The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Where are we taught

that we recieve treasures and rewards in Heaven beyond salvation?

In doing a word search on crowns and rewards, it looks to me as if you could argue that those things refer only to salvation. Can we infer it from verses like Matthew 6:19

[color:"0000FF"]"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. " [/color]

After all, we can't store up salvation, or accumulate it in the same way as we can accumulate rewards, right?

Another passage I often hear when referring to this issue is 1 Cor. 3:10-15.


This is a topic I've thought a lot about. Even among "reformed" people, I've found the opinions are split pretty well. I used to attend a Bible study in which I considered almost everyone very refomred and this was one of the few issues that really brought out conflicting opinions.

For me, this is one issue I flip-flop on. It does seem that some passages in the Bible indicate that there will be some system of rewards in Heavan based on your "performance" on earth (I'm not talking about your salvation being based on perforamnce). The problem I've always had with this is the following. When I first begin to truly understand that my salvation was rooted only in God's grace and Christ's perfect life and sacrificial death only, that was really a defining moment in my life. I began to understand that I try to obey God's commands not because it has anything to do with my salvation, but instead, because God loved(s) me and, in his grace, sent his son to live a perfect life and die for my sins and because Jesus rose to life and is right now in Heaven interceding for me, I want to obey God's commands out of love for him, like a child wants to please his parents. I am free to obey God not out of fear that if I don't I might go to Hell, but out of love because my salvation is secure in Christ. Then, when I was confronted with the idea that their might be a system of rewards (not salvation) in Heaven based on performance, the idea of obeying God out of gratitude only for what Christ did for me began to be diminished (in my mind). For example, now because I might receive some additional award in Heaven, I have a reason to try to obey that might be selfish, i.e., not out of love for God only, but because I don't want to be at a lower status in Heaven then the other saints.

I really would like to hear some other opinions about what Scripture says on this subject (especially the two passages mentioned above). Some passages of Scripture do seem to indicate that there will be some type of award in Heaven based on performance, but part of me says that isn't correct (of course, if it is correct, that is my sinful nature talking).

John

John,

There are several passages of Scripture that refer to rewards. I found a couple of links that discuss Biblical Facts about Rewards - I Corinthians 3:10-14 and have found some Bible teachers who teach Heavenly Rewards. You can read them for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

I agree with the conclusion Matt Perman draws in his message entitled The Joy of Heavenly Rewards. He writes, “Heavenly rewards are not something we earn through our own efforts. And they are never a case of God being put in our debt and required to repay our "service." Rather, as Augustine has said, it is a matter of "God crowning His own gifts." That is, our obedience which God graciously decides to reward is itself graciously given and worked by God (Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 13:21). God's promises of reward are not a job description where He makes us employees who, through our services, put Him in a debt to us which He must repay by giving us our rewards (or "paycheck"). On the contrary, His promises are like a doctor's prescription. When you follow a doctor's prescription you get well not because you earned it in a display of your own strength, but because the doctor's wise guidelines were the path to your health. We pursue heavenly rewards not to exalt ourselves, but to exalt God.”


Wes

I had this question recently from a young Catholic girl in my small group for teenagers, and I wanted to follow it up. What you said pretty much touches on what I told her: that when we see the elders casting their crowns before the Throne in Revelation, they are taking these crowns, which are an adornment--they are already in Heaven--, and placing them before the One to Whom they owe the adornment: it's sort of like when a child takes their parent-given allowance to buy a birthday gift for the parent. It's done out of love, and in the knowledge that we give out of what has already been given us. None of this stuff starts with us.

Thanks for all those thoughts--I'm off to have a peep at that article.

. . . is that the LORD is glorified no matter how it works out, crownwise. If someone has taken the spiritual gifts received at their new birth and done wonderful things with them, so they have many crowns to cast at His feet, He is glorified...such a one is a triumphant display of His ability to change lives through sanctification.

If someone has let their spiritual gifts languish, and arrive "as one escaping the flames" (or however Paul phrased it), so they've no crowns to cast, the LORD is still glorified...such a one is a triumphant display of His complete, unmerited mercy.

[sighing] It'd sure be nice to have at least one crown to cast, though. Wouldn't it be embarrassing to have nothing to show for all the years of redemption, and the spiritual gifts one has been given?