Elder Ko Swee Chay

Kinds of Rewards in the Bible

"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (Matt 16:27). "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward (pay for service) is great in heaven…." (Luke 6:23). "And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Rev 22:12).

Introduction
We all understand the meaning of "reward" – it refers to something that you receive because you have done something good or helpful. Parents offer rewards to motivate their children to do well in their studies; teachers offer rewards to encourage students who behave well in class; the Government offers awards to recognize citizens who have made extraordinary contributions to the community or country. But the definition of reward, as used in the Bible, is different. The reason is that for the believer who serves the LORD, it is always by God's grace that he serves. Different Greek words are used to teach the different meanings. These different meanings include "give away", especially when it refers to salvation. It can also mean "pay for service" when it comes to rewarding believers for service rendered unto the LORD or to unbelievers when they are rewarded with condemnation for their evil deeds (cf. Rev 22:12).

In the Bible, the subject of reward is covered quite extensively both in the OT and NT. The word "reward" in its various forms occurs a total of 104 times in the KJV Bible. God Himself is "the rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb 11:6) and He promises that He shall reward every man according to his works or deeds [Matt 16:27 (give away); 1 Cor 3:8 (pay for service); 2 Tim 4:14 (give away); Rev 22:12 (pay for service)]. By His grace, in addition to the reward of eternal life in heaven, God has promised additional rewards to believers who serve Him faithfully on earth for His glory. Rewards mentioned in the Bible are either on Earth or in Heaven, and Physical or Spiritual.

This biblical subject of "rewards" is wide, complex and complicated: What kind of rewards? Reward for what works? Are there different levels of reward? How do we get these rewards? In this article, the focus is mainly on the kinds of rewards both on Earth and in Heaven that God has promised.

Proper Understanding of Rewards
Eph 2:8-9 makes it clear that salvation is the free "gift of God", and is "not of works". Sinners are saved solely by the grace of God through faith. Ecc 12:13 makes it clear that the whole duty of man is to fear God, and keep his commandments, while we read in the Westminster Shorter Catechism that the chief aim of man is to glorify God. The reward of eternal life in heaven in the presence of our gracious and great God in itself is a great and glorious reward, far beyond our comprehension. Additional rewards thus should never be the chief motive for the believer to follow and serve God. Remember that every true believer and follower of Jesus Christ will receive the best gift of all, that is, eternal life. We are saved to serve the good and gracious God with sincere hearts and pure motives. We serve God out of gratitude because of what He has done for us, constrained by the love of Jesus Christ, and not for reward. However, God out of His abundant grace, divine wisdom and sovereignty, has chosen to reward the believer for his works. This is all because of His gracious promise and covenant faithfulness, which reckons the deeds as praiseworthy and rewardable because of the motive and end for which they were performed rather than for their actual intrinsic value and worth. Rewards flow from God’s grace and mercy, not divine righteousness or justice.
In the OT God rewarded the obedient and faithful with both spiritual and earthly prosperity and wealth, and the disobedient and wicked with retribution (cf. Lev 26; Deu 28). Note that "reward" is used in the Bible also in the negative sense as the punishment and chastisement for sin (e.g. 2 Sam 3:39; Ps 54:5, 91:8 &103:10). In the NT rewards are predominantly described in moral and spiritual terms rather than in earthly or physical or material terms.

Rewards on Earth
The Nation of Israel
In the OT, the nation of Israel was chosen by God as His testimony on earth. God expected Israel to be a holy nation with high moral and spiritual standards by obeying and keeping all of God’s commandments and laws. If they did that, God would reward with great blessings to the people in relation to the land. As recorded in Deuteronomy 27 and 28, God promised the people of Israel that, after they entered the Promised Land and had become a nation, if they kept and did all the commandments of God, they would be rewarded with a whole list of blessings; but if they disobeyed the commandments, they would be rewarded with many curses.

Rewards for their obedience and faithfulness – The list of God’s blessings mentioned in Deu 28:1-14 are mainly physical and material for the nation of Israel: they would be a great nation above all nations; their cities, countryside, land, ground and field would be blessed with plenty and prosperity; the people would be protected in their travelling. God would bless them abundantly if they obeyed Him. God would ensure that their enemies would be destroyed. He would establish Israel as His treasured possession provided they obeyed Him and walked in all His ways. The other nations would view Israel with respect when they saw her prosperity, and her power to provide assistance to the other nations.

Rewards for their disobedience and unfaithfulness – The nation of Israel would be rewarded with God’s curses and chastisements if she "wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes". The long list of terrible and frightening curses can be found in Deu 28:15-68: their cities, land, field, store and even travelling would be cursed; the nation would be inflicted with pestilence, sicknesses and all kind of troubles, and be defeated and destroyed in wars; their lives would be oppressed and miserable without help, they would suffer poor harvests and produces. Because they "serve not the LORD their God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart" the LORD shall bring a nation against them from afar, and make Israel to serve them instead. Israel would suffer terribly the consequences of horrors of their cities being besieged by the enemies. And if Israel still would "not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD", God would inflict them with great plagues, sore sickness, and all the diseases of Egypt, their population would be decimated, and they would be scattered all over the earth.

