Eternal Rewards

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. "If you are a Christian , you are in the same circumstance as the early followers of Jesus. You have been commissioned to manage an asset for your Master. Your asset is your life-the sum of your talents, strengths, personality and interests. [Live every day to answer the question]. How will I steward what my Master has placed in my care?"Bruce Wilkinson, "A Life God Rewards" My works will be tested by fire each day I walk, and while I am walking, my works will be burned and purified. Some rewards will be burn up and some will remain. I won't know until I get into heaven. Reading the Scriptures, I understand that I will be rewarded for the good that's remaining after my spiritual motivations (however anyone wants to term this) have been burned up, and the burning of the stuff occurs in 1 Corinthians 3. Sin in my life towards the end of my life. I can begin to forfeit my rewards and those things listed would be taken back off the list, added to the "wood, hay, and stubble" kind of thing, and your reward would be less. Gold, silver, and costly stones. These are symbolic of good work. But it’s more than good. It’s eternal work, spiritual work. It’s work that is born of the Spirit of God, ordered by Him. It’s work that is born out of an abiding relationship with Christ. Wood, hay, and straw. These are symbolic of inadequate work. Now that does not mean that it’s not perceived as good. It may look good, but in reality it was not good at all. That’s because it had its origin in the flesh. The Spirit of God never authorized it. It’s work that is not led by the Spirit, but is merely human effort to please God. Motive may be a selfish desire to do something for Jesus. It may be a desire to look good in the eyes of others. In the WoF world, motives are my primary problem because many desires are related to "NOW" rather than later. It is not enough to do good spiritual works, such as prophesy, healing and other spiritual gifts. Spiritual works must flow from the will of God. Jesus said it is the one who does the will of the Father who really does good works. That’s the key requirement for doing the works of the Kingdom. When the Lord looks, He sees all. He sees beyond the surface, even to the thoughts and intents of our heart. So perhaps this fire that will try our works is the all seeing eye of the Lord Himself. But in any case, the nature of our works will be revealed. And what is the outcome? What is the prize which awaits those who do Kingdom work? The nature of the spiritual work determines the reward or loss. Example If what I have built survives, I will receive my reward; however, if it is burned up, I will suffer loss. I am still saved and I am sealed to enter into heaven regardless. Whatever I built spiritual during my human life, my rewards may escape through the flames. If my works passed the test and stand because they are true spiritual works of the Kingdom, then I will be rewarded according to my works. Now if my works are consumed because they were works built on the flesh based on wrong spiritual motives, then I will suffer the loss of them, and there will be no reward. So, my spiritual goals are to lay up treasure in heaven. I am going to focus on building on the foundation (Christ) with the right spiritual motives, that my spiritual work will be gold, silver, and costly stones. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal. 6:9) My focus was eternal rewards and blessings but at the same time I trust God for His decisions to give me anything that fits according to His PLANS. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Reading 1 Timothy 4 explains that Christians must choose their priorities carefully like an athlete as to have disciplined lives forgo some desires that may hinder doing God's will and please God as you are after God's own heart. "An athlete who aspires to win the coveted prize does not indulge himself"(J. Oswald Sanders). With God's grace, we have the power to reach the prize of God's will. Reading Hebrews helped me understood that I am to be aware of obstacles and hindrances I would meet during my life, to throw me off balance that hinders doing the Will of God that could entangle my life easily if I do not submit myself to God's power of grace. God's grace is more than sufficient in my life that I am to fix my eyes on Jesus who is my author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). Faith and Grace together is to "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV). What should motivate me like an athlete who trains for the Olympics to win a gold medal such self-discipline and willing to face the endurance of the spiritual training as Hebrews 12 and other biblical passages describes? What is my spiritual prize since I already have my gift eternal life? What are my eternal rewards? If I am to claim and take my temporal rights and privileges, what happens to God's eternal will? I have learned that it is God's will to submit to the Holy Spirit and keep on filling me (Ephesians 5:18). Like an athlete when training, I should always keep drinking water so that I won't be dehydrated and feeling weak. With that thought in my mind, I should always keep filling the Holy Spirit in my life so that I am able to act and react any difficulties in my life with God's power (Grace). The power of Grace through the Holy Spirit is my strength that I am able to boast and win for Christ at all costs (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-12). Regarding Judgement Seat. I believe this is only for those who died without Christ. We will be judged based on our works but not our salvation. . When the Lord looks, He sees all. He sees beyond the surface, even to the thoughts and intents of our heart. So perhaps this fire that will try our works is the all seeing eye of the Lord Himself. But in any case, the nature of our works will be revealed. And what is the outcome? What is the prize which awaits those who do Kingdom work? The nature of the spiritual work determines the reward or loss. 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.

