Eternal Security Sýnishorn

  Rewards and Grace

We all know of people who have all the evidence of rebirth except for a habit which seems to persist year after year. Is this person not a Christian? Or will he lose his salvation? May we suggest neither. Actually, the word “inheritance” is a tip-off that the passage is used for discipleship. Luke 14 beautifully contrasts the free gift of salvation and the high price of discipleship. Christ encourages men to accept the invitation to a free meal at the salvation supper. Yet, He sternly warns against starting down the discipleship road without counting the cost of possibly friends, family, wealth, or even one’s life. He would rather us not start down that road if we don’t intend to finish. 

Nevertheless, the rewards of discipleship are many. The Word of God has many passages on our inheritance. After we are Christians, our inheritance is given on the basis of our works. 

Passages which warn us of the loss of our inheritance do not refer to the loss of our salvation; rather, they refer to the loss of the rewards we would otherwise receive for our works done in Christ.

Many of the Bible passages on eternal security are misunderstood because of a failure to discern whether the warning will be realized in time or in eternity. Hebrews contains such passages; yet, in each case, the judgment for unfaithfulness is to be carried out in time. In every case, the warning is of a temporal judgment to come while men are still on earth. Heaven or eternal life never enter the picture. 

Grace is cheap only for us. It costs us nothing. Yet, it cost God everything—His life. Furthermore, while a Christian theoretically can live any way he pleases, we have seen that an unholy life forfeits the abundant life Christ offers on earth, as well as the rewards He offers in heaven. 

Paul compares two planes of life. Living under grace is life on the higher plane. To live the Christian life under the law, as the Galatians were trying to do, is life on the lower plane. In essence, such a Christian has fallen from the higher plane to the lower. He has fallen from grace. 

The reference to blotting out a name from the Book of Life in Revelation can be explained. It’s possible that every man’s name is in the Book of Life until he rejects Christ as Savior. At that time, his name is blotted out. Only the names of believers are left. For example, half of the residents of Rome were citizens. When a citizen committed a crime, the city officials erased his name from the book of citizens. He remained a resident, but lost the rights of a citizen. The possibility of having one’s name taken from the Book of Life would not threaten one’s residence, but only one’s heavenly reward.