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| "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold we have
forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?"
Matthew 19:27
We might criticize Peter for his straightforwardness, but he simply voiced the thoughts of our own hearts. We might condemn his motives or his heart without knowing either. But Peter actually did us a great service when he asked the same question we often ask: "What's in it for me?" Abandonment or "giving up" of one's possessions to follow the Lord seems to be a hard thing to do. Peter spoke for all the apostles when he said they had given up all to follow the Lord. Some of us who live in the shelter of democracy and freedom of religion may never know exactly how much "all" is. But under any circumstances, however benign or however cruel, it has ever been the privilege of followers of Christ to "forsake all" and follow him. You see, this is really the only way an individual can follow Christ, by relinquishing control of his own will into the hands of the Master. It is not true that you must give up most of the things you have FOR Christ -- instead, you must give up ALL things TO Christ. We know of a certainty that wherever the Lord directs, he gives the grace and provides the means to perform. We might live in obscure poverty all our lives for the sake of the gospel, we might be thrust into a lonely prison or die unnoticed by the world, but NEVER does our work for the Lord go unrewarded. It is only natural that we humans want to know what lies at the end of the road. We want to know if our efforts are futile or if there is a measurable benefit that comes through laying everything on the line and serving God. If you have spent a lifetime of dedicated, unswerving service to God and never once considered what your rewards might be some day, then you are a better man than I am. This lesson will discuss rewards, inheritance, and consider the position of those who believe that everyone will receive the same compensation after the resurrection. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken house, or brethren, or sisters or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matthew 19:28-29 Monday Rewards - What Are They? The Greek word misthos is translated three different ways in the New Testament: reward, hire, and wage. A reward is something due an individual because of work that has been performed. Job describes it in this manner: "As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:" Job 7:2 For the Christian, rewards are the wages paid by God for acts or works performed according to his directions and specifications. God will reward his children for doing what he tells them to do, according to his rules. There is a reward or wage that will be given to those who love him. (2 Tim 4:8) There is a prophet's reward and a righteous man's reward. (Matthew 10:41) Too, there is a reward for the unrighteous man. (2 Peter 2:13) There is a law of reward that is intertwined with the law of sowing and reaping. Gal. 6:7 states that "...whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Paul goes on to state that if a man plants with regard to his flesh he will reap with regard to his flesh, which is destruction and decay. However, if he plants with a view to the spiritual man, he will harvest spiritual things. It must be noted here that salvation is never considered a reward in the Bible. It is not a work nor is it a debt that God owes us. Salvation is by grace, "Not of works, lest any man should boast." Grace is an unmerited favor that God has directed toward mankind in spite of mankind's wicked, depraved state. Remember, reward comes as result of a debt -- grace is unmerited! "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." Romans 4:4 Matthew 5:46 For if ye ___________ them which ____________ you, what __________ have ye? do not even the _______________ the same? Matthew 10:41 He that __________ a __________ in the name of a __________ shall receive a __________ _____________; and he that receiveth a _____________ man in the name of a __________ _____________ shall receive a ___________ man's ____________. II Peter 2:13 And shall __________ the _________ of __________, as they that count it ____________ to riot in the day time. _________ they are and ________, sporting themselves with their own _____________ while they feast with you; Questions:
Rewards - Who Gets Them? The saved "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Matthew 16:27 It is not very difficult to figure out that every means "all". Any man, saved or lost, will give an account to God for what he has done in his body during his lifetime. There will be at least two judgments where rewards will be given -- one for the saved and one for the lost. The saved will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the reward of their labors. Paul writes to the church in Corinth to make them aware of this: "For we must ______ appear before the _______________ seat of __________; that every one may __________ the things done in his _______, according to that he hath ______, whether it be _______ or ______." (2 Cor. 5:10) The problem in this church was that some had built on Paul's spiritual foundation of Christ with some pretty flammable materials. At the judgment seat of Christ fire would test each structure: Some works -- gold, silver, and precious stones -- would remain untouched by the heat. But there were some materials that would be burned: wood, hay, and stubble. He cautions these individuals to be careful of the works they built upon Christ. "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Cor 3:8-15 Some of our labors are holy and acceptable to God but some are unacceptable and cannot be rewarded. Every wage will be paid and thus we see again the law of sowing and reaping. 1 Peter 1:17 And if ye call on the _____________, who __________ respect of ____________ judgeth ______________ to every man's ___________, pass the time of your ___________ here in __________: Revelation 22:12 And, __________, I come _________; and my __________ is with me, to ___________ every man according as his __________ shall be. Psalms 62:12 Also unto thee, O Lord belongeth ________: for thou _______________ to ____________ man according to his _________. Questions:
.Rewards - Who Gets Them? The lost It may seem strange, but it is a fact that not only will born-again believers be rewarded, but those who have rejected the gospel will also be rewarded! However, you must remember that a reward is a payment of a wage that is due. Lost man has "hired" himself out to the flesh and he must now receive his wages. This will be a vastly different situation than that of the saved person, in which the lost individual will be responsible for the payment of every wrong that he has ever committed. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 22:12 This judgment is often referred to as the "great white throne" judgment. It is believed that only the lost will appear here for the purpose of determining how severe their punishment will be. Those who have committed many sins will be tormented much more than those who committed few sins. Unlike the judgment seat of Christ, there will be no good work judged here, for a lost man can do no good works. (Without faith it is impossible to please God.) When a man dies without Christ he goes immediately and directly to Hell to be tormented until the white throne judgment. It is then that "...the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 22:13-15 Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, __________ and ___________, ___________! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a ___________ make long __________: therefore ye shall _________ the ________ damnation. James 3:1 My _______, be not many ________, knowing that we ________ receive the _______ __________. Questions:
