Pathway to Victory

David J. Mullins: Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory:

Now we have to be careful here. To overdo the sorrow, regret aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to turn heaven into hell. But to underemphasize it is to make obedience in this life inconsequential. Rewards will matter.

David J. Mullins: Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. As Christians, we understand that good works can never earn God's forgiveness. But that doesn't mean our good deeds are worthless. In fact, the way we spend our life here on earth will greatly determine our rewards in heaven. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains why heaven won't be the same place for everyone. But first, let's take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David. And welcome again to Pathway to Victory. This week we're in the final stretch in our series called "A Place Called Heaven." And let me remind you that time is running out to request your copy of a book I've written for you called Encouragement From A Place Called Heaven. Look, if we allow ourselves to do so, we can become bogged down by cultural controversies. Yes, we live in confusing times. And yes, it's a Christian's role to bring light into the darkness.

But as my friend Howard Hendricks used to say, we cannot impart that which we do not possess. That's a fancy way of saying that we need to fill our minds with God's bright light in order to effectively shine for Him. I want to elevate your understanding of heaven and help you fill your mind with the glories of your eternal home. I'm convinced it will help you rise above the challenges of each day.

My book is yours when you give a generous gift to support Pathway to Victory. Plus, and as a bonus, I'll be sure to include a helpful brochure I've written called "What Seven World Religions Teach About Heaven." My brochure clearly shows you how Christian beliefs about heaven differ from religions like Mormonism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

All right, it's time for today's message. People have a lot of questions about their status in eternity. And so today, we're answering the important question: Will heaven be the same for everyone? Good works can't earn you your place in heaven. That's only by God's grace, by trusting Christ. But once you've done that, your good works matter in determining the kind of experience you will have in heaven.

And that's what we're going to talk about today. Let's first of all begin by looking at exactly what happens at the judgment seat of Christ. Well, to explain what happens at the judgment seat of Christ, Paul uses three analogies. The first analogy is the trustee analogy, and it's found in Romans chapter 14. Take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 14.

Paul is writing to Christians in Rome. Christians were judging each other about what they ate or what they drank or about whether they kept the Sabbath days or not. And Paul said, "Quit judging people. Let everybody be convinced in his own heart about that because every one of us," look at verse 10, "will stand before the judgment seat of God."

And then the conclusion verse 12, "So then, each one of us as Christians shall give an account of himself to God." Now there is that trustee analogy. We don't own our lives. We don't even determine how long our lives are. God does. He's just entrusted to us a certain amount of treasure and time and opportunities and gifts. And our responsibility with what he's entrusted to us is to further his agenda, not our agenda.

That is the trustee analogy. Secondly, he uses the construction analogy to describe the judgment seat. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 3. "According to the grace of God," verse 10, "which was given to me as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it, for no man can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Paul is inviting you to think about your life like a house that's being constructed. Jesus is our foundation. But we have a choice of what kind of house, that is what kind of life, we build on the foundation of our salvation. Now the third analogy here is the race analogy. It's found in 1 Corinthians 9, verses 24 to 27.

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore, I run in such a way as not without aim."

Now the readers in Corinth understood what Paul was talking about here. This was an allusion to the Isthmian Games that were held in Corinth every two years. Now if you won in the Olympics in Athens, you got what? You know what the reward was? Gold. But at Isthmian, they were kind of budget-conscious there. So you didn't get gold. Instead, when you walked up the judgment seat, the governor would place around your neck a wreath made of parsley or wild celery.

A little step down from Athens, okay? And that's what Paul is talking about here. Those who win these footraces, they do it for a perishable wreath. We do it for an award that is imperishable. You know, if you're going to win a footrace, a couple of things you have to do. First of all, you have to start when the official sounds the firing gun.

Secondly, you have to stay in the course that has been designed for you. But most importantly, you have to keep your eye on the finish line. You can't get distracted. You know the greatest threat to a runner is becoming distracted, not keeping your eye on the finish line. And what Paul is saying here is "I don't run without aim. I keep my mind on the finish line."

