"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matt 6:19,20
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Heb 11:6And throughout the Bible, we see many examples of godly men whose behavior is motivated out of a sense of reward.
MosesAnd though selfishness and greed are characteristics of those who will go to hell (1Cor 5:10),
"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." Heb 11:24.26Paul
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2Tim 4:7,8
When asked by a rich man what he must do to have eternal life, Jesus conversed with him for a while and the last thing he said was the following:Inherent in the Christian hope is the desire for personal benefits or gain."Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Luke 18:22Granted that eternal life is a free gift (Eph 2:8,9) and if one thinks he can obtain it based on his performance, he is disqualified from receiving it."Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Rom 4:4,5However, if a person does believe that he has won this sort of "heavenly lottery", then there will inevitably be outworkings of that belief evident in his life; particularly with respect to where he reckons his treasure to be.
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24However, having established this foundation of salvation through faith in Christ, there is yet a judgment Christians will face with respect to receiving rewards for their Christian service.
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1Cor 3:11,15
"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2Cor 5:9,10
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."2Cor 9:6,7
"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" Matt 5:46By giving to them without expecting any return
"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded."Heb 10:32-35
"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matt 10:42
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Lk 12:33
"Command (rich Christians) to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."1Tim 6:18,19
"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." 2Tim 2:2
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Col 3:22,23
"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." Matt 6:1
"Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully." 2John 1:8
"Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others." Mark 12:43
"For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." Matt 25:29 (see parable below)
"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls." Rom 14:4"The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." 1Cor 3:8
"I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." John 4:38
"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 he has done." Matt 16:27"The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence youname, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." Rev 11:18
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." Rev 22:12
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Patiently laboring for Christ |
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Not hurt by second death |
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Balaam |
White stone with secret name |
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service, faith, patience |
follow practices of Balaam |
The morning star |
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not erased from the book of life confess his name to God |
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not denied My name |
may take your crown |
Write on him the name of God |
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It is possible to interpret the rewards here to be universal for all true believers, if by "overcome" we understand to mean to have the quality of faith that saves as in Mr 13:13 "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.:" which is consistent with Re 2:26 "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--" So it may be that these rewards are inevitable for those who have the quality of faith that saves.
Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' "'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-- bring them here and kill them in front of me.'" Luke 19:11-27
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matt 5:14-30
"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matt 20:1-16