“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
Ask anyone of a certain age and that person will tell you getting old really stinks. It’s true on so many levels. Take my mom for example. She’s facing some health issues because of her age, and it’s taken away her ability to do many things she used to do very easily. I’m sure you can imagine her frustration. One problem these issues have caused is her inability to spread the Gospel. It’s hard to shout the Good News when it’s hard to get out of bed some days.
She and I were talking not long ago about her situation, and Mom brought up some good questions: If she’s largely homebound, will she lose her heavenly rewards? Will God make a kind of withdraw from her heavenly savings account? Is she still eligible for any crowns? Does it even matter? These are good questions for all of us to ask ourselves even if we’re not homebound.
But let’s back up. What exactly are the crowns and rewards the Bible talks about? How do we earn them, and what can we do to keep them?
Running the Race
The apostle Paul talked about crowns and rewards extensively in the New Testament, and Jesus mentioned it several times as well. The most notable verse is 1 Corinthians 9:24-25:
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”
Paul wrote this verse in reference to the Olympic and Isthmian games that were common for the time. The games always included a running race. The first man to cross the finish line would head to a table called a bema where the authority of the area would place a garland or wreath of leaves on the winner’s head like a crown as a reward.
Like a runner in a race, Christians are also running a race, and the prize is heaven. The choices we make now determine which prizes we receive when we get there.
Of course, we don’t make good choices just so we get a prize. That’s selfish and not godly in any way. It won’t earn you a thing, least of all any crowns. No, we behave righteously and obey God’s commands in response to our love for Him and in service to Him.
The Five Crowns
The Bible tells us of five specific crowns we can receive in heaven. You’ll notice they tend to overlap.
The Crown of Glory- given to those who long for Jesus’ reappearance. His glory refers to His nature, the praise and honor He deserves, and the blessing of finally being in His presence.
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” 1 Peter 5:4
The Crown of Righteousness- given to us through Jesus’ righteousness only. He shares it with only those who faithfully serve Him and others, and who long to see Him.
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8
The Crown of Rejoicing- given to those who long to be in Jesus’ presence and are always thankful for His blessings. This crown likely includes God’s promise of no tears, sorrow, death, crying, or pain in heaven (Revelation 21:4).
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” 1 Thessalonians 2:19
The Imperishable Crown- a special crown given to those who endured through every circumstance and remained faithful to the Lord. Because the Lord is everlasting, so is the crown we receive if we finish our race well.
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
The Crown of Life- for all believers who withstood suffering and bravely defended the faith. It does not refer to the gift of eternal life which comes through Jesus Christ alone.
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
General Rewards
Beside crowns, we will receive other rewards when we stand before the Lord one day. The Bible presents these as promises from God for those who endure to the end.
Overcoming. God has special blessings for those who endure special tests and trials. That person will be allowed to eat from the tree of life, not suffer the second death, and given secret manna and a white stone with your new heavenly name written on it (Rev. 2:7; 2:11, 17, 26).
Heavenly Treasure. In Matthew 6:20, Jesus encourages us to lay up our treasures in heaven “where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Peter reiterates Jesus’ words in 1 Peter 1:4: “…that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you….”
Acknowledgments. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, Jesus tells of the master who richly rewards his faithful servant with those words we all long to hear when we see Him:
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
This promise is also given in Luke 19:17.
“So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5
Authority. The books of Matthew, Luke, and Revelation all talk about faithful believers receiving the gift of authority over nations and cities and to judge the twelve tribes of Israel on our own thrones (Matt. 19:28; 24:45-47; 25:21, 23; Lk. 19:17-19; 22:29-30; Rev. 2:26).
How Do We Earn Crowns and Rewards?
Earning rewards can be relatively simple if we are serious about our faith. But be careful—we don’t run our race to earn them for selfish reasons but rather because of our humble service to the Lord. So, how do we do that?
