Lesson Ten

Salvation of the Soul (Sanctification Process; Walking in the Spirit), continued

REWARDS FOR THE BELIEVER

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:4-5.

There is the possibility of building treasure in heaven. It is based on bearing fruit here on earth. But it is extremely important to remember that we cannot do it on our own. It is not based on how exalted you are on this earth - whether you are like Billy Graham or whether you are the custodian of the smallest church. It will be a result of obeying what God tells YOU to do. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches that bear fruit. We cannot bear fruit for Him unless we are connected to Him. (John 15:1-2). If we become cut off from him, the life that is in the vine will not be able to flow through us.

We are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble;

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. I Corinthians 3:9-15.

Notice that it is possible to lose rewards. Obviously, wood, hay, and stubble are flammable materials and will not survive a fire. These represent works of man that will not survive spiritual, purifying fire. They are works that are done under the power of man and not under the power of the Holy Spirit. Works inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit are like gold, silver, and precious stones that can survive the refining fire of the Holy Spirit. A jeweler will tell you that gold must be purified gradually, that it cannot take place all at once. Gold ore is placed in a crucible and a low fire placed under it. Debris begins to separate from the gold and floats to the top. It is scraped off. The fire is turned up slightly and more debris is separated from the gold ore. The process continues over a period of time, depending upon the original purity of the ore, until the gold is pure and the jeweler can see his reflection in it. Isn’t this a wonderful symbol of the Lord purifying us through the work of the Holy Spirit? This scripture says that if the works are like gold, silver, and precious stones, they will survive the refining fire of the Holy Spirit, and will therefore be manifested as rewards in heaven. This scripture also points out that if the works of a believer do not survive the refining fire of the Holy Spirit, that the person himself will still be saved, but there will be no rewards in heaven.

So the question is, how do we make sure that our works are the kind that will survive to become rewards in heaven? By being obedient to the general instructions in the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s SPECIFIC instructions to YOU.

And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9.

The Lord also said that we have need of patience (Hebrews 10:36) after we have been obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember the principle of sowing and reaping in the Kingdom of God. If you have been obedient in sowing what the Lord gives you, you WILL reap the harvest.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23.

If your heart does not condemn you, you will have confidence toward God (I John 3:21). Therefore, talk to God about anything that causes you trouble, distress, or unbelief. The Lord knows us better than ourselves, but part of our walk with Him is for us to learn about ourselves. When we are honest before Him, our confidence in Him grows, and we can believe that we are eligible to receive from Him. We know that He desires to pour out abundant blessings upon us. We have to get into position to receive by daily repentance, forgiveness, and obedience.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:22-24.

Again, faith is of the utmost importance in our walk with the Lord. The original Greek in this passage should be translated, “Have the faith of God.” This is a critical difference in the attitude of the believer. It shows that we are dependent upon God for even the faith to please Him. Remember the passage in Ephesians 2:8-10 which states that the faith for salvation is a gift from Him. So humility is appropriate when we are seeking God for things. If you will seek the Lord for His presence and fellowship first (Matthew 6:33), you will be satisfied with HIS faith that brings about answers to your needs.

These scriptures describe more promises to the overcomer. Remember that the word for salvation in the scriptures includes many things. It includes forgiveness, love, righteousness, deliverance, fellowship, security, sufficiency, fulfillment, supply, peace, joy, prosperity, health, healing, and many other benefits you can name. You are challenged to find scriptures for blessings you want to receive from the Lord and ask the Lord to make them come to pass in your life, and then thank Him for them. Our relationship to the Lord is not as a child is to Santa Claus. The Lord said He would meet our needs when we exercise faith, but he doesn’t promise He’ll give us all our wants. He certainly wants to bless us always with temporal things as well as spiritual things (joy, peace, health, etc.) If you think about it, you’ll realize that good health is also a financial blessing as well as a spiritual one, because you are able to work hard and not have to pay medical bills.

The Lord is most pleased when we seek Him for Who He is just to be with Him. Many times we don’t have to ask for anything if we seek the GIVER and not just the gifts.

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:4-5.

If the Lord gave us everything we ever desired, we would be destroyed, because we have all asked for things without wisdom. Notice that the Lord said to seek Him and delight in Him. When you do this, three things happen:

1. He gives you the desires that you should have in your heart, then

2. He grants those desires that He placed there, then

3. He grants many of the desires that you already have that are good for you and that you can handle.

It is the nature of God to bless us. He is a Giver. He gave the ultimate Gift - his only begotten Son, Jesus.

Be prepared to answer the following questions:

1. What is the key to bearing fruit that results in building treasure in heaven?

2. How does a believer lose rewards?

3. What is the purpose of spiritual fire?

4. How does patience help the believer?

5. What will cause a lack of confidence toward God?

6. What 3 things happen when a believer delights himself in the Lord?

Challenge: Identify how the principle of sowing and reaping has worked in your life. How do you think you might have lost rewards?