“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” (Matt. 6:5)
The high school football star who goes on to a fine job, raises a fine family, helps his community to grow, receives a lead place in the local parade, a good man who dies in his sins. He received his rewards.
The Pharisees pride blinded their eyes to the truth, if they recognized Christ as who He said He was, they would lose their place of preeminence amongst the people. The cover story they concocted was that Rome would increase its pressure upon them, that the laws of Moses were being broken, but the truth was that the people were following the Lord Jesus Christ, not them, which can be seen, for after the Lord’s death and resurrection any who still continued to follow the way were threatened with being cast out of the Temple.
The junkie on the street thinks of nothing but his next fix, the drunk the next drink, the lover of money, that football star, all will receive their rewards here, for God is indeed love.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2nd Peter 3:9) But most will, and I do not mean to attempt to express the mind of the Living God, but if you know that someone is going to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire, in at least the very short time of this life they have, you want them to know at least a modicum of enjoyment.
Those who seek for the pleasures in this life will indeed receive their rewards here, if you have been born again you will not, they await you in heaven, you have been promised persecutions. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2nd Tim. 3:12)
The manner of persecution, and I do not say this irreverently, is not entirely up to the Lord, you have a say in them, in the type of persecutions that will arrive in your life. Those that sneak Bibles into nations where the Word of God is illegal to own risk severe torture, imprisonment and death, if you continue to bring the truth of salvation through Christ alone to your loved ones, you risk losing them, even your immediate family. If you offer the foolishness of preaching to your coworkers you will be mocked, ridiculed and possibly fired from your job. “The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Luke 12:53)
Today laws have been enacted that at their basis call those who would live a life of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Word of God racists and bigoted, fines and imprisonments are being enacted against those that do so, and their rewards in heaven are being added unto each time it happens, while those that are accusing them, those that are persecuting them are receiving their rewards here, for God is love.
An eternity of pleasures forevermore or an eternity of never-ending pain, each will receive their final reward.
Until you realize the truth of these words, you will never reach out to them, you will never seek for the lost amongst the wicked, and you may find that your reward was only here as well. Religion corrupts, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ causes us to go where we are sent, no matter the possible consequences to ourselves.
“Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” (Luke 6:23)
Our actions cause those rewards to come into our lives, where will you receive yours?