GOD, ETERNITY, AND HIS REWARDS!

Do you sometimes wonder: What's really the whole point or endgame in living this Christian lifestyle? With all the many constraints that accompany it... All the striving to live a holy life to please God... All the time and resources invested in serving and working for God... All the difficult choices made, sometimes painful sacrifices, and even sufferings endured, just to follow and obey God... All the 'enjoyment' forgone while others are 'enjoying' their lives without the worries or thoughts about if God is happy or not...

I believe such thoughts must have crossed your mind at least once, and it is not strange or evil; even Jesus' first Disciples once haboured such thoughts and they summoned the boldness to confront Jesus to clear their concerns, as we find in the Scripture below:

"...Then Peter said to Him, "We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?"..." Matthew 19:27 (NLT)

I also believe that all Christians do agree that yes, there are rewards for following Christ, asides from the popular benefits we know such as a long and prosperous life on Earth, and escaping Hell Fire in the afterlife... However, questions such as these do come to mind: Will all Believers receive the same rewards? And what will the rewards in Eternity be like?...

Truly, the rewards are not just about going to Heaven, but it extends to the new Earth which the Bible speaks about, when this present Earth has passed away and God's Kingdom has taken over completely, with Jesus reigning as the supreme King... Though we do not have a clear picture of what the new world would look like or what the details of the activities therein will be, however, we do know without a doubt that rewards in Eternity are part of God's plan...

The rewards as we learn from the Bible are likely to be in the form of tasks, assignments, and authorities; and they will be at different levels, so we can infer that everyone will not be getting the same reward... For instance, the Believer who was martyred for the sake of the gospel of Christ would likely not get the same reward as the Believer who only eventually accepted Christ while already on a deathbed or on death row... In other words, every Believer will go to the same Heaven but every Believer would not be rewarded the same...

Jesus' response to Peter in the following verse throws some light...

"...Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And anyone and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name's sake will receive many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life..." Matthew 19:28-29 (AMP)

Those words of Jesus sure bring us some comfort, especially in the present days in which we live, when many Believers are being faced with persecution and trials in different forms... There is indeed a reward to look forward to, and no sacrifice that is made for the sake of Christ goes for nothing... Surely there are also rewards we receive on Earth, but we must not lose sight of the most important reward which is coming in Eternity...

So, like someone once said jokingly, some people may be kings and nobles on Earth but would end up as doorkeepers or janitors in Eternity while others are placed in positions of authority... And the category one would fall into would be determined by how much of a priority God and His Kingdom were while living on Earth, and how much of God's original plan and purpose for one's life was followed and completed before departing the Earth...

Indeed, not everyone will hear from the Master on that day: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"... However it is God's desire and also my wish that we all can say boldly like Paul the Apostle at the tail end of our lives on Earth: "...I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith. [As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor's] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day--and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return)." 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (AMP)

The below exhortation also from Paul the Apostle equally comes in handy:

"...Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT)

Definitely, we cannot do this without the help of the Holy Spirit, as God has made His grace available to all today to help us run this race and finish well; though there may be seas to cross, storms to overcome, and battles to be won; we can be rest assured that we are never alone and no matter what comes to test our faith, we can keep our eyes on Christ and on the promised rewards of Eternity...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

"...Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 (AMP)

I encourage you to stay on in the race and not give up; And I pray may the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ keep abounding towards us all in every season of our lives and lead us all to victory in the end, in Jesus' name... Amen!

Thank you for sharing with me!

#JesusChristIsLORD #GODisStillinCharge

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