Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
Revelation 22:12
Jim Marshall was a defensive lineman on the Minnesota Vikings’ famed “Purple People Eaters” in the 1960s and ’70s. Though a Super Bowl champion, Marshall is best known for the mistake he made on October 24, 1964. In a game against the San Francisco 49ers Marshall saw a fumble, picked up the football, and began running the length of the field. Vikings players on the sidelines followed Marshall and began yelling . . . for him to run the other way! Marshall didn’t realize he was running toward his own end zone. In spite of that mistake, Marshall played so well that the Vikings ended up winning the game 27–22.
But history has a way of recording the worst. Few people remember Marshall’s outstanding performance in the game, only his major mistake. In fact, to this day Jim Marshall is remembered by the nickname he earned that day: “Wrong Way” Marshall.
Making it to the end zone is the goal of football. But making it to the right end zone is the key to winning. A similar truth applies to heaven. Making it to heaven is the goal, but making it there to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” is the key to ultimate victory.
While all true Christians will cross the spiritual end zone, many will enter only after spending some time running the wrong way. Some believers will be celebrated for how they played the game of life. But others who were ultimately on the winning side will still be evaluated as having done little to contribute to the success of the team.
It’s a hard but inescapable truth: heaven will not be the same for every Christian. When “we . . . all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10), some will receive great rewards and others will not.
A Divine Summons
Every person from the time of Adam to the present will have to appear before the divine Judge who “[will] judge the living and the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1). No one escapes God’s judgment. As the writer of Hebrews declared, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Notice the writer doesn’t limit the generic term “men” (meaning “human beings”) to only certain individuals or groups. Everyone will face God’s scrutiny of his or her life.
However, there is not one single judgment for all humankind. Instead, unbelievers will stand before Christ at what is called the great white throne judgment. This judgment is for all unbelievers since the time of Adam and will occur at the end of the millennial kingdom, resulting in condemnation—being cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11–15). Believers will appear before a very different judgment, “the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10), resulting in commendation for those the Lord deems to have served Him faithfully in their brief existence on earth.
An Appearance before the Judge
A few years ago, members from our church toured the ancient city of Corinth, where Paul spent eighteen months preaching the gospel. Many Corinthians came to faith in Christ through the apostle’s preaching. However, others were incensed by Paul’s message and dragged him before the Roman governor of the province:
But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” And he drove them away from the judgment seat. (Acts 18:12–16)
The phrase translated “judgment seat” is the Greek word bema. It refers to a raised platform on which a ruler or judge sat to pronounce decrees or verdicts, similar to the raised bench judges sit at in modern courthouses.
As our group stood on the spot where Paul faced his judge, I wondered what it must have been like to be in Paul’s sandals—standing before a man who held his fate in his hands. How did the apostle maintain his cool demeanor when facing his possible death? I think it’s because Paul understood that Gallio’s judgment—whatever it was—wasn’t the final judgment on his life. One day Paul would stand before another judgment seat from which the Judge of the universe would evaluate Paul’s faithfulness to Christ.
What makes the bema seat judgment different than the great white throne judgment is that everyone who stands before the judgment seat of Christ will be saved. No one will appear at this judgment who hasn’t already been declared “not guilty” by God. The theological term for this declaration is justification. “Therefore, having been justified by faith,” Paul wrote, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
Think of justification this way: imagine you use your debit card to make a purchase, but in so doing you overdraw your account. The bank notifies you of the overdraft and applies a penalty for covering the purchase. If you will deposit the amount of the overdraft and penalty, the bank will forgive the debt and won’t levy an additional penalty. The only problem is that you are bankrupt and have no funds to deposit. You are in a deficit position with the bank. However, a friend finds out about your dilemma and makes a deposit to your account to cover the overdraft and penalty.
In a sense, that is what Christ offers to do for us. All of us are “overdrawn” in our “righteousness” account before God. And every time we sin we only increase our indebtedness to God. If we die spiritually bankrupt—unable to pay our debt—we face the penalty of eternal separation from God.
