Chapter 71
Will There Be Degrees Of Reward In Heaven?
“And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are
passed away.” -- Revelation 21:4
Will
there be degrees of reward in heaven? This is a question around
which there has been much controversy throughout the history of the church.
Many men whose doctrine has been thoroughly biblical in other areas have been
in grave error concerning rewards. I know that I will not settle the
controversy surrounding this question in this brief study. That is not my
purpose. It is my responsibility to teach those things which become sound
doctrine and build up God’s elect in the faith of Christ, so that you will not
be “tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness!”
The issue by which this question must be settled is very clear.
– Is God’s salvation, in its’ entirety, the work of his free grace in Christ,
or is it not? If, as the Scriptures everywhere assert, our salvation is
altogether the work of God’s free grace, if our works have nothing to do with
it, and heavenly glory is but the consummation of that salvation, then there
can be no degrees of reward in heaven[1].
Without question, salvation is by grace alone, through faith
alone, in Christ alone. No part of salvation can be, in any measure, attributed
to the will, worth, or works of man (2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 11:6). If it
is possible to separate heavenly rewards from salvation, then one might imagine
that there shall be degrees of reward in heaven; but if heaven and the glorious
inheritance of the saints in heaven is only the consummation of salvation, then
the doctrine that there shall be degrees of reward in heaven is but another
subtle way of teaching salvation by works! It is impossible to separate
heavenly glory from salvation.
The Doctrine
What
is the doctrine of those who teach degrees of reward in heaven? I realize that some who
teach that there are degrees of reward in heaven may have slightly different
opinions than others; but basically their doctrine is the same. I do not wish
to put words into the mouths of others. So, I will give you the doctrine in the
words of one of its leading proponents.
“Rewards are offered by God
to a believer on the basis of faithful service rendered after salvation. It is
clear from Scripture that God offers to the lost salvation and for the faithful
service of the saved, rewards. Often in theological thinking salvation and
rewards are confused. However, these two terms must be carefully distinguished.
Salvation is a free gift (John 4:10; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9), while rewards are
earned by works (Matt. 10:42; Lk. 19:17; 1 Cor. 9:24-25; 2 Tim. 4:7-8). Rewards
will be dispensed at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10). The
doctrine of rewards is inseparably connected with God’s grace. A soul being
saved on the basis of divine grace, there is no room for the building up of
merit on the part of the believer. Yet, God recognizes an obligation on his
part to reward his saved ones for their service to Him. Nothing can be done to
merit salvation, but what the believer has achieved for God’s glory God recognizes
in His great faithfulness with rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.”
Merrill F. Unger
Here are five things
involved in the teaching that there will be degrees of reward in heaven, as
stated by Mr. Unger.
1.
Salvation is limited to the initial experience of conversion. – In the
Word of God no such separation exists. The Scriptures never separate one part
of salvation from another (Matt. 10:22; Rom. 8:28-30; 13:11; 2 Cor. 2:10; 2
Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 2:4).
2. It is possible for a person
to be saved and not be a faithful servant of Christ. – Nothing can be more
contrary to the words of our Lord (See Luke 14:25-33). There is no such thing
as a believer who does not live in submission to Christ as his Lord. Believers
do not always act faithfully; but they are all faithful. To be a believer is to
be one who is to be a saint (sanctified) and to be numbered among “the
faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1).
3. Men and women, by their
service to God, put God under obligation to reward them. – What an atrocious
statement! Is it possible for a sinful man or woman to do anything to merit
God’s favor, to earn God’s blessing? Can a mere man oblige the Almighty? We are
debtors to God. He is not, and cannot be made to be, a debtor to us![2]
4.
There will be two judgment days, one for
believers and another for unbelievers. – The Word of God never hints at the
idea that Christ will come again twice, once in secret and then in open,
or that there will be two distinct resurrection days, or that there will be two
separate days of judgment. Such fabrications are but the inventions of men, in
an attempt to make the Word of God fit into their theological systems.
5. Believers
will yet have to suffer for their sins! – The doctrine of degrees of reward in
heaven unashamedly declares that those for whom Christ has suffered all the
wrath of God, whose sins he put away, will yet suffer in heaven for their sins
after God saved them, that they will suffer the everlasting shame of heavens
loss in the presence of those who earned a greater measure of glory,
those who by their great goodness obliged God to give them a greater
inheritance! The Lord God says otherwise. He declares that he will never charge
his people with sin (Rom. 4:8; 8:32-34). The doctrine of degrees of reward in heaven is
nothing less than a Protestant version of purgatory. Heavenly glory is not
everlasting sorrow, but everlasting bliss.
