Monthly Archives: August 2021

Christian Discipleship: Connecting “Here & Now” with “There & Then”

August 25, 2021Articlesadmin

Christian Discipleship:

Connecting “Here & Now” with “There & Then”

The spiritually healthy Christian is one whose life in the present is loaded with the future, and whose future is loaded with the present.

But many believers live as though their present efforts toward maturing as a Christ-follower are disconnected from their future life in heaven, that one has no particular bearing on the other. That’s understandable when we consider how radically different they are. Our present life is “here and now,” physical and visible, and intensely practical. Our future life in heaven is “there and then,” spiritual and unseen, certain and secure, but somewhat fanciful and speculative.

Discipleship isn’t just about becoming a better follower of Christ in this life, worthy as that is. It is infinitely more important for the life to come. Here’s why.

The Race Marked Out for Us

It is misleading to speak of a present life and a future life as though they were separate realities. If it is true that eternal life begins the moment of our Christian conversion, then the more accurate view is that we have one continuous life which is lived in stages. The author of Hebrews suggests we think of the Christian life as a race to be run:

“. . .since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw

off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run

with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1,2 NIV

We can expect this journey to include three stages common to all believers.

The Stage of Spiritual Growth

As a believer cooperates with the Holy Spirit in his transforming work, he gradually becomes like Christ in character, thought, and deed. He embraces virtues such as love, forbearance, grace, and kindness, and he becomes even more useful and effective.

The Stage of Transition

The rite of passage we call death merely describes our transfer from our present earthly existence to the future spiritual realm. We undergo glorious change, including the elimination of our sinful nature, and become equipped to live in a resurrected spiritual body. Our personality, skills, spiritual gifts, and experience gained in life—everything about us—remain intact as we morph from mortal into immortal.

The Endless Stage of Reigning With Christ

It is almost impossible to think about this stage without becoming choked with emotion. This is our unimaginable future life with Christ for which we are being prepared, and it for us.

Heaven will be teeming with life and brimming over with endless creative activity in a community of oneness with God and countless other believers. We will each of us have enlarged, ennobling responsibilities as we learn to serve Him who is rightly called The King of Kings:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has

prepared for those who love him.” Isaiah 64:4; I Cor. 2:9, NIV

Herein lies a subtle and serious problem. Unless the connection is made between discipleship in this life and full participation in the next, there will be multiple consequences.

First, we rob the present. Take away his hope in the future and most of what enables the Christian to function is removed. Hope empowers the believer to live in the present. It defines and sustains us as nothing else can. The glory of the life to come makes the worst trials of this life seem like a trifle. Paul said,

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that

will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18, NIV

The future, understood and embraced, makes the present make sense. Dallas Willard observed,

“We are greatly strengthened for life in the kingdom now by an understanding

of what our future holds, and especially of how that future relates to our present

experience. For only then do we really understand what our current life is and

are able to make choices that agree with reality.”

Second, we shortchange the future. If Christian discipleship is about the perfecting of character, then it is the most serious business we undertake. In heaven we will not sit and stare at each other, or at God, watching for what happens next, or waiting for someone to make a move. We are created to take an active role as we join the Father in his never-ending creative work. Jesus made it clear that the development of our character and faithfulness in handling responsibility sets the level of our participation:

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things,

I will put you in charge of many things.” Matthew 25:23, NIV

Being entrusted with many things speaks of the excellence of our character and our trustworthiness which permit God to grant us unprecedented freedom and empowerment in the life to come.

Our Astonishing Service in Heaven

The author, John, speaks of man’s role in the new heaven and earth God will create:

“The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his

servants will serve him.” Revelation 22:3, NIV

Think of a new and perfect universe filled with people who are perfectly right with God and right with each other, who are in perfect harmony with His will, and who have a heart to serve! In our known universe there are millions of unoccupied galaxies available for growth and expansion, providing unlimited space for creative things to be done that will boggle our minds.

As I visualize what our service in heaven might be like, it helps to remember the role originally given Adam and Eve, as well as all mankind. Adam was told to “work it (the earth) and take care of it.” He was placed in a position of oversight and stewardship.

All through his long and storied history, imperfect man has been doing imperfect work imperfectly in a imperfect world. We cannot fully grasp or understand the terrible extent to which sin crippled God’s plan and wrecked man’s ability to glorify Him.

