When someone breaks something that is valuable to you, do you get frustrated? What if you retaliated and broke something that belonged to them? That could continue until both of you had lost everything.
On judgment day you will get the balance between what you gained and what you took.
DOCTRINE #45: REWARD
Reward is the equaling out of spiritual value through justice. Reward is according to our righteousness which results in good works.
Question: Do you believe it is important to be conscious about reward?
Next Doctrine: Doctrine #46
Table of Contents
If you need it, here is the support from the Word of God...
SCRIPTURE
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.
15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:10-15)
(There are going to be two judgments. There is one book, which is the book of life. It is judgment based on salvation; you have allowed God to direct your actions through grace which is His Righteousness through us. The other books (multiple) are based on works: our righteousness, reward. Many Christians believe that only those that are going to hell are going to be judged, when in fact, ALL people are going to be judged.)
"1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
5 And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.
7 And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
18 that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.
22 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:1-23)
(Reward can't be salvation. People will have different reward based on what they did and HOW/WHY they did it. This was not grace. Jesus was telling people to do this in their own strength. You cannot earn your salvation because of your righteousness. Notice that if YOUR eye is evil, then you won't get reward; all of your works will destroy in the long term. If YOUR eye is single, then you will create and gain reward. In God there is no darkness because He is light. It is your choice as to what kind of eye you choose to have. If you are content seeing a Right What you will be deceived if it is not followed by a Right HOW/WHY.)
"12 And he said to him also that had bidden him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not wherewith to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just." (Luke 14:12-14)
(All of these people who Jesus said to invite would be unable to pay you back for what you gave to them. Jesus said to choose to do this in your own strength and you will be recompensed through justice at the resurrection. This was final judgement: those who names are written in the book of life.)
"28 And Peter said, Lo, we have left our own, and followed thee.
29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life." (Luke 18:28-30)
(Jesus said that people will receive reward for leaving their wife, brethren, parents, or children for the kingdom of God's sake. This was not salvation. Jesus did NOT say if you do not leave these people you will not enter into the kingdom of God.)
"12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.
16 And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more.
17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds.
19 And he said unto him also, Be thou also over five cities." (Luke 19:12-19)
(The parable resulted in people being put over cities based on how profitable they were. Our actions in this life prove what reward we deserve in heaven. No one has an excuse that they could not turn a profit, because God gives everyone the opportunity to gain because everyone is unique.)
"40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward: and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40-42)
(Jesus said people would receive a reward for giving. This was not salvation. This is Just because God is giving back to those people what they gave and evening things out. These measures are God's, but it is something that we can choose to initiate.)
"12 Jehovah recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge." (Ruth 2:12)
(Reward is connected to your work. You can try to get your reward from people, but only God is going to give you a FULL reward. Jesus told us in Matthew chapter 6 that you could get your reward now from men. Is that the reward you are after?)
"18 But if he hath wronged thee at all, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account;
19 I Paul write it with mine own hand, I will repay it; that I say not unto thee that thou owest to me even thine own self besides." (Philemon 1:18-19)
(Paul referenced justice and value by saying to put any inconvenience to his account, but also reminded Philemon that he owed Paul.)
"39 And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness." (2 Samuel 3:39)
(Reward can also be giving evil because it is tied to justice. Reward does not always mean something good or more is given. When God equals out justice He is bringing people back to zero, that means if you are either positive or negative He will bring you back to zero.)
"20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." (Matthew 11:20-24)
(Chorazin and Bethsaida are going to Hades. However, it could be worse. Why? Because of reward. These people did not repent of the evil works they had done, they were even given the option to repent and chose not to. Sin is an act that is done apart from faith, so if you sin and you are confronted by God to confess and repent of your sin, then choose not to, you are saying to God that you would rather think like a Man and continue to justify yourself.)
"33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." (Matthew 12:33-35)
(Jesus said the good man brings forth good things, the result of those good things would be for reward. Thinking that people are totally depraved would make ANY good we do originate from God and result in salvation for all; any good work would be considered God's Righteousness/grace. We can do good works that result in righteousness and give us reward through justice. However, this has nothing to do with salvation. This is a contradiction because we know that good works do not earn salvation. Why do people continue to hold this man-made tradition of "total depravity". If we can choose to be offspring of the devil, then we can choose to be offspring of God; it is our free will.)
"7 And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them:
8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:7-8)
(We can produce different amounts when we choose HOW/WHY we plant the Word of God in us. The good ground creates, because it is focused on causes. The profit that is yielded is based on our uniqueness.)
"1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
3 For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness." (Romans 4:1-5)
(Even though you may work and work for God, your work can only leave you with a reward which is actually DEBT. Do you think that you can "out give" God? Those who do something good without working are acting in grace because it is God doing it through them.)
"8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor." (1 Corinthians 3:8)
(We get our own reward according to our labor. We learned early on that a "workman" is someone that toiled with their words. These workers see words and definitions as the key to making the Spiritual the cause.)
"6 And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him." (Hebrews 11:6)
(Remember, in order to please God, we need to believe God is a rewarder. In order for you to believe in God being a rewarder you would need to believe that He is Right and Just. And have faith that His measures are Holy and pure and that He cannot give you more or less than EXACTLY what you deserve; knowing that God is always and completely Just.)
"16 And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why askest thou me concerning that which is good? One there is who is good: but if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honor thy father and mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I observed: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
22 But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 And when the disciples heard it, they were astonished exceedingly, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 And Jesus looking upon them said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:16-26)
(Perfect meant "to achieve the maximum profitability". Perfect was not the same for everyone because of uniqueness. Jesus told this man if he wanted to achieve the maximum profitability, he ought to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. Notice, Jesus told him THAT would result in treasure in heaven. That was reward. Then Jesus said follow Him. Most people leave out the man getting treasure in heaven, because they would rather think of Jesus encouraging people to be altruistic. They think Jesus said to sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him. Jesus always gave a reason and a value for people in terms of the decisions they would make. Jesus gave a perfect HOW/WHY because the charge Jesus had for this man, was perfect for His uniqueness. Notice that not until the man walked away did we hear that he was a man that had many possessions.)
Jesus gave two messages while He was on earth: salvation and reward. Very simple and powerful Doctrines. It's almost so easy that a child could understand these concepts! Do people who consider themselves "adults" intentionally ignore simple and powerful doctrine in order to not follow them?
We have seen how God "turned on the light," and we have seen how God is showing us how to negotiate through the "lit room" profitably. How would we know what to apply to our lives when we read the Bible? The message from Leviticus vs. the New Testament were very different ways of living.
We know why understanding the definition of truth is important, but could there be something that was written in the Word of God that we do not live by today?
