Rewards or Regrets? *
Jonathan Edwards, a giant of the faith from the 18th century (1703-1758), is said to have asked this question: “What will you wish you had done when you come to die?” It’s a very thought-provoking question for both those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior and those who don’t. The Apostle Paul said it this way in his second letter to the church in Corinth, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (II Cor. 5:10). The only judgment seat for believers, whose sin was dealt with at the cross, is the one at which our works and motives are exposed. Everything done with God-honoring motives will be rewarded. All else will be considered “wood, hay, and stubble”—worthless—and burned up.
This verse is NOT teaching
that good works get us into heaven. That’s obvious from many other verses, such as Eph. 2:8,9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works so that no one may boast” (emphasis added). Rather, it is an awakening call reminding us that God watches everything we do and keeps records of it all. If we have accepted Jesus’ substitutionary death on our behalf, we are headed for heaven. Period. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38,39).
But ask yourself this, Wouldn’t I rather have the rewards of a righteous life, earned in grateful service to the God who saved me and has prepared a place for me in heaven, than to spend eternity with regrets over things I coulda, shoulda, woulda done while I lived on earth?
I don’t know exactly what rewards
to expect, but I do know two things. First, Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev. 22”12). And second, having experienced and enjoyed God’s creative power and amazing beauty and variety of earth’s treasures while on earth, whatever He’s come up with for rewards has got to be beyond my imagination, and that gets me excited.
So what does all that have to do with today’s title? It should create or stir an urgency in us to make sure we get all the rewards we can. Why else would God tell us about rewards if it weren’t a good goal? But in that urgency, don’t we know family members or friends whose future hasn’t been cast in stone yet? Don’t we want them to experience “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11)?
In God’s wisdom,
He has given us an opportunity to amass rewards while obeying Jesus’ final command to His church, “Go…make disciples…baptize…teach obedience” (Matt. 28:19,20). Seems like a no-brainer to me. How about you?
I hope juxtaposing rewards and regrets causes you to ponder deeply the ramifications of what your daily plan and activities are producing for (your) eternity.
*Idea from a message by Dr. Bryan Fields, Grace Chapel Castle Rock, CO