Spiritual Healing means "PEACE with God"

Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (reconciled with God) (1). Jesus will keep in perfect peace in our mind, because we trusts in Him (2). The Lord have said, I have created praise on the lips of the mourners " Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal (reconcile with) them"(3). Jesus came and preached peace to us who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (4). All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (5). Because of Christ,"Blessed are the peacemakers, for we are called sons of God (6). Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (7). 1. Is. 53:5 2. Is. 26:3 3. Is. 57:19 4. Eph. 2:17-18 5. 2 Corinth. 5:18-21 6. Matthew 5:9 7. Romans 14:19 Ephesians 2:12-22 Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. This is spiritual healing. You are spiritually saved by Grace with the gift of faith when convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent for the separation from God and made peace with our Creator we were once was far away. Of the two healings, which is more important and which is THE HEALING that God has promised? Word of Faith (WoF) is confusing people regarding what "Word of Faith" really means. We are saved by faith in Christ, alone; without works and without our merit. Faith is a gift through grace. Faith is believing and receiving, as in Acts 16:31: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved;" and as in John 1:12: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name." The Bible says, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:8b-10). The heart believes and the mouth confesses. That's spiritual healing. Not physical healing. I should add that I believe in Divine Healing according to God's decision, not ours. Okay.... Mr Spock... let's look at this from the "logic point of view" 1. Physically healed but still eternally dead 2. Spiritually healed and will live eternally but not physically healed but will die anyway going back to dust. 3. Spiritually healed and will live eternally, additional bonus of physically healed however will die anyway going back to dust. Through Adam, we are born spiritually dead. Through Jesus Christ, we are born-again spiritually. Romans 5:12 [ Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ ] Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Unregenerated person means spiritually dead person. Sin is separation from God meaning spiritually dead facing eternal death. Born-again means spiritually alive facing eternal life. Result of the fall: Spiritually: Adam and Eve died since God broke away the relationship with them and kicked them out of Garden of Eden. Death is universal spiritually and also by nature. Physically we are born alive however spiritually dead. When we have Jesus Christ in our lives, we no longer spiritually dead but spiritually alive even though our physical body will continue to decay and will die someday. A spiritually dead person cannot will himself to live anymore than a physically dead person can will himself to come back to life. If the dead person (spiritually or physically) is to come back to life he/she will have to be resurrected by God. In the spiritual realm this means he/she must be born from above. A spiritually dead person is without the Holy Spirit, therefore we do not have the "ability" to get saved on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to prick and quicken us to be alive. If you are damned, it's entirely your own fault, and not God's fault at all (though God controls everything). This is hard to understand, because sin is darkness and confusion. If you are saved, it's entirely God's doing, and not to your credit at all. All you did was responding to the Holy Spirit's conviction and He did the rest. There's no works involved. There's no measure of faith involved. Its a choice in matter of responding to the Holy Spirit's conviction in our hearts to be saved. Jesus said in John 16:8 "When He (Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." Later in the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians 1:5 "because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." Now, that we are spiritually healed and will live eternally, will physical healing have the same guaranteed even though we will die someday and our bodies will return to dust? Well...... when I die when physically not healed and I am in heaven, then it was God's decision that I was not to be healed rather a man's doctrine of reasons why I am not healed. What does Paul mean when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10 "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." ? Weaknesses: (From Strong's Greek #769) of strength, weakness, infirmity, of the body, its native weakness and frailty, feebleness of health or sickness, of the soul , want of strength and capacity requisite 1b, to understand a thing 1b, to do things great and glorious 1b, to restrain corrupt desires 1b, to bear trials and troubles Insults: (From Strong's Greek #5196) insolence impudence, pride, haughtiness, a wrong springing from insolence, an injury, affront, insult, mental injury and wantonness of its infliction being prominent, injury inflicted by the violence of a tempest Hardships: (From Strong's Greek #318) necessity, imposed either by the circumstances, or by law of duty regarding to one's advantage, custom, argument, calamity, distress, straits Persecutions: (From Strong's Greek #1375) persecution Difficulties: (From Strong's Greek #4730) narrowness of place, a narrow place, metaph. dire calamity, extreme affliction. If you look at verse 9 leading up to verse 10..... God told Paul "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Did God's grace made Paul strong? Healing and Grace are provided at God's discretion.