God's Plan with MenMartin, T. T. (Thomas Theodore)
Religion
God's Plan with Men
Martin, T. T. (Thomas Theodore)
Salvation
Nor is the objection well founded, that for people to aim to have
rewards will destroy the motive of love. Rather, it adds to the motive
of love. A father gives his son, yet not of age, a fine farm. That
arouses the boy's love. The father tells the boy that, though not of
age, he may have the full reward of his labor on the farm, beginning
at once. This does not destroy the motive of love. So, the Saviour,
having died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3), and given us eternal life
(John 10:28, 29), arouses our love; to give us the privilege of having
rewards in addition to salvation (Matt. 6:20), does not destroy our
love, but increases it.
There is one limitation God's word makes to our deeds being rewarded:
"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men to be seen of
them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven. When
therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have
glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward.
But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth
in secret shall recompense thee."--Matt. 6:1-4. If a redeemed man does
his righteous deeds in order to get glory as reward here, he gets it,
but none in Heaven,--the wrong motive prevents his receiving rewards
in Heaven. _God rewards according to the motive._
There seems to be one other limitation to receiving rewards in Heaven
for the deeds of this life: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of
these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called
the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach
them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."--Matt.
5:19. The teaching seems to be that for one to deliberately break even
the least commandment, while he will be saved ("The least _in the
kingdom of Heaven_") yet he will have no reward ("_The least_ in the
kingdom of Heaven").
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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