The rest of the article on rewards by Tony Warren
"Indeed, this very question of rewards came up when Peter was basically asking Christ what would they get for leaving all they had and following Him:
Mark 10:29-30
"And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
The Lord is plainly declaring to Peter that Christians would receive rewards in this world which were a hundredfold better than the worldly things he left, and the reward He would receive after this life, would be everlasting life (the inheritance). Again, the exact same definition of the reward for our service to Christ. Our reward in this world is not physical houses, security, brothers and sisters, but spiritual houses, spiritual security, spiritual brothers and sisters. As Children of God, we are all one family.
Luke 6:35
"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."
As children, brothers in Christ, sons of God, we receive the reward of sons. In this world physically we may be reviled by family, persecuted and hated, maybe even killed, but in the spiritual sense, we have received a hundredfold more, and our reward in heaven is that we have eternal life, and those who are rich in the things of this world and who will not leave all to serve Christ, shall be rewarded according to their works. So who has the better promise or Covenant?
Matthew 5:11-12
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
As it is written, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. -1st John 4:4" Because Christ be in us, we rejoice because great is our reward in heaven. It is the inheritance of everlasting life which Christ secured for us not by our works, but by His.
1st Corinthians 3:7-8
"So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour."
Here many conclude this means we shall receive rewards "varying" according to our labour. But that's not what it says, that is an assumption. The truth is, when the good receive according to their own labour, they always receive a full reward, since all our works are 'perfect' in Christ. And God says almost the identical things in other chapters as He said, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (reward for being good or bad, not a large or small reward). i.e., it only means some are rewarded with everlasting life (for their good work), and some are rewarded everlasting punishment (for their evil work). It is not declaring varying degrees for labor, it is declaring one or the other. According to his work, whether it was good or bad.
Regardless, the first part of that verse would contradict the last part of it if we were to take it to mean rewards were handed out by personal merit. Again it shows where all the Glory should go to. Is he that planteth worthy of reward? No, It clearly states "He is Nothing!" Is he that watereth? No, it says "He is Nothing!" But to God goes the Glory, without whom, the works would all be in vain and worthless. In other words, it is God who makes our work profitable, not us. So then, again, what are we rewarded for when God did it all? He gave us the water, He gave us the seed, and instructed us in planting, and still nothing would Grow, so God giveth the increase as well. More than that, we wouldn't even want to plant had not God drawn us by His Spirit to do so. As it is written, no man cometh to the son except the father which sent Him, 'draw' him. What then are we rewarded for? ..for doing what we were drawn/pulled/dragged to do by God? It makes no sense. No, we can but Thank God for His mercy upon us to work within us to do of His will, that we be vessels used of the Potter as He sees fit. The wording, 'rewarded according to our labour,' does not in any way constitute justification of varying degrees of rewards for our works.
Matthew 16:26-27
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
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."
Revelation 22:11-12
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
The claim that verses like these mean Christ gives varying degrees of rewards don't take into consideration the context of such verses. It is clear there are two rewards here. Good and bad. Everlasting Life, and the second Death. When Christ comes quickly, He will reward the wicked according to their works, and the righteous according to their works. One rewarded with Life, and the other rewarded with Death. The reward of inheritance, and the reward of damnation.
Indeed, this would be illogical knowing the works of the righteous. For the question is not, 'how imperfect are the works of the righteous to merit more or less.' The question is, 'how good are the works of the righteous to receive according to their works?' And the righteous are pure, perfect, clean, without fault before God, else there is some sin. And that cannot be.
2nd Timothy 3:17
"That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
How then could one soul be found less than another when all are without spot before God, furnished unto all good works, and no bad ones which we could be held accountable for? When we stand before God, for which sub-standard or non-perfect work (sin) on this earth do we lose merit for? None, because we are blameless for our works on earth as they were made perfect in Christ. If we didn't work as hard as we should have in preaching the gospel (sin), shall we be judged for that sin? God Forbid, we are judged as he who was perfect and our works are as perfect before God. Else Christ died in vain and did not pay for all our efforts (works) laced with sin, and we are judged for some of them and receive lesser rewards for this tainted work. This is not 'Biblically' possible. This is the unbiblical, untenable inextricable enigma which these Christians build for themselves.
