The Eternal Consequences Of The Christian’s Judgment

You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.
–Matthew 25:21

Are the crowns that we receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ literal crowns? Some people believe they are. Of course, you have to wonder, if you have more than one or two crowns, how is that going to work walking around with four or five? Other people say, “We are going to cast our crowns before the throne of God, so it does not matter.” I believe that these crowns may be literal crowns, and indeed we may cast them before the throne of God as a sign of worship, but that does not negate the fact that these crowns represent real, tangible rewards that will extend throughout eternity. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul said, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” The Bible says there are three kinds of Heavenly rewards that these crowns represent.

First of all, these rewards include special privileges in Heaven. When my daughters were young, we used to take them to Disneyland. If you have ever been to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” you know that for a basic price, everybody gets in the park to ride the rides. However, if you want to pay more, you get to do extra things. You get to go into the park an hour early before the crowds come. You get to go to the front of the line for rides. If you really want to pay an arm and a leg, you can have breakfast with Mickey and Minnie. It is a special privilege for those who are willing to do a little more. Heaven is going to be that way. The experience of Heaven is not going to be the same for everybody. The Bible teaches that 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 is not going to treat everybody the same in Heaven. Some will receive special treatment, according to Luke 12:37.

Second, these rewards entail special positions in Heaven. Those who are faithful in this life will be put in charge and have moral responsibilities in Heaven. In the parable of the talents, Jesus commended those who were faithful: “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).

Third, these rewards entail special praise in Heaven. Can you look back in your life and recall when somebody said something especially encouraging to you? Maybe a parent said, “I am so proud of you.” Maybe an employer said, “You are doing such a great job; we could not make it in this company without you.” 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 will be like to stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ and see Jesus smile and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That is a reward worth working for.

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Will Heaven Be The Same For Everyone?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org)