Judgment

[Ovedya]

Hey, saints. Can we not turn this one into a debate? Someone is asking a serious question here.

[Christ's Free Servant]

Christ's Free Servant said:

Now, I've never been one to win things (rarely), so rewards don't mean a whole lot to me, meaning getting a prize or a trophy for doing something is not what motivates me. A desire to obey God and my love for him are what motivate me to do what he says. My rewards are seeing the difference my actions make in the lives of others, but we don't always see those results.

That is a good and humble approach and I understand what you're saying , I used to believe as such myself, until I realized that I should be desiring these rewards, for they are promised to me, crowns, and I need them, why? to throw at the feet of my L-RD and my King.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Zayit,

Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. I do appreciate them. Nonetheless, I just got on QuickVerse and looked up every NT reference to "rewards," and I could not find any that said we should be desiring them. Would you help me out and point me to which verses in the NT tell us to desire the rewards? Thanks! Anyway, I am going to copy a few of the verses I found here, because I think they might add to this discussion on the subject of judgments and rewards:

Matthew 16:24-28:

[Guest Zayit]

Christ's Free Servant said:

Now, I've never been one to win things (rarely), so rewards don't mean a whole lot to me, meaning getting a prize or a trophy for doing something is not what motivates me. A desire to obey God and my love for him are what motivate me to do what he says. My rewards are seeing the difference my actions make in the lives of others, but we don't always see those results.

That is a good and humble approach and I understand what you're saying , I used to believe as such myself, until I realized that I should be desiring these rewards, for they are promised to me, crowns, and I need them, why? to throw at the feet of my L-RD and my King.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Zayit,

Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. I do appreciate them. Nonetheless, I just got on QuickVerse and looked up every NT reference to "rewards," and I could not find any that said we should be desiring them. Would you help me out and point me to which verses in the NT tell us to desire the rewards? Thanks! Anyway, I am going to copy a few of the verses I found here, because I think they might add to this discussion on the subject of judgments and rewards:

Matthew 16:24-28:

[Trust & Obey]

Hey, saints.  Can we not turn this one into a debate?  Someone is asking a serious question here. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Amen!

[Christ's Free Servant]

Through out the Bible God talks about his judgment.  God will judge all man.  What is God judging us about?  Is it simply to judge whether we believed in Jesus or not?  I.e.: John you believed in Jesus go here, Paul you didn

[Kansasdad]

Hey Sue, I am doing great. Those are very good verses to ponder. I look forward to the dialog. But I can tell I am going to be spending for too much time on this board. OH Well

God Bless

Kansas Dad

[Christ's Free Servant]

OK, if we are only going to look for the word desire then I can see why that may be a problem. I used that word in that I think it's ok to have these things, not for ourselves but as I said to return to Him whom all things belong. My reward is just to live with Him forever. But I guess I was reading about crowns today and that came to mind. But there is a hint of what you are asking in one of the verses you posted. 

[Christ's Free Servant]

Hey Sue, I am doing great.  Those are very good verses to ponder.  I look forward to the dialog. But I can tell I am going to be spending for too much time on this board.  OH Well

God Bless

Kansas Dad

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

God first, family second and then... well, I guess people should not do this while the company is paying them to work, unless time on the Internet is permitted on the job while a person waits on something... my point, and I do have one, is that the time on here is subject to your priorities. For me, this is a ministry and it helps challenge me in my faith and I'm getting lots of good ideas for Bible study topics, too!! So, time on here is not such a bad thing, huh?

I don't have time right now to work on those verses, but I want to, so I'll get back with you later. It may be a couple of days, depending on how my schedule goes (priorities - smile). So, I'm looking forward to talking with you on this. See ya!

[Guest Zayit]

Well now you are saying I am focusing on it. I just don't get where that comes from. And as far as teaching about this, I don't attend church so I don't know who's teaching this. This was just something the Ruach put on my heart a little while ago when I heard someone else say that they didn't want any rewards, and he told me that was wrong, because to have them means to return them to their giver. If you have no crowns how can you cast them down to your king who is the only one deserving? He is my righteousness, besides that I have none.

[Christ's Free Servant]

Well now you are saying I am focusing on it.    I just don't get where that comes from. And as far as teaching about this, I don't attend church so I don't know who's teaching this. This was just something the Ruach put on my heart a little while ago when I heard someone else say that they didn't want any rewards, and he told me that was wrong, because to have them means to return them to their giver. If you have no crowns how can you cast them down to your king who is the only one deserving? He is my righteousness, besides that I have none.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Zayit,

I think there is a difference between not wanting any rewards, meaning refusing them or if God offers them not wanting to take them and us consciously desiring after rewards. Yes, there is a fairly new teaching out there that is based upon some obscure passage in the OT that was really just a listing of names in a chronology in which one person's name had a sentence or two mentioned about him afterwards. People have written books and have taught entire messages based upon this one verse. People have it posted on their walls and are being taught to follow the same pattern. And, desiring rewards is one thing that is being taught. It makes the rewards the focus, I believe, rather than the crucified life which then has its rewards. I believe strongly that the only reward we should be working towards is the reward of an eternity with Jesus Christ. Anything beyond that is just gravy. I will certainly be glad for anything that the Lord decides to give me and I will most certainly put it back at His feet, but I don't think the focus should ever be the rewards. This is what is concerning me. Our focus should always be Jesus and Him only.

If I have misunderstood what you were saying, I am truly sorry. I thought that what you were trying to communicate to me was that, even though the scriptures may not use the phrase "desire rewards," still you felt that we should. I don't remember the original context of our conversation, so if you did not mean what I thought you meant, then I am sorry for misunderstanding your meaning.

I guess the bottom line is that Christ should be our focus and living for him and obeying him should be our focus and ministering to the needs of people should be our focus, but I don't think we should work for rewards. I think we should work for Jesus out of love and obedience. The rewards are His to give as He chooses.