Perhaps man will once again be liberated and empowered to do God’s will, not in the Garden of Eden, but in a new order and on a glorious scale that is unimaginable. Redeemed men will have undergone a spiritual makeover that eliminates forever the devastating, scarring effects of sin and rebellion.

I cannot wrap my mind around how it will feel to be exactly like our Lord, to experience what it means to be a son of God and joint heir with Christ, and not feel the downward pull of a sinful nature. What will it feel like to effortlessly love God with a sterling heart?

Equipped with a new heart, a renewed mind, and a transformed body—capable of only noble thoughts, gracious words, and worthy deeds—we will be productive at a level that staggers the mind. How little we grasp the implication of the phrase, “his servants will serve him.” (Revelation 22:3, NIV) Jesus did not say specifically how he would reward his followers for their good works, but the suggestion is strong it will include greatly enlarged opportunities to serve.

I believe there will be mind-numbing challenges to solve and causes to champion in heaven that will stimulate our minds and require our leadership abilities as never before. In the boundless expanse of eternity there will be great good to be done and indescribable service to perform that requires the utmost bravery from the stoutest heart.

Preparing To Serve in Heaven

For the believer, our present stage—what we called “The Stage of Spiritual Growth” —is a critically important time of preparation.

The Scriptures repeatedly use the analogy that, at conversion, we are born spiritually much like a human baby. (II Peter 2:2) With our obedience, and the patient work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can and should grow into mature, fully devoted followers of Christ. (Colossians 1:28) In that spiritual journey, we begin as immature disciples who need training and empowering, and grow to assume a greatly enlarged role as servants, as joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14, 16 NIV), and as his co-regents to reign over the new order:

“. . .his servants will worship him. . .and they will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 22:3-5 NIV

We enter heaven as the same absolutely unique person we were on earth. Nothing about us is diminished or lost. We will be who we have always been, except we are retrofitted with a supernatural body like that of Jesus. We happily discard our sinful nature, and our character becomes morally flawless. The rich experiences we gain while on earth through diligent labor, practice, testing, and adversity—plus our spiritual gifts and skills honed to perfection—are all requisite to our future heavenly service.

The Bible does not provide clear answers to countless questions that tug at our minds. How will God be fair to believers whose lives were cut short, who did not have the privilege others had to grow and serve? We have so many questions about children and the kingdom. In heaven, how is God going to make the playing field level? We simply do not know. Regardless how He chooses to do it, we can be sure He will do the right and just thing with all His children. There will be no need to make comparisons, no “have’s and have-not’s,” and no inequities.

What is startlingly clear is the grave responsibility that rests upon those who know the joys of extended life and have many more opportunities to demonstrate their trustworthiness:

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from

The one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Luke 12:48 NIV

“What did you do with what you were given?” will be the penetrating question that searches the soul of every Christ-follower.

The thought that we are to join Christ in ruling and reigning over the heavenly order stretches my understanding. How can we, even though we are related to God and allied to heaven like no other part of creation? —“in our image, after our likeness.” What abilities do we possess that make us like Him, in form and semblance? At least four come to mind: the ability to think, speak, choose, and act. But how do we prepare?

Man is capable of action to effect change, the power to make things happen. To guide him in the use of that power he has been given the faculties of reason and volition. Reason informs our will, and our will directs our actions. So that right thinking leads to right choices which, in turn, lead to right behavior and deeds. Speech provides interaction with the world of others.

As one lives his life, can he become more like God in character and become better equipped to reign with Him? Yes. But never in the sense of getting where one can handle things on his own and outgrowing, as it were, our need of Him. Jesus showed us how.

With Jesus as our example, we are to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Philippians 2:2 NIV We should lay aside selfish ambition, vain conceit, and in a spirit of humility look to the interests of others more than our own: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” 2:3-5 NIV

Jesus demonstrated through his life how it’s done: right thinking, which leads to right choices, which, in turn, leads to right actions. Philippians 2:2-11 NIV expresses it this way:

Right Thinking “in humility” and “consider others better than yourselves” (vs. 3); “look to the interests of others” (vs. 4)
Right Choosing “he made himself nothing” and “he took the very nature of a

nature of a servant” (vs. 7)

Right Acting “he humbled himself” and “became obedient unto death” (v. 8)

And what was the result of all this? “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name . . .” (vs. 9) Jesus’ example of thinking, choosing, and acting shows us how to please God. This is man acting like the man God created him to be, in His “image and likeness.”

