As it appears, the most important reward is eternal life,
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
Do not be afraid, Abram. I
am your shield,
your exceedingly great reward.
Eternal reward is established by our nearness
to God. At Sinai, from tabernacle to Temple,
to believers being granted access and instructed to come boldly before Him, all is determining who
has served Him, and by extension, who has drawn
near, as a reflection of His glory.
1 Kings 10:8 Happy
are your men and happy
are
these your servants, who stand continually before you
and hear your wisdom!
Many are on fire for the Lord when they first come
to Him, but against all wisdom, grow weary in well
doing and draw back or turn away. Reward can be
forfeited, and there is a full reward.
2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves,
that we do not lose those things we worked for, but
that we may receive
a full reward.
Drawing near to God expresses our faith
for the salvation of our soul.
Hebrews 10:
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence,
which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 “For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But
we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the
saving of the soul.
Jesus is teaching on nearness to God and eternal
reward in the parable of the guests at the wedding
feast, and taking the low seat.
Luke 14:
10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’
Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Think about where you would like to abide in the
city of God, assuming that the Father and the Son
are in the highest place.
Revelation 21:16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand stadia*. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. (*that's 1380 miles!)
Our eternal reward is not equal and is expressed
in the degree of His glory we reflect. Paul gives
the analogy that not all stars shine with the same
glory.
1 Corinthians 15:
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of
the moon, and another glory of the stars;
for star differs from 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.
The degree to which we stay the course on the narrow
road serving the Lord in our walk of faith will be reflected in this truth. This is the working of the
Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
True Christian fellowship plays a critical role
for being established in this truth.
Malachi 3:
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard
them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.
17 “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them as a man spares
his own son
who serves him.
18 Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.
We persevere in service to the Lord for
the sake of all the brethren.
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory.
Peter ties this to the suffering way of those
who have endured the chastening of the Lord,
which is for our perfection.
1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle
you.
