Will There Be Degrees of Rewards in Heaven?

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JM

JM

Puritan Board Doctor
Do you agree?

Merrill F. Unger, “Rewards are offered by God to a believer on the basis of faithful service rendered after salvation. It is clear from Scripture that God offers to the lost salvation and for the faithful service of the saved, rewards. Often in theological thinking salvation and rewards are confused. However, these two terms must be carefully distinguished. Salvation is a free gift (John 4:10; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9), while rewards are earned by works (Matthew 10:42; Luke 19:17; 1 Corinthians 9:24-25; 2 Timothy 4:7-8). Rewards will be dispensed at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10). The doctrine of rewards is inseparably connected with God’s grace. A soul being saved on the basis of Divine grace, there is no room for the building up of merit on the part of the believer. Yet, God recognizes an obligation on His part to reward His saved ones for their service to Him. Nothing can be done to merit salvation, but what the believer has achieved for God’s glory God recognizes in His great faithfulness with rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.”

Will some saints have more and others less in heaven? Revelation 4 seems to indicate that all believers receive the same crown. Do rewards make room for the flesh, for pride? Does this idea contradict scripture? Matthew 20:1-16; (v. 12), Ephesians 1:3, Romans 8:17, John 17:5, 22, Ephesians 5:25-27, Jude 24, 1 John 3:2, Romans 8:2

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
There are definitely rewards in heaven and your post on them is spot on. We all will lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus. The word "crowns" I am speaking of is plural.
 
The Reformed faith affirms the Biblical concept of there being a reward. However, the Heidelberg Catechism makes very clear that that reward is not something we merit, but it is entirely of grace (Q&A63). Therefore, I believe Merrill Unger is stepping outside the boundaries of the Reformed faith when he says that the reward is given on the basis of faithful service. Regardless of whether there are degrees of reward, "it is through His grace that He crowns His gifts" (Belgic Confession, Art. 24).

I recognize that this response does not answer your actual question. My understanding is that within the Reformed tradition there have been some who have denied the idea of degrees of reward, while others have affirmed it.
 
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Here's Melanchthon on the topic:
The summary of the promises is in these words: He who does these things shall live in them. The summary of the threatenings is, cursed is he who does not remain in everything that is written in the law. But it should be known that all the promises of the law are conditional: that is, to require a condition works nothing against the law. Rather, when the law accuses us constantly [lex semper accusat], these promises are made to no effect, except we learn the gospel, in which way we be reputed righteous, and in which way our imperfect obedience is pleasing according to the law. Therefore, they come upon the righteous by faith, on account of Christ and the certain promises of the law because God accepts their obedience. For this reason, he attributes both bodily and spiritual rewards. According to this, ‘Give, and it shall be given to you.’ Likewise, Ps. 33, “that he deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.” Indeed, further on, a great amount will be said about the discrimination of the law of the gospel and legal promises, and its promise, which is proper to the gospel.” (Melanchthon 1562, p. 171)

Melanchthon, Philipp. Loci communes theologici. Basel : Ioanis Oporinus, 1562
 
Christ commanded us to lay up treasures in heaven. And He told us that "every cup of cold water given in His name will have its reward." The Puritans were of the mind that if each cup of cold water would have a reward, then the more cups of cold water the more rewards. Just as there are degrees of punishment in hell, there are degrees of reward in heaven.
 
mgkortus said:
The Reformed faith affirms the Biblical concept of there being a reward. However, the Heidelberg Catechism makes very clear that that reward is not something we merit, but it is entirely of grace (Q&A63). Therefore, I believe Merrill Unger is stepping outside the boundaries of the Reformed faith when he says that the reward is given on the basis of faithful service
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What is contradictory about there being degrees of rewards in heaven for faithful service on Earth, and it still being all of Grace?

The Bible says over and over in both Testaments that the judgment will be according to works. I studied this Doctrine in some depth many years ago and quickly discovered that it was considered outrageous by most of the people in my Sunday school class. Rightly explained and rightly understood, the doctrine is a doctrine of Scripture.

