Pathway to Victory

Guest (Male): 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, for he who comes to God must believe that God is, that he is what? A rewarder of those who diligently seek him. There is no better demonstration of faith than making temporary sacrifices in this life built on the assurance, the promise, that God is going to reward you in the next life.

David J. Mullins: Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Romans chapter 2, verse 11 says there is no partiality with God. I for one am certainly grateful to serve a God who is just and fair. I hope you are, too. But that doesn’t mean life after death will be the same for everyone. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals that God will reward believers in heaven for their good works on earth. But first, let’s take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David, and welcome to Pathway to Victory. Before we get started with today’s study, I want to remind you that this coming Friday is your very last opportunity to request the brand-new book that complements our teaching series on the last days. My book is titled Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times.

You know, people occasionally ask me why Pathway to Victory is devoted so much time to the study of Bible prophecy. I want to answer that honestly. It was never about chasing a trend. It was never about capitalizing on fear or uncertainty in the culture. The reason is far simpler and far more profound. Bible prophecy at its very core is the unveiling of Jesus Christ in all his glory. That’s what has drawn me to this subject for three decades, and my book represents the culmination of that 30-year journey.

We’re in the final week of this exclusive offer, so please don’t wait. I’ll be happy to send you my book when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. David and I will tell you more about these resources later. But right now, let’s continue the study we started on Friday’s program. Here’s the issue I will tackle today: When our time on earth has expired and we enter our heavenly home, will our good performance on earth count for anything? I titled today’s message, Rewards in Heaven.

One of the greatest myths about eternity is that all Christians will experience the same heaven. Such a belief is neither logical nor, more importantly, is it biblical. If you have your Bibles, turn to Acts chapter 18 as we talk about the judgment seat of Christ. Last June, we took a trip to the city of Corinth and we visited the ancient ruins there. You’ll remember that Paul was in Corinth on his second missionary journey.

During the 18 months he was there, Paul experienced many people being saved and baptized. But remember, there were also a group of people who were unhappy with Paul, agitated by him. So, they trumped up some charges and they hauled him before the Roman proconsul of Corinth, Gallio. Look at Acts 18, verse 12, and let’s see what happened when that happened. But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and they brought him before the judgment seat.

The Greek word there is bema. I imagine our group to imagine what it was like to be Paul, shackled in chains, standing before this judge, knowing that with one word, he could extinguish your life. Paul didn’t waver one bit. Do you know why he didn’t waver, why he had no fear about standing before Gallio at the bema, the judgment seat? Because Paul understood that one day he was going to stand before another judge at another judgment seat.

This judge had the ability not just to extinguish his physical life, but his soul. Every one of us who is a Christian is going to stand before God and we’re going to have our lives evaluated by God: our words, our thoughts, our actions, our motivations. Some people have difficulty with this idea of the judgment seat of Christ, but let me be very clear. This judgment is not a judgment of condemnation. It is a judgment of commendation and the evaluation of our lives.

In verses 11 to 13 of 1st Corinthians 3, Paul tells us about the basis for the judgment seat of Christ. Well look at verses 11 to 13. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is in Christ Jesus. Now, if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 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.

When we become a Christian, we are adopted into God’s family and we all are given the same foundation, the foundation of Jesus Christ. That’s 1st Corinthians 3:11. We all have the same foundation, the foundation of Jesus Christ. But you and I decide what kind of life we’re going to build upon that foundation. What are we going to do with the time, the gifts, the resources that God has given to us? Paul mentions in these passages in 1st Corinthians two different criteria by which God is going to do that evaluation, not of our homes, but of our lives.

The first criterion is the durability of our life. Write that down. That’s what he talks about in verse 12: the durability of our life. Have we constructed our life with gold, silver, precious stones, or is our life constructed with wood, hay, and straw? Gold, silver, precious stones represent those things that are valuable and are lasting. Wood, hay, and straw represent a life that is built around the worthless and the temporal.

If you build your life around career, building a financial portfolio, sensual pleasures, that is a life that is built around wood, hay, and straw. If you invest your life in advancing the kingdom of God, of sharing his message with others, of developing a godly character in your life, that is building your life with gold, silver, and precious stones. Let me stop here and ask you the question: what's the focus of your life? Is your focus that which is temporal, or is it that which is eternal?