Can you and I as Christ-followers grow in our ability to think the thoughts of God? Yes. Can we make better choices like those He makes? Yes. Can we behave in ways that reflect His character and bring honor to Him? Yes. And we must.

The Wise Use Of “Here & Now”

What do you and I need to be doing if the following precepts really are true?

What we acquire in this life (character, personality, knowledge, experience,

spiritual development, giftedness, skills, etc.) is fully retained when we die and is absolutely vital in the life to come, our “There & Then.”

The level of our opportunities to serve in heaven—our sharing with Christ in the rule and reign he promised—is directly dependent on our diligence, faithfulness, and

trustworthiness in our present life and work, our “Here & Now.”

We ought to be devoting every moment we have, and every ounce of energy we have, to proactively engaging in extreme living—embracing virtues like grace, humility, love, compassion, and goodness until they become our true character. We ought to proactively seize every opportunity to learn, grow, and develop as much as we possibly can. And, finally, we must understand, as Dallas Willard said, it is God’s intention that all believers become spiritually transformed to the point He can empower and set them free in the heavenly order to do that toward which they are drawn. For this to happen, the character of the Christian is not just important, it is everything!

In the “Here & Now” of our lives we can grow steadily forward—thought by thought, word by word, choice by choice, deed by deed—and become more like Jesus, thus taking on a strong resemblance to the royal, reigning family of which we are a part.

Despite all his sin, false starts, mistakes, and failure—despite the agonizing slowness with which growth and character development come—the Christian is still part of heaven’s nobility who will someday join the Great King and share the blessings of His reign.

Becoming A Christian “Minuteman”

August 25, 2021Essayadmin

Becoming A Christian “Minuteman”

The statue of the greatly admired Concord Minuteman stands at Concord,

Massachusetts, to honor a class of armed citizens who

pledged to take the field at a minute’s notice during America’s War

Of Independence. There he stands—fearless, committed, resolute, alert,

hand having just left the plow, and musket in hand—but

more than anything else, ready!

The Minuteman is a fitting symbol of the Christian who is

spiritually awake and ready to meet the Lord at a moment’s notice

when he comes again.

For some time, I have felt the tension that comes from professing a belief that Christ will certainly come again, just as He said He would, but living as if it is never going to happen. It’s that uneasy feeling that comes when you know in your heart what you claim to believe isn’t making any practical difference in the way you live. Conscientious believers ask themselves, “Why?” Line up one hundred followers of Christ and ask them, “Do you believe in the second coming of Christ?” My belief is that almost all will respond, “Yes.”

Now ask again, “Do you believe in the second coming of Christ with sufficient passion so that it affects the way you daily live?” And watch the eyes hit the floor! For too long my eyes have been hitting the floor. When was the last time you heard a sermon specifically about the Second Coming of Christ? For many in 2021, the idea seems as far away as the moon.

Problem

The victorious return of our Lord to consummate God’s purposes and man’s history is a truth clearly taught in the Bible. I believe it—all of it. Yet, unintentionally, I treat it casually, as if it is of only minor importance. I may go for days and weeks without thinking about the return of Christ. I am troubled at how easily I shrug my shoulders and treat with disdain an event I know ought to be scintillating and joyful.

Perplexities

Several problems seem to contribute to this tendency to neglect anticipating Christ’s any-moment return:

We tend to overcorrect too far in the opposite direction when the media exposes us to sensational views of prophecy that foist onto a trusting public its message loaded with hubris which features sign-seeking, date-setting, and event-matching between today’s headlines and carefully selected pieces of the Bible. Some call this “rapture frenzy.” If these so-called leaders obsess with the end times, I am dispassionate. I permit their outrageous teachings, of which they are supremely confident, to alienate me from great truths that I ought to be heeding.
Believers do not want to be perceived as some sort of spiritual ‘wackos’ who have gone off the deep end in apocalyptic fervor when we try to share what we do know about Christ’s return. I yearn for a clearer understanding of end-time events that I can “live with” and hold in humility, respect, and tentativeness.
Christ’s return may now seem so remote that we underemphasize it at every turn, in teachings, writings, and in conversations which present Christ as a wonderful Savior, but say little of His return to reign. In a short while, fully 2,000 years will have elapsed since men first started looking for Christ’s return. Scorners have more reason than ever to challenge the hope of a Second Coming with the question first raised 2,000 years ago, “Where is the promise of his coming?”
After twenty long centuries of waiting, some believers get a “disconnect” between the Biblical truth that he will eventually return, and the actual event of his return and the initiation of heaven, thus making the time of his return appear unrelated and unimportant. This leads to errors in thinking such as: “Christ can come whenever he wants to, but what’s that got to do with me if I’m going to heaven anyway?”

