Rewards in Heaven?

Jesus told us that tooting your own horn about your righteousness would get you no reward in heaven. Heaven is the place where things last forever. That’s where you want to keep things you don’t ever want to lose.

I think most people just want to go to heaven. They don’t think they will need rewards. They think that heaven will have everything they ever wanted and that everyone will be on an equal plane. That isn’t what the Bible says.

Paul says that we will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ to be recompensed for the deeds in this body. It seems that we will get something bad if we have done evil and something good if we have done good.

I have heard people say that there are things they will just have to get forgiveness for because they are going to do (whatever it is that is wrong) anyway. I don’t think they understand what that means. What if it means that they don’t get a reward in heaven? Then, they won’t take their sins so lightly.

I don’t know if we can truly know what we are accumulating in heaven. It doesn’t seem spectacular to do what is expected of you. Aren’t we expected to be obedient to Christ? If so, when do we see our lives as deserving of anything?

Paul expects a crown of righteousness for his fighting the good fight, finishing the course and keeping the faith. Would it be enough that Christ would simply say that we have done good? Should that be my own motivation for righteousness?

There are many mysteries of heaven for me. One of those is the rewards that we shall store up for us in heaven. They will be reserved for us because of the life that we have lived here. I don’t know if there will be a way to gather any more once we have reached heaven. There is no promise that I can find where we will continue to receive rewards.

This life is extremely important. From this life we determine our eternity-whether we be in heaven or hell. We shall receive our rewards based on the life we live here. This is not salvation for salvation comes through faith; not works.

This life isn’t about keeping an account of what we have done so that we can demand what we deserve. I know I will always deserve hell. I receive heaven from God’s grace. It is a gift that comes through the gift of faith.

This life is about our love of God, our commitment to Him and our obedience to His every word. We won’t have to worry about our rewards if we can just keep our lives focused on this.