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And why should Christians seek after them?
As a Christian, I understand that nothing we do can earn us a place in heaven. Rather, salvation is a gift of God that we receive by faith.
Our works on earth cannot gain us entry to heaven. However, the Bible does mention there are rewards once we get there.
Jesus, Himself, is quoted many times using the word reward or treasure.
For example:
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:12 NIV)
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 6:1 NIV)
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Matthew 16:27 NIV)
What are the rewards?
Spending eternity with God in heaven seems like it should be reward enough for believers. However, salvation and heavenly rewards are two different things.
Salvation is a free gift that we receive based on faith. Rewards, on the other hand, are based fully on our actions.
Scripture never explicitly explains in detail what rewards we can expect. However, given all we know about God and His character, we can be sure that they will be good. We can be assured that any rewards we are given in heaven will demonstrate God’s love and justice.
Is seeking rewards selfish?
Should we be motivated to obedience on earth based on the hope of more rewards in heaven?
No. We earn rewards when we do good deeds on earth rooted in our love of God and desire to obey Him — not in our desire for future rewards.
In Matthew 6:5 (NIV), Jesus explained that God rewards deeds motivated by sincere devotion to Him.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
In doing good deeds, we need to focus on the Giver of the rewards instead of the reward itself. God wants us to do good deeds for the right reasons with a genuine heart to serve Him.
And even though God is reward enough, He is a good Father Who desires to give us even more.
Why give rewards?
Our purpose for living is to know God. Knowing God requires us to read His Word, listen for His voice, and live a life of obedience. In living a life of obedience we glorify Him. In living a life of obedience we receive heavenly rewards.
So seeking rewards in heaven is a way for us to glorify God.
In the end, God will judge all Christians by the work they have done. Our good deeds are meant to bring Him glory. The idea of eternal rewards is encouraging for believers to set Christ’s will above our own.
Although we don’t know exactly what heaven will be like, we can find joy in God’s Word which gives us a glimpse of the rewards that await us in eternity.
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