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There is no getting around it : people are motivated by reward. Incentives have always been part of the world of business. without a motivational system, workers will likely be inclined to get by, with minimum levels of effort and performance .

Effective leaders understand the human need for the reward, and they make use of recognition and compensation to lift morale  and improve my performance. A reward can be as simple and effective as regular encourament or an extensive and  long-range as a profit-sharing program.

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded”.(2chronicles 15:7)

“Behold I am coming soon ;my reward  is with me ,and

I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”(Revelation 22:12)

There may  be those who think the idea of being motivated by an attractive rewards is in. yet God has filled the Bible with promises of amazing reward. He makes this promises to keep us from giving up hope, to inspire us,  to persist in the face of troubles and persecutions.

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After discussing the Resurrection of the dead and the glorified bodies Christians will receive in the resurrection, Paul sums up the subject with this statement :”Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm .let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain “(1 Corinthians 15:58).

ln recognition of the importance of motivation and reward Paul also emphasizes,” for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ ,that each one may receive what is doing for the things done while in the body ,whether good or bad”(2 Corinthians 5:10).

Rather than seeing this kind of motivation as inferior or immature,  God built desire for the rewards into our heart. He created us with the desire to hear him say well done,” good and faithful servant! you have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things .come and share your Masters happiness”(Matthew 25:12).

Jesus seem to think that would be something enjoyable for us to hear . God certainly understands what makes us tick. Perhaps chapter in the Bible illustrates the promised reward from God better than Hebrew 11.

In all chapter that has been titled by some “the hell of faith,”) the author highlight the life in contributions of the great men and women of faith in the old testament and the reward God gave them because of their faith in  him .The simple fact is that God has promised to reward us “Any one who comes to him( God) must believe that he exists and that he reward those who earnestly seek him”(Hebrew 11:6).

Believe in reward is part of the Christian Faith .Nevertheless, some people think that it is somehow the meaning or less than honorable for Christians to want to be rewarded for their levels. They think that Christian should serve with a motive of love, expecting no reward for their labours.

But that is not the complete message of the Bible .In addition to the free gift of salvation  by grace through Faith ,the Bible does promise the reward for God’s people, and it is not wrong to desire the promises of God.

Certainly ,we are to serve God from the motivation of love and not as hireling who work only to be paid. However ,the scripture does  speak of the rewards, and assures us that we will be rewarded. it is honorable for us to believe in God’s promises and to find them motivating.Rewards are not the only motive of the redeem children of God ,but it is part of the package God has given us.

There is going to be a day of reckoning . The lord who gives great gift will also return to settle account( see Matthew 25:19). this is going to be a performance review that will make every other performance” review you have even receive some inconsequential. we may be able to lip -sync our way through life, but we will all sing a cappella in front of God.

This should serve as a wake-up call for complacent Christians. we must not allow ourselves to be seduced by the things this world deems important. most of what they world tells us to pursue is related to the opinion of others ,but at” the judgement seat of Christ ,their opinion will be irrelevant .only his opinion will matter.

WHO WILL BE REWARDED AND HOW?

According to Revelation 22:12, everyone will be rewarded. so there is no exception ,rather all will be rewarded so the reward will be cut across every nation, tongue and tribe, every class and calibre ,every status and stature, to every Walk of Life .we all will be rewarded. it is a promise from God, himself who is the rewarder.YOU will be rewarded for all you do, both Good and evil .

our test clearly state that each will be rewarded according to what he or she has done. I am talking about fairness . Everyone loves to be treated fairly .

No one wants to be discriminated against, and God has promised of ,at least, one time when there will be no discrimination. often we complain of inequality in wealth, inequality in stature and status, inequality  wages and compensation ,inequality in the distribution of basic life necessities by the government, inequality in political appointment ,the list goes on and on, but, when it comes to the ultimate review of our performances here on earth,  there will be no discrimination ,favoritism or inequality.we will all be treated equally and fairly .you will receive the very reward that you deserve.

