core studies : rewards of a christian
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15
Rewards of a Christian
God has rewards for those who will do what is required to obtain them (Revelations 22:12). The rewards we are given by God are proportionate to the serv ice we have given to God (1 Corinthians 3:6-15, Matthew 16:27, 1 Timothy 5:18, Matthew 10:40-42, James 1:17). We must continually practice good works in order to be pleasing to God (Ephesians 2:10, 2 John 1:8). There are also rewards for evil works (Revelations 18:4-6, Galatians 6:7).
What you get out of something is proportionate to what you put into it: if you plant wheat, you will reap wheat. This is true also in the spiritual things: if you sow spiritual seeds, you will reap spiritual benefits (2 Corinthians 9:6, 1 Corinth ians 9:9-11, Galatians 6:7-9). We read in God’s word that, if we put our best effort into something, doing it for God’s glory, we will get the best results (Deuteronomy 4:29, Deuteronomy 10:12, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Hosea 10:12-15).
When we pray to the Lord in honesty (Luke 8:15), we will receive peace of mind (Philippians 4:6-9, Hebrews 13:18, 2 Corinthians 8:21, Matthew 6:16-18, Isaiah 26:3). When we pray, we should honestly tell God exactly the way we feel. By doing so, we allow God to address every concern and need (Hebrews 4:13-16).
It is important for us to understand that some people prefer to hide from truth rather than be enlightened by truth; in other words, they love darkness rather than light (John 3:19-21). They will not go towards the light of God because their deeds will be judged (1 Peter 4:3-6). If we bring light into the presence of those that love darkness, they will challenge us and even contend that we are wrong because the light in our lives will manifest how evil their deeds really are (Ephesians 5:10-13). With this in mind, we know we will be persecuted because of the truth we live (John 16:1-4, Mark 10:28-31, 2 Timothy 3:12, Matthew 5:10-12, John 15:18-20, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-6).
There is a reward from God for overcoming these persecutions (Revelations 2:1-7, Revelations 3:5,12,21, Revelations 21:7, James 1:12). God himself gives us, as his children, the power to overcome adversity (John 16:33, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 2:13-14). In turn, people who receive hope from our testimony are depending on us to be strong and very courageous (Joshua 1:9, Proverbs 24:10-12). We can overcome evil by doing what is right and good (Romans 12:19-21, James 4:7-10). The ultimate reward, of course, will be when we as faithful, en during Christians hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"(Matthew 25:14-23, Revelations 22:14).