Promises

Speaking for myself, there isn’t any serious question of our Lord’s return to this earth. He often personally promised it. For example, he said: “. . .I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am . . .I will see you again . . .” John 14:3; 16:22 NIV

Christ’s certain return was attested to by angels at His ascension: “Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!” Acts 1:11 NIV

There are numerous New Testament references that urge Christians to be alert as Christ’s second coming approaches. Paul cautioned believers that the day of the Lord would come as a “thief in the night,” and that they should “watch and be sober.” I Thessalonians 5:2, 6 NIV Peter warned his readers that scoffers would ridicule the Lord’s coming because on his long delay. He, like Paul, assured them of the certainty of it, and that it would “come as a thief.” Anticipating the coming of Christ, he asked: “. . .what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” II Peter 3:3-12 NIV

Principles

In 2021, how exactly is a 21^st century Christian supposed to “watch” for Christ to come? How do we do this without appearing to be a certifiable case of something abnormal? My question is not meant to suggest doing foolish, irresponsible things like sky-gazing all the time and losing the respect and validity we have with others. Nor do I want any of us to become so heavenly minded we are of little earthly use. I ask to raise the level of our personal awareness of His coming and to acknowledge that proactively looking for the Lord’s return is a real part of discipleship, whether He comes before this day is over or waits another century. In whatever way we watch, it must be done in a healthy and holy way.

What might 21^st century “looking for Christ’s return” look like? If I search the Scriptures for guidance, I find what I need to know in the teachings of Christ and in a better understanding of the word “watch” as it was originally used. The clearest teaching about readiness and watchfulness come from the lips of Christ as He urged the followers who were with him to be watchful servants:

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning like men WAITING

for their master to return. . . .it will be good for those servants whose master

finds them WATCHING when he comes. . .you must also be ready because the

Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. . .it will be good

for that servant whom the master finds DOING so when he returns.”

Luke 12:35-43 NIV

Jesus said the wise servant will be characterized by waiting. . .watching. . .and working. He also added stern words of warning to servants who grow careless:

“But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long

time in coming’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maid-

servants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant

will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not

aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the

unbelievers.” Luke 12:45-46 NIV

The analogy is not about two groups of Christians—some worldly, some godly. It is about people who profess to be Christians—true and false servants. The punishment reveals this. Those who did not watch are punished with the unbelievers. The delay made no difference to the true servant. He busied himself in service and watched continually. The delay induced the false servant to sinful behavior. The Lord’s delay revealed the true character of both. Heart devotion, love for Christ, is what kept the true servant on the job.

Of the five different words for “watch” used in the New Testament, the primary one is used nine times, each of which is an exhortation to watch in view of an impending end—watch carefully because something important is about to happen. Jesus’ emphasis is on spiritual and moral wakefulness more than watching for His actual physical return. We simply do not know when the end time will come; the time is uncertain. Because it is, we are to watch. We are to be spiritually awake and not in a stupor. If we are awake and he comes today, we will be ready. If we awake and it is tomorrow, or some other day, we will be ready. Whenever he comes, we will be ready.

A follower of Christ does many things. He obeys, prays, loves, gives, worships, witnesses, studies his Bible, pursues a holy life, etc. I want to add another essential discipline to those we normally list; proactively watching for his Lord’s return by always maintaining personal spiritual readiness and wakefulness. For most of my adult life I have been busy and happy in the Lord’s work. No doubt you have been too, as have most committed Christians. It is obvious we must all wait for Christ’s return. It’s the watching part I need to watch!