- Confess and repent of your sins regularly
- Read the Bible every day so you fully know its truth
- Resist culture telling you that Jesus isn’t enough
- Practice the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5: 22)
- Stay in daily communication with the Lord, i.e. pray
- Control your actions and words so they always reflect God’s glory
- Share the Good News of Jesus whenever possible
- Use your time, talent, and treasure in service to the Lord
- Anticipate Jesus’ return and be ready for it
Can We Lose Our Crowns and Rewards?
Let’s finally answer the question I started with—can we lose our rewards? The unfortunate answer is yes.
But, let’s cover something super important first. I need to make this crystal clear: Losing your rewards does not mean you will lose your salvation.
Did you catch that? YOU WILL NOT LOSE YOUR SALVATION.
To say we lose our salvation would be denying the completed work Christ did on the cross. His grace is sufficient for you and it’s never taken away if you have accepted Him into your life. So, if you have accepted Jesus, the Bible says you’re going to heaven. Period.
But…you can still lose your rewards. The book of Revelation illustrates how one day we will stand at God’s bema where He will give us the rewards we are due. Some of them we will keep, but others will be taken away according to our actions and choices here on earth.
Paul makes the analogy of someone losing their heavenly rewards as someone surviving a fire. Yes, you made it, you’re alive, but you lost everything except for the singed shirt on your back.
“If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:14-15
The fire test also applies to your rewards. If you obeyed His commands for His glory’s sake, your rewards will burn like “gold, silver, and precious stones” (1 Corinthians 3:12). If you didn’t, then your rewards will burn like wood or hay.
Turning your back on the Lord, not sharing your faith, not behaving in a godly manner and reflecting Christ, not fully running your race or finishing well, acting selfishly…all these will cause you to lose your rewards very quickly.
Loss and Shame
To make matters worse, Paul implies a kind of shame once you “suffer loss,” but not shame as humans tend to think of it.
I read an article explaining this shame by equating it with taking a school exam. You took the exam, the teacher graded it, and you got a D. After your initial shock, you look over the test and your eyes suddenly open. You see what you did wrong and why you got the grade you deserved. It’s not exactly a feeling of shame but more like a realization. It’s the same in heaven. You forfeit your rewards when you make poor choices.
Thankfully, the shame quickly fades due to God’s promise in Revelation 21:4 that there is no sorrow in heaven. There’s only fullness of joy in His presence, both for you and for Him.
Sidenote: Casting Our Crowns
Just a quick note here about what the Bible means by casting our crowns in Revelation 4:10-11. Whatever crowns you earned, each one belongs solely to Jesus. He alone is worthy and deserving since it is only through Him we do anything.
It is only by His grace and will we receive anything at all. Casting our crowns, giving them back to Jesus, is a beautiful form of worship.
Hold onto Your Rewards
How do we hold onto our rewards until we get to heaven? What can we do? Jesus gives us the clear answer in Revelation 3:11:
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
We are to “hold fast” and abide in Jesus. Abiding is the key to the whole issue. If you’re abiding, you’re obeying.
“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in him. And by this, we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” 1 John 3:24
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” 1 John 2:28
Are you abiding in God? Are you reading the Word and praying regularly? Are you daily surrendering to Him? Are you leaning on His power and infinite resources to help you overcome sin and temptation? Are you allowing Him to work through you and in you? Are you sharing His blessings with others?
Abide in the Lord. Hold fast to Him. Keep fighting the good fight and finish your race well. Remember that walking in faith isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. So, hang in there until you cross the finish line and the Lord says to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Your Turn
Have you ever wondered if you will receive any rewards in heaven? What do you do to make sure you continually abide in the Lord? How are you serving Him and others in your community? Please leave your comments and ideas below. I’d love to hear all about it!
Further Reading
Dr. Richard L. Strauss gave a great sermon back in 1992 about holding onto our rewards. You can read the transcript in its entirety on the Spiritual Gold website right here.
Bible.org explains the doctrine of heavenly rewards if you’re looking for a more theological explanation. Check it out here.
