Degrees of Reward Degrees of Punishment What is

Degrees of Reward? Degrees of Punishment? What is a “relative adjective”?

INTRODUCTION • Some believe that heaven is heaven – for all who enter it • They believe that hell will be hell for all that are eternally punished • There also some who believe in various levels, degrees, intensity, or stages to heaven and hell • Dante’s “Inferno” has 10 levels in Hell

English Grammar • An adjective is a word that describes a person, place or thing. • A “relative adjective” is a word that describes the “relative” size, shape, position of the person, place or thing. • Examples of relative adjectives – close, far, big, small, little, great, more, less, full, empty, better, worse

Relative to Punishment • Luke 12: 47 -48 47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Relative to Punishment • Hebrews 10: 29 Of how much worse (sorer, KJV) punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Relative to Punishment • Matt 11: 21 -24 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. "

Relative to Punishment • Matthew 12: 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. • Matthew 23: 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

Relative to Punishment • Matthew 23: 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. • James 3: 1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

Relative to Punishment • 2 Peter 2: 20 -21 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Relative to Reward • Matthew 5: 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. • Matthew 21: 31 Which of the two did the will of his father? " They said to Him, "The first. " Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

Relative to Reward • Matthew 10: 41 -42 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. "

Relative to Reward • Luke 6: 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. • Luke 6: 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Relative to Reward • 2 John 1: 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. • We have looked at 8 punishment passages and 6 reward passages – all with relative adjectives to describe the punishment or reward. • How will God decide who gets the few or many stripes?

Judgment – by Works • Psalm 62: 12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work. • Matthew 16: 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Judgment – by Works • 2 Corinthians 5: 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. • 1 Peter 1: 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

Judgment – by Works • Revelation 20: 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. • Revelation 22: 12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. • 2 Timothy 4: 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.

Judgment – by Opportunity • Mark 6: 11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

Judgment – by Opportunity • John 3: 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. • John 9: 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see. ' Therefore your sin remains.

Judgment – by Opportunity • John 15: 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. • Romans 1: 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

CONCLUSIONS: • Reward and Punishment will be in various degrees. • The judgment will be based on our works and our opportunity. • Some have done much good with few opportunities. • Others have done little with many chances.

CONCLUSION: • Here is my illustration: – Come in from work in the field – thirsty – glass of water tastes pretty good – Sit in Lazy Boy in AC house watching football game; go to same source, get glass of water • The difference is in our ability to appreciate the cold water. • If you do more, work harder = you will appreciate the “rest” in heaven