He Has You

There are two judgments that will take place. There will be a judgment of wrath, where Jesus will separate out those who rejected Him. Then there will be a judgment for rewards that is reserved for the saved, where Jesus will evaluate our life on earth. We will be rewarded in heaven based on how we lived our life on earth.

You are saved by grace, but you will be judged by your works. Yet we must be careful to have the right desire for heavenly rewards, for greed and selfishness have no home in heaven. I am convinced that our rewards in heaven have nothing to do with material possessions. The things worth the most reside in our hearts and not in our hands.

Don’t think you must hold a grand position on earth or do some great service to gain these heavenly rewards. The measurement of your works is in simply how well you have loved others. I am quite certain that some great Christian leaders will be shamed at the judgement seat and many obscure servants will gain great rewards.

My wife Mary and I were discussing this topic of heavenly rewards recently. She does not feel like she has a powerful ministry by which she might gain rewards. Yet I watched her tirelessly and lovingly care for our children for many years. And now she does the same for our grandchildren. I tell you, her ministry to little children has the grandest approval from the throne room of heaven.

It is in our selfless love for others that we will gain the greatest rewards. If you want to please God, then love His children. The greatest rewards come by the greatest sacrifices.

We will be judged by how we treat others, not how they treat us. “But why do you judge your brother? …For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).

Live the life on earth that you would want to be remembered by in heaven. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Jesus will not judge you on what you know, but what you did. Jesus promised, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

The Lord will forgive your sin, but only reward your righteousness. “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:13-14).

You better show mercy if you want to receive it. “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:2).

Never fear that men would judge you wrongly, but that God would judge you rightly. “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

Men judge books by their cover, but God by the story within. “…the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Don’t only seek deeper knowledge and not live out simple truths. The Lord will not judge you on the doctrines you knew, but the doctrines you lived. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

Better to be judged in truth by men than judged in your lie by God. “…Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9).

Words against others land squarely on ourselves. It is like spitting into the wind. The Lord Jesus said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

Blessings to you,

Paul Balius

All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version. Please use the version you prefer to review the verses shown here. The best version is the one you read.