He will render to each one according to his works:
Romans 2:6 ESV (see in context)

EDIT: Lest any true saint becomes fretful about the prospect of your sins being revealed--for surely not one sin will ever be mentioned, but all your sins are cast into the sea of forgetfulness--I am adding these two questions from Fisher's Catechism:

Q. 114. Are not good works mentioned as the ground of the sentence, Matt. 25:35, 36 — “I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat” &c.?​
A. These good works are mentioned, not as grounds of their sentence, but as evidences of their union with Christ, and of their right and title to heaven in him, John 15:5, 8; even as the apostle says in another case, of the unbelieving Jews, 1 Cor. 10:5 — “With many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness:” their overthrow in the wilderness, was not the ground of God’s displeasure with them, but the evidence of it.​
​
Q. 115. Will there be any mention made of the sins of the righteous?​
A. It appears not; “In that time, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none: and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found,” Jer. 5:20. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth,” &c. Rom. 8:33, 34.​
 
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As mentioned above, if you hold to the Three Forms of Unity, you hold that there are degrees of reward in heaven. It's a Reformed teaching, part of the Reformed confession.
 
Ed Walsh said:
The Bible says over and over in both Testaments that the judgment will be according to works.
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Below are two pretty much random comments on Romans 2:6 etc. I didn't have time to search out what might better comments.

From John Stott

2. God’s judgment is righteous (5–11)

To presume on God’s patient kindness, as if its purpose were to encourage licence, not penitence, is a sure sign of stubbornness and of an unrepentant heart (5a). Such obstinacy can have only one end. It means that we are storing up for ourselves not some precious treasure (which is what the verb thēsaurizō would normally mean) but the awful experience of divine wrath on the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed (5). Far from escaping God’s judgment (3), we will bring it all the more surely upon ourselves.

Paul now enlarges on his expression God’s … righteous judgment (5b), and begins by stating the inflexible principle on which it is based. The rightly puts this in inverted commas, since it is a quotation from Old Testament Scripture, namely that God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done’ (6). The verse quoted is probably Psalm 62:12, although Proverbs 24:12 says the same thing in the form of a question. It also occurs in the prophecies of Hosea and Jeremiah,[7] and is sometimes elaborated in the vivid expression, ‘I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.’[8] Jesus himself repeated it.[9] So did Paul,[10] and it is a recurring theme in the book of Revelation.[11] It is the principle of exact retribution, which is the foundation of justice.

Some Christians, however, are immediately up in arms. Has the apostle taken leave of his senses? Does he begin by declaring that salvation is by faith alone (e.g. 1:16f.), and then destroy his own gospel by saying that it is by good works after all? No, Paul is not contradicting himself. What he is affirming is that, although justification is indeed by faith, judgment will be according to works. The reason for this is not hard to find. It is that the day of judgment will be a public occasion. Its purpose will be less to determine God’s judgment than to announce it and to vindicate it. The divine judgment, which is a process of sifting and separating, is going on secretly all the time, as people range themselves for or against Christ, but on the last day its results will be made public. The day of God’s wrath will also be the time when his righteous judgment will be revealed (5b).

Such a public occasion, on which a public verdict will be given and a public sentence passed, will require public and verifiable evidence to support them. And the only public evidence available will be our works, what we have done and have been seen to do. The presence or absence of saving faith in our hearts will be disclosed by the presence or absence of good works of love in our lives. The apostles Paul and James both teach this same truth, that authentic saving faith invariably issues in good works, and that if it does not, it is bogus, even dead. ‘I by my works will show you my faith,’ wrote James.[12] ‘Faith [works] through love,’ echoed Paul.[13]
––––––––––––––––––––––––
niv The New International Version of the Bible (1973, 1978, 1984).
7 Ho. 12:2; Je. 17:10; 32:19.
8 E.g. Ezk. 9:10; 11:21; cf. 2 Ch. 6:23.
9 Mt. 16:27.
10 E.g. 2 Cor. 5:10.
11 E.g. Rev. 2:23; 20:12f.; 22:12.
12 Jas. 2:18, rsv.
13 Gal. 5:6, rsv.