Practical Application

How can a serious Christ-follower move to a higher level of watchfulness and readiness for an any-moment return of our coming King? What steps might we take? What spiritual disciplines should we undertake or strive to further develop within ourselves? As I strive to become a Christian Minuteman, I offer these three suggestions that are presently working for me:

Resolve to relentlessly pursue a lifestyle characterized by godliness and holiness. The practical effect of our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14) is to call the disciple to a life of holiness characterized by unselfish pursuits and sacrificial deeds of compassion. This means embracing a lifestyle, not unlike that of Jesus, that is as free as possible from self-centered concerns, one that seeks to take up the challenge of Peter to see ourselves as a special people, called out by God, to be separate and different from the world. (I Peter 2:9-12)

It is also a life filled with the pursuit of virtues. In his book, The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges summarizes these virtues as threefold: (1) those that deal with our relationship with God (humility, contentment, thankfulness, and joy) (2) those that require us to deal sternly with ourselves (holiness, self-control, and faithfulness) and (3) those that enable us to deal graciously and tenderly with other people (peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and love).

Accomplishing all these is dependent on making the next commitment.

Engage in an intentional effort to live much more simply. We must each of us set up reasonable boundaries in our lives by making choices that avoid the unwise, unproductive use of our time, attention, energy, influence, and money. Saying “yes” to the right things requires saying “no” to a great many more wrong or unnecessary things. In doing this we will discover the vast power which lies in one simple word, politely spoken: no.

In our present culture, this may mean becoming expert at saying “no” to telemarketers and to the frivolous use of time-squandering social media, to the senseless buying of a vast amount of what can only be called “stuff” (which requires rental space to store) that has little or no redeeming value, and to meetings (including church) without agendas and which serve no apparent purpose. Our obsession with cell phones which give us 24/7 instant accessibility knows no bounds, including taking them to bed with us. We must make some sensible decisions about who, and who does not, have unlimited access to us.

My friend, Dr. John Hunter, had a wonderful mantra: “I live simply, so that others may simply live.”

Align my life with a self-imposed accountability that has two components:

To include in my daily prayers and meditation a sobering acknowledgment that, “This could be the day . . .” How do I know that this very day isn’t the one when I need to be more alert and, on the job, doing than any other day of my life? Jesus had some of his harshest words to say to bridesmaids who weren’t prepared and to napping disciples.
To live according to a personal mission statement I prepared many years ago, to which I recently added a new commitment: “To cultivate an intentional attitude of calm attentiveness toward the certain, any-moment return of Christ, characterized by waiting, watching, and working.” A written mission statement is helping move me from vague intentions to commitments to which I hold myself accountable to better honor Christ while staying alert.

Blessed Are The Unsuspecting

August 6, 2021Articlesadmin

Blessed Are the Unsuspecting

The Awkward Subject of Spiritual Rewards

I do not remember asking my father for very much. I never needed to, for he always stayed one step ahead of me in asking and giving and was, I suppose, the most generous man I have ever known. He anticipated my thoughts; before I could ask, I received. What he gave seemed to always be more than what I was going to ask. That was my dad, and his giving was about grace. And relationship: I was his son!

What comes to mind as I think about rewards is not so much the worthiness of Christians to receive them as God’s outrageous generosity, as our Heavenly Father, in giving them. I have not thought this way most of my Christian experience which now exceeds 60 years.

A reward is simply God’s gracious repayment to the Christian for good things done which the believer would have done anyway had there been no thought of reward.

Rewards are defined in terms of grace, which is God’s unsolicited, unearned favor. Grace unlocks the door to understanding rewards from God’s point of view.

In the same way grace is extended to a repentant sinner to receive the forgiveness he could never earn, God likewise gives grace to His faithful servants in the form of rewards they could never earn. Rewards reveal the great heart of God; they are about his mercy and grace; they are about relationships.

Perplexity

The subject of rewards is unusually, perhaps unnecessarily, troublesome for growing Christians as we try to reconcile our seemingly contradictory thoughts about them. Why have we made it so difficult to talk about the coming rewards for faithful service that Jesus spoke about so often? One who raises the topic runs the risk of being looked at as someone who must not be very “spiritual”, or he would know better.

Can we discover truth that will help lighten up a subject that can give us spine-tingling joy? My godly mother suffered from none of these inhibitions. She was often heard to boldly, but not irreverently, exclaim about the bliss of future rewards, “I want some!”

The widespread expectation is that Christians ought to spend their entire lives in service to God and others, selflessly and with a glad heart, and with no thought of personal gain. This ideal obviously runs cross-grain with the values of our culture, and this conflict seeps over into our thinking about rewards. The world’s reward system requires something in return for something else; or, tit-for-tat, quid-pro-quo, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” God’s reward system is radically different.