And if you have a hard time determining what the focus of your life is, here are three questions that will tell you quicker than any questions I know what the real focus of your life is. Number one, what do you think about most often? That is in those quiet moments before you drift off to sleep at night, when you're at the red light, what do you think about? Second of all, what do you talk about most often? Just in your natural conversation with people, what do you talk about most often?

Question number three: if you received an unexpected $100,000 gift, how would you spend it? What do you think about, what do you talk about, how would you spend $100,000? Your answer to those questions, your honest answers, will tell you whether your life is built around the eternal or the temporal; around gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, and straw. Paul says that’s one criterion, the durability of our life, but there’s a second criterion and that is the motives of our life.

That is, sometimes why we do something is just as important as what we end up doing. In 1st Corinthians 4, verse 5, Paul talks about that. He says, therefore, do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will bring both to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts. And then each man's praise will come to him from God.

If I share the gospel with somebody because of my general and real concern for his well-being, that’s rendered as gold. If I share the gospel with somebody so I can brag about it to another person, that’s wood. If I give a gift to the Lord, a financial gift because I have a genuine concern about expanding God’s kingdom, that’s silver. But if I give the gift so I can be recognized by others, that’s straw.

God does care about our motives. Proverbs 16:2 says all the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Now, one word of caution here. Don’t use motives as a cop-out for disobedience. Some people will say, well, my heart’s really not in it, so maybe I shouldn’t do it at all. I’ll wait until my heart gets right before I do it. Did you know one of the purest motivations for obeying God is faith?

That is the faith that God is going to reward me for my obedience to him. I may not feel like giving my money to the church this month, but I’m going to give it because I believe God’s going to reward me someday for it. I may not feel like coming to church today. I might feel like I’d rather be at the lake—probably not today, but most Sundays. I’d rather be at the lake. But I come and I teach my second-grade Sunday school class because I believe somewhere there’s going to be a commendation and reward for that.

Now, you know there are people in the church who are more spiritual than God is, or at least they think they are. And they say, oh, that’s terrible, pastor, that anybody would serve God for a reward. That is just unspiritual. We ought to serve God just because we love him. Is that true? Not at all. The Bible says one of the purest motives is believing that God is going to reward us. For example, think about Abraham.

What is it that caused him to uproot his home in Ur of the Chaldees and go look for that land that God had promised? Hebrews 11:10 says for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Or later on in that same faith chapter, Hebrews 11, God said this about Moses, who chose to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Why? For he was looking to the reward.

That’s right. Moses said no to the riches of Egypt. He believed God was going to reward him. Remember what the writer said in Hebrews 11:6. The most important thing that God looks for in each of our lives is faith. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that God is and that he is what? A rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

There is no better demonstration of faith, God-pleasing faith, than making temporary sacrifices in this life built on the assurance, the promise, that God is going to reward you in the next life. God honors that kind of faith. We’ve talked about the reality of the judgment seat of Christ. We’ve talked about the two criteria, the basis for the judgment seat of Christ. Now, what are the results of the judgment seat of Christ?

That is, if I make it into heaven, isn’t that enough? Won’t I be totally satisfied if I just make it into heaven? Paul doesn’t hesitate in answering those questions. He says there are going to be real, lasting, felt consequences depending upon how we do at the judgment seat of Christ. Look at 1st Corinthians 3:14 and 15. Here are the results. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.

But if any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved so as through fire. Paul says there are two possible outcomes that await us at the judgment seat of Christ. One possible outcome is rewards. Verse 14 says the one who does well, he shall receive a reward. What are those rewards? Let me mention three of them that the scripture talks about.

First of all, there are going to be special privileges in heaven for the faithful. When our girls were little, we made several treks to Disney World. And if you’ve been to Disney World, you know that for a single price, you can enjoy all the attractions in the theme park. And yet, if you’re willing to pay just a little more, you can get some special perks. I mean, for a little bit more money, you can go into the park early, or you can stay in nicer accommodations, or best of all, you can have breakfast with Mickey and Minnie.

