Rewards
Jesus taught about rewards in heaven. There are numerous rewards in heaven based on our response to Jesus in our short start here on earth. Jesus likened the end of the age to a woman giving birth. If I link these two ideas together, I picture it like this: if my heart gets formed well here and now, in the womb, it will affect the quality of my existence (my health) forever. Forever is a really long time, so I should take seriously what Jesus intended by teaching so much about rewards, and how they were related to my response to Him now!
The knowledge of this concept, and agreeing with Jesus about it will really affect me forever, just like my response to His invitation to salvation will affect me forever.
One of the ribbons that runs through the idea of rewards is that proximity to Jesus is a huge part of the rewards. James and John's mom confirmed this for us. She asked Jesus to let her sons be closest to Him when He took up his throne, and we got to hear one of the most amazing truths, if we will think about it:
Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus confirmed that proximity to Him in the New Jerusalem will matter so much that the Father will determine who is prepared for that closeness to Jesus. Then Jesus gave us two huge pieces of information: If you want to be close to Him, you have to have a heart like His. If you want to be great, you have to look for the lowest place. The great He was describing was great in the context of forever in heaven on earth. Close to Him, sharing in a large measure of His glory...forever. A 70 or 80 year investment of my heart will be rewarded for trillions of trillions of years. Right now the exchange rate for getting my heart in agreement with Jesus is really good from strictly an investment standpoint...not to mention the current dividends.
This is how Jesus described the current dividends from His perspective...why they should matter to me:
John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Jesus said that my friendship with Him, which is evidenced in my obedience to Him, will produce a greatness here on earth. He said that as I position my heart near His (listen for and obey His commands) that I become His friend. Friends are close. Friends hear more. Friends know more. Friends are on the inside. Jesus appointed His friends to get the experience of bearing fruit that remains...now, and forever. Friends get an expanding confidence that whatever they ask in Jesus' name will be done. Any redeemed one can pray in Jesus' name, and if it is in agreement with heaven, that thing will be done. But a friend knows the king. A friend knows the plans of his friend. If I am reaching to position my heart closer and closer to Jesus, my requests automatically become more in agreement with heaven. More of what I request happens.
Jesus said the close positions to Him are given to those whom the Father has prepared. This might sound "exclusive" at first glance, but this is the way of the kingdom, and the mercy of God. God lives in unapproachable light. Moses said God's bright holiness would kill an unredeemed human. No man can see Him and live. Yet Daniel saw the Son of Man, Jesus, the first born of many, standing in human form before the father. God's bright holiness will never change. The seraphim, the closest to the throne, are "burning ones" they are literally on fire from God's bright holiness. Our commitment to holiness is the only variable in our ability to be near the Father and Jesus.
If we let the Father prepare us, we set our hearts to agree with Him as much as a human can in this age, then our reward forever is nearness to the throne. If we rely on a false grace "get out of jail free" card to escape Jesus' leadership rather than let grace bring us more fully under Jesus' leadership, then we resist the Father's preparation of our hearts for closeness. We are way less able to stand in that bright holiness forever. Every redeemed human will experience the joy of the New Jerusalem, but not all will have the same proximity to the throne. Not all will have the same measure of glory radiating from their nearness to the king. Heart response now really matters. Submitting myself to the lowest place... dying to myself... lets the Father have His way with my heart. Not to break me, but to make me.
1 Corinthians 1:41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
The knowledge of this concept, and agreeing with Jesus about it will really affect me forever, just like my response to His invitation to salvation will affect me forever.
One of the ribbons that runs through the idea of rewards is that proximity to Jesus is a huge part of the rewards. James and John's mom confirmed this for us. She asked Jesus to let her sons be closest to Him when He took up his throne, and we got to hear one of the most amazing truths, if we will think about it:
Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus confirmed that proximity to Him in the New Jerusalem will matter so much that the Father will determine who is prepared for that closeness to Jesus. Then Jesus gave us two huge pieces of information: If you want to be close to Him, you have to have a heart like His. If you want to be great, you have to look for the lowest place. The great He was describing was great in the context of forever in heaven on earth. Close to Him, sharing in a large measure of His glory...forever. A 70 or 80 year investment of my heart will be rewarded for trillions of trillions of years. Right now the exchange rate for getting my heart in agreement with Jesus is really good from strictly an investment standpoint...not to mention the current dividends.
This is how Jesus described the current dividends from His perspective...why they should matter to me:
John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Jesus said that my friendship with Him, which is evidenced in my obedience to Him, will produce a greatness here on earth. He said that as I position my heart near His (listen for and obey His commands) that I become His friend. Friends are close. Friends hear more. Friends know more. Friends are on the inside. Jesus appointed His friends to get the experience of bearing fruit that remains...now, and forever. Friends get an expanding confidence that whatever they ask in Jesus' name will be done. Any redeemed one can pray in Jesus' name, and if it is in agreement with heaven, that thing will be done. But a friend knows the king. A friend knows the plans of his friend. If I am reaching to position my heart closer and closer to Jesus, my requests automatically become more in agreement with heaven. More of what I request happens.
Jesus said the close positions to Him are given to those whom the Father has prepared. This might sound "exclusive" at first glance, but this is the way of the kingdom, and the mercy of God. God lives in unapproachable light. Moses said God's bright holiness would kill an unredeemed human. No man can see Him and live. Yet Daniel saw the Son of Man, Jesus, the first born of many, standing in human form before the father. God's bright holiness will never change. The seraphim, the closest to the throne, are "burning ones" they are literally on fire from God's bright holiness. Our commitment to holiness is the only variable in our ability to be near the Father and Jesus.
If we let the Father prepare us, we set our hearts to agree with Him as much as a human can in this age, then our reward forever is nearness to the throne. If we rely on a false grace "get out of jail free" card to escape Jesus' leadership rather than let grace bring us more fully under Jesus' leadership, then we resist the Father's preparation of our hearts for closeness. We are way less able to stand in that bright holiness forever. Every redeemed human will experience the joy of the New Jerusalem, but not all will have the same proximity to the throne. Not all will have the same measure of glory radiating from their nearness to the king. Heart response now really matters. Submitting myself to the lowest place... dying to myself... lets the Father have His way with my heart. Not to break me, but to make me.
1 Corinthians 1:41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
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