Implications
Such
doctrine is not without unavoidable implications. If the doctrine of degrees of
reward in heaven is accepted then it must be acknowledged that heaven’s glory
is not the reward of grace, but the payment of a debt. It must also be
acknowledged that heaven is not a place of unmingled joy as the Scriptures
assert (Rev. 7:15-17; 21:1-5; 22:2-5), but a place of mingled joy and grief. If
the doctrine of degrees of reward is accepted, it must also be accepted,
contrary to the plainest statements of divine Revelation, that God does
withhold some good things from them that walk uprightly, and some evil shall
fall upon the just (Psa. 84:11; Prov. 12:21). Again, if the doctrine of degrees
of reward in heaven were accepted, then we would be forced to conclude, in
direct opposition to the universal teaching of Holy Scripture that the blood of
Christ and the righteousness of Christ will not alone be sufficient for our
acceptance with God, -- that some part of God’s favor, some of the blessings of
God, must be earned by us, -- that salvation is partly a matter of works and
not altogether the gift of God’s free grace in Christ. These implications are
inescapable, as well as utterly blasphemous. Yet, they must be accepted, if we
accept the doctrine of degrees of reward in heaven.
Why has this issue been stated so
dogmatically? Why have I dealt with this so pointedly? It could have been
passed over with little or no notice. Few, if any, would have realized its
omission. Here are five reasons for my decision to write as I have on this
matter.
1. The
doctrine of degrees of reward in heaven is totally without foundation in the
Word of God. Not
one passage referred to in support of this doctrine even hints that some saints
will have more and some have less in heaven. Not one of the crowns mentioned in
the Bible are said to be given only to certain believers. All the saints before
the throne have the same golden crowns, crowns which they gladly cast before
the feet of the Lamb (Revelation 4:10).
2.
It is totally contrary to the plain
statements of Holy Scripture. Here are eight passages of Scripture, given
without comment, which utter nullify the absurd doctrine of degrees of reward
in heaven.
Matthew
20:1-16 "For the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a man that is an
householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his
vineyard. (2) And when he had agreed
with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. (3) And he went out about the third
hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, (4) And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and
whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. (5) Again he went out about the sixth
and ninth hour, and did likewise. (6) And
about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith
unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? (7) They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto
them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. (8) So when even was come, the lord of
the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto
the first. (9) And when they came
that were hired about the eleventh
hour, they received every man a penny.
(10) But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received
more; and they likewise received every man a penny. (11) And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of
the house, (12) Saying, These
last have wrought but one hour, and
thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the
day. (13) But he answered one of them, and
said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? (14) Take that thine is, and go thy
way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. (15) Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is
thine eye evil, because I am good? (16) So
the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few
chosen."
Romans
8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together."
Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Ephesians
1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ:"
Ephesians
5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word,
(27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish."
1
John 3:1-2 "Behold, what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (2) Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Jude
1:24 "Now unto him that is able to keep you
from falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."
Can there be degrees of holiness, degrees of perfection,
degrees of faultlessness, degrees of glorification? Nonsense!
3.
The doctrine of degrees of reward, of
heavenly rewards earned by personal obedience, makes service to Christ a legal,
mercenary thing.
Such
doctrine
promotes pride. If one person could obtain a bigger crown, a higher rank, or a
greater nearness to God by his works than another, he would have every reason
to pop his suspenders, strut around heaven, and have those poor, crownless
people, living in the back street slums of the New Jerusalem, bow and scrape
before him.
Not only does the doctrine promote pride, it threatens
punishment. It attempts to put God’s people upon a legal footing before God,
threatening the loss of reward and everlasting shame, if we do not do what is
expected of us. This horrendous doctrine would make all God’s saints mercenaries,
inspiring obedience and faithfulness by either the threat of punishment or by
the promise of reward. I challenge anyone to find a single example of such
base, carnal threats against redeemed sinners in the New Testament. Such
doctrine is as offensive as it is unscriptural, because both dishonors our God
and assumes that God’s people do not really love Christ, that they are not
motivated, inspired, and governed by that love and by their hearts’ concern for
the will and glory of God.
4.
This base, carnal doctrine of earned reward
in heaven robs Christ of the glory of his grace and makes room for human flesh
to boast before God.
If you and I do something
that puts God almighty in obligation to reward us, then we have a right to
boast in his presence. If we do something by which we merit a higher standing
than others in glory, why shouldn’t we boast about it?
5. The doctrine of degrees in
glory has the obnoxious odor of works about it; and there is no room for works
in the kingdom of grace. – The God of Glory will not be worshipped upon an
altar of hewn stone (Ex. 20:25). He will not be worshipped upon an altar built
by our hands. There is no room for the baggage of works in the strait and
narrow way.