Grace, Tough Times, and Rewards

We intuitively know what the Scriptures make clear, that God’s grace is free and can never be earned, and that our lives are to express humility. We are to put the interests of others ahead of our own. Talking about rewards quickly becomes awkward because we don’t want to seem selfish or prideful, and we are certainly not supposed to think in terms of entitlement.

We live in a culture whose underpinning is: What’s in it for me? “What do I get out of the deal?” is the crass expression that drives much of the way business is handled, and the way life is lived for many. Not, “What can I do that will benefit others”? Or “What’s best for everybody”? Our most innocent questions about rewards seem to quickly get knotted up with suspicions about pride and humility, about works and grace. Are we working to earn God’s favor and rewards, or serving Him in response to His generous gift of grace through Christ?

We live in a broken world, one filled with broken people corrupted by sin, in which Satan is permitted to exercise limited rule. The ungodly really do prosper, while God’s people seem to be getting the worst of it. The wicked appear to be having a lot more fun than believers. Bad things do happen to good people who are doing good.

In the tough times, what Christian has not fretted, “It looks like we are losing this thing”? Or has not asked the question born out of grief and pain, “Does it really pay to serve the Lord? Is all this worth it?”

Matthews Henry astutely pointed out that we struggle the whole of our lives with two great anomalies: Suffering Goodness and Triumphant Wickedness.

Paradox

The thinking Christian wanting to learn about spiritual rewards immediately bumps into several paradoxes. For example, anyone who tries to serve God with any expectation of getting something in return, who reminds Him how deserving he is, will receive no reward at all. He need never ask, “What’s in it for me?” The answer will be as simple as it is terse: Nothing.

By contrast, anyone who works selflessly, whose only motive is love and gratitude for the grace he has received, will enjoy a reward from God all out of proportion to his capacity to receive it.

Two precepts about rewards come from this: (1) Scheming and expecting to earn rewards only reveals your greed, and you will surely disappoint the heart of God; and (2) Serving gladly with no thought of personal gain, with no other motive than love for God and others, brings great reward.

Why Bother Talking About Rewards?

So, why bother thinking about rewards if we cannot work for them and should never expect to receive them? Is it legitimate, or even wise, to write about them? Yes.

The Bible offers reasons why properly understanding rewards is a “must” for the Christian:

Motives (Are ours right or wrong from God’s point of view?)

Jesus never hesitated to talk about rewards. He taught that the wrong way to serve God (based on law) leads to nothing more than the hollow applause of men, while the right way of serving Him (based on love) leads to His highest favor. He said, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. . . .do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.” (Mt. 6:1-4, NIV)

A legendary French nurse who died during World War I perhaps said it best when she wrote in her diary, “Do good, and disappear.” Maybe it was her way of saying, “Don’t stand around waiting for someone to pat you on the back for having done something good.”

The apostle Paul taught that our good deeds only retain their value after they have been severely tested by “fire”; that is, they are scrutinized to see what our motivation was in doing them. Only what is done with the proper motive will survive incineration: “If any man builds on this foundation (Jesus Christ) using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his will be shown for what it is. . .it will be revealed with fire. . .if what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. . .” (I Cor. 3:11-15, NIV)

Comfort and Encouragement (Rewards can provide both!)

The ultimate reward for the Christian is to forever live in the presence of Christ. A day is coming when that will be living reality: “. . .and so shall we ever be with the Lord forever.” (I Thess. 4:17-18, NIV) Paul adds: “. . .encourage each other with these words.”

But until then, we live in a broken world filled with exploitation, greed, and indulgence. As a Christ-follower, I need to be told in clear terms that it pays to serve Him. I need the encouragement that comes from knowing God honors a life well-lived, and that He chooses to reward the Christian who pays the price of obedience and whose life is filled with acts of kindness done in His name.

Tell me again it is worthwhile to live virtuously, to give myself freely to those in need, to refuse to adopt the world’s mantra: What’s in it for me?

Tell me again and again about God’s plans to reward the faithful who slug it out day-by-day, resolved to live singleheartedly for Christ, and to honor Him with every thought, decision, and deed. I want to taste some of the “joy of the Lord” every Christ-follower is invited to share. (Mt. 25:22, NIV)

I need to know that, at the end of my life’s work, it is possible to hear Christ say: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mt. 25:21, NIV)

Relationship (The possibility of rewards challenges us to higher levels of relationship and faith with God.)