You know, it's so easy for those of us who are Christians to be distracted, to forget why we're here, to spend our time not in evil things, that's not what I'm talking about, but spend our time reading our Facebook or Twitter feeds or watching television or getting caught up in the news or getting caught up in this pursuit. Nothing wrong with any of those things unless it distracts you from doing that one thing God has left you to do.

That's the race analogy. Well, what are the consequences? I mean, if we're all going to make it to heaven anyway, does it really matter? Do these eternal rewards matter? Well, there are two possible outcomes of our standing at the judgment seat of Christ. One possible outcome is rewards. There will be rewards for some Christians.

Theologian Norm Geisler says it this way: "Everyone in heaven will be fully blessed, but not everyone will be equally blessed. Every believer's cup will be full and running over, but not everyone's cup will be the same size." You know, a lot of us say that's not fair. I mean, shouldn't everybody be treated equally? Shouldn't we all just get participation trophies and call it a day?

It doesn't work that way in heaven. We are going to be rewarded for what we've done. In Revelation 22, verse 12, Jesus said, "My reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done." God cares how you behave. God cares what you do in this life. Again, 2 Corinthians 5:10, we shall be judged according to the deeds we have done in the body, whether they're good or worthless.

These rewards that Christians receive, some Christians receive, are referred to sometimes in the Bible as crowns. How many of you have heard about a Christian's crown in heaven? I've put on your outline, there are at least five different crowns that the Bible talks about that are possible rewards we will receive in heaven. Let me go through them with you real quickly.

First of all, there is the imperishable crown. This is the reward for living a spirit-filled, disciplined life. Again, Paul mentions it in 1 Corinthians 9:25. "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." This refers to a spirit-filled, spirit-controlled life.

Secondly, there's the crown of exaltation. This is a reward for those who have dedicated themselves especially to evangelism, winning people to Christ, and discipleship. It is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2, verses 19 and 20. "For who is it that is our hope or joy or crown of exaltation? Is it not even you in the presence of the Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and our joy."

Thirdly, there is the crown of righteousness. This is a reward for those who live their lives obediently in anticipation of Christ's return. Those who are so caught up with the idea of Christ's return, they're looking for His appearing, that they live righteous, obedient lives. 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul talks about this.

"In the future, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but to those who have loved His appearing." Living your life in anticipation of the return of the Lord. Fourth, the crown of life. This is a crown reserved for those who endure specific trials and tests in life without denying Christ or giving up their faith.

James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life." I think about our Christian brothers and sisters around the world right now in the Middle East who are being put to death, being decapitated, burned alive for their failure to renounce Christ. There's a crown awaiting them for that.

It's not just to martyrs, though. It is anyone who goes through the trials of life without giving up his faith. Fifthly, the crown of glory. This is a crown that is reserved for pastors who lead their flocks in a way that is pleasing to God. In 1 Peter 5, Peter says, "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."

Earlier in that chapter, he says to pastors, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory. You know, I read that passage every Saturday, once a week, I read that passage as a reminder that this church is not my church. This church belongs to Jesus Christ.

This is His church. He's the Chief Shepherd. I'm just the fill-in, the stand-in, the under-shepherd. And one day I'm going to stand before God and give an account of how I have led this congregation. Believe me, that is a sobering reality in my life. That is the crown of glory. Well, what do these crowns actually mean?

Billy Graham once wrote, "Jesus did not call us to wear a crown in this life. He called us to bear a cross and live for Him in the face of ridicule. When we get to heaven, though, we will put our crosses down and put on the crowns He gives." Now some people believe that these crowns are literal crowns that we will wear but that we will throw them down before the throne of God.

Are these crowns literal crowns? My own belief is these crowns may be literal. And indeed we may cast them before the throne of God as a sign of our worship of God. But that doesn't negate the fact that these crowns represent real tangible rewards that will extend throughout eternity. You say, what kind of rewards are you talking about?

This isn't my imagination. This is what the Bible says. There are three kinds of rewards that these crowns represent, I believe. First of all, these rewards include special privileges in heaven, special privileges in heaven. The Bible teaches some people are going to receive a special welcome from God like a ticker tape parade according to 2 Peter 1:11.

