Beautiful post, thank you for taking the time to explain.
I agree with it all, the rewards bit I am unsure of, because technically aren't we all like Christ in the eyes of the father? You can't get better then that.
I also know the crowns that we can earn, we throw back at the Lord when we are in heaven, so yes It would be nice to have a crown to throw to Him, but I don't think God would give a ghetto apartment to one and a mansion to another
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me,
to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Not everyone is blessed and Yeshua is clear that His rewards is given 'according our work'. Those rewards are not for salvation but for following His commandments. You follow His commandments you earn rewards. You disobey His commandments you earn punishment. A punishment may even be to be excluded from the inner gates of the wall to gain access to the 'tree of life' or be excluded even to 'outside the walls'. And we know who is 'outside the walls'.
Rev 22:15 For without (outside the walls) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
These are people that have salvation but have MAJOR error still within their lives. They are totally excluded from the Heavenly city, but not the Heavenly kingdom. BTW, dogs in Hebrew is an idiom for homosexuals.
Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
What of those that don't overcome the error in the church of Ephesus? Either they are not saved but members of the church or they are saved but are not blessed with the right to eat of the tree. And remember the tree lines the streets inside the walls. The wall itself is 30 stories high and 30 stories deep and runs for 6000 miles around the city. Just as Rahab the harlot lived on the outer wall in Jericho, the poor live on the walls of the city.
If you don't overcome the error of the church of Sardis, you have no robes of righteousness, ie naked. Well being in a loin cloth is considered naked by Hebrew standards. Sardis was the worldly church living in sin but using grace to indulge in that sin.
Remember the guest at the wedding feast that didn't have his 'wedding cloths' was cast out as unworthy to attend. The 'outer darkness' isn't hell or the lake of fire. It is the farthest from the throne of glory for those unworthy. The actual Greek word used does not mean 'darkness' as in a total absence of light but 'shade', a dim light. It is the lowest caste within the heavenly kingdom. Not everyone will be fit to be jurors, judges, rulers over nations, counselors, priests or kings. Only the top level overcomers earn the positions of priests or kings.
IMO many Calvinists fall into the error of the church of Ephesus. In their arrogance that they are 'the elect' and others are doomed, they lack love for those Christians struggling to overcome error (the spiritual immature) in their life and consider them not among the elect. IMO there will be MANY Calvinists in those ghetto apartments. Add the sovereignty of God doctrine that what ever they do must be the will of Yah, justifying their error, they are in for a rude surprise at the Bema Seat.
Even if the eternal consequence of sin totally separating you from the heavenly kingdom is forgiven, there are still consequences for your actions in this life. What of sins against your fellow man?
Do you even realize there is a heavenly whipping post?
Lu 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will,
shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Not only will rewards be given at the Bema Seat but also punishments given for offenses and woe unto those that harm the little ones.
Mt 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mr 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Lu 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
We are ALL to come to Him as 'little children' but any that harm the 'little ones' are better off committing suicide then facing His wrath at the Bema Seat judgement.
The Bema Seat judgement will not be a fun thing for many Christians. They will get the reward they are due whether it is crowns of glory or stripes of punishment and an eternal lowly status in the kingdom. The concept that salvation and eternal life are the only goals is a major misconception. This life is your job interview for your eternal position.