Hi, Gina, I do appreciate you and anybody else that takes time to encourage someone, to help them get their thought life back on track. Well, I’ll try to make this short as I can. I am 75 and I have failed at just about everything in the natural sense, and have, at the moment, not much of a chance of the Lord saying to me “Well done, thy good and faithful servant”. When I was a teenager, I was in and out of jail, I went to prison when I was 18, a drunk for 26 years. Only God knows how my wife chose to hang on to me. When I was 41 my drinking got me into more trouble and I saw myself going back to prison and losing my family, job, etc. I got to where I couldn’t bear the thought of that happening to me and my family. I was trying to figure out the easiest way to take my life, I just couldn’t stand it. So, I prayed to God and told Him that if He would fix this mess I was in, I would do whatever He wanted me to. Well, to shorten this story, when my court day came, I got off with a fine and I had to go to detox for my drinking. After 26 years of drinking, God stopped the bottle instantly. I got into a prison ministry with Bill Glass, after that I had a jail ministry for 7 years. I was a truck driver and went over the road. I went everywhere. As time went on I let the Lord down and fell into sin. Now, I am trying to find myself again. Like David in Psalms 51, I want the joy of my SALVATION BACK. I feel I have lost what rewards I had (If any), let alone crowns. I HATE MY PAST. Now, we have this Covid 19, how can you witness for Jesus when you have to stay away from people. I just don’t know. I just want to get to Heaven, hoping He didn’t let me go. Thanks (in advance) for being there…
Thank you again Gina for this amazing article you wrote on if we can lose our rewards in heaven. I think it benefits all our knowledge and understanding of the subject. Thank you all for being so responsive to my replies. I am happy that although we can disagree about some of the minor details of the future kingdom, we can all still agree on the Rock of our salvation which is Jesus. It also gives me joy that in a time of such division in our country we can have discourse with love, civility, and respect for one another. God bless
It’s so important to know you are never alone, Allen. Every single one of us has had trials and tribulations in our lives, the kind that Satan uses to make us think we are beyond forgiveness. Myself included. You hit the nail on the head–it’s all LIES. There is no sin that God can’t forgive. Better yet, there is no sin that God WON’T forgive. His love for us is beyond our comprehension. There is no way to humanly express it. He will forgive us if we are sincere and earnestly seeking Him.
I’m so happy to hear that the Holy Spirit was doing a work in your heart that led you to open your computer and start reading. It’s important to remember that He’s not done with you, Allen. Even at 77.7 years old (I love that!), God is never done. He still has work for you to do. He still has a purpose for your life. Yes, you’ve had a difficult past, but that doesn’t mean He won’t use it for something amazing just as He did for Joseph in the book of Genesis. Everything He did for Joseph He’s doing for you. We serve an unchanging God who makes unchanging promises.
So hold onto your faith. Continue to repent daily and take up your cross. Read His word every day so you don’t forget His great love for you. Great is your reward of eternal life with Him in heaven if you can walk the narrow path. I know you can do it! God bless you, my brother.
First, I want to start off by saying this is an excellent article you wrote Gina. I agree with a majority of everything you wrote, and it really furthered my understanding of the crowns and rewards we can earn in heaven and our risk to lose them. Majority the verses you reference are about receiving some sort of reward in heaven. Jesus himself instructed that we store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. He says in Matthew 6:19 NLT, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Are you saying that every time we sin, we lose our rewards in heaven? I tend to think that if we finish the race, do not give up, and finish well, we will be rewarded. I believe when we are involved in a sinful activity or not abiding the way we should then we are missing out in earning rewards. I tend to think of the rewards we earn as taking part in leading someone to salvation. In the end those who we helped lead to salvation are the only work we do here on earth that will transition to heaven. They are the evidence of us taking partnership with God here on earth. If our time is spent on continual sin and repentance then we are not spending our time building up the kingdom’s population, thus being stuck in the sin cycle leads to us missing out on opportunities to do God’s work and earning rewards in heaven for our work here on earth. I think this concept in integral in our spiritual growth. No longer being caught up in this worldly economy and instead taking pride and working towards our eternal future. It gives us more “skin in the game” so to speak and buy in for our ultimate future.
