March 28
Living rewardable lives
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV)
About midway through his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul shares something that’s going to take place in eternity.
He begins by stating that it’s preferable “to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” He’s pointing to that time when a Christian’s spirit leaves their physical body and is instantly brought into God’s presence in Heaven. But watch what he describes next:
Therefore…we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NKJV)
We’re told that after believers in Christ pass from this life to the next, they’re going to experience a judgment. This isn’t a judgment to determine if they go to Heaven or not, that issue was settled and secured by Jesus on the cross.
It’s a separate judgment to determine the rewards we will receive in eternity. The Bible doesn’t go into much detail about the exact nature of these rewards. But it definitely depicts the scenario where some Christians receive and enjoy more eternal reward than others (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
So what does all this mean? It means we should be living our lives in a way that’s rewardable by God in eternity. It means doing the right things for the right reasons. It means our connection with Christ is so strong and genuine that we allow His Spirit to work through us to accomplish His will.
Each time we do something righteous out of a pure love for Jesus, it’s an act that will be rewarded in eternity. And as the Scriptures show, there will be those who receive much reward and those who receive little. Let’s not come up short when that moment in eternity arrives; let’s endeavor to live rewardable lives.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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