The Grace To Receive Our Reward
Introduction
When nearsighted and blind, our vision of God and His eternal plans are often blurred or out of sight. By default, we will tend to only rely on our feelings and experiences to survive a world of chaos, sin, and uncertainty. However, we can continue to serve God passionately if we think and believe that the final outcome will be good for us. That’s why it’s important to know God’s word concerning the future (2 Tim 4:1-8). But how can these future events encourage us in our sufferings now?
Four Significant Future Events
- *Resurrection* (1 Thess 4:16-17) – It’s easy to be discouraged because of all the sickness, pain, and death that we hear about every day. But the Lord promises us that in the future there will be a resurrection. This is a sure promise as Jesus Himself rose again from the dead to give us this hope. This is how we can persevere and thrive in the midst of present sufferings.
- *Reunion* (Rev 7:9-10) – When we lose loved ones, it’s heartbreaking. It is not supposed to be that way, we reason. People we love and who love us should not be taken away from us. But it happens, and often we are at a loss to try to understand it. But the Lord promises us that in the future there will be a reunion. We will see our loved ones again if they are in Christ.
- *Rewards* (2 Cor 5:9-10; Matt 25:19-21; Rev 22:12-13) – We are wired to be motivated by rewards. That’s why the business world (and everyone else for that matter) uses rewards to persuade people to buy their products or use their services. But God created us in this way and He promises to give us rewards in the future to motivate us to continue trusting and serving God in the present.
- *Restoration* (Rev 21:3-5) – If we read the first couple of chapters of the Book of Genesis, we might be moved to ask, “What happened to this beautiful world?” Chapter 3 tells us that sin entered the world and ruined everything. That’s why the world is a mess. But the Lord promises us that in the future He will restore all things. In other words, someday all things will become beautiful again.
Conclusion
- Our eternal gain *far outweighs* our *temporal burdens and pain*.
- When we focus on our sure future in Christ, we can become confident and passionate in the present time.
- As we face a new week with all its challenges, let us set our minds on these four significant future events to encourage us.
Discussion
- How did you feel when you begin to understand the future of believers in Christ?
- Which of the future eternal events motivated you to thrive in the midst of sufferings?