Ask yourself this most serious and pertinent question. "Do you really want God to reward you according to your works you have done on earth?" Any 'noble' Christian will immediately say, God Forbid! For who could stand before Him? What many Christians fail to realize is that it is not because we are good that we have done the good works on earth, but because of Christ who dwells within us. God owes us nothing for our work or walk in this world, we owe it all to Him. For it is only because of Him working within us, that we are not just as desperately wicked as the next guy. if we are truly noble or honest with ourselves, we must say in truth the old adage with regard to the unregenerate:
"There, but by the grace of God, go I" -WiseManSay
If this be true, then what reward do we deserve for doing something the Grace of God is responsible for and which His Spirit has moved us to do?
Philippians 2:13
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure".
It is this truth which fails to be fully comprehended by many Christians. Unlike Paul, in our day man is so full of himself that he can't see the forest for the trees. In essence he retorts, "wrong God, it was I, and I shall get rewards for my well doing." This is in stark contrast to the faithful Christians of old who understood, it is not I, but God who is the cause of all my faithful work (1st Corinthians 15:10). Therefore, all Glory and any credit for the labour I do goes to Him. And that is why we all receive the same reward. Because the work in us is of God, not of ourselves. The reward is bought of Christ, of Grace, not of a debt (wages earned) which God owes us for working.
Romans 4:4
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt".
A reward for our works or fruits upon earth cannot be Grace if it is the wages or a debt God owes to us for working. But the reward is of Grace, because all our bad works were nailed to the cross. God works in us both to will and do. And that word 'do' Paul used is the same Greek word translated Work. We shall receive a full reward because we shall receive reward according to the righteousness of Christ, not our own.
2nd John 1:7-9
"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward."
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."
Without abiding in Christ, we are not righteous and shall not receive full or complete [pleres] reward. This comes only to those who abide in the doctrines of Christ. This is not implying there are degrees of rewards, rather it is saying the reward of the righteous is full, complete, overflowing. i.e. it is lacking nothing, nothing can be added, it is a full or complete reward. God gives us 'all' things by His Sovereign Grace. And the context there is antichrist as it tells us to look to ourselves. In other words, do not be deceived, try the spirits, make your calling and election sure, make sure you hold onto the things we have worked for which will give us the 'full reward.' Many have fallen short. Only a true Believer being judged "PERFECT" receives a full reward. Anything less than a full reward is for him who is 'not perfect,' and thus has no Salvation. Make sure you receive a full reward. Make sure you are Saved.
Colossians 2:9-10
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"
In Him dwelleth all the fulness [pleroma] of the Godhead, and we are complete [pleroo] or full in Him, and in such we 'merit' a full or complete reward. It is this realization which gives us full assurance. That our works are not in ourselves, nor judged of ourselves, but in Christ, and were judged with Him on the cross and made pure works.
Hebrews 6:11
"And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:"
The full assurance because our works are in Christ, and of faith, and not works. Full assurance knowing imperfect works are works of the reprobate, not the child of God who cannot have bad works (1st John 3:9).
Hebrews 10:22
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water".
Not washed with H20, but with the washing of regeneration wherein we are pure, perfect, thus meriting the full reward, reserved for the righteous. Washed pure means no below standard works, thus we all merit a full reward.
Hebrews 1:2
"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"
Romans 8:32
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
If Christ is inheritor of all things, and we are joint-heirs with Him, and He Freely (not by matter of our works) gives us all things, what is to debate? We inherit all things and receive a full reward. This is the reward of inheritance. Anyone without a true heart and the full assurance of faith is without the full reward and Christ. And anyone without Christ, is without the righteousness which would merit him the reward of the righteous.
Matthew 10:41
"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward."
What is a righteous man's reward? It's a full reward because only Christ, and those in Christ, are righteous. Thus they receive a righteous man's reward. Again, proof that the rewards are not variable, because all in Christ are perfect and without fault before God. Pure, dressed in white, and spotless. Not one of us has less than a full reward because we are all without sin! How then could the reward be anything less than full?
Ephesians 5:25-27
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
How then could one Christian be faulted over another for work, or one be more righteous than another in regards to labour, when 'all' are perfect before God? ..it makes no sense whatsoever.
If God chooses to reward us, it will be because of His merit (Grace), and not because of our own merit (works), for there is none that doeth Good, there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God (Romans 3:11-12) no not one, we are all gone out of the way. As a broken record, the question keeps popping up, 'what would we be rewarded for?' Would it be for being desperately wicked and so abstinent that we won't budge without God moving us? Because the truth is, we would be as a den of vipers without God's working in us. We would be unrepentant sinners worthy of death, not rewards. The doctrine of rewards is virtually an subtle attack on 'the doctrines of Grace.'"