But when we trust in Christ for our salvation God credits our “righteousness” account with the perfection of His Son, erasing our debt and eliminating any future penalty. That means Christians never have to worry about a future judgment for the sins already paid for by Christ. Paul assures us that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
However, justification does not exempt us from God’s evaluation of our lives after we are forgiven for our sins. Paul declares:
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. (2 Cor. 5:10)
Notice Paul said, “We must all appear.” I’ve checked the Greek text and “all” means “all!” Every believer will appear before Christ’s bench—there are no exceptions, exclusions, or exemptions. Each of us will appear before the Lord for an evaluation to receive whatever reward is appropriate. Remember, the judgment seat of Christ is for the commendation of believers while the great white throne judgment is for the condemnation of unbelievers. This is why Paul told the Corinthians to make it their “ambition, whether at home [in the body] or absent [from the body], to be pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5:9).
When Will Our Judgment Take Place?
When will this evaluation take place? Most probably it will occur right after the rapture of the church, when living Christians are immediately transported into the presence of the Lord and dead believers are resurrected to eternal life. While no single verse indicates that the bema seat judgment occurs immediately after the rapture, a number of factors point to this conclusion.
First, the twenty-four elders mentioned in Revelation 4:10 (who represent all believers) are portrayed in heaven as having already received their rewards (crowns) at the beginning of the tribulation. Additionally, when the church (the “bride of Christ”) returns to earth with Jesus at the second coming—seven years after the rapture—the bride is said to be clothed in “fine linen, bright and clean,” which represents “the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:8). Both of these facts imply that the evaluation of Christians’ lives has already occurred.
Do Our Works Really Matter?
Many Christians are confused about the importance of obedience to God in this life. “My good works are worthless to God,” they mistakenly claim. While it’s true we are saved by God’s grace apart from our works, God rewards us as Christians based on our works. While our works are worthless in securing us a place in heaven, they are integral in determining our experience in heaven.
Paul drew a distinction between works before salvation and works after salvation. This is what he said about our works before salvation: “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” (Eph. 2:8–9).
And this is what Paul said about works after salvation: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (v. 10).
Before we became a Christian, our works were only sufficient to condemn us before God. But once we have become a Christian, our works should be sufficient to commend us to God. As we’ve already seen, we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and be evaluated on our works, “whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). The Greek word translated “bad” (phaulos) literally means “worthless.”
If you think Google, Facebook, and Amazon collect a mountain of information on search histories, likes, and purchases, their data collection is a molehill compared to God’s collection system. He knows every word spoken, every thought contemplated, every action taken, and every motive held. And one day He will bring it all to light. According to Scripture, the Lord will evaluate our actions, thoughts, and words; our use of talents, gifts, and time; as well as our treatment of others, hospitality to strangers, responses to mistreatment, efforts to win others to Christ, and attitude toward money.1
Nothing will be hidden from the Lord’s scrutiny. Thinking about that future day of God’s evaluation reminds me of a very thorough physical exam I once had (the operative word being “once”). Part of the examination entailed determining my body fat. The doctor’s assistant instructed me to remove my clothes and get into a basket to be submerged into what is appropriately called “the fat tank.” As I held my breath underwater, the doctor calculated my percentage of body fat.
But that wasn’t the worst part. I was then forced to stand completely naked in front of my doctor while he used some sort of torture device to pinch different parts of my body to calculate body fat utilizing a different method. In that moment, I regretted every chocolate chip cookie I had ever eaten, every morning I had rolled over and hit my snooze alarm instead of hitting the treadmill, and every midnight trip to the freezer for another scoop of ice cream. Standing there without a stitch of clothing on, being pinched, poked, and prodded, while my doctor frowned, scowled, and grinned, caused me to think one thought: He knows everything!