Verses 7–10 elaborate verse 6, namely the principle that the basis of God’s righteous judgment will be what we have done. The alternatives are now presented to us in two carefully constructed parallel sentences, which concern our goal (what we seek), our works (what we do), and our end (where we are going). The two final destinies of humankind are called eternal life (7), which Jesus defined in terms of knowing him and knowing the Father,[14] and wrath and anger (8), the awful outpouring of God’s judgment. And the basis on which this separation is to be made will be a combination of what we seek (our ultimate goal in life) and what we do (our actions in the service either of ourselves or of others). It is very similar to the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, in which he delineated the alternative human ambitions (seeking our material welfare or seeking God’s kingdom),[15] and the alternative human activities (practising or not practising his teaching).[16]

Returning to Paul, on the one hand there are those who seek glory (the manifestation of God himself), honour (God’s approval) and immortality (the unfading joy of his presence), and moreover who seek these God-centred blessings by persistence in doing good (7). That is, they persevere in the way, for perseverance is the hallmark of genuine believers.[17] On the other hand there are those who are characterized by the single derogatory epithet self-seeking (8a). Eritheia was used by Aristotle of ‘a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means’, and so here probably means ‘selfishness, selfish ambition’ (BAGD). Further, those who are infatuated with themselves, and engrossed in self-centred goals, inevitably reject the truth and follow evil (8b). Indeed, they ‘suppress the truth by their wickedness’ (1:18). Both these expressions blame the repudiation of truth on adikia, ‘evil’ or ‘wickedness’. To sum up, those who seek God and persevere in goodness will receive eternal life, while those who are self-seeking and follow evil will experience God’s wrath.

In verses 9–10 Paul restates the same solemn alternatives, with three differences. First, he simplifies the two categories of people into every human being who does evil (9) and everyone who does good (10). Jesus made exactly the same division between ‘those who have done evil’ and ‘those who have done good’.[18] Secondly, Paul elaborates the two destinies. He describes the one as trouble and distress (9), emphasizing its anguish, and the other as glory, honour and peace (10a), taking up the ‘glory’ and ‘honour’ of verse 7 which form part of the goal believers seek, and adding ‘peace’, that comprehensive word for reconciled relationships with God and with each other. Thirdly, Paul adds to both sentences, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (9–10), affirming the priority of the Jew alike in judgment and in salvation, and thus declaring the absolute impartiality of God: For God does not show favouritism (11).

–––––––––––––––––––––
14 Jn. 17:3.
15 Mt. 6:31ff.
16 Mt. 7:24ff.
17 Cf. Heb. 3:14.
18 Jn. 5:29
BAGD Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, translated and adapted by William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, second edition, revised and augmented by F. Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker from Bauer’s fifth edition, 1958 (University of Chicago Press, 1979).

Stott, J. R. W. (2001). The message of Romans: God’s good news for the world (pp. 83–85). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.


From William Hendriksen

b. In fact, the immediate context (verse 6) describes this day as the one in which God “will render to every person according to his deeds.” This reminds one of Matt. 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then shall he render to each according to his deeds.”

c. See also the following passages:

1 Cor. 3:13 (“the day”)
1 Cor. 4:3–5
1 Thess. 5:4 (“that day”)
2 Thess. 1:7–10
2 Tim. 4:8

The day of wrath (see on 1:18) is the same time the day of “the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” Here the truth mentioned in verse 2, namely, that God’s judgment is “according to truth” is essentially repeated. Among men judgments are by no means always “righteous.”

The fact that every person will be judged “according to his deeds” is taught throughout Scripture (Eccl. 11:9; 12:14; Matt. 16:27; 25:31–46; John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 3:12–15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7–9; Eph. 6:8; Rev. 2:23; 11:18; 20:12, 13).

The question has been asked, however, “If God judges people ‘according to their deeds,’ how can salvation be ‘by grace alone’?” Now it should be emphasized that the line “Naught have I gotten but what I received” (James M. Gray) is thoroughly scriptural. Salvation is indeed by grace alone (Ps. 115:1; Isa. 48:11; Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:22–31; Dan. 9:19; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24; 5:15; Eph. 1:4–7; 2:8–10; 1 Tim. 1:15, to mention only a few passages). Nevertheless, again and again when Paul emphasizes divine sovereignty or saving activity he immediately links it with human responsibility (Eph. 2:8–10; Phil. 2:12, 13; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:19). Granted that man cannot perform his duties or discharge his responsibilities in his own strength, it is nevertheless he to whom a task is assigned. God does not assume this task for him. But, in his sovereign grace and love, God rewards man for his faithfulness in accomplishing what has been assigned to him. Moreover, both rewards and punishments are distributed in accordance with the degree of faithfulness or unfaithfulness shown by anyone. In the final analysis it is the person who makes light of the thoroughly biblical doctrine of human responsibility who has any real problem.

