Does everyone who winds up in Heaven get the same reward? Let's say a Christian who truly believes, but hasn't managed to help lead another soul to Christ. Would their reward be the same as one who led thousands of souls to Christ?
According to scripture the Kingdom of God is a meritocracy.
Mat 25:14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
Mat 25:15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Mat 25:16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
Mat 25:17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
Mat 25:18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Mat 25:19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Mat 25:20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’
Mat 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Mat 25:22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’
Mat 25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Mat 25:24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
Mat 25:25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
Mat 25:26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
Mat 25:27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
Mat 25:28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
Mat 25:29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Mat 25:30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We are not talking about salvation here. This is about the distribution of rewards for those who are saved. It is all about how well you use what you have got. Now the parable is simplistic but gives a general idea. For example the thief on the cross had no chance of using anything. It could be a fruit of the spirit you kept hidden, it could be a spiritual gift you kept hidden and of course it does come down to whether you were aware that you had a spiritual gift. It could be you were called to be a minister but went in a different direction. But what are the rewards anyway? From the above parable one reward will be being a ruler and how much you will rule. Will we be Kings or Paupers in the Kingdom? We really don't have an answer but a mystery to look forward to.
So I suppose it's about what we do with our time here...