At the end of this ordeal my doctor called me into his office. After a few pleasantries, he opened the file containing the results of my examination. First, he complimented me on my exercise program, the results of the stress test, and the bowl of Bran Flakes I ate every morning for breakfast. Then the corners of his mouth turned downward, and he got serious. “Now, let’s talk about your body fat.” That’s always a pleasant subject for conversation, I thought. “You need to melt a few points off of that. And your cholesterol needs to be lowered, so quit eating that bowl of ice cream every night.” While my doctor commended me for the good things I was doing, he also offered a critique of the not-so-good habits that were endangering my health. My exam wasn’t the most enjoyable experience of my life but it wasn’t the worst experience either.
Similarly, when we stand before the Lord’s judgment seat every aspect of our lives will be laid bare before God. As Jesus warned, “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). God’s frank evaluation of the totality of our brief time on earth will result in rewards or the forfeiture of rewards—but not in eternal condemnation.
What Actually Happens at the Judgment Seat of Christ?
Paul utilized three analogies to explain what will happen at the judgment seat of Christ. Paul’s first illustration is that of a trust agreement with God:
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? . . . So then each one of us shall give an account of himself to God. (Rom. 14:10, 12)
The idea of “giving an account” is built on the analogy of a trustee—one who is responsible and legally bound to administer something that belongs to another. At some future time, the trustee must give an account of how he or she managed that trust. For example, financial advisors serve as trustees of their clients’ money. The money that these advisors invest doesn’t belong to them—they are simply managers who oversee and hopefully multiply the owners’ funds.
Similarly, all that we have is a trust from God: our lives, talents, skills, gifts, and opportunities. We don’t own anything—we are simply managers who are responsible to use those assets to further God’s interests. At the bema judgment we need to be prepared to answer the Lord’s question, “What have you done with what I have entrusted to you?”
The trustee analogy highlights a basic but essential truth about how God will evaluate us at the judgment seat of Christ: God will not judge every Christian in the same way. For example, God will not judge me by the same standard by which He evaluates Billy Graham. God gave Dr. Graham a different gift than He has given to me. I don’t have to worry that one day God will hold me accountable for opportunities that were never mine. A trustee is only responsible for that which has been entrusted to him or her.
Paul also utilizes the analogy of constructing a house as an illustration of the judgment Christians will face.
According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 3:10–11)
Every one of us is in the process of building our own “house” or life. The foundation of a Christian’s life is his or her faith in Christ Jesus. However, once that foundation is laid we must determine what kind of life we construct, based on the building materials we choose. On the foundation of faith, believers can either build a life of “gold, silver, [and] precious stones” or we can choose “wood, hay, [and] straw” (v. 12).
When we stand before Christ, our lives—our houses—will be tested by fire: “each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work” (v. 13). The idea here is that the primary basis of God’s evaluation of our lives will be how eternally significant our lives prove to be.
The only way to withstand the searing heat of Jesus’s judgment is to construct our lives with durable materials. Building a life in pursuit of profits, power, or pleasures is like building a house made of straw. But unlike the children’s story of the three little pigs, Jesus doesn’t huff and puff to blow the house down—He simply sets a match to it! Every aspect of our lives judged to be temporal rather than eternal will be consumed in the inferno of His holiness, leaving behind only a pile of ashes.
However, building a life dedicated to glorifying God (gold), introducing others to the Savior (silver), and demonstrating a love for God and others (precious stones) is like constructing a building of steel and marble—it will be unscorched by the heat of Jesus’s evaluation.2 What endures will be rewarded. “If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward,” Paul told the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:14). A person’s actions that end up being consumed will be lost forever—though the individual will be saved: “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (v. 15).
This analogy emphasizes that our lives will be judged based on durability—the choices we make in constructing our lives. But the whats of life aren’t the only criteria by which Christ will evaluate our lives. He will also judge the whys of our choices.
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)
For example, if I give money to God out of obedience, He counts it as gold. But if I give hoping that others will notice how generous I am, He counts it as straw. Motives matter—whether I’m sharing the gospel with someone, going on a mission trip, or demonstrating hospitality to a stranger. “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,” Solomon wrote. “But the LORD weighs the motives” (Prov. 16:2).
