And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12
As we go through life heading towards eternity, we must do so with the realization our eternal well-being is based on our faithfulness. Romans 14:12 says, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God”. We go through life in so many ways. We are identified as a part of a group and yes it’s true individual Christians comprise the whole of the church (Acts 2:47). However, it will be the individual’s faithfulness that determines where we stand before God. The apostle Paul only evaluated himself as he faced eternity and so should we (2 Tim 4:6-8).
This goes both ways. The faithfulness of our neighbors or family will not save us, but it should be pointed out we should not allow others to determine our obedience to God. How often have you been told “I’m as good as some folks who go to church”? The best answer I can give is that we must do what is right for ourselves and let God Himself deal with hypocrisy (James 4:12).
Many go through life never determining a direction. In some aspects this is acceptable. Many in scripture made huge life changes from daily occupations to where they lived. It was all part of God’s scheme of redemption. However, it is clear no matter where life takes us one thing alone must always be constant. Ecclesiates 12:13 states, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”. The very next verse tells us exactly why. It will be how we are judged (Ecc 12:14).
It is important to fully understand this verse and to look at the Lord’s view. He’s coming with a reward for the faithful. Matthew 16:27 tells us, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works”.
As we examine these final passages of the Bible, we see from this verse our lives here are truly to be lived in view of the life to come. Our road may be rocky and the hills high but faithfulness and determination to reach the goal will be rewarded. And, it is God’s desire we all live faithfully to obtain the reward (2 Pet 3:9).
By Jason Barger