Jesus is not shy in his promises to reward the faithful. Over 12 times in Matthew alone, Jesus talks about the benefits awaiting those who are obedient.
However, in many of those verses, He makes it a point to address motives.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."
People - set free in Christ - no longer crave the temporal rewards found in the praise of man, personal property or climbing the ladder to the top. Free people seek one thing. The Psalmist said it well:
"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
With eyes fixed on Jesus and doing His will out of the outpouring of Love which He first bestowed on us, we will begin to serve and give and obey. Not so that we may be seen as righteous, but that our grip on this world would be loosened and we would begin to crave after a life with Christ, "...who sees what is done in secret," and rewards.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment