Read and pray: "But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end..." (Heb 3:6)
BUILDING WITH GOD
The clearest passage in the Bible concerning reward is 1 Corinthians 3:14-15: "If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved."
This shows us clearly what a Christian cannot lose and what he can lose. As long as a person is saved, he is certainly saved forever. However, whether such a person will receive a reward or not cannot be decided today.
The eternal salvation of a Christian has already been determined. But the future reward is still an open matter. It is decided by the way one builds on the foundation of the Lord Jesus.
Our salvation does not depend on how we build. It depends only on how the Lord builds. If His work is perfect, we are certainly saved. Yet whether we will receive the reward or suffer loss depends on our own work of building.
If someone builds with gold, silver, and precious stones—things with eternal value—on the foundation of the Lord Jesus, he will surely receive a reward. However, if he builds with wood, hay, and straw, he will not receive a reward before God. He may have much before men, yet he will not have much before God. This shows us that it is possible for a person to lose his reward and see his work burned.
Let me repeat this: Thank God that the matter of our eternal salvation was settled more than nineteen hundred years ago. When the Son of God was taken to the cross, our salvation was decided. But whether or not we will receive the reward depends on how we conduct ourselves.
The truth of the gospel is very balanced. Salvation depends totally on the Lord Jesus. Granting salvation depends totally on the Lord Jesus. However, whether one may obtain his reward or not depends on his own work of building.
Man must believe, and he must also work. Yet this work is not truly his, but that which the Holy Spirit has worked in him. Here we see that it is possible to lose our reward. It is equally possible to be disqualified for the kingdom and deprived of our crown. It seems that our position in the kingdom is not settled; it is subject to change and is not secured.
HOLDING FAST THE BOAST OF HOPE
Hebrews 3:6 gives us a similar word: "But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end."
Here it seems uncertain whether or not we are His house. The apostle said that we are His house if we hold fast until the end the confidence and the boast of our hope.
What is this house and this hope? This blessed hope is none other than the return of the Lord Jesus in glory to establish His kingdom on earth. If a Christian has such a hope, knowing that the Lord Jesus will return again to establish His kingdom in glory, and knowing that all the faithful who do the will of God will reign with the Lord, if he holds this firmly, he will be His house.
Today we are already His house. We are all living stones being built up as a spiritual house. This is what Peter told us (1 Pet 2:5). But what our portion in the future kingdom will be depends on how firmly we hold until the end the confidence and the boast of our hope.
This matter cannot be decided once for all. There are many verses in the Bible on this, and they are all very clear. The matter of eternity is fully decided, but the matter of position and reward in the kingdom depends on how firmly we hold today the confidence and the boast of our hope.
BE MORE DILIGENT TO MAKE FIRM YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION
We come to 2 Peter 1:10: "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election firm, for if you practice these things, you will never stumble." If one does not know the truth concerning election, he will not see that this refers to making firm the hope of the kingdom.
Here it says that a person’s election and calling are not necessarily made firm. Does this mean that a person will become unsaved again? No, it does not mean that, because Romans 11 clearly tells us that the calling of God is irrevocable (11:29).
Here it speaks not only about calling but also about election. Peter put calling and election together. The Bible often says that many are called but few are chosen. Except for one passage, about which I am not completely certain, all the others refer to many being saved and few obtaining a reward. Therefore, election here refers to position in the kingdom.
Peter said: "For if you do these things, you will never stumble." "These things" are those mentioned in verses 5 to 7, such as faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and love. If we do these things, we will never stumble. This is the same as saying that if we are the most diligent, our calling and election will be firm. These expressions correspond.
The first says that we must be diligent to make our calling and election firm. The second says that if we do so, we will never stumble. Verse 11 says: "For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you."
The Bible shows us that the kingdom of Christ is eternal. Yet some will enter it only in the future eternity, while others will enter it in the millennium. The kingdom of Christ begins with the millennial kingdom.
Therefore, Revelation 11:15 says: "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.’" This verse shows us that the kingdom of Christ is related to the future eternity; it endures forever and ever. Yet it begins with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, that is, with the beginning of the tribulation.
When Christ begins His reign, some will enter the kingdom. They will not only enter, but their entrance will be richly and abundantly supplied. Therefore, to make our calling and election firm is to have a rich and abundant entrance supplied into this eternal kingdom.
We can see that salvation has been decided, but entrance into the kingdom has not yet been. Once a Christian believes in the Lord Jesus, he may immediately praise the Lord, because he knows that the matter of eternal life or death has been decided. Yet after someone believes, there are experiences before him; he still has the kingdom before him and the future glory awaiting him.
Some will obtain these things: the kingdom, the crown, the glory, and the reward; while others will not. Some will enter the kingdom of Christ; others will not be qualified to enter. Some will not only enter, but will also be richly and abundantly supplied with the entrance into the kingdom of Christ.
This does not mean that those who cannot enter the kingdom of Christ are not saved. But it means that their reward and glory will be taken away. Therefore, we need to run and strive. Whether we will be qualified to reign with Jesus the Nazarene in the future depends on how we strive today.
THE KINGDOM AND THE GLORY OF CHRIST
I wonder if you have ever thought about what kind of glory God will reward Christ with in the millennium for what He suffered nineteen hundred years ago. A reward must match the suffering. If a man is reduced to the lowest position, his reward must be the greatest.
Suppose your house caught fire or you were in serious danger, and one of your servants risked his life and nearly lost it in trying to save you. How would you reward him? Would you say: "I reward you with twenty cents"? No one would do that. The reward must match the suffering.
Christ glorified God in such a way and suffered such a death on the cross. How will God reward Christ in the future? And how will He glorify Christ? The kingdom will be the time when Christ and the Christians will receive glory together. The kingdom will be the time when God rewards Christ.
At that time, we also will have a portion. Whether we will be found worthy to receive the glory of the Lord depends totally on the outcome of our personal walk and work. In the new heaven and new earth, there is no question of merit. But in the kingdom, only those who have merit will receive glory.
The Lord suffered persecution, hardship, and humiliation. If today we also suffer persecution, hardship, and humiliation, in the same way, we will share a portion with Him in the coming kingdom.
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Hymn - Worship to the Father - "Your Faithfulness"
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