TEXT: Revelation 22:10-13
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11 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.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
— PRAYER —
The Free State of Glory (Part 33) — The Reward of Believers
We often think of Heaven as a place where we go to receive rewards. But in Revelation 22:12 Jesus tells us, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” The Greek word translated as “reward” means “dues paid for work; the fruit naturally resulting from toils and endeavours.”
Regarding this verse, John Walvoord writes, “Added here is the promise that the Lord is bringing His reward when He comes, that is, that believers will be rewarded at that time. This verse has in view the judgment seat of Christ as it relates to the Christian. The same standard is established for reward here as in 2 Corinthians 5:11, namely, that of works. It is noteworthy, however, that all final judgments relate to works whether they are in connection with Christians who are being rewarded or the unsaved who are being punished. God, the righteous judge, will deal with all men’s works in the proper time and order.”
While our works do not dictate our salvation, the rewards we receive as saved people are tied to the work we do. The Greek word for work is “ergon,” from which we derive the word “energy.” Our “work” as believers is what we expend energy to accomplish. How are you using your energy every day? Are you using it just for yourself? Are you using it for the world and the devil? Are you using any of it for God? Isn’t it amazing how we often grow tired and weary when engaged in the Lord’s work, but have no such problems when engaged in things that we like to do?
Some might say, “We ought not to serve God for what we get in return.” And that is true. But, Jesus encourages us to lay up treasure for ourselves in Heaven. When we get up in the morning, we ought to say, “What can I do for the kingdom of Heaven today? What can I do to advance the cause of Christ?” Of course, we must spend time maintaining our lives in this world, but as much as possible, we ought to be engaged in spiritual work with eternal dividends.
The Bible only hints at what the rewards of the State of Glory will be. We know that we will receive eternal life. The New Testament mentions five heavenly “crowns” that believers can receive. We know that many will receive the blessing of serving under Christ in His government. But the rewards of Heaven extend even farther than this. Paul reminds us, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
William G. Schell wrote:
Life on earth is but a vapor,
Soon we’ll lay these bodies down;
But if we continue faithful,
We shall wear the victor’s crown—
Brighter than the stars of heaven,
Brighter than the dazzling sun,
We shall shine among the ransomed,
When our work on earth is done.
Let us then be up and doing,
We have but a few more days,
Priceless souls of men to rescue
From their dark and sinful ways;
Courage, brother, work and suffer,
Till this fleeting life is past;
God will recompense our labors
With a great reward at last.
I hope that you are ready for the day of the Lord. And if you aren’t, I invite you to get ready today by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul from sin and from Hell. Allow me to show you how you can do that right now.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 