I appreciate your comments, Steven. I agree with you on some points.
We build up our rewards which are a consequence of our obedience to God. When we sin, we diminish our potential for earning those rewards. It’s important that we not think of rewards as some kind of heavenly bank account. That when we sin, God makes a withdrawal. I don’t believe that’s true, and there is no Scripture that supports that idea that I know of. What happens is we accumulate our rewards according to our walk with the Lord. Then, when we stand before the Lord for judgment one day, our rewards will be put through the fire. They will be tested. Those that don’t burn like hay, we keep. But none of it matters because the rewards and crowns we earn, we will cast on Jesus’ feet because He is the only one worthy.
I agree that we should not be focusing on the sin-repentance cycle. And bringing the Gospel to others is certainly a part of our Christian witness. But it is not the only thing we should do or can do. Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love God and love others. The evidence of that love can manifest itself in many ways and not just by bringing someone to faith. Jesus’ entire life was about serving others, and that should be a primary goal for all of us whether it be through helping the poor, feeding children, visiting the elderly, or however the Lord directs us to serve. Those intentional actions (as well as introducing others to Jesus) all transition to heaven as you put it. King David says in the Psalms that God records every word and deed we do. Everything is written in His book, which means our service to others is just as important as leading others to salvation. Because in the end, only God can save someone’s soul. All we can is try to do is open their eyes to the truth. God does the rest. Therefore, that reward is ultimately God’s and not ours.
Let us then focus on sharing the truth of the Gospel and serving others and running a good race until we finish. The rewards will be what they will be, and whatever survives the testing fire, we will give them all back knowing being with Jesus eternally is reward enough.
Thank you so much for your response. You make a great point in bringing up Jesus saying in Matthew 22:36-40 the greatest commandment in the Law is to love our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I do have a question on your point where you write, “But none of it matters because the rewards and crowns we earn, we will cast on Jesus’ feet because He is the only one worthy.” If none of it matters why would it be brought up in the first place? Again, this concept of building up treasures in heaven is reiterated by Jesus when he taught about money and possessions in Luke 12:32, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.” Or why would the apostle Paul advise us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 to run the race to win, and not run for a crown that will perish but for a crown that will last forever? Jesus also references differing levels of honor in God’s Kingdom in Matthew 5:19.
I agree that all we are given comes from God and it’s all His anyway, but God desires for us to engage in a partnership with Him. He certainly does not need any of our help, but he wants our help. I compare God’s partnership with us with how I would ask my young children to help with something. I can usually do whatever task I’m asking them for help with easy enough on my own, but I enjoy including them and the fulfillment they get in being able to help me out with something. I think that if we hold to the opinion that it doesn’t matter then we are at risk of diminishing what God our Father takes great pride in giving us for our obedience and our faithfulness. I think any reward we receive in heaven is the icing on the cake. But back to the main point of us losing rewards in heaven. I agree I don’t think we lose our rewards for sinning per se. I think it is more of us losing out on current and potential future opportunities to earn rewards in heaven if we are consumed in sin. We need to be actively invested in the future kingdom. All the activities of serving, giving, worshiping, praying, disciplining, fasting, reading, ministering, and many others lead to glorifying God further. These activities and our lives need to be built on the solid foundation which is Jesus and will stand the test of time and not get consumed by the fire.
I love your thoughtful response. Thank you. I agree with you that we should invest in God’s kingdom however we can. It not only brings others to the saving knowledge of Jesus and His atoning sacrifice, but it also glorifies God, which is what it’s all about. Two points I want to address. First, about God wanting our help…I can see your point, and I agree with it. However, I also believe that our engagement–our partnership–with Him is a part of worshiping Him. I agree with you that He takes pleasure in blessing us for our faithfulness, but ultimately it’s always all about bringing glory to Him and not just being involved in His works. God can use anyone, believer and non-believer, to accomplish His plans. But He delights in believers partnering with Him most because then He will be glorified.