The reason God rewarded Israel with both spiritual and physical blessings was because Israel was a nation with a national witness. To be a nation, Israel was married to the land. Without the land Israel was not a nation. Therefore when the nation obeys, the nation, including the land, would be blessed. That is why the blessings upon Israel were both spiritual and physical.

The Local Church
From the time of Pentecost till today, the local church has replaced the nation of Israel as the visible witness of God on earth. If the church pastors and leaders are godly, faithful, truthful and righteous, and members are well-fed with the Word of God, the church will be a God-pleasing, God-honouring and God-glorifying church. God will honour and reward this church with great spiritual blessing. "… for them that honour me I will honour," (1 Sam 2:20).The ministries and works of the church will prosper. There will be love, joy, peace and unity in the church. "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." (Phi 2:2).
The reward to the church is spiritual only and not physical. The reason is that the local church is not married to any land. It is an ecclesiastical witness. Churches can exist not having to own a piece of land. They can exist in rented premises. Physical possessions can become a curse or a blessing depending on how they are used by the people of God. Material possessions in themselves are not to be considered blessings.

Rewards in Heaven
Common Reward of Eternal Life
All believers in the OT and NT from the time of Adam to the last believer in the Millennium will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven. This is the common grace of God given to all believers. "…. Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Rev 21:3-7). Jesus said "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve, him will my Father honour." (John 12:26). Surely there is no greater honour than for God the Father to approve, own and honour us as His sons and daughters in heaven for ever because we believe in and serve His Son. What a glorious thing it will be to see our heavenly Father face to face and become members in His eternal kingdom. Our eternity in God’s presence will be infinitely more glorious and joyful then physical rewards on earth.

Special Personalized Reward
Believers and unbelievers will one day be rewarded by Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ: that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor 5:10). The Lord Jesus Christ shall reward every man according to his works and labour, whether good or evil (Matt 16:27, 1 Cor 3:8, 2 Tim 4:14, Rev 22:12).

Parables of Rewards: In several parables, Jesus teaches us that faithful servants will receive great rewards. What are these rewards? In the Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30), the rewards for the faithful servants are described as "make thee ruler over many things" or "make thee ruler over few things", as well as "enter thou into the joy of the lord". In the parable of Faithful and Evil Servants (Luke 12:35-48), the reward for the faithful and wise steward is described as "whom his lord shall make ruler over his household." In the parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:12-27), the rewards for good and faithful servants are described as "have thou authorities over ten cities", or "be thou also over five cities". The general belief is that these rewards are for the future during the Millennium for believers who "lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Rev 20:4).

Five Crowns: For the faithful and obedient Christians, there are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament as a kind of reward for their service and love to God and conduct:

1. The Crown of Righteousness – this is for those believers who have fought a good fight and have kept the faith, and loved the Lord Jesus Christ’s second coming. (2 Tim 4:7-8)
2. The Crown of Life – this is the Martyr’s crown, for those who loved God, patiently endured the temptations, tribulations, trials and testing, and were faithful unto death. (James 1:12, Rev 2:10)
3. The Crown of Glory – this is for the faithful Pastors, Elders, Preachers and Teachers who fed and took care of the flock that were entrusted and assigned to them, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away". (1 Pet 5: 2-4)
4. The Crown of Rejoicing – this is the Soul Winner’s crown, for those who were zealous in obeying Jesus’ great commission to win souls for the kingdom of God. (1 Thess 2:19)
5. The Incorruptible Crown – this is the Victor’s crown for those who disciplined their bodies, and brought their bodies unto subjection and had self-control. (1 Cor 9:24-27)

Paul says that if a man’s work survives the test of God’s purifying fire, "he shall receive a reward." (1 Cor 3:14 - pay for service). If the man’s work does not survive the fire, it will be burned up, and "he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (only as one escaping through the fire) (1 Cor 3:15). In the context of dealing with works and rewards, it is reasonable to understand that the loss mentioned in 1 Cor 3:15 is a loss with respect to potential rewards which he might have received for the works which had been burnt up. The unfaithful and unfruitful Christian will suffer the loss of rewards.

In Revelation 21, two groups of people will be rewarded with special recognition in heaven:
1. The twelve tribes of the children of Israel with their names written on the twelve gates: "And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates." (Rev 21:12-13)
2. The twelve apostles with their names written on the twelve foundations: "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (Rev 21:14)

Conclusion
By grace through faith we are saved. Remember that every true believer and follower of Jesus Christ will receive the best gift of all: eternal life. This reward of eternal life in heaven in the presence of our gracious God in itself is a great and glorious reward, far beyond what we deserve. Additional rewards should never be the motive for the believer to follow and serve God. Once we are saved, we are to serve the Lord with sincere hearts and pure motives, out of gratitude because of what He had done for us, constrained by the love of Jesus Christ, not for reward. Yet, God out of His abundant grace and sovereignty has chosen to reward the believer for his works. It is grace that gives us the privilege of service, and grace that will reward us for our service and conduct. When life becomes challenging and difficult, it is helpful for us to remember there is the reward of eternal life in heaven, in which we will be rewarded according to our works. Amen.