A Balanced View of Heavenly Rewards

The Question Series

In the movie, A Christmas Story, Ralphie’s dad wins a prize by solving some puzzles in the newspaper. A few weeks before Christmas, a large crate arrives at the house containing this prize. As Ralphie and family open the crate and sift through the enormous amount of straw, they wonder what the prize could be. Finally, dad lifts a plastic leg out of the crate. Ralphie’s mom asks, “What is it?” Dad responds, “Why, it’s a major award.” It’s a burlesque style leg with a lampshade – indeed, it is a lamp. The “old man” was proud of his brilliance which procured him this great award. So, he sets the grotesque lamp in the living room window for all the world to see. Mom is horrified that the neighborhood will see this monstrous thing, but dad is beaming, while Ralphie is stuck in rapturous wonder at this leg, this “major award.” 

            Everything about this scene is the exact opposite of what we can expect from “heavenly” rewards. Dad’s award was useless, inappropriate, and gawdy. It was a momentary conversation piece that would soon be destroyed and eventually forgotten. But what are heavenly rewards? Will they make life in eternity better? Will they be on display? We can only speculate or imagine the answers.

            For our series on “Questions,” the question was asked: Salvation is a gift unearned. Are there other rewards in heaven based on works? What about the very young who die before they have a chance to earn rewards? 

            The Bible does speak of rewards, but we must lay aside what we know of awards and rewards to grasp the biblical significance of them. It is tempting to think of how we can earn rewards through good works while forgetting that we are saved by faith apart from works. How are we to understand the biblical concept of rewards? 

            I want to ask three questions and answer them with my understanding of scripture…

 

Are there rewards for believers in eternity? 

 

The Gospel according to Matthew emphasizes rewards more than other accounts. Jesus certainly teaches his disciples about rewards. However, we must be careful not to read into his teaching that he is talking about “extra” rewards, or different amounts of rewards. More often than not, Jesus usually refers to heavenly rewards in contrast to what we gain in this life.  

            Consider this text: (Matt. 5:11-12a) “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” Contrast being accepted by the world versus being rejected by the world but received by your Heavenly Father. The reward Jesus speaks of is being accepted by God. If we interpret what Jesus says as a reason to seek a reward, we miss the point of his teaching. 

            Jesus also taught his disciples to “…lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (6:20). Yet Jesus was not envisioning some kind of vault where our rewards would be stored until we reach eternity. Instead, Jesus wants us to uphold his kingdom values over what the world values. Things of this world are going to rot, rust, or return to dust, but the values of the kingdom are forever; the values are in conflict.

            We cannot ignore that Jesus does refer to rewards. He talks about his Second Coming in Matthew 16:27 where “…he will repay each person for what he has done.” John repeats this in his apocalypse in Revelation 22:12 where Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming soon bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” 

            Jesus promised rewards for the faithful follower. Is there a greater reward than being called children of God (Luke 6:35). Often the concept of rewards in the NT are ambiguous. Unlike a video game where you reach certain levels and earn badges, the rewards of heaven are impossible to describe and achieve. I have often wondered myself what the Bible means by “rewards.”  Being called a child of God, receiving eternal life, being with Jesus forever…what else are we to expect? And if there are other rewards, how do you know if you have them? 

 

Are there degrees of rewards?

 

If you begin to evaluate yourself as a Christian and list your spiritual successes and failures, you will drive yourself crazy. Do not compare yourself unfairly with those whom you consider spiritual giants. God is the judge; he sees the heart better than we do. We may look at missionaries and determine that their rewards are greater than our own. Don’t do that.

            The Parable of the Talents is often used to illustrate different degrees of rewards. But this misinterprets how parables work. There are three servants, and each is given a trust according to their ability. You know what happens. The servants who are given five and two double their master’s trust and both are commended and rewarded (Matt 25:21, 23). The third servant buries his talent, is thrown into outer darkness, and the talent is given to the one who doubled his five.         

