Reward Upon Reward There is always a lot

Reward Upon Reward

There is always a lot of interest in what comes after this life.

Where did we come from ? Why are we here ? What is next ?

Will there be degrees of reward in Heaven and of punishment in Hell ?

I. Salvation is by grace through faith apart from any and all works.

Grace through faith = Salvation Ephesians 2: 8 -9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Grace is found ONLY in Christ Jesus. II Timothy 2: 1 – You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is IN Christ Jesus. Because “grace” is only in Christ, salvation is only in Christ. II Timothy 2: 10 – For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is IN Christ Jesus and with it eternal

Titus 3: 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

This is NOT to imply that man does not have to do anything in the process.

Hebrews 5: 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Mark 16: 16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Peter said to them, “�� Repent, and each of you be �� baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 10: 32– 33 Therefore �� everyone who �� confesses Me before men, I will also confess �� him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also �� deny him before My Father who is in

Galatians 3: 26 -27 For you are all �� sons of God through faith in �� Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have �� �� clothed yourselves with Christ. Clarification : Baptism is a faith response, not a work. It does NOT earn or merit salvation.

ALL WHO HAVE SURRENDERED THEMSELVES TO GOD IN THIS WAY WILL RECEIVE HEAVEN AS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD.

II. There is a social order in Heaven. . . all of the inhabitants are not equal in every respect.

I Thessalonians 4: 16 For the Lord �� Himself �� will descend from heaven with a ���� shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the �� �� trumpet of God, and �� the dead in Christ will rise first. Luke 1: 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am �� Gabriel, who ���� stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

Mark 10: 40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; �� but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. Ephesians 2: 6 raised us up with Him, and �� � seated us with Him in �� the heavenly places in �� Christ Jesus,

II Timothy 2: 10 -12 For this reason �� I endure all things for �� the sake of those who are chosen, �� so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it �� eternal glory. 11 �� It is a trustworthy statement: For �� if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we ���� deny Him, He also will deny us; I Corinthians 6: 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

III. In Heaven some Christians will have more than others.

Matthew 6: 19 -21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves �� treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for �� where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ( cf - I Tim. 6: 17 -19 )

Those who do not lay up treasures in Heaven do not have them there.

Matthew 19: 29 -30 And �� everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s �� sake, will receive �� many times as much, and will inherit eternal life 30 �� But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Those who do not sacrifice are not reimbursed for their losses.

Matthew 5: 11 -12 Blessed are you when people �� insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for �� in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 6: 1 -6. . . Secret prayers and secret almsgiving are rewarded.

Those who do not do these things do not receive these rewards.

Individual rewards

I Corinthians 3: 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will �� receive his own reward according to his own labor. �� I Corinthians 3: 14 -15 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will �� receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet �� so as through fire.

Clearly rewards are not to be understood as salvation.

Remember the parable conveyed in our text. . . Luke 19: 11 -27 - Exemplary service was rewarded more.

II Corinthians 4: 6 -7 For God, who said, “�� Light shall shine out of darkness, ” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the �� �� Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of �� the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

God saves all of His faithful servants but also gives individual rewards to some.

IV. Hell will be worse for some people than for others.

Every person who does not obey the gospel will be banished to Hell. II Thessalonians 1: 8 -9

All sins destroy, but God views some sins as worse than others. Rom. 6: 23 – For the wages of �� sin is death, but the free gift of God is �� eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. John 19: 11 – Jesus answered, “�� You would have no authority �� over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason

Hebrews 10: 26 -31 For if we go on �� sinning willfully after receiving �� the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of �� judgment and ‘the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries 28 �� Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 �� How much severer punishment do . . . continued

Hebrews 10: 26 -31. . . continued you think he will deserve �� who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean �� the blood of the covenant �� by which he was sanctified, and has �� insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. ’ And again, “�� The Lord will judge His people. ’ 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the �� living God. ��

Circumstances can cause some sins to be more or less harshly judged.

Matthew 11: 20 -24 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His ���� miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 �� Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in �� �� Tyre and �� Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in ���� sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in �� the. . . continued

Matthew 11: 20 -24 . . . continuation day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, �� will you? You will descend to �� Hades; for if the �� miracles had occurred in �� Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that �� it will be more tolerable for the land of �� Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.

Luke 12: 47 -48 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will �� receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not �� know it, and committed deeds worthy of �� a flogging, will receive but few. �� From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Wrath can be stored up for judgment. Romans 2: 5 -6 But �� because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart �� you are storing up wrath for yourself �� in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 �� who will render to each person according to his deeds.

Entrance into Heaven is determined solely “by grace through faith. ” Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived, �� God is not mocked; for �� whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

The law of consequences is eternal and inescapable. Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived, �� God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also � reap.

All faithful Christians are promised a secure home with God in Heaven.

John 14: 2 -3 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for �� I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, �� I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ��

I Peter 1: 3 -5 �lessed be the God and Father of our Lord B Jesus Christ, who �� according to His great mercy �� has caused us to be born again to �� a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and �� undefiled and �� will not fade away, �� reserved in Heaven for you, 5 who are �� protected by the power of God �� through faith for �� a salvation ready �� to be revealed in the last time.

Heaven is not an egalitarian society. HOWEVER. . . Everybody in Heaven will live rejoicing every day.

Do you live in anticipation of Heaven ?

Are you laying up treasure for when you arrive ?