You get to heaven by
Faith in Jesus.
It is by faith not works.
BUT rewards in heaven...
come as a result of
what you DO on earth.
~
So... How do I get rewards in heaven?
In Heaven...
Some people will have more rewards than others.
Some people will have more treasures than others.
Some will have more authority than others.
Some will rule over the cities of heaven.
Some people waste their life
and get no heavenly rewards
or
only a few rewards.
This page will help you understand
The Rewards of Heaven.
-
We talk about
The 5 Crowns
that are available to you.
Treasures in Heaven
“Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves
do not break through nor steal.”
Matthew 6:19-20
Don't let the meaningless things of this world
distract you
from
the things that God wants you to accomplish
on this earth
- and thus -
deprive
you
of many of the rewards
that you could have in heaven.
The video below is a great introduction
to this topic.
Pastor Shelby explains:
What you have in eternity
will depend on
the quality of what you do - the quality of your life choices.
Your choices on earth
determine
your heavenly rewards.
Some people waste their life
and get no heavenly rewards
or
only a few rewards.
Everyone
will have a judgment after they die.
The judgment for Christians is for rewards.
(2 Corinthians 5:10)
Those who have repented of their sins and
believed in Jesus Christ as Savior and live for him
will go to heaven...
yet we will be judged -
but not in the same way
as the unrepentant ones
who go to hell.
We
will
only be
judged
to see if
we get any rewards in heaven.
The Bible says this
about believers in Christ:
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
There are different kinds of rewards.
For example, there are
5 kinds of
Heavenly Crowns.
I will discuss them shortly.
First, I want to write about some Good News!
Small heavenly rewards
are not hard to get.
Whoever
helps any of these little ones
because
they are my followers
will definitely get a reward,
even if they only give them a cup of cold water.”
Matthew 10:42 ERV
They [Believers in Jesus] are to do good,
to be rich in good works,
to be generous and ready to share,
thus
storing up treasure for themselves
as a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:18-19
Acts of kindness
done with a heart who wants to
give glory to Jesus and bless others
is rewarded.
You just have to remember that
it is not just what you do but
"WHY"
you do it.
Don't just do it
for rewards
but also because
you want to please Jesus!
BUT
WHAT if
you do good things for the wrong reason?
Matthew 6:16-18 gives us an example:
“And whenever you are fasting,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites,
for they put on a sad and dismal face
[like actors, discoloring their faces with ashes or dirt]
so that their fasting
may be seen by men.
I assure you and most solemnly say to you,
they [already] have
their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head
[as you normally would to groom your hair]
and wash your face
18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by people,
but by your Father who is in secret;
and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret
will reward you.
Take Note:
Sometimes young Christians
have to
begin by
doing good works for a reward
but they continue to draw close to God
and thus
transition their heart
to do good works because they love the Lord.
Before we continue on this page
check out the next section of links.
Below is a link to an excellent page of Bible verses about this subject.
I strongly urge you to read through them.
If I posted all these verses, it would make the page really long... and this site has done that for us.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/rewards_in_heaven
There are 5 crowns listed below.
There is also information listed below
on
HOW you GET them.
The crowns are honor and privileges
for certain things
that a person chooses to do on earth.
Some people waste their life
and get no heavenly rewards
or only a few rewards.
On the other hand,
Some people are
diligent and excited
about pleasing the Lord.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
(written out farther down)
explains this.
1 Corinthians 3 tells us that
when we accept Jesus as Lord
he becomes our foundation -
and we build on that foundation
as we serve him.
After we die,
the fire of God tests our works.
They will shine or they will burn.
1 Corinthians 3:13
What we do on earth will be judged.
It will either shine
like gold, silver, etc.
- meaning that God is pleased
with what we did
- and with the motivation behind what we did -
or
it will be as wood, hay, and straw
which gets burned up and destroyed.
Some people get into heaven
with no rewards
or few rewards.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
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.
Next:
The Five Crowns
And after that...
Who will rule over heavenly cities ?
The Crowns are in no particular order.
You can earn more than one crown.
Each of the Crowns will be given for
large-scale consistency in a particular area.
Yet, do not forget that
even if you don't get a particular crown,
you can get
smaller rewards
for doing things
that pertain to that crown.
For example,
The Crown of Glory
is given to those who diligently teach the Bible.
If you
teach a Sunday school class for one year -
you will get
a special reward for
teaching the Bible
but you were not consistent enough to get a crown.
-
The Crowns might be similar to crowns on earth.
Or
they might be a kind of glory or visible shining of
our resurrected body.
Whatever the Crowns are,
we will find them
very valuable and desirable.
1 st Crown
The Crown of Rejoicing
is
The Soul-Winners Crown
Will you get this crown?
Are you sharing your love for Jesus with others?
Are you helping people get a
saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ?
Most people do not know how to
Are you helping them?
?
Are you
teaching
your children, teens, and other loved ones?
Most people
falsely think
you can get to heaven
by
being
"good enough."
They need
correct information.
The link below will help you give them information.
Explaining how to get to heaven.
Do you tell people about Jesus?
Or are you too
afraid or busy?
