Rewards in Heaven

[wsw201]

At the Ligonier Conference a few weeks ago, RC Sproul mentioned that there are 27 rewards that Christians can get when they get to heaven.

Does anyone know what these rewards are and how you get them??

 

[Vytautas]

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall reveive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to that love him.

So one of the awards is 'the crown of life' which one gets if you 'endure temptation'. I think this endurence would be over a period of time.

Another place to look for awards is Revelation 2 and 3.

 

[RamistThomist]

Reigning on earth in the millennial kingdom, for one.

Revelation 5:10
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

Are these passages the basis of the Catholic works based arguments, how is one to approach these rewards without falling into the trappings of legalism? And how in the end is this not a form of works based theology?

 

[RamistThomist]

Are these passages the basis of the Catholic works based arguments, how is one to approach these rewards without falling into the trappings of legalism? And how in the end is this not a form of works based theology?

I understand what you are saying. If I were the proponent of this--don't have a position either way--I would probably say that these works are neither the grounds of are salvation nor is our salvation (e.g., getting to the hereafter) contigent upon these works.

 

[DMcFadden]

At the Ligonier Conference a few weeks ago, RC Sproul mentioned that there are 27 rewards that Christians can get when they get to heaven.

Does anyone know . . .how you get them??

Die

 

[wsw201]

Are these passages the basis of the Catholic works based arguments, how is one to approach these rewards without falling into the trappings of legalism? And how in the end is this not a form of works based theology?

I understand what you are saying. If I were the proponent of this--don't have a position either way--I would probably say that these works are neither the grounds of are salvation nor is our salvation (e.g., getting to the hereafter) contigent upon these works.

Travis,

That was my first thought as well, but I think Jacob is right that these rewards that Sproul mentioned are not for salvation.

I know Christ said that in heaven there were many mansions but maybe our reward is a condo on the beach or a shack on the other side of the tracks depending on how we do down here.

I know Scripture mentions the various crowns that one can get but I'm not too sure we should take these crowns as literal crowns. I think the rewards may end up being about your status in heaven?

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

I'm too ignorant to comment much further but this topic rattles me a bit.
I can't comprehend within reformed theology my works being worthy of much of anything and in light of what a disastrous wretch I am I can't see getting more than table scraps if this is true.

 

[Amazing Grace]

Are these passages the basis of the Catholic works based arguments, how is one to approach these rewards without falling into the trappings of legalism? And how in the end is this not a form of works based theology?

I understand what you are saying. If I were the proponent of this--don't have a position either way--I would probably say that these works are neither the grounds of are salvation nor is our salvation (e.g., getting to the hereafter) contigent upon these works.

Travis,

That was my first thought as well, but I think Jacob is right that these rewards that Sproul mentioned are not for salvation.

I know Christ said that in heaven there were many mansions but maybe our reward is a condo on the beach or a shack on the other side of the tracks depending on how we do down here.

I know Scripture mentions the various crowns that one can get but I'm not too sure we should take these crowns as literal crowns. I think the rewards may end up being about your status in heaven?

Rewards will equal more worship and service to the reigning Lord. Since there are no reali scriptures that teach a degree of rewards system, they are said to "imply' the same. The mistake has a foundation of 2 judgements. Truth is that 'there is one judgment where all must stand before God.' What would we merit reward for, when Christ did it all?


Matthew 20:1-16

* "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

* And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

* And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

* And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

* Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

* And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

* They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

* So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

* And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

* But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

* And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

* Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

* But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

* Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

* Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

* So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen".


The lesson here is that no matter how much we work, how good we work, how long we work, how hard we work, or what burden we bear while working, we will all receive the exact same reward for the work completed.

The crowns mentioned, I believe there are 6, only speak of reigning with Christ. they are not different crowns, but all aspects that the elect will have complete..

