Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
Reward in Heaven

Reward in Heaven

Jesus, in the beatitudes, lists many descriptors of those who are considered blessed of heaven—the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those hungering for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Then Jesus says about these people:

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12 NIV84)

Oh, what a happy day it will be when all sin is washed away, when there will be no more pain, suffering, distress, heartache, and persecution, and when we receive the promised rewards!

But are the rewards of salvation, of surrendering to Jesus, of living as God would have us only experienced after the Second Coming? Or, while the ultimate rewards of new immortal bodies, face-to-face communion with God, restoration of our departed loved ones, and a universe free from all sin, decay, and death are not experienced until after the Second Coming, are there other rewards that the saved experience here and now?

Can you think of any rewards that come from being reborn into the family of God that we experience here and now—rewards that even those who are persecuted, like the apostle Paul was, experience? 

Do you consider the peace we have with God when we surrender our hearts to Him a reward? Is it a reward to experience the removal of guilt and shame and the gain of peace of heart, new motives that lead us to love God and others, joy, patience, self-control, wisdom, discernment, being able to talk with God as one does to a friend, and sometimes specific divine interventions in our daily struggles? Isn’t life better in a love/trust relationship with God here and now than living in the world without God?

Over the years, I have heard various Christians, when they talk about the rewards in heaven, mention things like mansions, streets of gold, and crowns of glory. I have heard the idea put forth that those who have done the most for Jesus here on Earth will be given, as a reward, more “stars in their crowns.” I remember that as a child, each week at church if we could correctly recite our weekly memory verse, we would receive a gold star next to our name on the class roster posted on the wall. As the year unfolded, some of us had many more stars next to our names than others. As a child, I wondered if that is how it would be for the saved in heaven—those who did more good works for Jesus would have crowns with more stars.

As I have grown up though, I have realized that the imagery of stars in heavenly crowns is very much like the gold stickers placed by our names as children—symbols of the real reward we receive, but they are not the reality itself.

In the Greek New Testament, two words are translated as “crown”: diadem, which is a crown of authority, power over others, worldly imperial rule; and stephanos, which is the crown of victory over sin. Peter describes our victory crown (stephanos) as a crown of glory, and Paul describes it as a crown of righteousness:

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:4 NIV84).

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8 NIV84).

This stephanos crown is real, but it is not a piece of metal laden with jewels; such depictions are merely symbolic—the true crown is the crown of a glorious, righteous Christlike character permanently and fully restored and sealed into the hearts and minds of the saved. This is our reward!

But why will some receive greater reward than others if all receive the reward of being crowned with a righteous Christlike character?

What is it that heaven values most? People! So if we become like Christ, what will we value most? Other people! And, therefore, what will be our greatest joy, reward, happiness, and cause for celebration in heaven? Won’t it be the number of people we know and love who are there to celebrate with us? Won’t our reward, what brings us the most joy, be multiplied by the number of people whom we love and are loved by and whom we can share the joys of heaven with?

This is an outworking of the design law of love—the more you give, the more you receive. As we experience God’s love, are transformed by that love, and allow that love to flow through us to others, we are sowing the good seed of the gospel. And as the good seed of God’s truth and love, flowing through us, reaches other human hearts, God’s saving grace, healing presence, and transforming love will cause those seeds to grow in the tender hearts, the receptive hearts, and those people will respond positively and give their hearts to Jesus.

In heaven, all of this will be made known to us. God will reward us by revealing all these gospel links between people. The connections of love and truth of which we have been a part will be magnified. God will introduce us to those who had a hand in sharing the gospel with us and those to whom our loving service brought the gospel. We will see where our donation to this ministry or that church resulted in reaching a soul for God’s kingdom, or a tract we left in a home, or a pamphlet we edited, or a song we sang, or a conversation we had on an airplane that was overheard and bore witness to the kingdom of God. We will see how the Holy Spirit watered these actions to lead souls to Christ. And we will understand the sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, and service that others did for us, but so, too, we will experience the gratitude, love, and appreciation of those who found Christ because of God’s working through us.  

And consider the impact upon the saved when God makes all of these connections known; what will happen in the hearts and minds of these saved people in heaven? Love and appreciation and rejoicing and reward, and that love is described in Scripture as a burning fire (Song 8:6). The more of these love-connections we have been involved in making here on this earth, the more of God’s love flows back through these people to us and the brighter we will shine, the more stars will be seen burning in the crowns of our characters, and the greater will our reward in heaven be!

Truly, it is just as Jesus said: The humble—those who know their spiritual need, those who mourn over the sin-sickness of this world, those who hunger for the righteousness of heaven, who are merciful, compassionate, whose hearts are purified by God’s love, who share that love with others, even blessing those who persecute them—will experience great reward in heaven!

 

 

Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 72

I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

H. Miller, Centereach, NY

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

Daniel T., Easley, SC, USA

 

Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA

 

Testimony 1

Thank you! I love listening to the Come And Reason Ministries Bible study classes and am using some of your notes to get the lessons together that I will be teaching. You always have such good quotes and Bible texts and pull things together to make good sense.

T. C., IN, USA