Those extra perks are nice for those who are willing to pay a little bit more. Did you know there are going to be extra privileges in heaven for those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ? For example, 2nd Peter 1:11 says there’s going to be a special entrance into the kingdom, not of Mickey but of God. There’s going to be a special gate, an access to the kingdom of God. Revelation 2, verse 7 says there’s going to be special access to the tree of life.

Even Luke 12:37 says there’s going to be special treatment by Christ to those who are faithful. This idea that Jesus is going to treat everybody the same, I’m sorry, that’s just not true. There is special treatment by Christ by those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ. Now look, I don’t pretend to understand what all these perks mean, but the Bible says they are real and they’re really worth working for. They're worth sacrificing for in this life.

Special privileges from heaven. Second, there’s going to be special praise from the Lord for those who are faithful. Can you remember ever a time when either your mom or dad said to you, "I am so proud of you. It's an honor to be your mom, your dad"? Can you ever recall a time when your employer brought you into his office and said, "I want you to know how much I appreciate what you’re doing for our organization. We couldn’t make it if it weren’t for you"?

You know, that kind of praise can keep you going for years just to hear a word of commendation like that. Well, Matthew 25:21 says those who serve faithfully in this life will hear that kind of praise from the Lord: "Well done, good and faithful servant." Third, there are going to be positions of authority for those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ. Matthew 25:21: "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.'"

Those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ one day will rule over planets, over the angels, over other believers. Special positions of authority. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking you’ve got to be kidding. More work in heaven? That sounds like hell to me. I mean, the last thing I want to do is have responsibility. I just want to float around on my cloud up there.

But think again. Genesis tells us that we were created in God’s image. God is a worker. He created us to be workers. He wanted us to find satisfaction in our work. He wanted us to be exhilarated, not debilitated by our work. The only reason work became painful is because of sin that entered into the world. But one day, that sin is going to be gone. We’ll no longer have bodies that get tired.

We’ll no longer have soured relationships that characterize many workplaces. We’ll never have any more government regulations. We’ll be able to work as God intended us to work, and it will be satisfying. And those who do well at the judgment seat of Christ are going to have these extra positions of authority. There’s one possibility, one outcome is reward. But there’s another possible outcome he speaks of in verse 15 and that is loss.

If any man's work is burned up, verse 15, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet as through fire. Or another way we would say it: he’ll be saved by the skin of his teeth. But he will suffer loss. I want you to notice what Paul says, not what Robert says, what Paul says. Some Christians are going to experience real, tangible, measurable loss at the judgment seat of Christ when they realize what could have been theirs had they been more faithful to Christ.

Now, I can hear the howls of protest. People saying, "Wait a minute, pastor. What you’re describing is horrible. The idea that there would be real and lasting regret in heaven. How does that square with the fact that heaven is going to be a place of inexplicable joy, and yet you’re saying it’s also going to be a place of regret?" Well, the fact is joy and regret can coexist with one another. One doesn’t necessarily extinguish the other.

For example, suppose that my insurance agent sits down with me and he says, "You know, Robert, I’ve been reviewing your policy and I think you’re underinsured. You need an extra $100,000 of insurance for your house and your possessions." And I think, "Well, you know, with Christmas coming up, I don’t want to spend my money on insurance premiums. I’ll just take my chances." And so, a few months later, I awaken one night to the smell of smoke in my house.

I nudge Amy and I say, "Amy, I think our house is on fire." So, we get up and we grope through the smog and the smoke and we can’t find an entrance out. Every exit is blocked. And finally, we go into one of the bedrooms and we throw a chair through the window and we climb out of the window. And as we stand there on our front lawn, we watch our entire house erupt into flames.

Now, what do you think my emotion is going to be at that point in time? Certainly, there’s going to be great joy and gratitude that we escaped the fire. Nobody can extinguish that. But with that joy is going to be a measure of regret as I remember what the insurance agent said and think if only I had made the right investment, I wouldn’t suffer this loss right now.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says you’ll find that same mixture of joy and loss at the judgment seat of Christ. Joy, eternal joy that we have escaped the flames of hell because of what Christ has done for us. But for some, there’ll be a sadness, a regret, a loss as we realize what could have been ours had we been more faithful to Christ. Now, I realize we need to be balanced here.