Some people are going to have special access to the tree of life according to Revelation 2:7. Some people will even have special treatment by Jesus Himself. Jesus isn't going to treat everybody the same in heaven. There's special treatment according to Luke 12, verse 37. Secondly, I think these rewards entail special positions in heaven.

Those who are faithful in this life are going to be put in charge and have more responsibilities in heaven. Jesus taught that in Matthew 25:21. Remember the parable of the talents? Jesus commended those who were faithful with a few things and said they will be put in charge of many things. "Enter into the joy of your master."

Thirdly, I think the rewards in heaven entail special praise, special praise. Can you recall something your mom or dad might have said to you that was especially encouraging to you? "Son, daughter, I'm so proud of you." Or maybe you can think of something your employer said to you, like, "You know, you're doing such a great job. We couldn't make it in this company if it weren't for you."

You know, you hold on to those things, don't you? You replay them over and over in your mind. If we can get that excited about what a parent or an employer says to us, think about what it's going to be like if we were to stand before God at the judgment seat and see a smile across the face of Jesus saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

That's a reward worth working for. And that's what's going to be awaiting some in heaven. Special privileges, special positions, special praise. One possible outcome of the judgment we're all going to stand before is rewards. The other possible outcome is regrets, the forfeiture of rewards. Some people will stand before Jesus in shame.

And I don't make up that word shame. It's a biblical word. 1 John 2, verse 28 says, "And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." Some people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and as Jesus evaluates their lives, they'll have their heads down, unable to look the Lord in the eye as they look back with regret at what could have been theirs had they been more faithful in their service of Christ.

Paul writes about that in 1 Corinthians 3:15. He talks about some people having their lives made of silver, gold, and precious stones endure, but he says in verse 15, "If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet as though through fire." There will be real measurable loss some people will experience in heaven.

And there will be regret as people look and see what could have been theirs had they been more faithful to Christ in this life. Now I know what you're probably thinking. You're saying, "Wait a minute, pastor. I thought heaven was supposed to be a place of complete, unending joy. And you're saying there's going to be regret, sorrow in heaven? That doesn't make sense."

Well the fact is, joy and regret are two emotions that can exist at the same time. You can be joyful and regretful at the same time. Did you know that? I mean think about this. Let's just imagine your insurance agent calls you up and says, "You know, I've been looking over your homeowners policy. I think you're underinsured. I think you need to increase your insurance by $100,000 to cover everything you have."

You say, "Well, I'll think about it. I'll think about it." You never give it another thought. A couple of weeks later, you awaken in the middle of the night, you smell smoke. You realize the house is on fire. You grab your mate, hopefully, you grab your mate and you grope through the darkness. You find your children, you gather them out. There's only one exit out and it's through the window.

You take a chair and throw it through the window. You climb out onto the lawn. And as you stand there in your pajamas, you turn around and you see your house being totally consumed by the flames. Now, what is your emotion at that moment? Certainly there's joy that you escaped the fire with your life intact and that your loved ones are standing with you.

Immeasurable joy. But don't you think there's going to be a little bit of regret there as well? As you see everything you own being burned up and realize you don't have the insurance to cover it? Joy and regret can exist at the same time. And it'll be that same emotion for those who see their lives burned up at the judgment seat of Christ and being termed as absolutely worthless.

Pastor, what about that verse, Revelation 21:4? "God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes." That's right. He's going to do that for us. But Revelation 21:4 occurs after the judgment seat of Christ, after the new heaven and the new earth. And while God will wipe away our every tear, he will not wipe away the consequences of failing to win rewards at the judgment seat of Christ.

Those consequences last for eternity. Now, we have to be careful here. To overdo the sorrow, regret aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to turn heaven into hell. But to underemphasize it is to make obedience in this life inconsequential. Rewards will matter.