Do you teach your children,
grandchildren, etc.
about Jesus?
Or do you feel
inadequate or too busy?
See also
Deuteronomy 11:18-19
and
Deuteronomy 6:7
After all, what gives us hope and joy,
and what will be our
proud reward and crown
as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns?
It is you!
1 Thessalonians 2:19 NLT
Paul said,
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters,
stay true
to the Lord.
I love you and long to see you, dear friends,
for you are my joy and
the crown
I receive for my work.
Philippians 4:1 NLT
2nd Crown
This crown is for those
who diligently teach the word of God to others.
It is for those who are serious about
This is for those who shepherd people.
These people feed others
nourishment and encouragement
from the word of God.
This crown is for
all those
including pastors and Bible teachers
who are
serious about sharing God's word.
Do others know you value the Word of God?
Do they see you reading the Word of God?
Do you teach your family about the Bible?
Do you send Bible verses to encourage your friends?
When others have problems
do you gently bring them
to what the word of God says?
Shepherd and guide and protect
the flock of God among you,
exercising oversight not under compulsion,
but voluntarily,
according to the will of God;
and not [motivated] for shameful gain,
but with wholehearted enthusiasm;
3 not lording it over those assigned to your care
[do not be arrogant or overbearing],
but be examples [of Christian living] to the flock
[set a pattern of integrity for your congregation].
4 And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears,
you will receive the [conqueror’s] unfading crown of glory.
1 Peter 5:2-4
3 rd Crown
This crown is received when someone
has been serious about
growing spiritually.
They have picked up the Bible regularly and
allowed God
to use His Word
to change their heart and their behaviors.
This includes the areas of
self-control
and self-discipline
concerning Biblical commands.
It is also called the
Incorruptible or Imperishable crown.
It is an
Overcomer's Crown.
It is for diligent believers
as opposed to lazy believers.
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 NKJV
Wisdom
In the Bible, Paul talks about
the
wisdom
of
being diligent
as we run toward the finish line of our life.
Paul explains:
You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win!
25 Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever.
26 I don’t run without a goal. And I don’t box by beating my fists in the air.
27 I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won’t lose out after telling the good news to others.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 CEV
Paul is telling us to chose
what God says
- not what our body wants -
and then later
we will be happy that we did!
People who receive this crown have had
Victories
over temptations and addictions.
They have chosen to
be ridiculed and lonely
instead of submitting to peer pressure.
They have
grown spiritually
by
studying the word of God
and
following what it says.
Would the people who know you
say
that you are serious about following the Bible?
Study and
do your best
to present yourself
to God approved, a workman [tested by trial]
who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately
handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
In various Bible verses,
Paul wants to inspire us...
To control our body and our desires. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
To Grow in Maturity. (Colossians 1:9-10)
To Show the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
To go from drinking the Milk of the Word to eating the Meat of the Word. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
To do those things
we must learn
HOW to Encourage ourself and
HOW to Motivate ourself...
Consider our
Breakthrough Prayer page
and our Champion for Christ pages
and our inspiring Running the Race devotions.
4th Crown
You receive the Crown of Righteousness
when you love God and his Word
so much
that you are eager to see
Jesus Christ in person.
That would refer to
the rapture of the church,
and it refers to
seeing him in heaven after death.
Now there is in store for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day—
and not only to me, but also
to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8
2 Timothy 4:8 -
long for his appearing ...
love the idea of his appearing...
wait eagerly for his appearing...
and sometimes yearn for his appearing.
Do you enjoy |
Do you delight |
Are you eagerly looking forward to seeing Jesus?
Do you delight in God and his Word?
(Psalm 37:4)
Even if you don't right now,
You CAN develop
that in your life.
You can intentionally develop it.
These people are what I call "in-love" with Jesus.
The Bible refers to Jesus as a bridegroom.
Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride.
This group has some of the
same reactions
as couples who are
"in-love" with a human being.
See my page: Falling in love with God
And those who get this crown
LOVE
righteousness.
By steadfastly following Jesus,
they have come to
LOVE righteousness.
They not only see it as something God loves
but as
something they love.
They have come to
respect and love God's commands
and they sincerely want to
live right
- not just to please God -
but because they have come to
love righteous living.
Righteous is God's way of being and doing.
- Righteousness -
In the New Testament,
there are two aspects in the word
"righteousness"
in the life of a saved believer in Jesus Christ.
The First Aspect
When we accept Jesus
as Savior and Lord of our life,
we are made righteous
in the eyes of God.
The righteousness of Jesus
has now been
credited
to us.
For he [Father God] hath made him [Jesus]
to be sin for us,
who knew no sin;
that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Also see Romans 4:5, and 24
Click below to understand more about
The Second Aspect
After we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord,
the Bible commands us
to begin
a journey of
learning to live in a righteous way.
Now your attitudes and thoughts
must all be
constantly changing
for the better.
Yes, you must be a new and different person,
holy and good.
Clothe yourself with this new nature.
Ephesians 4:23-24 TLB
Clothe yourself = put ON this new nature.
We do this by:
Renewing our mind - by reading God's Word.
And Learning to Love what God loves.
This includes...