Second, about Luke 12:32, Jesus was speaking about how people in the early church would sell their things to help the poor. The point He was trying to make was about earthly materialism. It wasn’t good to build up wealth for selfish gains or to base your security in possessions. Instead, it is better to base it on the treasure of heaven, the treasure meaning eternal life with God. Jesus was not saying we have to sell everything we own to prove our love for God. Acts 5:4 tells us it is optional, but Jesus was pointing out that where we put our treasure indicates what our priorities are in our hearts. Helping the poor certainly is a fruit of the Spirit.
As for Matthew 5:19, Jesus was warning that God would place those who put His word in the least esteem, who teach or practice disobedience, will be called the least in the kingdom. They would not lose their salvation. Jesus does not say that. But He does say there will be consequences. I suppose we could call that differing levels of honor as you said, but I believe it was more about Jesus giving a warning and not so much establishing an honor system.
Again, I appreciate your comments. We indeed need to build our lives on the Rock through our words, actions, and decisions.
My name is Allen and I am 77. In April I will be 77.7!!! What a number!!! I just started REALLY learning this morning. After some awful happenings, then my own two terrible sins, I left Minneapolis and moved to a much, much smaller town. I read poetry in nursing homes, but I did not share my faith or myself very much. It was not long before I was back in the world! After a time I was living with someone for some time until we both decided we could not go on with the sexual part, but still live together. (Wrong) You see, I could not live by myself. I looked at my watch one day, and it seemed to become a calendar. I had been gone on 22 years, finally like Knowing I had lost my salvation? First I started confessing everything that I could remember, and asking for forgiveness, then giving and sharing Christ. I must still have had the Holy Spirit as a few in a short time, came to Christ. Yet, I was doing this for the wrong reason. To gain God’s Love and get back what I thought I had lost. My hope started to wain, as did the little faith I had. I started to doubt, and satan starts whispering his lies, and one night, I thought it was God telling me that I had done to much. Because of an abusive childhood, with no love shown or said and where I lived, I told God twice, that it was His fault. I asked for, but didn’t think I could be forgiven. It has been broken road. I am living in physical, mental/emotional and spiritual pain. However, yesterday my thinking started changing, and early this AM until one PM, God brought me to our(We Married) computer and started finding all the right answers, Then I ended here and I have a knew life, with healing already starting!!! Praise my Abba Father and Jesus Christ, my SAVIOR, and, for sure, my Lord! I love HIM-JESUS-so very much! Thank You so very much!!! Allen
Hi. I have a long story..
I never knew about these crowns until I found this page.
However, I did things in my past that I knew I shouldn’t have done.
My whole family were believers and we use to sit down late at night for hours just talking about bible prophecies and such when I was about 10.
Growing up was a little difficult, I was bullied in school, so when I got around 13 I got my first boyfriend. I always wanted to keep myself for marriage. Although, my first boyfriend we didn’t engage in intercourse, we did do other acts.
My second boyfriend was abusive, being 16 m, my parents didn’t approve of him so he went to church with us. This is the thing that I derely hate the most, I went and got saved at the alter, and I got persuaded from my boyfriend to go back on it, and ended up pregnant a few months later. He was abusive towards me for many years, only now has it settled down and we make things great for my little one. I feel terrible I backslides, Every night I ask jesus to forgive me for my sins, however the next day I was tempted and tempted and my anger and ptsd from my abusive relationship got the best of me….. I swear my face off sometimes, and accidentally take the lords name in vain. I cry about it and feel guilty about my actions and how I control myself as a person….. although in school I would always preach to others about God and prophecy and some people would listen. I felt good about that. However I was always being tempted….
Fast forward, I feel like the worse person to ever have lived… I knew abortion was wrong and I ended up having one anyway. I was scared of having to get surgery because my first c-section was painful… I get very anxious about it and think about what if something goes terribly wrong during surgery as my twin sister had to get a big blood clot taken out of her when she went and had a c-section….
I’m sorry about the long post but I feel I should confess my sins to others because I feel like what I’ve done in my past is unforgivable because I knew I shouldn’t have went ahead with what I done..