Some might wonder if investing your life wisely in order to earn future rewards is a wrong motive itself. Not at all! Consider the example of Abraham. Why was he willing to obey God by uprooting his family and leaving his friends for some unknown and unfamiliar destination? The writer of Hebrews says Abraham “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). The only city God has ever or will ever design and build is the New Jerusalem that is yet to be revealed. In other words, Abraham’s obedience to God in this life was in anticipation of a reward from God in the next life.
Or think about Moses’s experience. The future leader of God’s people voluntarily surrendered the perks of living in Pharaoh’s household and instead chose “to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (v. 25). Why did Moses make that heroic choice? Simply out of dedication to God?
No, the writer of Hebrews reveals that Moses’s decision was based on an objective calculation. Moses was “considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (v. 26). The word translated “considering” means “calculating.” In other words, Moses did the math and determined that the short-term pleasures of this life were negligible compared to the eternal rewards of the next life that result from obeying God.
Make no mistake about it, both Moses’s and Abraham’s motivation for obedience was a future reward. And that is the essence of faith—believing that in the future God will reward us if we build our lives around serving Him and His Kingdom. As the writer of Hebrews declares:
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Heb. 11:6)
Some may question their motives, but these two men understood what my friend Erwin Lutzer has said: “Rewards are always dependent on faithfulness.”3 In other words, Abraham’s and Moses’s faithfulness in looking for the city of God and the heavenly reward revealed that their motives were holy, because ultimately their motives were to see Christ.
Paul’s third analogy of the judgment is that of a track meet. Addressing the Corinthians once again, Paul wrote:
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:24–27)
The Isthmian Games were held every two years in Corinth and included footraces and boxing matches. The winner of these contests was awarded a crown. But unlike the gold medals handed out to Olympic champions today, the winner’s wreath at the Isthmia was made of parsley, wild celery, or pine boughs. It eventually wilted and dried. Paul’s point was to encourage the Corinthians (and us) to run the race of life in such a way as to win an “imperishable” crown—a heavenly reward that will never decay or die.
Track meets have simple rules. First, the race begins when the official fires the starting gun. We begin our race of faith the moment we place our eternal trust in Christ, not before. Second, runners must stay on the track or be disqualified. Christians have a unique “course” God has designed for us, and that course has no shortcuts. Finally, runners must avoid distractions and keep their eyes on the finishing tape.
Australian runner John Landy was in a heated contest with Roger Bannister as to who could be the first to break the four-minute-mile barrier. Bannister did it on May 6, 1954. A few months later, Landy and Bannister met at the British and Empire Commonwealth Games. Landy set a blistering pace and was winning the race. However, as he came around the last turn, Landy looked over his left shoulder to find Bannister. But just as Landy peered over his left shoulder, Bannister passed him on his right-hand side, winning the race and beating his record-breaking time for the mile.
It’s all too easy for any of us to become distracted from life’s finishing line. Giving too much attention to that which has little eternal value—television, the news, Facebook, Twitter, video games—can cause us to lose sight of “the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). None of these activities is wrong in and of itself, but these diversions can cause us to forfeit the prize God awards to those who finish the race well.
What Future Rewards Will Mean to Us
Many Christians will be happy just to make it to heaven—that’ll be enough reward for them . . . or so they think. But our rewards—or lack of them—will profoundly impact what kind of heaven we will experience. “Everyone in heaven will be fully blessed,” theologian Norm Geisler said, “but not everyone will be equally blessed. Every believer’s cup will be full and running over, but not everyone’s cup will be the same size.”4
This is not only biblical; it is just. If Christ rewarded us all equally in heaven, regardless of our behavior on earth, He would be an unjust Judge. But He’s not. Think of it like this: a mother of two teenage boys is in the kitchen baking cakes. She tells them that if they will clean up their rooms she will bake each of them their favorite cake. Later, when she goes upstairs, she sees that one son has hung up his clothes, picked up his underwear and placed them in his dresser, and vacuumed the carpet.
