What Rewards?

Back in the days of Pharisees, they thought they were rewarded by God for doing the deeds that were required of them from God. Jesus rebuked them and told them that God looks in the heart, not what they did. We are to love Jesus and serve Him because He is God, not because of the gracious things He does for us or for the rewards He promises us. Of course, God does not expect us to forget or ignore the gracious future promises but He expect us to believe God and honor His Word, if we walk by faith in love and obedience, there will be eternal rewards for each of us in that great coming day. A faithful Christian is willing to wait out God's own good time and let the wisdom of the future judgment reveal his true size and worth. Do you realize that most Christians play at faith as they play at games? As in who is healed and who is not healed. As who is wealthy and who is not wealthy and so on as a contest. There is no sense in competition between believers regarding the temporal promises. As we live the life of faith, we Christians are never to be in competition with other Christians. The Bible makes this very plain and that we are to be unity regardless of who have great spiritual gifts or not. Christians are never told to carry on their proclamation of the Savior in a spirit of competition. For those who are playing games of FAITH, this leads to a Christian playing "Thomas" that he/she demands immediate and visible proof of success because this Christian looks eagerly for evidence to assure him/her that he/she is indeed somebody. This of course leads this Christian hunger for present approval of the human eyes to the temptation to inflate his/her work for the sake of appearances as Pharisees did. If the game conditions describe were confined to the ball park, for Christians without grace has to follow fields and its rules and its equipment for playing the game of faith. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.* Hebrews 12:1 Only a Christian have the right to hope, for only he/she have the power of God to give. Such Christian have a right to look upward and wait for the fulfillment of every promise. A faithful Christian will see to it that his/her anticipations conform to the revealed Word of God and he/she has nothing to doubt or fear in life or in death. Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 1 Corinthians 3:14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it. Colossians 3:24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Hebrews 11:26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.