Your Reward given to you in heaven
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The christian needs to know, that while good works do not contribute to your salvation, it does contribute to your reward “given” to you in heaven!!
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I Cor 3 (v. 13) each one’s work will become manifest; 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. (v. 14) If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. (v. 15) If anyone’s work is burned [up], he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved….
In His divine arrangement, through His unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. We are accepted through Christ's merit alone; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be rewarded according to their works.[1]
Psm 62 (v. 12) Also to You, Oh Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.
But are good works of no real value?[2] Is the sinner who commits sin every day with impunity, regarded of God with the same favor as the one who through faith in Christ tries to work in his integrity?[2] The Scripture answers, "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."[2]
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Webster’s Dictionary:
Impunity—freedom from punishment
Eph 2 (v. 10) For we are His workmanship, created....for good works ....that we should walk in them.
God has ordained that we should walk unto good works. Can that be done by just sitting on the couch?
No Time to Fold Our Hands. As we come to feel our utter reliance upon Christ for salvation, are we to fold our hands, and say, "I have nothing to do; I am saved; Jesus has done it all"?[3] --No, we are to put forth every energy that we may become partakers of the divine nature.[3] We are to be continually watching, waiting, praying, and working.[3]
Jer 32 (v. 18) ....the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. (v. 19) You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.
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The christian life, is not about you, professing Christ and then sitting on the bench, with no action going on, in your life!!
I sought earnestly to carry the minds of those present from the things of this world to the things of eternity. I sought to impress them with the thought that those who are saved, must now prepare for the heavenly mansions by washing their robes, and making them white in the blood of the Lamb.[4]
Rev 7 (v. 14) ....These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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If you “are saved” now, by faith in Christ, and are then starting to prepare for the heavenly mansions, does that mean you are still trying to make it to heaven?
No!! It’s not that you are trying to make it to heaven; because you are already there “in Christ”!
John 6 (v. 47) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, has everlasting Life.
So, what does “washing their robes” represent?
Those only who have a living, abiding principle in the heart, who will not turn aside to do anything that has even an appearance of evil.…are washing their robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb.[5]
The washing of the robes of character must go on from day to day, that at last we may be found without spot or wrinkle….This work of purifying ourselves even as He is pure must be taken up individually.[5]
We should examine our motives, our actions, in the light of God's holy law.…Angels of God are watching to see the development of our character;[5]
So, “washing our robes” has something to do with “character development,” that we are to work on individually!!
This is a good place to review what we have just read, by looking at a picture to help put this all into perspective.
Let us now combine all of that, with another Bible Commentary statement:
.…[Christ] was going to prepare a place for them, that He might come again, and receive them unto Himself. While He was building mansions for them, they were to build characters after the divine similitude.[6]
John 14 (v. 2) In My Father’s house are many mansions....I go to prepare a place for you. (v. 3) And....I will come again and receive you to Myself....
So, “washing their robes” represents, building your character after the divine similitude.
Webster’s Dictionary:
Similitude—resemblance, a visible likeness [ Being like Christ ]
( se-mil-e-tud )
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References:
1. Selected Messages (book 3), p.200, par.1
2. Selected Messages (book 3), p.199, par.4
3. Selected Messages (book 3), p.198, par.2
4. The Review and Herald. (23 Feb 1905), par.5
5. The Signs of the Times, (25 May 1891), par.6
6. The Desire of Ages, p.663, par.1
Image #1: Alta Ministries, (2016). Eternal rewards. retrieved from http://altaministries.com/heavenly-rewards/
Image #2: Michael Waters, (2010). Made to Fly. Retrieved from http://www.joyfultoons.com/gallery/kjv-toons
Image #3: Welcome to E91, (2014). Spiritual DNA. Retrieved from http://www.east91st.org/connect/spiritual-dna-workshops/
Image #4: Truth in Grace, (2016). We have been made right in God’s sight. Retrieved from https://truthingrace.com/2016/12/
Located in popup: "Washing Our Robes-2"
Image #5: Andrew Martin, (n.d.). We must wash our robes, to be with God. Retrieved from https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/13ij9z1_Iy6DOMlSEKMV3ZB0qhoIzVLIK_3Y_G2OCilDzMvKobaFy8aWvrrut_SwXlH-Yw=s85
Image #6: Theologetics, (2013). Jesus gives us His robe of righteousness. Retrieved from http://www.theologetics.com/2013/03/why-church-cannot-support-gay-marriage.html
Image #7: By Their Strange Fruit, (2013). The robes of the redeemed. Retrieved from https://bytheirstrangefruit.blogspot.com/2013_11_01_archive.html
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