In verses 7, 8 Paul divides mankind into two large groups, as Jesus had done again and again (Matt. 7:24–29; 10:39; 11:25, 26; 12:35; 13:41–43; 18:5, 6; 21:28–32; 23:12; 25:29, 46; etc.).

The first group consists of all who persevere (Matt. 24:13; Col. 1:23; Heb. 3:14; Rev. 2:10) in doing what is right; not right merely in the eyes of other people, a standard of measurement which the apostle has just now condemned (verses 1–3), but right in God’s eyes. These are people whose aim is high (Phil. 3:8–14). By persevering in God-glorifying deeds they are aiming to obtain glory (see above on 1:23, item “a” in the list of Meanings), honor, and immortality, that is, incorruptible and indestructible resurrection life in never-ending bliss, that of the new heaven and earth (Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 15:42, 50–57; 1 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1–22:5).

On them God will bestow life everlasting, the totality of that life which was already in principle their portion before death. On the day of the final judgment they receive this blessing in full measure for both soul and (as far as applicable) body.

And what is life everlasting? According to Scripture it is fellowship with God in Christ (John 17:3), possession of the peace of God that transcends all understanding (Phil. 4:7), joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8), the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6), and the love of God poured out into one’s heart (Rom. 5:5), all of this to continue forever and ever.

The second group consists of those who are filled with selfish ambition. Instead of obeying the truth, they lend their ears to whatever is God-dishonoring. For them there will be wrath and anger; that is, on the day of the final judgment and forever afterward they will be the objects of God’s keen displeasure and indignation. They will always be conscious of this, and will never be able to get out from under it.56

The sharp contrast between the everlasting destiny of the two groups, as portrayed here in Rom. 2:7, 8, can be compared with the similarly contrasting descriptions found in the book of Revelation:

Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Vol. 12–13, pp. 91–93). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
 
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Jonathan Edwards’ “Heaven, a World of Love” is a short, classic treatment of it.
www.heritagebooks.org

Heaven: A World of Love - Pocket Puritans (Edwards)

Puritan and Reformed books at discounted prices.
www.heritagebooks.org www.heritagebooks.org
It helps explain why there will be only joy for each other in the rewards received by some. Every reward and elevation of any saint will only reflect glory back to God and his grace.
 
While there are degrees in heaven, I think Unger's statement needs considerable improvement. Saying "rewards are earned by works" is not entirely accurate, and is very subject to misunderstanding. And saying that "God recognized an obligation on his part" again is poorly phrased or poorly understood.

A reward is God crowning one grace with another. We know he will do so, because he has said so. In that sense, God has obligated himself to remember and reward the cups of cold water and other services. But there was no need for him to do so, no "obligation" to be "recognized" apart from his own purpose. That makes earning a less than helpful way to think about it. Sowing and reaping is a better analogy, which doesn't eliminate the element of effort but also acknowledges the intervention of something other than human effort.
 
I usually hear about 'rewards in heaven' from Fundie Dispey Baptists.
 
If rewards are given I will not be getting any special crowns or rewards, I'm not being self-deprecating. I can't believe I'm saved most of the time, but I am. I'm not aiming at the minimum but even my obedience to Christ is tainted with a multitude of sins.
 
Ed, you asked:
Ed Walsh said:
What is contradictory about there being degrees of rewards in heaven for faithful service on Earth, and it still being all of Grace?
Click to expand...

I believe this answers the question:
py3ak said:
While there are degrees in heaven, I think Unger's statement needs considerable improvement. Saying "rewards are earned by works" is not entirely accurate, and is very subject to misunderstanding. And saying that "God recognized an obligation on his part" again is poorly phrased or poorly understood.
Click to expand...

