Vladimir
Puritan Board Freshman
I have created a separate topic for our off-topic conversation about different "amounts" of rewards and punishment in the judgment. The original topic was here: Am I crazy?
To recap:
To recap:
No doubt those that suffer for being "another color" will be reward in heaven and those who do not advocate that men should do so will loose rewards in heaven (if they are a Christan) or be punished more in hell (if they die in unbelief).
Where did you get this idea of "less rewards" or "more punishment"?
Scripture and the WCF. All our works will be judged. Believers works shall be judged and unbelievers works also. This is where The Lord will judge not only the works but the motive.
My friend, if you get "more or less" from that, you have got some very serious misconceptions about the judgment, the nature of sin, our Lord's justice and, especially, the Cross.
I was just listening to RefNet, and heard Sproul speaking about actual different rewards in Heaven. I am sorry, Earl, I may have been rash in my statement. I will have to research this.
The concept sounds bizarre, though. Even if Sproul says that works do not matter for sanctification, how do they matter in the judgment? Bad sins and real bad sins? Good works and great works? Wages of sin are death: is there "less death" and "more death"? How do you marry this with the doctrine of imputed righteousness?
Here are a couple portions of scripture regarding the judgment seat of Christ.
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 Corinthians 3:11-15 KJV)
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (Romans 14:10-13 KJV)
I don't know what Sproul means if he says works do not matter for sanctifiation, I would have to hear what the context was. So far as how do works and how they relate with imputation is a great great question that we all need to be reminded of often. I do this by remembering a quote that says "Reprobation like justification are not based on works". This means we are not sent to hell or heaven based on any works we do. We all were born and conceived in Adam because of the imputed sin of Adam (Adam's work and unrighteousness). Of course the Good News is the imputation of Christ's work and righteousness to those he loves which is the best part of imputation that only a few receive, relatively speaking to the whole of humanity.
The works of believers will be judged based on not only if they conform to what God has said we should do, but also the motivation to Who these works were done for. This is why we Christians should do EVERYTHING unto The Lord.
The works of unbelievers will also be judged by the same standard as Christians which are, if they are commanded by God and the motivation they were done for. Of course the motivation for doing good works is totally missing thus ALL the works will be shown as being sinful at the root and thus sinful. The amount of punishment will be doled out by if they did do what God commanded according to His law. Of course if they follow His commandments they will be less sinful because the law does curb sin even in the most rank unbeliever. Even Hitler loved his mother is my favorite example to demonstrate such.