, there will be eternal distinctions in Heaven because what you do now in this life will have a profound impact on the rewards you will receive and the services you will be assigned."



"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great . . ." (Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:12).



Lamb & Lion Ministries www.lamblion.com