In his book, Your Eternal Reward, my friend Erwin Lutzer tells a fable about an Indian beggar who stood by the road every day to beg rice from any passerby who would be so generous. He stood there by the dusty road and in his bowl he had a few grains of rice just to get people started with the idea of generosity. One day as he stood there, he saw this elegant chariot racing toward him.

And when the chariot stopped in front of him, a wealthy raja descended from the chariot. He went over to the beggar. The beggar's heart was filled with hope as he thought, surely this raja will give me what I need. But instead of giving the beggar rice, he said to the beggar, "Give me your rice." The beggar was startled. "Give you my rice?" "Give me your rice." And so begrudgingly the beggar took out a grain of rice and gave it to the raja.

"Now give me another." He reached in and gave another. "I want another one as well." He gave him another. By this time the beggar was seething with anger. Why would this wealthy man who had so much demand that from somebody who had so little? Finally the raja ascended back into the chariot and rode away. The poor man looked into his bowl and noticed something.

He looked in there and he saw a grain of gold. And then he saw another grain of gold and another grain of gold. For every grain of rice the beggar had given the raja, the raja had exchanged it for a grain of gold. You know, exchanging rice for gold is a pretty savvy trade. But exchanging the temporary pleasures and treasures of this life for eternal rewards in the next life, that's a real lucrative transaction.

That's what rewards in heaven are all about. Trading the temporal for the eternal. For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ that each one of us may be rewarded for what we've done in the body, whether it be good or worthless.

This week we're in the final stretch in our series called "A Place Called Heaven." And let me remind you that time is running out to request your copy of a book I've written for you called Encouragement From A Place Called Heaven. Look, if we allow ourselves to do so, we can become bogged down by cultural controversies. Yes, we live in confusing times. And yes, it's a Christian's role to bring light into the darkness.

But as my friend Howard Hendricks used to say, we cannot impart that which we do not possess. That's a fancy way of saying that we need to fill our minds with God's bright light in order to effectively shine for Him. I want to elevate your understanding of heaven and help you fill your mind with the glories of your eternal home. I'm convinced it will help you rise above the challenges of each day.

My book is yours when you give a generous gift to support Pathway to Victory. Plus, and as a bonus, I'll be sure to include a helpful brochure I've written called "What Seven World Religions Teach About Heaven." My brochure clearly shows you how Christian beliefs about heaven differ from religions like Mormonism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. All right, it's time for today's message. People have a lot of questions about their status in eternity. And so today, we're answering the important question: Will heaven be the same for everyone?

David J. Mullins: When you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, you're invited to request a copy of the gift book from Dr. Jeffress, Encouragement From A Place Called Heaven. Ask for your very own copy when you call 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org. You know, another convenient way to give is to text PTV to 78800.

And when you give $75 or more, you'll also receive both the CD and DVD teaching sets for "A Place Called Heaven." Plus we'll also include a copy of the original bestselling book by Dr. Jeffress by that same title. Request the complete package of heaven resources when you call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. You know, a lot of folks prefer to contact us by mail. Here's the address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again next time when Dr. Jeffress begins part one of the message "How Can I Prepare for My Journey to Heaven?" That's Thursday here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

Guest (Male): Alaska's pristine wilderness showcases God's glory like nowhere else on earth. And you're invited to experience it firsthand on the Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska. Enjoy daily Bible teaching, worship led by Michael O'Brien, and laughter with Dennis Swanberg, all aboard Holland America's five-star Koningsdam. So reserve your cabin today. Call 888-280-6747 or visit ptv.org.

David J. Mullins: You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so grateful you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word.

To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/donate or you can follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Oh, and one last thing before we go. Have you reserved your spot yet for the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska? You've been hearing me and Dr. Jeffress mention it, so what are you waiting for?

Just picture yourself on the deck of Holland America's elegant Koningsdam and stepping out on deck to witness nature's grandeur. It's beautiful. These moments in God's creation will deepen your faith in powerful ways, it really will. Experience five-star dining, luxurious staterooms, and visiting iconic ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. We're also bringing along our own Christian entertainment, you'll love it. Seats are filling up, so book your spot today at ptv.org.