God has a Rewards Program, too. The children of this world are wise when it comes to making money. For them, a profitable business is the only reward they can see for themselves and it tends to make them try harder in coming up with new angles on the old game of selling. One such way of improving sales is to have a “rewards program” which rewards customers with extra incentives for buying the stuff at their store. It makes a consumer feel good to know that by purchasing $100 worth of merchandise they have earned 500 points, even if we aren’t sure exactly how much that is worth. As long as we get something extra, we are more likely to not only buy the product, but we tend to buy more of it, too! The Bible shows us that God also has a rewards program and it provides powerful incentives to conform to His rules and to desire all that He has to offer. When you compare God’s plan to, let’s say, Kmart’s plan, there really is no comparison between the joy around God’s throne and the $7 in “Surprise Points” I was promised in today’s email. I noticed that their program also had rules and expiration dates that must be followed. I guess that means that if I tried to redeem my Surprise Points the day after they expired I would be out of luck. Should we take the promises of God lightly and hope to receive them anyway, even though we broke God’s rules? Kmart has a rewards program to get us to buy goods that will fade away. God offers rewards so that we might become like Him and live with Him forever. With so much more at stake, doesn’t God have a right to have rules and consequences for His Creation, especially when we don’t even deserve the rewards in the first place? The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Faith is essential for you and me to obtain God’s rewards. The great benefits of God will not just accidentally come to you either, for they are promised to those who “diligently seek Him.” Have we put in as much effort today to obtain eternal life as we have to redeem “bonus bucks” on a rewards program? In Genesis 15:1 we read what God told Abram about his reward: “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Does the idea of God being your reward and shield appeal to you? It ought to, especially when we see the awful dangers that are a part of life here on earth. With God as your reward and the One who protects you, your safety is assured and a home with Him forever will be your reward. In His teaching, Jesus often used rewards and punishment as incentives to good behavior. In fact, He may have used it more than any other person we can think of in the Bible. He definitely used eternal punishment more than other writers. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28.) The Sermon on the Mount is considered by Christians and even by others who do not believe in Jesus as a beautiful passage full of good teachings. It begins with a group of verses known as “The Beatitudes” which explain to us the terms and rewards God offers to us. God doesn’t offer us “Surprise Points” but He does surprise us with the terms of His rewards program, for He describes the type of attitude a person must have in order to obtain God’s eternal rewards. In the beatitudes, Jesus commends humility, meekness, sorrow for sin, hunger for righteousness, purity of heart, showing mercy, seeking peace and being happy in the face of persecution. Those are His terms and I wouldnt expect them to change, no matter how much they differ from mans terms. In the same passage in Matthew 5:3-12, He explains the rewards God offers to you and to me. If we exemplify the qualities listed above, we will receive the following choice blessings from our Rewarder in Heaven: We shall have the kingdom of heaven, be comforted, inherit the earth, be filled, obtain mercy, see God, be called the children of God! Truly, Jesus does not exaggerate when He says “great is your reward in Heaven!” The Last Day is when we will be rewarded according to our deeds. Keep in mind that the reward will not only be your own salvation, but it will be every soul you helped to redeem! Some of us have seen many souls come to the Lord the last two weeks, which causes our hearts to rejoice and be glad! I hope that you and I will always be able to look at a soul who obeys the gospel as someone who became a Christian because of us, not in spite of us, for there is terrible punishment promised to those who offend little ones (Matthew 18:6), while there is great reward promised to those who lead souls to Christ! To see Gods Word come to fruition in the lives of others is what life is about: It is the purpose of the church on earth, as well as the theme of the angels’ songs in Heaven! Life not only has meaning, it has a very deep meaning because we have our own souls to save as well as take a part in the salvation of others. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” (1Thessalonians 2:19) If you aren’t a Christian, you need to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ so you will be enrolled in His rewards program and your efforts here will not be in vain. If you are a Christian, check the Word again and be sure you comply with God’s terms for rewards, not someone else’s. Heaven’s rewards are worth every bit of your attention and energy!
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 03:09:36 +0000
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