However, the other son is sitting among a pile of dirty T-shirts, smelly socks, and pizza boxes playing video games. Both enjoy having their own room and both will enjoy a wonderful home-cooked meal, but only one will enjoy his favorite dessert.
The same is true for us. Although our works play no part in obtaining salvation, they play an integral role in obtaining rewards in heaven. Jesus said, “My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12). Similarly, Paul echoed the importance of works when he explained that at the judgment seat of Christ, every Christian will be rewarded “for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done” (2 Cor. 5:10).
What the Winners Win
Imagine you spent years training to run in the Boston Marathon and, after pouring every ounce of life you had into the race, you crossed the finish line first. How would you feel if the race officials said, “This year we decided to change the rules. Instead of awarding those who finished in first, second, and third place, we are going to simply give everyone a participation trophy. We thought that would be more fair.” Fair? It is unfair not to recognize and reward those who make the necessary sacrifices to win a contest.
The same truth applies to rewards in heaven. Those who run the race well, who administer their trust faithfully, and who build their lives with gold, silver, and precious stones—all with the right motives—will receive what the Bible calls “crowns.” Scripture speaks of at least five different crowns we might receive at the judgment seat of Christ.
First, the “imperishable” crown (1 Cor. 9:25) is for those who live a disciplined, Spirit-controlled life. Like the fruit of the Spirit that never grows stale, moldy, or rotten, so is the reward for all those who live fruitful and productive lives.
Second, the “crown of exultation” (1 Thess. 2:19–20) is reserved for those who engage in evangelism and discipleship. In the context of 1 Thessalonians, the reward is the joy of knowing that many of the residents of heaven will be there because you and I played a role in their salvation. As the late William Barclay wrote, “Our greatest glory lies in those whom he has set or helped on the path to Christ.”5
Third, the “crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:8) is bestowed on those who live obediently in anticipation of the Lord’s return. It’s not exactly clear what the reward is, but it evidently is a reward based on living obediently while on earth.
Fourth, the “crown of life” (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10) is awarded to those who love the Lord enough to faithfully endure the trials of this life without losing faith or denying Christ—especially enduring to the point of death.
Finally, the “crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5:4) is reserved for those who faithfully and sacrificially serve Christ’s church, especially pastors who faithfully teach God’s Word and shepherd the congregation God has called them to oversee.
What the “Crowns” Really Mean
“Jesus did not call us to wear a crown in this life,” Billy Graham wrote. “He called us to bear a cross and live for Him in the face of ridicule. When we get to Heaven, though, we will put our crosses down and put on the crowns He gives.”6 Nevertheless, some people argue that whatever rewards believers receive in heaven will ultimately be meaningless because we will surrender those rewards to God, as evidenced by the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:10 (who represent the church in heaven), who “cast their crowns before the throne” in worship to God.
But such a questionable interpretation negates the teaching of the rest of the New Testament that our obedience to God in this life has real consequences in the next life. Instead, John’s vision of this future scene in heaven is a reminder that everything we receive—including our salvation and even our rewards—is ultimately attributable to God’s grace, for which we will eternally praise our Creator.
However, that realization does not mean that everyone’s experience in heaven will be the same. So what will these “crowns” actually mean to us in heaven? Some believe these rewards are literal crowns we will wear throughout eternity. Others, like myself, believe that although they may be physical crowns (that very well may be cast before the throne of God), they also represent tangible and eternal benefits given to those who have been rewarded by Christ at His judgment seat. These benefits include:
What the Losers Lose at the Judgment Seat of Christ
Some believers will stand before the Lord full of confidence, while others will stand before the Lord full of shame. This is why John warned:
Little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (1 John 2:28)
Those who will blush, hang their heads, and kick the dirt while standing before the judgment seat of Christ will lose what could have been received, which is why John also warned:
Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. (2 John 8)
Not everyone will experience the same degree of joy and satisfaction in heaven. Those who have built their lives around themselves instead of Christ will experience real, measurable loss. “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss,” Paul wrote (1 Cor. 3:15). And though his salvation is secure—“he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire”—the loss of heavenly rewards will result in genuine regret.
