The Bible mentions rewards in heaven multiple times (Matthew
5:12; Luke 6:23, 35; 1 Corinthians 3:14; 9:18). But why are rewards necessary?
Won’t being in heaven with God be enough? Experiencing Him, His glory, and the
joys of heaven will be so wonderful, it’s hard to understand why extra rewards
would be needed. Also, since our faith rests in Christ’s righteousness instead
of our own (Romans 3:21–26), it seems strange that our works would merit
reward.
God will give rewards in heaven at the bema, or the judgment
seat of Christ, based on our faithfulness in service to Him (2 Corinthians
5:10). The rewards will show the reality of our sonship (Galatians 4:7) and the
justice of God (Hebrews 6:10). God will give rewards in heaven in order to
fulfill the law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7–9) and make good on His
promise that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
One reason for the rewards in heaven is the fact that Jesus
shares His reward with us. Paul said, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in
me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Our lives are “hidden” with
Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1–4). We die with
Him and we live with Him and we share in His joy (Romans 6:8; Matthew 25:21).
In heaven we will dwell with Him (John 14:1–3). Our lives are inextricably
linked with Christ’s. The reward He receives is shared with all of us: “If we
are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if
indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”
(Romans 8:17).
The rewards we gain in heaven are not like the rewards we
earn here on earth. We tend to think in material terms—mansions, jewels, etc.
But these things are only representations of the true rewards we will gain in
heaven. A child who wins a spelling bee treasures the trophy he receives not
for the sake of the trophy itself but for what that trophy means. Likewise, any
rewards or honor we gain in heaven will be precious to us because they carry
the weight and meaning of our relationship with God—and because they remind us
of what He did through us on earth.
In this way, rewards in heaven glorify God and provide us
with joy, peace, and wonder as we consider God’s work in us and through us. The
closer we were to God during this life, the more centered on Him and aware of
Him, the more dependent on Him, the more desperate for His mercy, the more
there will be to celebrate. We are like characters in a story who suffer doubt,
loss, and fear, wondering if we will ever really have our heart’s desire. When
the happy ending comes and desire is fulfilled, there comes a completion. The
story would not be satisfying without that completion. Rewards in heaven are
the completion of our earthly story, and those rewards will be eternally
satisfying (Psalm 16:11).
Recommended Resource: Your Eternal Reward: Triumph &
Tears at the Judgment Seat of Christ by Erwin Lutzer
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