The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"Rewarded For Reception"
The Gospels and the epistles often reference rewards for believers' response to God and the life we live as His sons, daughters, and servants.
"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" (Matthew 16:27).
"If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward" (I Corinthians 3:14).
In a life begun and maintained by God's grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, His freely given salvation and favor purchased by our Savior, how do rewards factor into the spiritual equation? By definition, gifts and rewards seem to be different realities altogether. One is received; the other earned. The answer lies in the truth that every act of obedience and service requires our access by faith of God's freely given enabling. We must receive God's grace in order to walk with Him no less than we received His grace to be born again. Of believers, the writer of Hebrews declared, "Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28). Thus, the rewards we will receive for works are more literally rewards we will receive for having accessed the grace to perform them. We will be rewarded for reception.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).
We live for God by living from Him. Obedience and service are fruits, fruits of His grace received by faith. The better we know Him, the better we trust Him, and the better our works flow in faith and faithfulness. The most diligent believers are those who focus not on their own faithfulness, but rather on the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus. "Consider Him… lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3). Works result from the Worker trusted and honored as the Christian's hope in all things. Service to God flows by such grace through faith, service our Heavenly Father will reward even through we know that He alone is worthy of all glory, praise, gratitude, and affirmation. "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (II Corinthians 10:17).
We play a real role in our fellowship with God and service to Him, a responsibility so vital that we will be rewarded for faithfulness. It is not, however, the role and responsibility we sometimes realize. Our Heavenly Father calls us to trust Him completely for the grace to obey Him today, no less than we trusted Him for the grace to be born again. The Apostle Paul stated the truth plainly: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith" (Colossians 2:6-7). No greater challenge presents itself in a fallen world wherein faith is viewed as folly. Many opportunities to humble ourselves and trust God lie before us daily, challenges that often seem the highest of summits to which we must ascend. We must make real choices of faith as to whether we believe, or not. Little wonder, therefore, that rewards await believers who consistently walk by faith, rewards to be bestowed for our works, based on our reception.
"The just shall live by faith."
(Romans 1:17)
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
(II Corinthians 9:8)
Weekly Memory Verse
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
(II Corinthians 9:8)
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