PARABLES OF REWARD

In several parables, Jesus indicated that faithful disciples would receive great rewards. sometimes the rewards is described as rulership, but Jesus also use other words to describe our reward.

In the parable of the vineyard workers, the gift of salvation is symbolised by one day wage ( Matthew 20:9-16).

In the parable of the virgin,  the reward is a marriage banquet (Matthew 25:10).

In the parable of talents, the reward is described in general terms :being put” in charge of many things “and being able” to share your Masters happiness”

In the parable of sheep and goats ,the blessed disciples are allowed to inherit a kingdom(vs 34).

In the parable of the servant ,the faithfulk servant is rewarded by being put incharge of all the Masters positions(Luke 12:42-44).

In the parable of the pound, the trustworthy servant were giving rulership over cities(Luke 19:16-19). Jesus promised the  twelve rulership over the tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). members of the church in  thyatira were promise authority over the nation’s (Revelation2:26-27).

Jesus advised his disciples to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven(Mathew 6:19-21). By this,he imply that what we do in this life will be rewarded in the future, but what sort of the word is it ?what good is a treasure  when there is nothing to buy? when streets are made of gold, what will be the value of gold?

when we have spiritual bodies, we will not need physical things. I think that this facts suggest that when we think of internal reward, we should think primarily about the spiritual reward not physical things that we pass away. but the problem is that we do not have the vocabulary to describe details of an existence we have never experienced .so we need to use one based on the physical when we even attempt to describe what this preacher is like.

our internal reward will be like a treasure. in some respects, it will be like inheriting a kingdom .In someway, it will be like  been giving all our Masters possession. it will be similar to having a vinyard to take care of on our behalf of the master. it will be like having responsibility over cities. it will be like a wedding banquet when we share in our Masters happiness.it is like all of these things, and much more.

our spiritual blessings will be far better than the physical things we know in this life. our enternity  in God’s presence will be much more glorious and joyful  then physical reward. All physical things, no matter how beautiful, enjoyable or valuable, are only weak shadows of infinitely better heavenly reward.

The simple implication of this fact is that the reward will be in two categories. This will follow the natural phenomena of Good and evil ,right and wrong, righteousness and sinfulness, or wickedness. The good, right, or righteous will be on one category, while the evils, wrong ,or sinful /wicked will be on another category.

No better portion of the scriptures explains  this fat better than the words of prophet Isaiah . Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds . wow to the wicked! Disaster is upon them !They would be paid back for what their hands have done.(Isaiah 3:10-11).

This text is like Israel’s pillar of cloud, it has a light side and a dark side (Exodus 13:21). it has a light side onto the godly “tell the righteous it will be well with them”. And it has a dark side on to the wicked woe to the wicked !Disaster is upon them ! Both, you see, are rewarded, righteous and wicked but here is a vast difference: one has a reward of Mercy and the other a reward of Justice.

I beginn with the first of these,” tell the righteous it will be well with them .”This scripture was written in a very sad and cakamitous time, as you may read in the beginning of the chapter :”the mighty man and the man of war shall cease, the prudent and ancient, both judge and prophets will be taken away.”  this was a very sad time with the Church of God in Jerusalem.

If the judge is taking away, where will there be any Justice, if the prophet is removed where will there be any message from God? The whole nation was running to run and almost in the rubbish. Now in this sad of juncture of time, God would have this text to be written; and it is like a rainbow in the clouds. 

God would have his people comforted in the means of all afflictions.” tell the righteous it will be well with them”.

The great preposition which lies in the wards is this: however things go in this world, it shall be well with the righteous man at last . This is an oracle from God’s own mouth; therefore  we are not to dispute .it it is God’s own oracle. As echoed by the preacher,”surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God”. I know it. it is a golden maxim not to be disputed.” it shall be well with those who fear the Lord”( Ecclesiastes 8:12).

It is well with the righteous..

Shalom…..