“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (Rev. 3:12)
You are not going to receive everything in this life, and it can be debated as to how much each of us will receive in heaven.
Some will receive crowns, some will not, rewards gained and lost, privileges, if you like, of like manner will not be gained by all.
The one who was given ten coins received more than the one who received five. There are only twenty-four thrones in front of the throne of the Most High, and it is very doubtful indeed that the writer of these short letters or any who reads them will be sitting in one of them.
“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)
Here then is a question for you, was Moses or David, Paul or John, even Spurgeon or Tozer used more by the Almighty for His glory, or did they seek to be used more?
Notwithstanding that the Almighty already knows the positions we will hold in His Kingdom, does our sincere effort, sincere heart and sincere desire establish how much the Lord has determined to use us, or are we limited by His predetermined design for our place in His eternal Kingdom?
We may as well attempt to answer this question, one I contemplate every time I read this verse.
“The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24)
Did Judas Iscariot have a choice?
And we could add the same question to this one as well.
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jer. 1:5)
Does how much effort we put forth for His glory count, if you will, towards the crowns, benefits and rewards of heaven?
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matt. 11:11)
There is no doubt that there are hierarchal orders in heaven, angels with lesser or greater, for lack of a better word, powers, or abilities. The Prince of Persia was stronger, again for lack of the angelic terminology, than the one sent to Daniel.
David will be the Lord’s viceroy during the Millennial, I will not, neither will you. But is it because Moses had a greater faith, was Peter more willing to die to self, are you more willing to give all of your life to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God than the person in the pew next to you, and so will receive more?
And consider this, can you envision yourself content in heaven when you are told, “No, you cannot do that or go there, because you did not earn that reward while on earth?”
Those who love much more because they have been forgiven much more, do they strive greater, are they compelled more, driven more to give more to the Most High than those who have been forgiven little? Those who did not spend decades in blatant, open, willing sinful acts solely for the pleasure of them?
To put it bluntly my friends, I have no answer for you, I have no idea how all this works. God hands out the crowns as well as the rewards, the benefits and privileges of heaven are His to give to whom He will.
But if indeed you knew for a fact just a part of all that was available to you, what would you do to alter your life in an attempt to gain them?
Not everyone who walks into His Kingdom will hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matt. 25:21)
Some will only hear, “Welcome.”
If you just said to yourself, “Well, at least I will be in heaven,” then you have missed the point entirely, and do not understand that the following verse has no end, there is no time we will ever attain to it fully.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
