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Our Reward

by Jerry Ousley  
2/24/2017 / Christian Living

            Near the end of basic training, while in the U.S. Army, it was a very wet and rainy evening.  We were gathered in a room large enough to accommodate our group of about fifty men.  The drill sergeant put us through our normal exercises (minus the two mile run because of the rain) and then kept us there until after dark.  He began to mess with us by poking fun at the way we looked or acted.  That was no big deal; he had done that from day one and we had grown accustomed to it.

 

            But then he made another suggestion.  He told us that if wanted we could pitch our money together and order a pizza.  We hadn’t had pizza since we began our military career so that sounded really good.  The problem that presented itself was that very few of the guys had any money to chip in.  I wound up giving ten dollars.  The sergeant began bragging up on the pizzas they were going to get.  He talked about how thick they were with toppings and how the crust was just right.  We had our mouths ready for pizza!  Then they showed up.  I figured that by giving ten dollars I’d get at least two pieces but I’ve got to tell you that by the time it got to me I was lucky to get one!  It wasn’t anything like what had been described to us.  What we got was a very thin pizza with barely enough cheese on it and a few pieces of pepperoni.  What a rip!  I was very disappointed with my reward of one miserly slice of a bad pizza for ten bucks.  It wasn’t a very good reward or return on my money!

 

            I want to talk about rewards.  We’ve discussed how there are two resurrections, one for those who have come to Christ and one for all the rest of the dead.  Those in the first resurrection will enjoy a one thousand year reign with Christ on this earth and afterwards will come the second resurrection.  They will not be so fortunate, but will be judged and cast into the lake of fire.

 

            We’ve talked about how our works have nothing to do with our salvation.  This is all true.  But our works do affect the reward we receive in Heaven.  Now don’t get me wrong; I don’t think we should be racking up points to cash in while on earth, but what we do in sincerity for others will be rewarded then.  Hear the words of Jesus in Luke 14:14:  “And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”  Jesus had been invited to a feast.  During it He had told the host that he should give a feast inviting the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind.  Then He spoke the words about reward.

 

            Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  Someone may be saying, “See; we do stand before the Lord in judgment!” and they would be right.  But look carefully at the words.  It is not to make a decision as to whether we go to Heaven or the lake of fire, but to be rewarded for our works.  Nowhere does it say that this judgment will take place at the same time as that of the second resurrection.  We will make it to Heaven, we just may not have as much to carry around there as someone else.

 

            You know, I firmly believe that we should be full of good works as representatives of Christ on this earth.  But somehow I just don’t think any reward can stack up to being eternally with Jesus.  I’m not trying to downplay our rewards; just stating my opinion.

 

            I wrote before that knowing the facts about the judgment would bring a new freedom to you.  It does to me.  Knowing that I don’t have to worry about standing before God, having my life replayed for all to see, emphasizing all the sin I’ve committed in life, just because I found Jesus Christ, accepted His free gift of salvation, and believed in Him, brings freedom and peace to my heart.  I hope it does to yours too.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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