A Full Reward

 

Scripture Text

2 John 1:8 warns us to, "Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what you have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward" (Amplified Bible).

There are many ways to lose your rewards. Being seduced by false teachers is one way that Christians can lose their reward at the judgment. With this in mind, John writes that the reason to guard against deceivers is our own desire not to lose our reward at the judgment seat of Christ. Another way to lose rewards is listening to what people say instead of what God says in His word. Other ways of losing your rewards is not praying or reading God's word and putting other things before God. Habitual sin will also rob us of our full reward. Jesus cautioned the church at Philadelphia to “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (see Rev. 3:11). Every believer has the potential of a full reward or a complete loss of reward.                        1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV) ¹¹  For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³  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. ¹⁴  If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵  If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. The determining factor is our faithfulness to Christ. Justification is not in view here because it is not something we worked for, but something we received as a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) ⁸  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹  not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. One thing is certain, no one wants to lose their full reward! Our desire is to run our race, finish our course, and receive our full reward. Paul did exactly that: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7 NAS). We can receive our full reward just like Paul! But we must be attentive to the things that come our way just like he did. We cannot allow ourselves to be sidetracked or distracted by sin or the things of this world. We cannot lose what we have accomplished. We want to receive our full reward! Our first priority is to focus on the task which God has assigned to us, whatever it is. Then, we must make frequent "checks" along the way. We must be certain that we have not allowed something that is second or third in importance, to take first place in our lives. We must pay close attention to what we do in life in order to continue in the right direction. There are signs to help to gauge our progress. Should we see an unfamiliar sign on our path, something that does not point in the direction of God's will, we must stop and see if we have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. We must continually ask for God's guidance in our lives. We must obey the commandment to love God with all we are and our neighbor as ourselves. Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV) ³⁰  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. ³¹  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Invitation: If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you will not even make it to heaven, much less have a reward. To receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord simply confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you and save your soul from hell. Be baptized to show you are sincere. Then you too, can begin to lay up treasures and rewards in Heaven.