One Text
There is
one text of
Scripture, which both
destroys the doctrine of degrees of
reward and assures every believer of
an everlasting fulness of joy in
glory. The text to which I refer is Revelation 21:4. -- "And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are
passed away."
Without question, there is much weeping in
the way to heaven. Faith in Christ brings deliverance from all curse and condemnation, but
not from pain and sorrow. There are
many things that believers suffer in this world along with other men. Because
the world is a world of sin, it is a world of sorrow. God’s saints
suffer physical pain and sickness, domestic troubles, financial losses, and
bereavement just like all other people in this world.
Added to these earthly sorrows, there are
many things that bring tears to our eyes, about which the world knows nothing.
We struggle incessantly with inward sin and unbelief. There is a warfare in our
souls, a warfare between the flesh and the spirit, a warfare from which there
will never be a moment’s truce, until we have left this world.
There
are even some precious tears that we shed here that will be dried on the other
side of Jordan. Here we shed bittersweet tears of repentance, -- but not in
glory! Here we often weep in sympathy because those we love are in pain or
trouble, -- but not in eternity! Here we weep with brokenhearted concern for
others, -- but not in heaven. Here our hearts often break and our eyes swell
with tears because we long for Christ’s manifest presence, -- but not in the
land of our inheritance!
Even now, our heavenly Father does much to
dry our tears. The
believer’s life is not a morbid, sorrow-filled existence. Not at all! But we do
have our sorrows. Yet, even in the midst of sorrow our Lord gives us great
comfort (Isa. 43:1-6). As our days require, he gives us grace sufficient to
meet our every need. -- He gives us a measure of resignation to his will. -- He
teaches us to trust his providence. -- He reminds us of his gracious purpose.
-- He causes us to remember his promises. -- He blesses us with the sense of
his presence. -- He floods our hearts with the knowledge of his love (Eph.
3:19). -- He reminds us that the cause of our pain is his fatherly love for his
erring children (Heb. 12:5-12). – And he causes our hearts to be fixed upon
better things (Col. 3:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:15-18).
Yet, in heaven’s glory our God will wipe
all tears from our eyes. Impossible as it is for us to imagine, there is a time coming when we
shall weep no more, when we shall have no cause to weep. Heaven is a place of
sure, eternal, ever-increasing bliss; and the cause of that bliss is our God.
Heaven is a place of joy without sorrow, laughter without weeping, pleasantness
without pain. In heaven there are no regrets, no remorseful tears, no second
thoughts, no lost causes, no sorrows of any kind!
Without question, if our God did not wipe
away all tears from our eyes, there would be much weeping in heaven. We would
forever weep over our past sins, over unconverted souls forever lost in hell,
over all our wasted opportunities, over our unkindness and lack of love to our
brethren here, and over the terrible price of our redemption. These things and
many others would cause us to weep forever. But God will wipe away all tears
from our eyes. It is written, “There shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain, for
the former things are passed away!”
Our great God shall, in heaven’s glory,
remove us from all sin, remove all sin from us, and remove us from all the evil
consequences of sin. He will remove us from every cause of grief. He will bring us at last
into the perfection of complete salvation and every desire of our hearts will
be completely gratified. -- We will be like Christ! – We will be with Christ!
-- We will see Christ! -- We will love Christ perfectly! -- We will serve
Christ unceasingly! -- We will worship Christ without sin! -- We will rest in
Christ completely! -- We will enjoy Christ fully! -- We will have Christ
entirely!
Will you be among the blessed company of the redeemed? Will you
be with Christ in glory? You will only enter into glory if you are worthy of
heaven. You can only be made worthy by the merits of Christ. If you are worthy
of everlasting glory, you shall have all the glory of heaven itself, without
degrees, perfectly. The very glory that God the Father gave to the God-man
Mediator, that great Mediator has given to his people (John 17:5; 22). Trust
Christ and all the glory of Christ in heaven is yours. All who believe on the
Son of God are heirs of God, and more. – We are joint heirs with Christ!
[1] Salvation involves all that is required to bring a sinner from the ruins of the fall into the glory of heaven.
[2] Let the reader ask himself: “What have I ever done, or even thought, that is worthy even of God’s acceptance?” – If, as every child of God humbly acknowledges, sin is mixed with all we are and do (1 John 1:8-10) and our very righteousnesses are filthy rags in the sight of the infinitely holy Lord God (Isa. 64:6), we certainly cannot “oblige” the Almighty by of deeds!