But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.
Memory Verse: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.
Won’t it just be nice to always physically see the reward of everything we put efforts into? Most people are driven by physical results and let’s face facts, who doesn’t like to see the result of everything they do? One of the major benefits of seeing results is encouragement. Yes, we have been wired to see result just like our father during creation. The bible records that on all the six days God spent creating the earth and everything in it including ourselves, He usually saw the good in it, Genesis 1.
On earth there are two groups of individuals, those who have accepted Christ and those who haven’t and today’s bible text tells explains in detail the key benefit of being in Christ. Let’s break it down! Imagine both group of individuals engage in exactly the same task called project “good deeds”. The group A are children of God who have been saved according to Romans 10:9 while group B are people who are yet to identify with Christ but live a good moral life and do things out of the abundance of their heart because they feel the need to reach out even though they don’t believe in God. We see that both groups have been moved by compassion and are on a good cause on project good deeds so therefore they may in return be blessed by our father depending on their intention at the time of involvement but let’s see how the blessings may differ.
For group A, they get what I always call a win-win, they may be physically blessed on earth but not only that, they have their name registered in a good book in heaven while group B may only be repaid by God on earth.
The scenario explained clarifies that even though we may be a doer of “project good deeds” here on earth, the way we are blessed is still determined by where we stand with God. Some Christians may think giving their lives to Christ means no further examination of actions and heaven is an automatic entrance for them because they have obeyed the word of God according to Romans 10:9 but that’s not the correct way to think. The scriptures educate us that there will be a day of evaluation for all the things we have done here on earth in obedience to the word of God.
No matter how much good works you may have done here on earth, if you do not have your name on a book in heaven then all your rewards are earthbound but should it happen that heaven recognises your good deeds as an ambassador of Christ, then a heavenly reward is also assured in addition to earthly ones. Likewise, you can have a book in heaven and have nothing written in that book because you did only the minimum requirements according to Romans 10:9 from this view, you may be risking losing out on the kingdom of God because let’s face it, what good is it having your name written on the front page of the good book and with no content? There is a general saying of “don’t judge a book by its cover” and reading more meaning into that saying, you have to go further more than the cover into the content to pass judgement on the book. Imagine you trying to review the content and there is none? How disappointed will you be?
The Joy of being a Christian is having your name registered on a book in heaven and doing the will of God so you have content in that book, only then is your book of any value, Matthew 6:19-20 this is the different between a true child of God and the rest of the world yet to identify with Christ.
Your entire life is focused on storing up treasures in the right place “Heaven” therefore your actions are driven by that purpose and you keep on doing the will of God and populating your book with things of eternal value.
If you have been doing the will of God but everything in your life seem like a loose-loose, I urge you to remember that God is not unjust. He sees everything you do even when you do not realise it and will never forget your work and the labor of love Hebrew 6:10. If you are on God’s side, you are experiencing a win-win even when you cannot see it yet because God is always working everything out for the good of those who love him and identify with His purpose, Romans 8:28.
Please remember, no amount of good deed can give you entrance into the kingdom of God unless you give your life to Christ and do the will of God the Father. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36.
Christianity is not in the saying, it’s in the doing.
PRAYERS:
- Father I thank you for another wonderful day in your presence
- I know Christianity is not about mare words, it’s about power, so I receive power for greater works today in Jesus name
- Help me to live my life for you, walk diligently with you and work extraordinarily for you
- Reward me on earth Lord and write my name in the book of life that I should be rewarded in heaven too
- Let my works not be as unto man but unto you. Let it be quality that when tried, it will pass the test of fire.
- Forgive me all my sins O Lord and let your mercy prevail over judgement
- Thank you Lord for answers to prayers, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.