WORKING FOR AND REWARDED BY GOD
The Word of God says, God rewards everyone for their works of love for Him (Mark 10:29-30). Some may plant and others may water, but everyone has to wait for God to cause things to grow, after showing love for God and others; (1 Corinthians 3:7-11; Matthews 22:37-39). And all need faith and patience to receive God’s promises and rewards (Hebrews 10:36).
JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE
Jesus worked for God the Father and was rewarded. “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).
Before he died on the cross, Jesus went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). People believed in Jesus as Savior and Lord and told others about him because of his love and compassion for them, in going his from place to place (Matthew 9:35-36).
For his loving and sacrificial work on earth, God the Father has exalted him with a name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth , and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11)
FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
People in he Bible who believed in Jesus as God’s promised Savio, came to him and told others about him because of his love and compassion for them. (Matthew 9:35-36). We are told to fix our eye on Jesus as our example of love and compassion for others (Hebrews 12:2)
1. Some men who believed in Jesus brought a paralyzed man to him to be healed. But because so many people crowded the entrance to the house where Jesus was, the men removed the roof and lowered the paralyzed so Jesus could heal him. Jesus first told the man, “your sins are forgiven.” Then Jesus told him, “Get up, take up your mat and walk.” He got up as Jesus told him. Many people who saw what Jesus did praised God. (Mark 2:1-12).
2. Jesus showed love and compassion to a Samaritan woman who was largely rejected by people of her community. He told her all about her life of rejection, and still accepted her. She went and told people of her town that Jesus knew all about her life, and she believed he was God’ promised Messianic Savior. Many people went to see Jesus. When they talked to them many believed like the woman believed. (JOHN 4:4-41).
3. My nephew, “Roy,” said he witnessed to some young people years ago about salvation from sin by the atoning death and blood of Jesus Christ. Roy said he did not know if what he told them caused any to repent and believe in Jesus as their Savior. However, he said much later he got a text from a young man saying he had met him in the library two years ago, and that “I talked to him about Christ;” and that he “ tuned his life over to Christ,” after someone else also spoke to him about Christ.
My nephew said more recently he has been talking to another young man on his job about Jesus Christ, but he does not seem interested in what the Bible has to say about Jesus. Nevertheless, he said this young man told him: “I like talking to you, because you understand my problems, and no one else seems to be interested or understand.”
Roy and I talked about how the Holy Spirit might use his love and patient understanding to eventually cause the young man to see the love of Jesus working through him. My nephew said he read in James 5:7, how in planting and working for the Lord, you need patience, like a farmer in waiting, for God to cause things to grow. Spiritual growth, like natural growth, takes time.
We discussed how the Spirit might use Roy’s witnessing by the love of Christ shown through him–to cause the young man later to become open to the Word of God from him or someone else. By this the Spirit may convict the young man of his need to repent and be saved from his sins by believing in Jesus Christ. (John 16:7-10; John 3:16). While we must wait for God to grow things on earth, we all must wait for the return of Jesus to receive our promised heavenly reward (James 5:7; John 14:2-3).
GOD REWARDS WORKERS SENT TO HARVEST SOULS
Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ said the harvest is great, but the workers are few. He appeals to us as his disciples to go everywhere and proclaim the Word of God and demonstrate the love of God, so that people may be harvested into God’s kingdom. The Lord God has promised that for our labors of love—along with persecutions, he will reward us significantly on earth, and give us eternal life in heaven (Mark 10:29-30).