            Our problem comes when Jesus says, “For to everyone who has more will be given…” (29). The first servant receives the extra talent, but the second servant receives nothing more. We can get hung up on the false interpretation that 1) God gives some people more gifts/opportunities/abilities, and 2) that using them well earns greater rewards. But that is not what the parable is teaching. The amount of talents is not the issue, faithfulness is. Jesus is not saying the better you do, the more you will be rewarded. It’s just part of the story and is not meant to be analyzed. If we took each phrase and read it literally, then we would have to conclude that God parallels the master  in the parable – the master who is a harsh man who harvests crops he did not plant. 

            Thinking that rewards are work-based because of this parable is a mistake. The Parable of the Talents is couched by two other parables (Virgins; Sheep and Goats), and the parables do not teach degrees of readiness, faithfulness, or service. There is just readiness, faithfulness, and service. And if you are obedient to the commands of Jesus to be ready for his coming, to be faithful with what you have been given, and serve him with humility, the reward is being welcomed into eternal places.

            Can you imagine if there were degrees of rewards in heaven? Will you live eternally with regret for what you should have done? Will you envy those who earned more rewards than you did? If in Revelation 21:4 we read that there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain – absolutely nothing to make you sad, then there will be no regret either.

 

Are rewards motivation for faithfulness? 

 

 Depending on how we read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, we may be led to believe that on the day of judgment our works will be evaluated on a sliding scale (gold – straw). Paul does emphasize that certain “building materials” or activities are more appropriate than others. He writes, “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward” (12-14). 

            Taken in this perspective, the rewards are not about varying degrees, but whether what we have done matches who Christ is as Lord of the church. The foundation is Christ; how we build on that foundation ought to match Christ. 

            A few things stand out then: 1) Amazingly, the person who builds with appropriate materials (good works) and the person who builds with frivolous materials, will both be saved. 2) Paul’s analogy is not so much about eternal rewards as it is about building the church on the foundation of Christ. 3) If the poor builder’s work is exposed, he or she will be shamed. But does that shame last for eternity? No, shame is not part of the heavenly life. How this person helped build the church may be miniscule, but they are still saved. 4) The poor builder will suffer loss (15), but only in the sense that it will be revealed that his or her life’s work did not match the values of the kingdom. 

            The question remains: Do we do what pleases God to be rewarded? Or do we respond to the mercy and grace of God with a life of works that reflect our gratitude to God’s Son, Jesus? If we think about what we get, then we don’t get it.

 

Focus on the Giver, not the Gift

 

You are drowning in the ocean. Someone jumps into the raging waves to swim out to you to save you, bring you to shore, and wrap you in a warm towel. Do you go on and on about the quality of the towel? Or do you embrace the person who saved you?

            N.T. Wright makes a good point in his book, Surprised by Hope. He writes, “It isn’t a matter of calculation, of doing a difficult job in order to be paid a wage. It is much more like working at a friendship or a marriage in order to enjoy the other person’s company more fully.” I don’t help with the dishes to get a “thank you” or a chip I can use later; I help because I love Sharon and want to partner with her. 

            Craig Blomberg, a noted Bible scholar, said this, “I do not believe there is a single NT… text that supports the notion that believers will be distinguished from one another for all eternity on the basis of their works as Christians.” He goes on to say that a belief like this would have damaging consequences for the motivation and psychology of living the Christian life. Christians should never think of obedience, love, or service in terms of earning some future payoff. 

            I mean, how can we preach and teach that living in the presence of Christ will be glorious, but rewards will make that experience even better? Christ, through whom we have forgiveness and eternal life is all the reward we need. 

            Paul exhorted the Colossians, “Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ,” (Col. 3:24). 

                                                                        AMEN

Please also see this link for more of Craig Blomberg.https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/35/35-2/JETS_35-2_159-172_Blomberg.pdf