Judgment Seat

[rough_rider]

I'm looking for your Biblical understanding on just what that reward is. Here is a story of two men, what would be the difference in their rewards, if any?

The first man... A man gets saved at the young age of 14, he works hard for God all his life, for 70 years. He is what many would call a true Saint. He dies...

The second man... A man that lives life in the fast lane, drugs, booze, a gang banger. He is on his way to do a robbery, he passes a church and feels drawn to stop in. The pastor preaches and this man comes forward and accepts Christ as his saviour. He is a changed man, he walks outside and as he starts to cross the street, he is gunned down by a rival gang member. He dies....

[paul]

I'm looking for your Biblical understanding on just what that reward is. Here is a story of two men, what would be the difference in their rewards, if any?

The first man... A man gets saved at the young age of 14, he works hard for God all his life, for 70 years. He is what many would call a true Saint. He dies...

The second man... A man that lives life in the fast lane, drugs, booze, a gang banger. He is on his way to do a robbery, he passes a church and feels drawn to stop in. The pastor preaches and this man comes forward and accepts Christ as his saviour. He is a changed man, he walks outside and as he starts to cross the street, he is gunned down by a rival gang member. He dies....

Both are assured of heaven.
If you hold to the traditional millimuen reign theory, according to the work you have done you will be rewarded accordingly and will be ruler over .........

[scooter]

Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

I think we fail to understand that eternity will be much more than simply worshipping God or laying around on couches being fed grapes.

As I understand it there will be no end to the increase of God's government. I see reward as authority and authority in levels.

[Mike Vande]

Do you remember the parable of the man who owned the field? He went out early in the morning, again at noon, and again around mid-afternoon, and hired a different batch of men each time to work his field. He offered all of them the same wage, one denarius?

To the natural mind, it doesn't seem fair that the men who worked a couple of hours got the same wages as the men who worked all day. That illustrates the mindset of a hireling. A hireling doesn't work out of love for the work or the owner of the field. He works to make a living, and is jealous when someone else seems to get more than they do. God doesn't want hirelings. Jesus is our reward, our exceeding great reward. We get Him and He is the Kingdom of God. What greater reward could there be?

Those who sin their life away and get saved on their deathbed are the poorer for it. They miss out on a life of fellowship with God. They squander life on things with no eternal significance or reward. They lay up little or no treasure for themselves in heaven, and I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I AM sure it's way better if you do than if you don't.

[rough_rider]

We know we will receive a crown of righteousness or crown of Life. Some say that the only difference in the first and second man is the number of stars in their crown. I understand it as Paul and Scooter pointed out.

[bibleguy]

Rewards are for something you do (works based): “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.” ( 2 Cor. 5:10)

Salvation is a gift (grace based): “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9).


Eternal life is a gift. However, the quality of life differs as is seen in 1 Cor. 15:37-42, “And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other [grain]: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh [is] not the same flesh: but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, [and] another of birds. [There are] also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another. [There is] one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for [one] star differeth from [another] star in glory. So also [is] the resurrection of the dead."

[one love]

All I can say rough rider is I am glad I was not gunned down as I walked out that day after getting saved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that is all I could think about when reading this post!

I have been a pastor (maybe again..) am now a minister and state worker, have the wife of my DREAMS and the two greatest boys a Father could ever want. I am blessed beyond measure and felt to say that.

God is so GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

[Full Quiver]

In my mind eternal life and ever being in the present of the Lord is good enough and more than I will ever deserve.

[oletimer]

Mike Vande, we have butt heads before, but this time I fell that you are on the money. I was waiting to see of someone would go there.

Those who sin their life away and get saved on their deathbed are the poorer for it. They miss out on a life of fellowship with God. They squander life on things with no eternal significance or reward. They lay up little or no treasure for themselves in heaven, and I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I AM sure it's way better if you do than if you don't.

Hit the nail on the head. Good post.

[beckrl]

I look at it as the parable of the Talents. Matthew 25

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

scooter, paul spoke of it very well, a perspective on stewardship.