The reward

"He who is nearing God must believe that God is and reward those who seek Him.... [Moses] considered the reproach of Christ a greater treasure than the riches of Egypt ; For he looked to the reward." Hebrews 11: 6, 26

Our relations with God are established on the principle of grace alone : ​​"By grace you are saved by faith, and it does not come from you, it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2: 8). But God adds something to this gift of salvation : he promises a reward, but to whom ? To heroes, to giants of faith ? No, to those who seek it !

The word "reward" should not be given the meaning which it has in our common language, that is to say, a material or moral good, given and received for a good deed, a service rendered, or some particular merit. No, it is a gift from God, without consideration. We thus understand that God, who owes nothing to us, wishes to show that he appreciates the way in which we have sought to please him.

What form will this reward come in the future ? No doubt a public approbation of the Lord, as is shown in a figurative manner in the crowns of which various epistles speak. It is also what can be represented in a parable in a parable, the authority over cities bestowed by the nobleman on the slaves who have made fruitful what he had entrusted to them during his absence (Luke 19: 11- 27). In the presence of their Master, these faithful servants will have no thought of personal satisfaction ; But, no doubt, they will be happy to have put their lives at the service of the Master. "It is God who works in [us] and wills it and does it, according to his good pleasure" (Phil 2: 13).

All the children of God have the same place in his love. In the house of the Father, we will only think of the divine grace that saved us. However, when the Lord Jesus appears in glory to the world with his own, each redeemed one will bear the rewards of his devotion to Christ, his work for him, the sufferings endured in the difficult circumstances of the earth. Let us be of those who love his appearance and think of the glory of the Lord only when he is "glorified in his saints and admired in all who believe" (2 Thessalonians 1: 10).

Source (To pleasing the Lord)