That is why I actually disagree and dislike the Hymn "Old Rugged Cross"

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

 

[Me Died Blue]

Regarding the various passages throughout both the Old and New Testaments that specifically speak of reward for various ways of life, good deeds, and endurance of persecution, I honestly see nothing in the texts that specifically point to or implies anything beyond the reward of eternal life and glorification that all believers are guaranteed on the basis of their unity with Christ and their credit of His active obedience - and I certainly see no (systematic) theological reason to believe such, either.

Theologically, when God looks at us and the lives we lived, why (or even how, logically and in a legally consistent way) would He see the perfect record of our imputed righteousness in Christ when asking, "Are they righteous enough to dwell in my presence and obtain eternal life," yet see the imperfect record of our actual deeds in gradual conformity to Christ when asking, "How righteous are they for the nature and level of the reward and acknowledgment I should give them?" Sounds arbitrary.

Textually, verses like Matthew 10:41-42, Mark 9:41, Luke 6:35 1 Corinthians 3:14, Colossians 3:23-25 and Hebrews 10:35 (often cited as alleged support for the doctrine of degrees of reward in Heaven) all speak of specific good deeds and heart conditions that will lead to "reward" if kept - but many verses throughout the Scriptures likewise speak of works and obedience as being the way to eternal life. We always understand the latter in light of Christ's imputed righteousness, yet somehow seem to forget about or disregard that doctrine when considering the former. Another example is 2 John 1:8, which speaks of winning a full reward, and not losing what we have worked for - but how is that any different than the various salvific warning passages to the visible New Testament congregations, or Philppians 3:11-14 in which Paul speaks of the prize that he is pressing to attain as being "the resurrection from the dead " and "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus"?

I think Proverbs 22:4 is a good verse illustrating the nature of this issue overall: "The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life." The "riches" and possibly even "honor" spoken of here have the exact same apparent nature and contextual appearance as do the "rewards" spoken of any of the various passages often cited to support degrees of reward in Heaven. Yet in this verse, what is the third benefit indiscriminately spoken of right next to those other two? "Life." And we certainly agree on that being something that we fully and solely obtain through Christ's righteousness. So the burden of proof would seem to be on those who would make the "riches" or "honor" a different story.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Look at the parable of the talents. Christians will be rewarded for how they used all the gifts and graces God gave them. They are "rewards of grace" (as the Heidelberg Catechism calls it) not rewards of merit. God in his good pleasure chooses to reward us for our good works, which he wrought in us in this life. These rewards are blessings in addition to justification, and the works rewarded are not the grounds for justification.

 

[regener8ed]

I don't think i'll be gettin many rewards if the rewards have anything to do with what I do.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Some help from the Heidelberg Catechism:


60. Q. How are you righteous before God?

A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.[1] Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them,[2] and am still inclined to all evil,[3] yet God, without any merit of my own,[4] out of mere grace,[5] imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ.[6] He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me,[7] if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.[8]

[1] Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 3:8-11. [2] Rom. 3:9, 10. [3] Rom. 7:23. [4] Deut. 9:6; Ezek. 36:22; Tit. 3:4, 5. [5] Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8. [6] Rom. 4:3-5; II Cor. 5:17-19; I John 2:1, 2. [7] Rom. 4:24, 25; II Cor. 5:21. [8] John 3:18; Acts 16:30, 31; Rom. 3:22.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

61. Q. Why do you say that you are righteous only by faith?

A. Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, for only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God.[1] I can receive this righteousness and make it mine my own by faith only.[2]

[1] I Cor. 1:30, 31; 2:2. [2] Rom. 10:10; I John 5:10-12.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

62. Q. But why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it?

A. Because the righteousness which can stand before God's judgment must be absolutely perfect and in complete agreement with the law of God,[1] whereas even our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin.[2]

[1] Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10. [2] Is. 64:6.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

63. Q. But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next?

A. This reward is not earned[1]; it is a gift of grace.[2]

[1] Matt. 5:12; Heb. 11:6. [2] Luke 17:10; II Tim. 4:7, 8.