Rewards In Heaven
(By: Norm Rasmussen)
God admonishes Christians to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:20). Jesus was doing the talking when this was said. Essentially Jesus is trying to say to humanity in this scripture passage that there are things that God will bless in heaven once we get there for what we DID during this lifetime.
Things that WE can do in this life that God determines are “heavenly treasures” to HIM.
Maybe you’ve never given it much thought, but what can you think of that God would find the most VALUABLE to Him that we can give ourselves to in this life? It seems obvious to many that a lost soul saved who ends up in heaven is the most valuable “asset” God could possibly treasure. Afterall – it was what Jesus was sent from heaven to do to give Himself as a ransom on the cross to bridge the way for sinful man to get into heaven and spend eternity with a PERFECT, SINLESS, ALL-HOLY God.
But a question remains: How can a lost soul snatched from an eternal destiny in hell and end up in heaven through what Jesus accomplished for such a person at the cross and His subsequent resurrection be TREASURES to us?
Not speaking of God now, but speaking strictly to US who engage ourselves in being used of God to help rescue lost souls from ending up in hell? How will that be treasures to US?
We submit that “treasures” means to God one thing or things … but to US on this side of eternity it’s to be understood a little differently. We submit that God wants us to understand that “treasures” means REWARDS.
And changing the word “treasures” to “rewards” supports other Bible passages that God speaks of for those who are obedient to Him in this life: God is going to REWARD them for it.
It is very easy for Christians to immerse themselves in rewardLESS things that involve their finances, energies or their time … and will end up being nothing more than “wood, hay, and stubble” when God starts granting rewards in eternity. God addresses this matter in scripture:
“Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building."
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is."
"If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward."
"If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3: 8-15)
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to pen the above scripture revelatory truths about the gain of heavenly rewards, or the loss of them. What was number ONE priority in Paul’s life once God released him into his call – his ministry to God? Sharing the message of the cross to people who hadn’t heard it. Sharing the spiritual Truth of what Jesus Christ accomplished for humanity by taking the punishment for their sins against God the Father so people could be forgiven for their sins – to be freed from having to pay for them for eternity in hell.
Thus giving himself to be used of God to help rescue lost souls; laying up treasures for GOD and rewards for himself in eternity.
Has anything changed since that time? Are there still lost souls to be rescued from ending up in hell? They are EVERYWHERE around us, aren’t they?
So a thought we want to leave you with in this writing is this question: How SERIOUS are you about laying up treasures in heaven for GOD? Are you giving yourself to things that are NOT ASSURED of laying up treasures in heaven for GOD and rewards for yourself?
Until your heart stops beating, it’s never too late to change your priorities. Beyond being obedient to God in alignment with the New Covenant Word of God … to be used of God to help win lost souls will result in MAXIMIZED rewards for yourself and align yourself with what is MOST IMPORTANT to God: A lost soul redeemed – a lost soul saved. All else is secondary…
There are many ways to go about helping reach lost souls, but here is an easy way to START if you want an easy place to begin, please click here:
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. You can even have that assurance RIGHT NOW! Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God, to be at peace with God, to have your sins forgiven, to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity, to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help you understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life, because in Christ, it is impossible to put a value on the worth of your soul in light of eternity.
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Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-21 is our assurance)