The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
April 29, 2007
In
This Issue:
Do
You Want a Reward in Heaven?
by
Steve Klein
The
Power of Christ
by
Johnny Ramsey
Do You Want A Reward in Heaven?
If someone came to your house today and said that they had a one million dollar "reward" to give away, no doubt your first question would be, "What do I have TO DO to get it?"
The word translated reward in our Bibles primarily means "wages" or "hire." It is what you receive for doing something. "Each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor" (1 Corinthians 3:8b).
I really wonder how some folks ever expect to receive the reward of heaven. There are many people who believe you don't have to do anything to be saved. To them, heaven cannot be a reward. Others believe you have to do something, but they haven't done it. Still others have done what they need to do to be saved initially, but they have not continued to work for their reward. John warns Christians to "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for but that we may receive a full reward" (2 John 8). Yes, it is possible to lose the reward. "Once saved" DOES NOT necessarily mean one is always saved.
The point is that if heaven is a reward, then surely we must do something to receive it. And make no mistake, the Bible clearly teaches that heaven is a reward.
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Heaven is A Reward for Enduring Persecution. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. . ." (Matthew 5:11-12a).
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Heaven is A Reward for Showing Compassion to the Needy. "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:41).
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Heaven is A Reward for Loving Others. "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Highest"' (Luke 6:35).
Jesus is coming back one day. He has 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). Will you have done what is necessary to receive your heavenly reward?
-- Steve
Klein
Christianity is challenging because it is built upon the deity of the Master. Jesus was not just a man: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made&ldots;And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3, 14). In reply to the questioning Jews, He said, "Before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58). To unbelieving critics who objected to His claims of familiarity with God, He further stated, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).
Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6:68), a name above all others (Phil. 2:9) and a glory which is unsurpassed (John 14:6). To the "King of kings" (I Tim. 6:15), we owe allegiance that propels us into a sojourn that people of the temporal world cannot fathom (Acts 4:13). Even Napoleon, in his famous speech to Gen. Bertrand, admitted that "the spirit of Christ overawes me." As another leader of men later wrote, so we believe as well, that our blessed Lord Jesus supersedes all rulers, armies, navies and heroes that ever lived in power, splendor and influence.
The Power of Evangelism
The impact of Christianity challenges us
also because it is promulgated by the great commission and not some
bombastic plan set forth by mankind. The parting words of the Savior,
prior to His going back to heaven, are so simple, yet profound. Jesus
told the apostles: "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit&ldots;Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned"
(Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15-16).
Jesus sent His disciples into the world with no weapons, no threats. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal" (II Cor. 10:3). They had only the message of salvation. But that was enough! Nothing could have permeated the Roman Empire so successfully as the humble servants of the crucified Nazarene pressing the claims of the Messiah upon that profligate society. The early saints "went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4), and soon the message of redemption covered the ancient world as the waters cover the sea.
The Power of a Pure Life
Christianity demands our very best
because it is demonstrated by purity of life. The basic and
fundamental values of the religion of Christ can best be seen in His
life: "For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities, but one that hath been in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin&ldots;Him who knew no sin He
made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him" (Heb. 4:15; II Cor. 5:21). It was said of Jesus
that "He went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). So do His
followers, as they "follow His steps" (I Pet. 2:21). The
same values seen in the life of Jesus are seen in the dedicated
demeanor of the disciples of the Lord.
Too many times, the world receives a faulty impression of the way of the cross because of our failure to portray the ethics of godliness. From the writing of the apostle Paul, we learn anew of the intense value and power of a life that magnifies Christ and shares the message of the Redeemer with others (Phil. 1:12-20). Oh, what demands the gospel places upon the devotees of the Savior! The words of a gospel song ought to ring in the ears of every dedicated Christian:
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
All His wonderful passion and purity.
May His spirit divine, all my being refine.
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
Christianity is great because it brings hope, joy, and optimism into the daily walk of children of the heavenly Father. Trusting in the Creator (Prov. 3:5), instead of earth's vain trinkets, gives us the enrichment that only the hope of heaven can bequeath to us. Hope includes faith, but it also is assurance. We have that assurance because of Jesus: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Pet. 1:3-5).
Christians never look back to a life of sin, but ever press on to the beautiful home of the soul. As parents, we choose early in life to indelibly etch into the mural and fabric of our children's lives that we "look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God&ldots;look for a better country, that is, a heavenly country" (Heb. 11:10, 16).
A careful man I ought to be,
A little fellow follows me;
I do not dare to go astray,
For fear he'll go the self-same way.
Let us all rise up to meet the challenge of true Christianity. With a firm commitment and a deep resolve, we will one day do it, by the grace of God. And when the saints go marching into glory, we will join in that heavenly chorus.
-- Johnny Ramsey
Vía Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 15, April
13, 2007