SURRENDERING MY REWARD

"each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward." 1 Corinthians 3:13-14

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13

I am a competitive person. Unfortunately, this character trait has left its mark on my walk with the Lord. I know I have been saved by grace alone through faith alone. But what about in the meantime? What about the passages in Scripture describing our eternal reward? I have always been bothered by the parable of the talents. The implications of that parable have me sliding into a performance-minded Christianity. Recently I've been studying the book of James and this issue of works and eternal rewards has come up again. This lie has been whispered into my soul, "You're not doing enough. What kind of reward will you receive?"

Last year, God taught me a lot about myself. I've been wanting to write about it and perhaps I will soon. I thought I'd learned the lessons but I'm experiencing the truth of continuous consecration. I am just as forgetful as the ancient Israelites. I need to go back to the same classes I thought I had passed. And perhaps the way I've looked at the Christian life needs some new word pictures. It's not a class where I receive a grade.

This morning, as we took the Lord's Supper, I knew what God wanted me to do. He wanted me to further surrender my rights to determine my own eternal reward. It's not a contest to see who gets the most crowns. I am acting like those foolish disciples when they were arguing over who's the greatest in the kingdom. And just before taking the bread God spoke to me about what I had really been doing. Striving after eternal rewards in the kingdom shows how insecure I still am about God's unconditional love and acceptance of me. And ultimately, it profanes Christ's sacrifice on my behalf as insufficient. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

This morning I read this verse - "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." 1 Corinthians 12:18 God has created me for a purpose and my purpose cannot encompass every need that exists. That is why He has designed the body of Christ the way it is. Each one has a specific purpose. The hand cannot do the job of the eye. And that's OK. It doesn't diminish the value of either one. God has called and justified me. He is sovereign in this process of sanctification that goes on until I die and He will glorify me in that day I see Jesus. I am just a sheep, a lump of clay. He is the Shepherd, the Potter. My job is to listen to His voice, surrender my will and allow Him to lead, guide and mold me into what He wants. I am not my own. I have been bought with a price.