Extra Rewards for Those Who Run Further and Faster, Against Greater Obstacles, in the Race of Grace? – Greg Albrecht

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Question:

I have just read your blog post titled “What is Our Eternal Reward”.  I have a question.  After we receive the gift of eternal life I believe we will sit at a fabulous banquet in the Kingdom, and those like me who haven’t done much with our talents will be applauding people like Joni Ericson Tada who allowed God to use her, in spite of being a quadriplegic, to do an incredible work of serving many handicapped people around world. She, like many others like her, who devoted their lives to works of service, and have made tremendous sacrifices to serve others should be rewarded according to their works. And shmucks like me will be roundly applauding them for all they did for Jesus.

My question.  Is it not reasonable to believe that the people, like those mentioned, who have sacrificed so much to serve others in the name of Christ, would receive a reward for their works after receiving the free gift of eternal life by God’s grace?

Response:

Thanks for an excellent question.

Some thoughts:

  1. In the blog in question, “What is Our Eternal Reward” I say “a measured reward we receive on the basis of our own efforts cannot be the reward the biblical writers have in mind.”  I say this because such a conclusion devalues, diminishes or even denies the grace of our Lord and the gospel, which is entirely consistent with the unmerited and unearned love and grace of God. 
  2. For God to give us his kingdom and our eternal inheritance by grace, the currency of his kingdom (a metaphor I also use in the blog to which you have reference) and then operationally, as it were, turn right around and begin to bestow “rewards” via another economy, which is not his, is illogical and contrary to the gospel.
  3. Part of the issue here is the matter of language and the meaning we pour into it in our world today.   Not only are we thinking of a 2000 years ago culture, we are importing the western value of capitalism, getting ahead, working hard and earning a reward … all of that to a Middle eastern culture – our general outlook was foreign to that culture.   When we think of rewards we think of something given and received as a result of performance.  We may even use the metaphor of running a race, which of course is used in the New Testament.  After the race is over there is often a victory ceremony, in some cases like the Olympics, a stand where the very best, the first, second and third place finishers, receive gold, silver and bronze rewards. 
  4. But the New Testament is clear – God loves ALL – he has no respect for individual accomplishments over against the accomplishments of others, for no human accomplishments of any kind have any eternal value.    Again, in the blog in question, I say “the very best rewards we can earn, apart from God’s grace, are short-lived, and perish with the end of our earthly sojourn.”  And further, even if there are “extra rewards” based on human effort as one was involved in their mortality with good works and deeds, running a particularly difficult race does not entitle God to give an “extra”  reward.  Some assume, for example that some receiving “extra” rewards will have run, in this life, something like perhaps a marathon compared with others who run a 100 yard dash, using the race metaphor.  If we are to presume the length and difficulty of any individual race promises more and superior and better rewards, and if we are to assume the assumption that the harder one works and the longer one runs the more and greater the reward will be – then we are advised to read Matthew 20:1-16, where the parable of the laborers in the vineyard completely dismantles our notions as it insists upon the upside down, counter intuitive grace of God.
  5. So, again… language and the meaning it suggests to us.  When the New Testament speaks of a race it is a race of grace – runners are not in the race unless and until they receive the freely given grace of God.  The New Testament does not propose a race of human performance which earns celebrity status and endorsements in God’s kingdom of grace.  Yes, many people run that race (on the broad road of Matthew 7:13-14) but they are running a Christ-less religion race, one of performance based legalism.  So to propose that something that anyone might do in this life would presume a greater, more superior, more august eternal reward above and beyond the eternity enjoyed and given to “lesser mortals” seems a contradiction of the kingdom Jesus preached.  As Paul said to his friends in Galatians, who had heard the gospel of grace, but were now seduced by legalizers who insisted on laws that must be obeyed in order to maintain the freely given salvation (law AND grace, as it were): “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard?  Are you so foolish?  After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:2-4).
  6. How much more of a reward can anyone receive than eternal life, living in God’s house, eating at his table, continuously rejoicing with God and all others who have received his freely given grace?  Are those who worked harder in their physical sojourns given bigger rooms in God’s house -a suite perhaps – while others are consigned to tents in the backyard?  Are those who worked harder given “seconds” at the Lord’s table, or perhaps invited to an all-one-can-eat buffet,  while others must be content with the food that is served them?  Paul insists that God does not play favorites, loving one child who achieves more than another who achieves less (Romans 2:11).   The principle of course was famously revealed and articulated by Peter, in the vision he had, with the lesson summarized in Acts 10:34 … “God does not show favoritism.”  Paul suggests we all are equally victorious in Christ, by the love and grace of God, as “God always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ…” (2 Corinthians 2:14).  It seems to me that we err when we apply human concepts and human language, limited that it is, to another dimension, another reality – an eternal one.  Again, the familiar passage in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived that God has prepared for those who love him…” 
  7. That said, God can do whatever he, as the Brits say, “jolly well pleases.”   If he chooses to hand out rewards for work and efforts that some made in their physical life that exceeds the “reward” given to those who just barely “squeak into” the kingdom, then we will all rise in applause.  However, my sense is that such a scene is not consistent with the values of the kingdom.   

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