Allowing ourselves to be molded by God
so we become
instruments of righteousness.....
See the Bible verse below.
Those in this group,
never are perfectly righteous
in words and deeds.
But
they dedicate themselves
to practicing righteousness....
which means they practice following God.
They seek to follow Jesus.
but no one does that
perfectly...
so when
they do sin, they repent.
See 1 John 1:9
-
As those in this group mature,
they become less and less
critical
of others
because
they become focused
on their own spiritual growth
which includes being
gentle, loving,
kind and patient with others.
-
When this group notices the sin of another person,
they pray for that person
and only talk with them about it
if the Lord directs them to do that....
which is rather rare.
Verses on this subject:
2 Timothy 2:24-26, Galatians 6:1,
2 Timothy 2:14, Galatians 5:22-23
A final word on
Aspect 2
In closing this section,
I remind you that Paul implores us by saying...
"Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord:
Live no longer as the unsaved do,"
Then Paul talks about the sinfulness of the unsaved.
Next he motivates us by saying...
"But that isn’t the way Christ taught you!
If you have really heard his voice
and learned from him
the truths concerning himself,
then throw off your old evil nature."
Ephesians 4:17-22 TLB
Throw off the old nature!
Throw off the old nature and put on the new nature! |
Psalm 63:3 NIV says:
For your love is far better than life -
my lips will glorify you...
lyrics
You are my God And with all my heart I seek You.
In a dry & weary land where there’s no water, my soul is thirsty for You.
All that I am longs for you. I yearn for your tender embrace - the touch of your love.
For Your love is far better than life. My lips will glorify you.
I will praise You as long as I live.
In Your name I lift up my hands.
I will seek you as long as it takes, till I behold You face to face.
This crown is for death
or extreme suffering
for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This crown is mainly received
when someone
is killed
because they stand for Jesus.
They die because they won't deny
that they love Jesus. . .
Think Martyrs.
When someone is told to deny Jesus or die,
and they do not deny Jesus
and they do die -
they receive this crown.
The Bible says:
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison,
that ye may be tried;
and ye shall have tribulation ten days:
be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee
a crown of life.
Revelation 2:10
Standing up for Christ
when told you will be killed -
is the most extreme temptation we can face.
This crown is also
for extreme suffering
for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised
to them that love him.
James 1:12
The section below is from
Jack Wellman,
and the link is...
https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-will-christians-be-doing-in-heaven/
I know nothing about Jack Wellman
but I do like how he explained
the topic of ruling over cities in heaven.
Jack says...
Parables are stories
that Jesus used -
by describing earthly things
to introduce heavenly concepts.
For example,
in Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Minas,
He shows that those who are faithful
with what they’ve been given
will rule with Christ,
but of course under Christ.
Jesus said
to the one who was faithful with the ten minas,
“Well done, good servant!
Because you have been faithful in a very
little,
you shall have authority over ten cities”
(Luke 19:17), but also
“the second came,
saying,
‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’
And he said to him,
‘And you are to be over five cities”
(Luke 19:18b-19),
so as we can see,
Jesus is speaking about ruler-ship
for those
who are more faithful than others.
One man rules 10 cities
while the other rules 5 cities, but there’s more.
“To him who loves us [Jesus Christ] and has freed us
from our sins by his blood and made us
a kingdom, priests to his God and Father,
to him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
(Rev 1:5b-6).
Clearly, the children of God
will be part of the kingdom of God’s leadership.
Some will be kings, some will be
priests,
and others will be rulers,
and
it is a literal kingdom
as Jesus promised the apostles that
“you may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom and
sit on thrones judging the twelve
tribes of Israel”
(Luke 22:30).
This is not a metaphor
but a reality of the coming kingdom of God.
What position will you hold?
It depends upon your FAITHFULNESS
and what you do with
what you’ve been given here on earth.
AND -
your motives behind your actions.
The Bible tells us about the rewards
to motivate us
but if
the only reason we are doing them is for rewards
and
we never transition
to doing them because we love God,
then
we lose those rewards.
We all have time, talent, and treasure,
so if we sow these
into the kingdom,
we will reap greater rewards.
I pray that this
Rewards in Heaven page
will inspire you and motivate you
to be more aware of the Lord
during your day
and
more aware of the opportunities to serve him each day.
To Jump to the top of the page
click: Rewards in Heaven
Christmas
We have devotions for each of the psalms:
Bible Devotions
and
Making Life Better Articles
Explaining How to Get to Heaven
Overcoming Sabotage in your family
an audio presentation
Click here for Links to ALL our marriage pages
Men and women keep score differently
*
AND:
* *
* *
* *
Ecclesiastes Made Easy - Insights for Success in Life
Our autumn Newsletter
went out
October 2.
**
Sign up below for
our
newsletter
which is called
The Inspirational Life
- -
- -
Daily Inspiration: Worship & Prayer
- -
- -
- -
Life-changing prayer for fathers
- -
- -
Links to All our Full Armor of God Prayers
an audio Presentation by Beth
Songs for Children for church and home
- -
- -
How to
Create a Great Relationship with Yourself
- -
- -
Links to all our pages on the Psalms