Heaven: The Rewards

Our works, and the decisions we make and the actions we take, have heavenly consequences. Works do not get us into Heaven, but they determine the reward we will receive. Our salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. But the Bible is clear that when we get to Heaven we will be rewarded according to our obedience and the investments we made in things that will last forever.

Christians will be judged! We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This judgment has nothing to do with punishment but is to reward believers for faithful service. Jesus Christ will be our Judge, and He will examine our works and give the proper reward, the proper crown, that is proportionate to our faithfulness.

On what basis will we be judged? To answer this question, a helpful acronym is the word “M.O.A.T.”

M: Money How we use our financial resources is important. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His followers not to lay up treasure upon earth, but to lay up treasure in Heaven for that determines where our heart will be.

O: Opportunity As believers, we are to seek opportunities to serve others, knowing that by doing so we are serving our Heavenly Father. Opportunities are all around us for service and ministry.

A: Ability When we receive Christ, we receive spiritual gifts we are to use within the Body of Christ, the church. We will be held accountable for how we used these God-given abilities to help edify the church.

T: Time We are not to sit on the sidelines or misuse the time God gives us to serve Him. Our goal should be to “redeem” the time as we invest it in ministry and service to God.

As we are faithful in each of these areas, we can rejoice over the inheritance that awaits us – the riches and rewards of our obedience to Jesus.

Matthew 10:39 states that “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.”

We are not our own! We are called to serve Christ every day as we invest in Kingdom business. Start young and serve Christ. Or start old and serve Christ. Start where you are. Trust Him. He will judge us graciously and individually, and reward us accordingly because He knows our hearts.