“But pastor, how can anyone be happy in heaven if they regret lost rewards?” Rejoicing and regret are not mutually exclusive. For example, suppose my insurance agent told me that my house was underinsured by $100,000 and that I should adjust my policy immediately. But instead, I put it off. One night, I awaken to discover my house is engulfed in flames. Groping through the smoke, I throw a chair through a window, and my wife and I barely escape death.
As we stand on the front lawn watching our house being destroyed, what are our emotions? Certainly I’m overjoyed that we escaped the flames and our lives were spared. But that joy is tempered by regret that I didn’t make the right financial decision and invest in more insurance.
Many Christians will experience that same mixture of joy and regret at the judgment seat of Christ. While they will be eternally grateful for their escape from the lake of fire, there will also be regret as they watch their lives “go up in smoke” when God judges their works as worthless. And, yes, there will be a sense of loss as they realize the rewards they have forfeited because they invested their lives in the temporal rather than in the eternal.
I can hear some of you saying, “But I thought there would be no sadness in heaven. Doesn’t God promise to ‘wipe away every tear from our eyes?’” Well, yes and no. It is true that God will “wipe away every tear from their eyes” and that there is no “crying” in the eternal state of the new earth (Rev. 21:4). However, this promise comes after the judgment seat of Christ. It makes perfect sense that when we each stand before the Lord’s bema seat there will be some aspects of our lives burned up in the fire of His holiness. And that loss will cause temporary tears. However, once the Lord has finished His evaluation, whatever tears may have been shed will be gone forever—but the consequences of losing our rewards will endure for eternity.
My former seminary professor and president of Dallas Theological Seminary, the late John Walvoord, encourages us to think about the judgment seat of Christ like a commencement ceremony:
Some students graduate with honors or high honors, and others receive rewards for distinctive achievements. However, the overwhelming emotion of all the graduates is the joy of receiving the diploma after years of sacrifice and study; every graduate receives a diploma and thus experiences joy and fulfillment. On the one hand, the seriousness of the judgment seat of Christ should be considered; on the other hand, all believers can rejoice in the marvelous grace of God that will enable them all to be in heaven even though they are imperfect in this life.7
In heaven, there will be real regret for many. But there will be real rejoicing for all. To underdo the sadness of losing rewards is to make faithfulness to God in this life irrelevant. However, to overdo the sadness of losing rewards is to turn heaven into hell. The goal is to run the race God has set before us, to handle our trust with care, and to build our lives with actions and motives that have eternal value.
In his wonderful book Your Eternal Reward, Erwin Lutzer recounts the story of an Indian beggar who crossed paths with a rich rajah riding in a beautiful chariot. The beggar stood by the side of the road, holding out a bowl of rice, hoping for a handout. To his surprise, the rajah stopped and demanded, “Give me some of your rice!” The beggar was angry at the thought that a wealthy man would demand rice from a poor man. But the beggar gave the rajah one grain of rice. “I want more,” the rajah demanded. So the beggar gave him another grain. “More rice.” By now, the beggar was seething with resentment, but he handed the rajah one more grain of rice.
After the rajah departed, the beggar looked into his bowl of rice. And what he saw astonished him. There, in his bowl, was a grain of gold the size of a grain of rice. He looked more carefully and found two more grains of gold. For every grain of rice he had given, he had received a grain of gold in return.
Lutzer then draws this application: “If we clutch our bowl of rice, we shall lose our reward. If we are faithful and give God each grain, He gives us gold in return. And the gold God gives will survive the fire.”8
Rice for gold is a pretty savvy trade—but not nearly as lucrative as exchanging temporary pleasures in this life for eternal rewards in that “place called heaven.”