My husband and I have engaged in immoral sex with other people as well….. I have no idea why I didn’t stop myself. Ever since I was 12 I talked to god and jesus every night. I was always the one in school to preach and would not be hesitant to stand up for my beliefs and talk about it… I still am pro life but I feel guilty. I am for god. I don’t agree with anything that dislikes. I feel ashamed…. I did give myself over to the lord last night, however I still feel this big guilt cloud over my head as the things I’ve done in my past I ask myself why would Jesus let me in after all the horrible things I’ve done. 🙁
Maria, my heart breaks for you. I’m sending you a private email. Please watch for it.
Will God take those blessings even if you repent or if you are in a repeated repentance process to get over a particular sin you struggle with most? Is it that once you lose them you lose them and you shouldn’t have sinned and you’ll never get them back or is it that if you confess your sin and repent you receive those blessings again? I struggle almost every day resisting temptation and it gets so hard. I repent and genuinely believe it’s over and say I’ll never do it again and I try and try but then I end up doing it. I wish I could just make that choice to stop and it be set in stone. I wish I would have known the Lord’s will to begin with because I wouldn’t have to go through trying to break this sinful habit I developed for 12 years. It’s rediculous how hard it is to officially get rid of this problem. I try so hard and sometimes I successfully get through the temptation and some times I fail and I’m not sure if that is causing me to lose reward in heaven or not. It’s almost as if I sin against my will or something and I keep making the same mistake but I confess repent and ask for forgiveness every single time and set the intention to stop for good every time and my heart is set on God and I want to become as perfect as I can. Honestly I wish I was perfect. Anyways, me committing sin, I repent every time, do those blessings get taken away still?
We all struggle with sin. There’s no getting around it, which is why it’s so hard to build up rewards in heaven. But that’s not the goal here. Rewards are not what the Christian walk is all about. It’s about obedience, daily repentance, and trying to be more like Jesus every day (among many other things). If we’re in it just to build up blessings and rewards, then we need to re-examine why we are Christians. Serving Christ cannot include any kind of selfishness or being rewarded for our efforts. The promise of eternal life should be reward enough. So keep your eyes on Jesus and keep fighting the good fight. You’ll discover and experience His many blessings long before you stand before His throne one day.
So in the age of Grace, we can’t lose our salvation. But if a Christian backslides and loses those rewards, he can not gain them back? God knows what’s in our hearts, if we fall into sin, and repent, we will lose that opportunity for that reward? I wouldn’t live my Christian walk in a “roller coaster”. Obedience is necessary, but no one is perfect.
I agree. No one is perfect. But the Bible says we will lose our rewards when we disobey. There is forgiveness of sin, but there is a price to pay, unfortunately. Privileges are taken away. I wouldn’t look at it as a roller coaster but rather a steady journey towards trying to be more like Jesus every day. If you’re looking at it as a roller coaster then you might be a Christian just so you can selfishly get something for yourself (i.e. rewards). I’m not saying that’s what you’re doing. I’m just cautioning you. Every day we are called to more like Jesus, and we do that just as you said-through obedience.
Even when we stumble, can we still earn rewards?
Yes! Repent of your sins, keep your eyes on God, serve Him faithfully according to what the Bible tells us, and you’ll be blessed. It’s His promise to you.
Can you earn your rewards back?
As I understand it, unfortunately, no you can’t. But you can rebuild if you remain obedient to God and keep Him close in your daily life. The true test of your rewards will come when God puts them through the fire. What’s most important, though, is God’s grace and not how many rewards we might receive. Everything we have belongs to Him. He is the only one worthy of any rewards.
My boyfriend who is a believer died in a car crash two days after we were involve in an immoral act, Is he going to hell or losing his reward, us an action we both regretted but I don’t know if he repented or not.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jaydee. Was he following Jesus before the accident? If he had already accepted Christ and was seriously trying to follow Him, his salvation is secured according to the Bible. I pray this is the case. Since you don’t know if he repented or not, we can’t honestly say whether he lost any rewards or not. So, now it’s time to make yourself right with God. As you’ve learned, our days are numbered. Coming back to the Lord and daily asking for forgiveness is an essential part of our Christian walk, And we can always be sure He’s more than willing to forgive every single sin. I hope you are seeking the Lord, and I sincerely pray you two will be united again one beautiful day. My heart goes out to you. I will keep you in my prayers.