The favor of my own father has been a powerful motivator all my life. As a Christ-follower, it has been easy to grasp the significance of the favor of a Heavenly Father. No story Jesus told describes the great heart of God better than the “Prodigal Son.” (Luke 15, NIV) The much-loved story illustrates rewards are about grace (receiving) and not about entitlement (earning).

Upon returning home, the Prodigal thinks himself unworthy of his former father-son relationship and arrives with nothing except ragged clothes, misery, and the wreckage of a wasted life. Yet the glad father showers him with privileges, not for any favor earned, but in celebration and restoration of a ruined life. The rewards the son receives are based on relationship and grace.

Greater Opportunities to Serve (Not only now, but in God’s eternal kingdom.)

Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” ( . 22:12, NIV)

We determine the reward God will give us, much or little, by our service and diligence, and by what we faithfully did with what we were given. God does not reward us arbitrarily or capriciously, but in proportion to the initiative we show. We, not God, set the limits on what we receive.

We are not told what form rewards will take or specifically when they will be received. Jesus’ teachings make it clear they are of a spiritual nature, not material. There is in his teachings the strong suggestion they will include enlarged, ennobling opportunities to serve on a scale we can scarcely imagine. How we develop the talents and gifts we are given to work with in this life could not be of more critical importance. Jesus taught that our faithfulness over a “few things” will explode into being trusted with “many things.” Dallas Willard observes,

“. . .the intention of God is that we should each become the kind of person whom

he can set free in his universe, empowered to do what we want to do. Just as we

desire and intend this, so far as possible, for our children and others we love, so

God desires and intends it for his children. But character, the inner directedness

of the self, must develop to the point that is possible.” (The Divine Conspiracy, p. 379)

When Christians die, we don’t abruptly cease to be who we are. Our personality and rich experience aren’t left behind, and our Holy Spirit-implanted gifts and perfected skills aren’t disregarded or discarded. They all go with us as an essential part of our transformation and glorious future. Christ said, “I am preparing a place for you.” And piled on top all that will be God’s rewards.

Perhaps our rewards will include a kind of commissioning by God to join Him in endless creative work to be done around our universe. Empowered by God, and with His limitless resources at our disposal, we may ask the simplest question, “What would you like me to do”? only to find ourselves completely unprepared for His answer: “What would you like to do”? How we answer that question may set into motion things to be done and services to perform at a level that will numb our mind. Will there be difficult, complex problems to solve? Adventure? Challenges that will challenge our abilities to the limit? Unbelievable opportunities that will stretch our minds, challenge our courage, and test our ability to create and lead? No question about it!

Blessed Are the Unsuspecting

The best gift is the one that catches us unsuspecting. What excitement we feel when we receive something wholly unexpected! The rewards of heaven will be like that. Our heart will beat faster, and our breath will grow shorter when we hear the Lord call our name and say, “I have a surprise for you.”

Maybe one of the reasons we aren’t told what rewards will be is that God doesn’t want to be denied the fun of surprising us. Only one with the gift of giving understands the sheer delight of that.

There is so much we don’t know about the day when works will be judged, and rewards rendered. But we do know it will be a day of stunning, unexpected discoveries.

There will be tragic, shattering disappointments as many who thought themselves worthy of great position and reward protest to Christ that some terrible mistake has been made: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name. . .perform many miracles”? (Mt. 7:22, NIV) In utter disbelief, they will hear Him disown their claims to a heavenly windfall: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me. . .!” (Mt. 7:23, NIV)

There will also be gleeful, unsuspected ecstasy and unspeakable sweetness as Christ heaps rewards on startled disciples who ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry. . .thirsty. . .a stranger. . .sick or in prison. . .?” (Mt. 7:37-39, NIV) It never occurred to them their work was being observed and would be further rewarded. They had already discovered surpassing happiness in loving and caring for the people Jesus loved: “The King will reply, ‘. . .whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me’.” (Mt. 7:40, NIV)

The bonus blessings continue in a torrent: the small will be great, the unknown cheered, the forgotten remembered, the unnoticed crowned, the faithful honored, the mourning comforted, the hungry and thirsty filled, the pure in heart see God, and the poor in spirit inherit a kingdom!

Because we understand the greatness and goodness of God, we gladly do His will and work with no thought of “What’s in it for me?” We do what we do because of who God is and out of gratitude for His indescribable grace, goodness, and greatness.

Blessed are the unsuspecting, for they shall be greatly rewarded.

Don M. Hull