So in my last post I spent some time introducing the tension between God’s relentless grace and the concept of rewards in heaven. I’m not sure there is a really simple resolution to this tension, but recently I’ve had considerably more peace about the issue.
First, I think it might help to understand what our reward will be. I don’t still think it’s cool cars or houses, though I once did. I actually have reason to believe it will be people. I’m not a pastor or theologian, and I haven’t consulted any about this, so don’t take this as anyone’s official position. But there are a couple passages in the Bible that indicate to me that our greatest treasue in heaven might be other believers that we were in relationship with during our earthly lives (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, Ephesians 1:18).
There’s a common metaphor in the Bible that goes something like this: The life of a Christian in a world ruled by darkness is like a gruelling marathon. And when we die, those of us who were faithful to Christ will receive the victor’s crown, receiving glory and honor for a race well-run (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10). But what was the race that we ran? Wasn’t it making the realities of the person of Christ and His Kingdom known to the world? Doesn’t it make sense, then that the crown that we will receive is those very people who came to know Him and life within His Kingdom due to our witness?
There’s a truth in the Scripture about our earthly existence that also helps me understand why God can be perfectly gracious to all while still giving more rewards to some. The Bible teaches that some people will enter heaven leaving behind a life marked by service for God, and some will enter with little to show, like someone barely escaping flames (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). I think both people feel the fullness of salvation in that moment of grace from Christ, but the person who lives a life of obedience experiences far more richness in life, having explored God’s character more deeply through living according to His Word.
Similarly, I believe heaven will be a place of perfection for all people; that every one of us will be enjoying the best possible existence for us personally. But I think there will be an extra treasure, an extra richness for those who can enjoy the presence of those they led to glory as a testament to their faithfulness on earth. And I actually like that. I like that God, in his justice, rewards good. Like I said, I’m no theologian, but I have reason to believe He rewards our good with the best thing on earth: relationships.
This concept of the treasure of relationship helps me reconcile some of the difficulties I mentioned in Part I. Not only does it seem consistent with Scripture (specifically the two verses I mentioned earlier), but it also seems consistent with God’s character. I know God values souls more than houses and cars (Luke 12:7), and He wants to give me the best things (Matthew 7:11), so why wouldn’t he bless me with eternal relationship “in the saints”, the thing that God and I most value and desire? (I think our sharing this comes along with my bearing his image).
The idea of a reward of relationship also helps allign my priorities on earth with God’s. He has always prioritized reconciled relationship with human beings, and my understanding that they are my treasure allows me to prioritize similarly and thus live His desires more naturally. In pretty much every way, I can imagine no greater treasure.
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Much like for this post. That thessalonians verse has struck me before in that way. Nice turnabout by God, too: talking about rewards in language that we can understand using things of earthly value (crowns) as a metaphor.
Very cool take. And quite motivating, actually!
Just wanted to point out: the 1 Cor. 3 verse about barely escaping the flames is actually referring specifically to elders and church-builders. That verse use to haunt me, because I always thought I’d be that person who was receiving bare-bones salvation. Rick mentioned to me that it’s probably meant to instill a sense of holy fear and sober-mindedness in elders who take on responsibility for the church–what have they built their church on? What are they trying to accomplish? Big questions for overseers.
Big relief to me personally. Maybe not so much to you, Mikey
Hey Mikey,
It’s great to see a little bit of a new take on this idea. I really like your thoughts. I must say I’ve personally never really had any mental conflicts between the idea of heavenly rewards, and the concept of God’s infinite and perfect grace. I think maybe that’s just because I’ve always thought about God’s grace as first and foremost being primarily about salvation. About the infinite amount of love and grace that was necessary to cancel the infinite, eternal, debt we owed. And then how after we’ve been wiped clean, we have a new form a responsibility. As we can no longer claim that we are enslaved to sinful nature, we have a new level of responsibility for our own actions. And of course, we do still of course have that infinite grace, but as you pointed out, Scripture does make it clear that we’re called to obedience, and rewarded for it. I don’t really know how that works alongside grace and all that, but I just know it does. Look for example at the so-called ‘Hall-of-Faith’, where God clearly commends Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, etc. for their faith and obedience to Him. If God commends people for their obedience in the Bible, I don’t see why it should be any different in heaven. I think that when we are bothered by the concept of heavenly rewards (whatever their exact nature), I think that perhaps it is because we are perhaps instilling too many of our ideas of the unjust systems of the world, into heaven, forgetting that heaven is a place where there is no sin–no one will envy, no one will be jealous, everyone will be perfectly content with what they have. I don’t think that Noah and Abraham are up in heaven gloating about how they made it into the ‘Hall-of-Faith’, nor do I think that believers who were never even mentioned by name in the Bible have any hard feelings about that fact. The way we will think in heaven is just so radically different than the way that we think now, that it is hard for us to imagine a world where there is an unequal distribution of rewards, yet no one will be anything less than completely fulfilled and satisfied. Anyway, getting to the actual idea of heavenly rewards, I guess I’ve always thought about it as two things. One is that although in heaven we will all know God millions of times better than we know God now, and we will delight in Him and in our knowledge of Him and in our relationship with Him, because God is infinite in nature, that means there is always room to know God more, to delight in Him more, and to be connected with Him more (and indeed, we will continue to learn more/delight more/connect more for all eternity). And I think this line of thinking also makes it possible that perhaps some of the rewards we will get in heaven are just increased connection and knowledge of the Lord. Perhaps God will bless some people with special knowledge of Him, or some kind of special connection, or something. It’s pretty useless for me to speculate on the nature of any of this type of reward, but I think I got my idea across. Another idea that I think that I perhaps read somewhere, is the idea that while in the New Heavens and New Earth, we will all have authority over some aspect of the New Creation, and we will help rule with God (this is all in the Bible somewhere, I’m pretty sure), and perhaps some people will get authority over special things, or basically that to some degree our authorities will be to some degree distribute in accordance with the rewards we deserve.
Anyway, while I still think that there might be truth in the two kinds of rewards that I’ve just mentioned, I think that I am definitely going to have to add people and relationships with them as a third potential form of reward in heaven. I definitely think that relationships with people could be another awesome aspect to God’s perfect rewards for us. In the end, I think that God’s reward to each of us with be hand-tailored just for us, and thus we may all be rewarded in varying ways (and to varying degrees). And ultimately, regardless of our level of rewards, whatever they are, I know and believe we will all be fully satisfied in Christ, we will all fully delight in the glory and presence of the Lord, and we will know God and experience His perfect love and perfect closeness forever and ever.
And also (sorry, I’m long-winded, as you can tell), as a last thought , Meghan, I think it’s great that you brought up the point about 1 Cor. 3 being about the building of the church, but I’d just like to note that I go along with Mike in saying that I think Paul’s point in 1 Cor. 12:13-15 applies not just to church leaders but to anyone who contributes in any way to building up the church (“the work that anyone has built on the foundation”). Which most likely will include us in some way, since hopefully we are building on Christ’s foundation and doing our part in fulfilling the Great Commission. Another reason for this view is because when you look at other verses in the Bible, such as when Paul talks about the body in 1 Cor. 12, it seems to indicate that we are all an essential part of the body, and we have an essential role is growing and building the church. And indeed, 1 Corinthians 14:12 exhorts all of us to do so: “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”
Anyway, that’s just my take on the passage, and of course it’s not a super major point, but I just thought I’d throw in my thoughts.
Great ideas Mike. Keep writing!
(p.s. I’m really sorry about the extreme length of this. Feel free to delete it if it’s hogging the comments section or anything!)