01.0051. The Rewards of the Righteous
The Rewards of the Righteous There is no confusion and contradictions in the Word of God concerning the doctrines of grace and of rewards.
We suggest a parallelism which will show their distinctions. The parallelism follows:--
GRACE | REWARDS |
Unmerited | Merited |
No obligation | An obligation |
A free gift | Pay for service |
Received by faith | Recompense for work |
Without money | With great cost |
Best service useless | Least service remembered |
Depends on Christ | Depends on believer |
Looks to God’s faithfulness | Looks to believer’s faithfulness |
Cannot be lost | Can be lost |
Rewards are reckoned unto the saved. They are reckoned upon worth. Grace is the unmerited kindness of God manifested in Christ Jesus.
Rewards are wages for work accomplished, for Christian virtues lived out, and for faith held fast.
Grace is received in Christ by virtue of His atonement. There is the Grace that saves in Ephesians 2:8.
There is the Grace that meets our daily needs in Hebrews 4:16.
There is the Grace which shall be brought to us at Christ’s Second Coming.
There is the Grace which will be manifested in the eternal ages yet unborn (Ephesians 2:7).
All of these manifestations of Grace are over and above any and all merit upon our part. Grace is an obtainment through riches of mercy. Rewards are an attainment reached through our own service, holy living, and fidelity to the faith.