As somebody said, to overdo the sorrow aspect of heaven is to turn heaven into hell. But to ignore the reality of regret in heaven is to make obedience to Christ in this life inconsequential. The Bible says what we do now does make an eternal difference. My friend Erwin Lutzer tells the story of a beggar in India who stood along the side of the road with a little bowl begging for rice.

One day, a wealthy Raja pulled up in a chariot. He stepped down from the chariot and he went up to that beggar and said, "Give me some of your rice." The beggar couldn’t believe it, but he held out the bowl and the Raja picked up one grain of rice. He said, "Give me another." And so, he held out the bowl and the Raja took another grain of rice. He said, "Give me one more." He held out the bowl and he took another one.

By this time, the beggar was seething with anger. He couldn’t believe somebody so wealthy with so much would ask that of somebody who had so little. The Raja got up in the chariot and he sped away. Once he had regained his composure, the beggar looked down into that bowl and he noticed something glittering. On further inspection, he realized it was a grain of gold. And then he looked closer and there was a second grain of gold, and a third grain of gold.

For every grain of rice he had given the Raja, the Raja had returned it with a grain of gold. Erwin Lutzer makes this application: if we clutch our bowl of rice, we shall lose our reward. If we are faithful and give God each grain, he gives us gold in return. And the gold God gives will survive the fire. Ladies and gentlemen, there are real, measurable rewards awaiting those who are obedient to Christ.

And it’s the reality of those rewards that caused Paul to write these words: "Therefore, we have as our ambition whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to God. Why? For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each man may be recompensed for deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether they be good or worthless."

Perhaps you’re surprised to learn that rewards in heaven will separate the faithful from the complacent. As your Bible teacher here on Pathway to Victory, let me encourage you to become intentional about preparing for your final judgment: a judgment not of condemnation but of commendation, if you’re a Christian. We’re in the final days of our perfect ending series. It concludes Friday.

And I want to make sure you don’t miss this opportunity. My brand-new book Ask Dr. Jeffress about the end times has been specifically designed to accompany everything you’ve been hearing in these broadcasts. I clearly and biblically answer 20 of the most common questions about God’s prophetic plan. But this exclusive offer is only available for a few more days. Contact us right away and request your copy today.

It’ll be sent directly to your home when we receive your generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. In addition to the book, I’ll also send you my multifolded Bible prophecy chart as well. Let me thank you for your continued support of Pathway to Victory. It’s my voice you hear teaching every day, but it’s your generous giving that makes Pathway to Victory available on your station.

I couldn’t do this work without you and I can assure you that your gift, especially in these dark and ominous days, will bring light and life to those who listen. Thanks so much. Here’s David to tell you more.

David J. Mullins: Today when you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we’ll say thanks by sending you Dr. Jeffress’s brand-new book Ask Dr. Jeffress about the end times, along with the Bible prophecy chart. Just call 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org. You can also support this ministry by texting PTV to 78800.

And when your gift is $125 or more, you’re also going to receive Dr. Jeffress’s best-selling prophecy book Perfect Ending. You’ll get the complete Perfect Ending teaching series on audio and video disc and the stunning full-color resource The End Times Illustrator: a panorama of Bible prophecy from Genesis to Revelation. To request the complete package of resources call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org.

You can also write to us if you’d like: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, that’s P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I’m David J. Mullins, inviting you to join us again next time for a message titled The Truth About Eternity. That’s Tuesday, here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: What if your next vacation changed the way you read your Bible forever? Join me for nine nights sailing the Mediterranean with every detail taken care of. When you stand where Paul stood, your Bible comes alive in ways it never has before. Sail with us on the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul cruise, May 2027, and ask about our optional Athens pre-extension. Call 888-280-6747 or visit ptv.org.

Guest (Male): You made it to the end of today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we’re so glad 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. Don’t forget to reserve your spot on the 2027 Journeys of Paul Mediterranean cruise. You’ve heard me and Dr. Jeffress talk about it and cabins are going quickly.

Just picture yourself aboard the beautiful Celebrity Infinity sailing round-trip from Athens, standing where the Apostle Paul stood in Ephesus and taking in the breathtaking Greek islands. Nine unforgettable nights with stops in Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, and more. Every meal prepared, every detail taken care of, plus fellowship with like-minded believers. There’s also an optional pre-cruise extension to Athens. To book your spot, go to ptv.org.