YOUR ECHO INTO YOUR ETERNITY
Part 11:
A reward time is coming. There is a time when each one of us will stand in front of the
Judgment Seat of Christ for the purpose of receiving reward or suffering loss of reward.
We do have accountability to the Lord for what we have done or not done here on this
earth. Jesus Christ is coming back, and he is bringing a reward with him. The apostle
Paul had a lot to say on this topic in the New Testament. Here are just two examples from
his letters to the Corinthians:
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of
glory beyond all comparison.
—2 Corinthians 4:17, ESV
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become
manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire,
and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that
anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If
anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be
saved, but only as through fire.
—1 Corinthians 3:11–15, ESV
Only to the extent that we build our lives on the foundation of Christ, by allowing him to
live his life through us, can we expect the deeds we do in the body to be able to stand the
test of fire. Is your treasure on earth or in heaven? Are you living your life in such a way
as to maximize your opportunities so that your life will echo into eternity?
God's grace in many ways prioritizes opportunity. We serve the God who provides the
opportunity to each one of us to respond to his grace. He is the God who draws us tohimself through his Son Jesus Christ. He creates in us an increasing desire to invest in the
imperishable values of his eternal kingdom. For those who respond to the opportunities
he presents to us, the future is one of glory beyond human description to be enjoyed in his
presence forever.
There is a message to those of us who are on the King's team, "Wake up, sleeper, rise
from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians
5:14). The time is short, and the eternal destinies of
multitudes are at stake. We need to wake up and get
busy doing the King's business. If we follow this
exhortation, Christ will shine on our lives. And when
Christ shines on our lives, things happen!
We all have opportunities to build our eternal treasure, and the message to us is clear: We
need to respond properly to the message of God, we need to reach for the best that God
has to offer, and we need to press on toward the heavenly goal God has for us. Prayer, the
Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit will deliver us from the wiles of the
consumerlator so that we can develop into the Converterlators God has planned for us to
be.
God is giving each one of us an opportunity to be an eternal "star." In both the Old and
New Testaments we read, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the
heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever"
(Daniel 12:3); and "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father" (Matthew 13:43).
Most of us are not "great" people in the eyes of the world. From a kingdom perspective,
this gives us an advantage. God often uses the weak among us to accomplish great things.
Each day is a new opportunity for us to serve him. Each new day is an opportunity to
strategically invest our time, talent, and treasure into things of eternal value.You and I have been given the opportunity to be a member of the King's Team. It is a
great time to be alive in the history of the world! The Bible tells us, "Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before
him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God" (Hebrews 12:1–2).
The question is, Are we spiritually astute enough to see this time as a time of eternal
opportunity? The stakes are high. The eternal destinies of multitudes are at stake. Every
player is needed. We are in the army of God! We do not want to miss the opportunities to
be low-profile, high-impact players on the King's Team. We are playing for imperishable
crowns to bring glory to the King of Kings.
In Matthew 6:20, Jesus tells us to "lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven"
(ESV). Yes, we can have an eternal 401k.
Yes, our treasure can last forever. It is
guaranteed. The returns are fantastic; in
fact, they are beyond our human ability to
measure.
In this world many people follow "stock
tips." They pursue what they perceive to
be "smart money" and invest in companies for which they have little or no information.
Most of the time, this type of investing results in losses. Jesus, however, gives us a sure
"eternal investment tip." He says we should invest our resources in treasure in heaven.
We can take it with us if we send it ahead by investing in the imperishable world to come
while we are still in this perishing world. The "smart money" is going into the kingdom
of God.Yes, there are obstacles and it gets tough out there, but by the Holy Spirit's power we can
stay focused on the eternal rewards of being in the game. My prayer is that each one of us
will capture the vision and run with the mission in order to help fulfill the Great
Commission. Let's encourage each other to use our time, talent, and treasure effectively
in this world; eternity is on the horizon. It is approaching us at warp speed!
Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
(Revelation 22:12–13)
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy
to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages,
now and forevermore! Amen.
(Jude 24–25)