Lesson: THE CHRISTIAN REWARD SYSTEM
TEXT: Heb. 11:1-6
MEMORY VERSE: 2Cor. 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (NIV)
INTRODUCTION:
The Christian reward is influenced by the kind of rewarder and means to that reward. The rewarder is a spirit (unseen) Who gives spiritual rewards to the faithful ones by means of His Word which is also spirit (cf. Jn.4:23,24; 6:63; Eph. 1:3,4). Therefore, everything about the Christian Faith starts and ends in the spirit. The essence of God’s recommendation for which we study and work hard to defend is to keep us, the adherents, focused on the spiritual perspective of our confession in order that what God has said might be prioritized in all ramifications of our being.
OBJECTIVE: To see who the rewarder of the Christian is; what He considers before His reward and the perspective of His reward.
PRESENTATION:
Step I: THE REWARDER OF THE CHRISTIANS
(a) The rewarder is a spirit (invisible being) (ibid).
i. In a physical realm such as ours, the rewarder (Jehovah) can only be known for His righteous and benevolent attributes we express. (cf. Matt. 5:13-16,43-48).
ii. His various benevolent attributes are severally used to refer to Him.
– He is love (see 1John 4:16).
– He is faithful (see 1Cor. 10:13) etc.
(b) The love of God is manifested only in Jesus Christ. (cf. Jn 3:16,17)
i. Therefore. Jesus is described in Scripture as the love of God unspeakable (2Cor. 9:15 – KJV; Rom.5:7,8; Jn. 15:13-14)
Step II: CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE REWARD
(a) He considers the state of the heart first, the place He abides in His Word. (cf. Mark 11:22-25).
i. That place must be kept free from qualms and doubt.
(b) His Word which is His Spirit must power our intentions for thinking, saying or doing anything to please Him or He is not
expected to be the Rewarder afterwards. (cf. Jn.6:63; Mat. 15:9).
(c) God considers our intentions for a good or bad reward from Him – not the physical quantity and/or quality of the offerings or services (cf. 1Cor. 13:1-3).
i. Prayers are not positively rewarded by God due to the quantity of words spoken and duration of time covered (see Matt.6:7).
ii. Anything that defiles basically comes from the heart according to God’s word. (see Mark 7:20-23).
– In the same vein, what should make worship and a worshipper be acceptable to God must also come from the heart (cf. Prov.4:23). Is that real with you? Check again.
Step III: THE CHRISTIAN REWARD IS FIRSTLY SPIRITUAL
(a) The agent of the Father’s reward (Christ) is only accessed spiritually now (see 2Cor. 5:16) and He only serves spiritual blessings first. (see Eph. 1:3)
(b) The reason is that every material blessing had been here with us before Jesus came, yet, they could not serve as successful means to our redemption.
(c) No wonder Jesus says that visible dependence (the flesh) does not profit anything. (Jn.6:63).
CONCLUSION:
Enough of our doing anything for God just for sightseeing without the consciousness of His love in our hearts. God desires that we work for the welfare of all for whom Jesus died and cleansed. (cf. 1Tim.2:1-7). Let us replace every act and tag with the love of God for all. For instance, compared with Islam, the Christian ‘Adam’ is ‘Adamu’; ‘Moses’ is ‘Musa’; ‘Jacob’ is Yakubu; ‘Abraham’ is ‘lbrahim’; etc. How can we allow just a language difference like that to destroy the love of God among us, His people, for whom Jesus died? Among the Christians also, ‘Christ’s membership‘ (see 1Cor.6:13-17) must be seen to be superior to ‘Church membership‘. We must be possessing Christians and not professing ones; not members in creed but members in deed.
EVALUATION:
1. What can quench every religious division due to names, patterns of administration and dogmas?
2. Looking at the enemy of God’s Word, why would God not operate through the flesh?
3. Reading ‘Rom.8:1-3’, why would God only bless us with spiritual blessings first in Christ?
4. Explain ‘…For the prince of the world is coming. He has no hold on me’ – (Jn.14:30b – NIV) Jesus’ statement above.
PRAYER: Thank God for the lesson and pray for grace to reach the divine target of our lives on earth pleasing God in the end.
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