I completely agree, Rebecca. Prayer (and repentance) is our first and best way to stay close to God so we can receive His blessings. I’m sorry to hear about your friends. Praying for their healing and that God would use you in a great way to encourage them to feel His loving peace. Thanks for stopping by. God bless!
The best thing you can do is pray, God always needs intercessors, and often being at home gives you more time to pray. I don’t believe we have to just go after crowns, I knew really even thought of it. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, I have Pinterest friends who are encouraging and a couple are incapacitated by their health. I still believe He heals too, It is hard for people to keep fighting battles, They need His peace and that is a gift.
I have been wandering if it is ok to serve God, do things like preach, because you want to hear Jesus say, “Well done!”. It is like you want to hear Him say that because He is after all God.
I have a podcast where I preach and I feel I have a call to preach, so this seems an effective way to do it. If God has called me then I need to heed it, so is it selfish for me to heed it and want a reward from Him whether it be “Well done!” or a crown? I live my life a certain way because I want to please God, knowing He rewards people for such, but also because I have the Spirit. This is a little confusing.
Hi Kenneth. I completely understand your concerns. I felt the same way when I started teaching. I came to the conclusion that if we respond in obedience to what God is calling us to, He will bless us. The trick, though, is to keep a humble heart about it. Yes, we want to hear “well done” from Him, but our goal is not to be rewarded for anything, but rather to do it out of service to Him.
The Bible says to do all things for His glory. As long as that’s your mantra, you’ll be fine. It’s not about us, it’s all about Him.
At the same time, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with seeking God’s rewards because you’ve pleased Him. If there’s anyone we should seek to please, it’s Him. But again, I believe humility is key.
I applaud you for doing podcasts (what’s the name of it?). I’m not brave enough. So, already you are meeting a need in ministry others aren’t called to or too afraid to do. I think you’re going to be just fine.
May God bless you and your ministry. Thank you for reaching out to me.
I’m exhausted just reading your list of things to do to earn crowns and rewards ( stay close to God ) BUT, when I realize there is ABSOLUTELY nothing I HAVE to do for Him, and remember that He’s done EVERYthing for me from His unconditional grace…THEN I relax and am motivated to serve Him from His great and “no strings attached” love for me!!
It’s so wonderful to serve the Lord when we know He loves us unconditionally and that He already paid it all for us. Thanks for stopping by, Gary. God bless you!
I appreciate the work that you did on this article, but I am so discouraged. I look back over my life, and I have nothing to show for it. Though I did give my life to the Lord, I was in a car accident, and some days, it is all that I can do to even do the things that allow me to reside in my own apartment. Every day, I get up to 12-hour days, and there is nothing to show for it except effort in doing the daily necessities in a body that does not work. What kind of reward will I get when I have nothing to show for my life. A successful day is when I can do groceries. To make matters worse, my family want nothing to do with me; yes, I forgive them.
Hi Suzannah. You can understand my mother’s frustration. I believe your faith is being tested. Trust that God knows what you’re going through. You may not be able to do everything you used to do, but I don’t believe it will necessarily keep you from your rewards in heaven as long as you are seeking Him every day. Making prayer and Bible reading a daily part of your life is so important to help you through this difficult time. I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit into your situation and allow Him to guide you. Each day, lean on Him, and He will move mountains for you. In a little while, when you’re stronger, you’ll begin to recognize opportunities around you to help others. Simple kindness, helpfulness, generosity…whatever can make someone else’s day a little easier…these are the kinds of things we do to not merely earn rewards but to obey God. And, I think you’ll find that when you put your focus on others, you will feel much better. Don’t give up, Suzannah. Be patient, and abide in the Lord. In Him, we find peace, comfort, healing, and strength when we trust Him. I’m praying for you, dear sister.