The Time of Rewards Jesus spoke a parable in Matthew 13: 24-30, 37-43 about wheat, tares, and the harvest to come. He explained how that a good man (Son of man) had planted a field (the world) with nothing but good seed (the children of the kingdom). While men slept, the enemy (the devil) came and sowed tares (the children of the wicked one). When the wheat came up, so did the wild wheat or tares. When the master was asked by the servants if the tares should be rooted out, they were told to let them grow, lest the good seed be rooted out at the same time. They were to wait until the harvest (the end of the world) when the reapers (angels) would gather all the evil tares out and burn them. While this parable does not set a specific day for the judgment (and thus the giving out of rewards) it does tell us it will happen at the end of the world. It is certain that we do not know when the end of the world will occur, but it is equally certain that God makes it very clear that we are to be prepared and ready for his coming. Add to this parable the following verses of scripture and one can piece together the time with some accuracy: Revelation 22:12 :"And, behold, I come quickly: and my reward is with me...." We know that reward time will be at the coming of Christ. Matthew 24 gives an account of the coming of the Lord and end time when rewards will be handed out. Matthew gives us further insight into rewards in the parable in Matthew 25:14-30 where a man leaves for a far country and gives each of his servants a specified amount of money to oversee. When the master returns he calls each of his servants in turn and requires a reckoning as to what they did with the "talents" entrusted to them. All three return different amounts, depending on the amount entrusted and how the servant "invested" what he had. Each was rewarded according to the manner in which he had administered what had been delivered into his care. Jesus continues his narrative by revealing the time of this rewarding. He states in Matthew 25:31: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" It will not be UNTIL this time that Christ will sit on the throne and it will not be UNTIL this time that he will reward his servants according to their service. One final note about rewards: Sometimes there are things that are rewarded immediately, and there are some thing that have to wait until the end time to be recompensed. Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 20:1-16 in which there were many workers hired to work in the vineyard. Some were hired early, some about midday, and still others at almost quitting time. Each was hired to work for the same sum of money, regardless of the time put in. When it came time to give the wages out, those who were hired first complained about the late arrivers being paid the same amount as they received. The lord of the vineyard rebuked those individuals and told them that he did them no wrong by distributing according to their agreement, and because it was lawful for him to do whatever he chose to do with what belonged to him. Christians have been actively involved in working in the Lord's vineyard ever since he ascended back to heaven. Some labored long and hard for the Lord and the results of their works still carry on through today. The results of Paul's works still affect the church today. Therefore his final reward cannot be meted out until the end of time when his works will have "run their course". One must remember the law of sowing and reaping when thinking about rewards. Sometimes the results or reward of an individual's works comes immediately. For example, the Pharisees made a pretense of piety with long prayers and by disfiguring their faces to look as though they had fasted in order to be "seen of men." The scripture reveals that they had their reward already, i.e., they were indeed "seen of men". Their reward was immediate. The same is true with many of the matters where we serve the Lord. The reward of service is often given in this life. Hebrews 11:6 But ____________ faith it is ____________ to please him: for he that ___________ to God __________ believe that he is, and that he is a ____________ of them that ____________ seek him. John 4:36 And he that ___________ receiveth ___________ (rewards), and ______________ fruit unto life ____________: that both he that ___________ and he that ____________ may _____________ together. Questions:
Inheritance An inheritance and a reward are not the same. A reward is reckoned by debt, and an inheritance can be given to any person without regard to labor. A family inheritance could be given to women, to a servant, or to any of the sons. However, the first born was usually given a double portion of all that a man possessed because he was the "beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his." (Deut 21:17). An heir receives his or her inheritance as a direct result of the sovereignty of the one giving the inheritance. Christians have eternal life as a direct gift of God (John 3:16). Not only is salvation a gift, it also carries with it an inheritance. On at least two occasions men came to Christ and asked what they must do to inherit eternal life. (Mark 10:17, Luke 10:25) Jesus explained that eternal life was inherited: "And Jesus said unto them. Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken house, or brethren, or sisters or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matthew 19:28-29 We are children of God by faith. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26 When one becomes a child of God he does so because he was born into the family of God. Jesus is the Son of God, and we are the sons/daughters of God by faith in Christ. It therefore stands that whatever Christ is to inherit we will inherit because we inherited the same spirit and the same nature that Christ has. We were born of God's seed and his seed remains in us, giving us the same essence of eternal life. (In him was life and the life was the light of men). God is life and because he is life we inherit that nature of life. This is how we "inherit" eternal life. Notice also Romans 8:17: "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Paul clarifies this in Ephesians 1:11 when speaking of Christ: "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance..." 1 Peter 1:4 To an ______________ incorruptible, and ____________, and that __________ not away, ___________ in heaven for _________. Revelation 21:7 He that ___________ shall __________ all things; and I will be his _________, and he shall be my ___________. Matthew 5:5 _________ are the ________: for they shall ________ the earth. Questions:
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