REWARDS
Knowing that rewards will be given should make believers want to become a better and more productive Christian. There is a vast difference in the doctrine of salvation for the lost, and the doctrine of rewards for the saved. Salvation is “a free gift of God; you cannot earn it for it’s not of works.” Salvation is received by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, rewards are according to the works of the believer. “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16/27
Here is a most revealing scripture on rewards it’s found in 1 Corinthians chapter three and verse eight Paul said, “Now he that plants and he that waters are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are labors together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
The believer is to build on the Lord Jesus Christ, the only sure foundation. And has two choices for his building materials; “gold, silver, and precious stones” this is building with eternal materials; or “wood, hay, stubble” this is building with temporal materials.
The believer who builds on Christ with eternal values shall receive a reward. Those who build on Christ with temporal values, their works will be destroyed at the “judgment seat of Christ.” And the believer will suffer loss, not the loss of salvation, but the loss of eternal rewards.
The rewards that I want to talk about are called crowns in the New Testament. The apostle James stated “Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”
Now this is the crown of life or the lover’s crown. When we look at this verse, we discover that the believer finds strength to overcome temptation and endure trials, to press through hardships because of God’s love. And we only glory in tribulation if the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Without His love in our hearts we may become bitter and critical and lose the crown of life.
All believers have eternal life, but not all believers will be rewarded with the “crown of life” This crown will be given to those who are faithful unto death. And recipient of this reward must have a fervent love for the Lord more than his own life. “Whosoever will save his life shall lose; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”
Then there is the crown incorruptible that will be given to believers. Paul said, “Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”
Just as an athlete must deny his body many things, the believer must keep his body, and bring it unto subjection. He must deny self of anything that would weigh him down and hold him back. The believer must keep his eyes fixed on Christ, where he will find strength as he places his all on the altar and by faith, refuses anything that would impede spiritual progress. So don’t be a spectator; enter the race and run that you may receive the incorruptible crown.
Now the crown of rejoicing is often referred to as the soul winner’s crown. The greatest privileged we have in the Kingdom is bringing others to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The degree of your joy in heaven will be determined by the souls you have had a part in bringing to Christ. Paul told the Thessalonians believers that they were his hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing now and also, when Jesus Comes.
The bible tells us that the believer that wins soul is wise; and winning souls to Christ is a work against Satan and the forces of evil. Winning souls to Christ brings great joy to the believer, the bible tells us that, “The angles rejoice in heaven.”
The bible says, “That every soul winner will shine as the stars forever”. How do we win a person to Christ? We witness with our lives that others may see Christ in us. We witness with our mouth, trusting the Holy Spirit to give power to the spoken words. We witness by tithes and offerings that other may preach Christ, and in doing so you will have fruit that may abound to you account. God has promised, “That your labor will not be in vain in the Lord.”
Let us look at a passage of scripture in Second Timothy chapter four and beginning with verse five. [READ] Now these verses deal with the crown of righteousness, and it is not to be confused with the righteousness of God which the believer receives when he becomes a Christian.
When we are born again we are made, “the righteousness of God in Christ.” This saving righteousness is a gift to be accepted by the lost when they come to Christ. But the crown of righteousness is a reward to be earned by those who are saved. If the believer is looking, and loves the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, it will affect how they live their life here on earth.
Look how this impacted the life of the apostle Paul. He could say, “I have fought a good fight” he never surrendered to the enemies of righteousness. And he said, “I have finished by course and I have kept the faith.” Here was a man that preached the whole counsel of God. Never betraying any of the great doctrines, He was looking ahead to the judgment seat of Christ where the crown of righteousness would be given to those who love the appearing of Christ.
It is so important that we as believers look with a heart of love for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we too may receive the crown of righteousness.
Now this last crown is a special reward for the faithful, obedient God-called pastor. In first Peter chapter five and verse two, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.”
Every believer may share in the pastor’s crown of glory. “He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.” The membership of the body of Christ is to support and pray for the God-called pastor, encouraging him as he breaks the bread of life, and offers counsel to the believers.
The pastor will earn this crown of glory by feeding the church. He is to proclaim the Word of God without fear or favor; and when necessary, he will reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. The pastor will take the spiritual oversight of the local body. It is his responsible to care for the spiritual need of each individual in the church.
The local pastor should be an example to the church. He will not preach to please the people; he is to please his Lord. He is to be a spiritual leader, and not a dictator. He is to walk with God in faith, prayer and fasting, that he may receive the crown of glory.
