Salvation is Forever: Session 3 – Gift and Reward

Notes:

Gift and Reward    See Session Slides Here

There are many conditional Bible passages which suggest that if we do not fulfill the conditions we will lose our salvation. E.g. Mt.5:8; Heb.12:14; Rev.3:21; Mt.6:15;18:22-35; 25:14-30; Mt.7:13-14. These do not cancel out the clear teaching of irreversible justification by faith in epistles to Romans and Galatians. We must rightly divide the Word of truth. 1) OC vs NC. E.g. Priesthood Ex.19:5-6 with 1 Pet.2:9; sons of God Lk.6:35 with Gal.3:26; forgiveness Mt.6:15 with Eph.4:32.

But there are conditional passages relating to our reward in the next life, not the gift of salvation.

  • Salvation is a gift – Jn.3:16; Rom.6:23; Jn.10:28; we are justified freely by His grace.
  • But our works will be rewarded. The NC speaks much about a reward, which can be lost.
  • The gift is given in response to faith; the reward is given in response to
  • God’s sets the gift before the unsaved; He sets the reward before the saved. 1 Cor.9:24-27.
  • The gift is eternal life; the reward is reigning with Christ in His coming kingdom.
  • God is going to glorify His Son and He wants to glorify us with Him!
  • Peter had a foretaste of this at the transfiguration. (see also 1 Pet.5:1).
  • John saw it twice. He fell down as one dead. 1 Jn.3:2.
  • The prophets saw it: e.g. Dan.12:3.
  • Jesus spoke of it: ‘Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father’ (Matt.13:43)
  • Paul saw it. It shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor.4:17; Col.3:4;  2 Thes.2:13-14). This is our hope.

Jesus spoke often about His kingdom. It is a prominent theme in the Sermon on the Mount:

  • He begins by saying you must be saved to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). See also Jn.3:6
  • He said there will be degrees of reward in the kingdom (Matt. 5:11&12). See Lk.16:11-12; Rev.3:21
  • He lists some of the things which will be rewarded in the kingdom (Matt. 5:46; 6:1,2,4,5,6,16&18)
  • He exhorts us to lay up for ourselves treasure in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 6:19-20)
  • The kingdom is not salvation. You have salvation. We need to have a kingdom mentality
  • The disciples understood that the reward involved reigning with Christ, Mk.10:35-45
  • The saints at Corinth were aware that we are destined to reign with Christ, 1 Cor.6:2-3
  • Yet Paul told them that his crown was not certain until he completed his race, 1 Cor.9:24-27
  • As sons of God we are also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, Rom.8:17
  • Salvation is dependent on faith; inheritance is dependent upon faithfulness, Col.3:16-25

Every New Testament truth is illustrated in the Old Testament. Heb.12:23. In Scripture there is a distinction between a son and a firstborn son. The firstborn son had the right of control over the family under the father (Ex.4:22&23). Firstborn status entitles a person to a position of ruler-ship. But it can be forfeited. Examples:

  • Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn, but forfeited his inheritance by his fornication (1 Chron.5:1)
  • Esau received his birthright privileges by birth but traded them for one meal (Heb.12:14-17)
  • The context of this chapter is receiving or losing the kingdom, not salvation (Heb. 12:28)
  • The lesson is: once a son always a son. Once a firstborn son, not necessarily always a firstborn son. Eternal life is forever; inheritance can be lost
  • Matt. 5:19-21;  1 Cor.6:8-11;  Eph. 5:5. If we don’t understand these verses we will make them refer to our salvation.
  • The crown is our right to reign. It has nothing to do with eternal life.
  • God wants to reward everyone. All is by grace.


# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.