In other words, even if one affirms there are degrees of rewards in heaven, it is improper to say that they are "earned by works" or that we receive them "on the basis of faithful service" (both of which Unger states). I believe those two phrases are contradictory to the truth that the reward is all of grace.
 
mgkortus said:
R. Scott Clark has commented on this question here (scroll down to the comments section).
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Scott spends most of the time dealing with justification. No problem. Then he leaps to:

There are heavenly rewards. They are vastly disproportionate to anything done in us or done by us in the life.

Correct.

To set up some sort of correlation between our sanctity or our obedience and future rewards is to turn the covenant of grace into a covenant of works.

He just contradicted “There are heavenly rewards,” or else he’s denying they have anything to do with this life.

God is pleased graciously to reward our good works. That the reward is by grace breaks the correlation.

Breaks what correlation? Obviously the correlation between God’s grace in our sanctification and God’s magnanimous character to give us disproportionate rewards for the fruit that he chooses to produce in us by grace, as he so determines. What is being denied here is not grace but rather the view that upholds that God is pleased to crown his own graces, which he chooses to dispense in us as he so sovereignly chooses. God chooses to make one man to differ from another. He also chooses to crown his graces as he sees fit. That’s hardly a denial of the CoG!
 
mgkortus said:
In other words, even if one affirms there are degrees of rewards in heaven, it is improper to say that they are "earned by works" or that we receive them "on the basis of faithful service" (both of which Unger states). I believe those two phrases are contradictory to the truth that the reward is all of grace.
Click to expand...

Let me at least try to state the doctrine as I understand it.

It is as certain that the judgment will be according to works as it is true that our salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. All is of Grace.


1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

1 Corinthians 3:1-15 ESV
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 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.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
 
TheDeepFryer said:
Can someone please help me with how to create a new thread?
Click to expand...

At the top of the page in the band of links. Click on the second link from the left Forums

Scroll down until you see the Catagories - The first one is Information and Introductions. <—You can click on this lint to take you there.
Keep scrolling until you find the appropriate category or sub-category.
Be sure you have permission to start a thread in the category you choose.
Click on it and then click in the Thread Title.
It should be intuitive from there.
 
Ed Walsh said:
Let me at least try to state the doctrine as I understand it.
Click to expand...

I will do the same. I believe that the reward will be given to us only on the basis of Christ's perfect work. In other words, the one basis/ground/reason/cause for the reward will be Jesus Christ's righteousness. He alone earns/merits that reward. That reward will then be given to us according to (in harmony with/corresponding to/in line with) our good works.

I believe it is important to see a difference between those prepositions. I do not know of any instance in Scripture where our good works are linked to the heavenly reward with prepositions such as: because of, on the basis of, etc. Instead, the Spirit deliberately chose the preposition: "according to." Perhaps others will deem this a matter of splitting hairs. I believe there is an important difference.

Thus, I am not denying the clear teaching of Scripture and the confessions that we will receive a reward according to our good works. Rather, I take exception to the statement of Unger that, "rewards are earned by works."
 
mgkortus said:
I will do the same. I believe that the reward will be given to us only on the basis of Christ's perfect work.
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Then does every believer receive the same reward(s)?
That's not meant to be a smart alec question. I really want to understand your view.

Thanks,
Ed
 
Ed Walsh said:
Then does every believer receive the same reward(s)?
That's not meant to be a smart alec question. I really want to understand your view.
Click to expand...

I was taught (both growing up and in seminary) that there will be degrees of rewards in heaven. For now that remains my view.

However, I have since learned a different way of explaining the Biblical language of God rendering to every man according to his works (e.g. Rom. 2:6-8). Those who maintain degrees understand the preposition “according to” as teaching “in proportion to.” I believe this exegetically defensible. However, one can also interpret that phrase to mean that the judgment we receive will accord with our good works in the sense that our good works will be the corroborating evidence of our faith in Jesus Christ. This seems to be more in harmony with the consistent teaching of the Reformed tradition that our good works are fruit and evidence.

Throw in the comment from R Scott Clark that I posted above—that the idea of proportionality (degrees) between our good works and the reward of heaven is relatively new in Reformed theology)—and I am no longer as confident that there will be degrees of rewards in heaven.

What I am confident about is this: when I receive a reward in the life to come, whether it is more or less than the saint next to me, it will not be because I earned it, but only on the basis of Christ’s merits.
 
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