Treasures in Heaven

By Charles F. Stanley

This may come as a shock: privilege in God’s eternal kingdom is determined by faithfulness in this life. Maybe you assumed that all believers would be equal in eternity. It is true that there will be equality in terms of our inclusion in God’s kingdom, but not in rank and privilege.

Because of their earthly faithfulness, some believers will have heavenly rewards. That means certain Christians will have specific privileges, reign with Jesus (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 3:21), receive true riches (Luke 16:11-12), and be wealthy in the kingdom of God (Luke 12: 21, 33). Others will not.

The clearest proof of this doctrine of rewards comes from the gospels.

Peter said to [Jesus], “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” (Matt. 19:27).

Christ did not reprimand him for being selfish and self-centered. Neither did He attempt to correct Peter’s theology. The question was justified. Jesus answered:

“Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28).

The apostles will have a special position of authority in the future kingdom. You and I will not judge the twelve tribes of Israel. That is a privilege reserved for this unique group of men.

How Rewards Motivate Believers

I believe this doctrine of the judgment and rewards of believers is the key to reconciling God’s justice with the free gift of salvation. Anyone who takes Jesus’ kingdom teaching seriously knows that followers of Christ do not get away with sin. Every transgression will be examined. On the other side of the coin, we can rest assured that none of our good works will go unnoticed.

The apostle Paul wrote:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap . . . Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary (Gal. 6:7-9).

A number of years ago, I preached several messages on the topic of rewards. As the series progressed, I began to notice a change in one of our high school students. Ken had never been much of a spiritual leader in our youth department. In fact, I learned later that up to that time, he had for the most part gone the way of the world. But something about the series caught his attention.

In the weeks that followed, I had several opportunities to talk with Ken. During our time together, he shared with me details of his spiritual pilgrimage and why he believed the series on rewards had such an effect on him. He said,

I was always under the impression that as long as a person had trusted Christ and knew he was going to heaven, that was pretty much it. I figured in heaven we would all be equal. That being the case, I really didn’t see any point in giving up anything down here. What difference would it make? When you began talking about rewards, I was shocked. I had never heard anything like that before. All of a sudden, I started thinking about everything I did. I began to realize that every moment counted. I quit drinking. I quit going to parties. I started inviting my friends to church. Everything changed. Before that, I wasn’t really motivated. Once I realized that what I do now determines what eternity will be like, I got busy.

When Ken went to college, he made a significant impact for Christ on campus, including his fraternity. I can’t help but wonder how many other Kens sit in my congregation and in churches all over this country. These believers have been lulled into thinking that once they have a ticket to heaven, they can relax. They see no connection between their lives now and eternity. As a result, they face the future embarrassment of seeing all they have lived for destroyed at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:11-15).

The famous missionary Jim Elliot understood the big picture. By sacrificing his life in an attempt to evangelize Ecuador’s Auca Indians, he became an illustration of his own words: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Every moment counts. No deed goes unnoticed. All of us must give an account. No one gets by with anything. If you are a believer living for Christ, this news should be encouraging. But if you are one of those Christians who is content simply to know that heaven is the final destination, this information should motivate you to change. It is my prayer that you will renew your commitment to Christ and begin living for Him today.

Adapted from “Eternal Security” by Charles F. Stanley (1990).