You will discover that it did matter

Posted byoakhillcrossvillePosted inUncategorized
Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “You will discover that it did matter”
 
So, what could Jesus have meant when He urged us to store up treasure in heaven? He certainly seems to be implying that how we live now matters later. Our behaviors on earth have implications for our eternity in heaven.
 
There are many passages that teach about varying degrees of rewards in heaven. Matthew 6:19-21 is one of them. In Matthew 5:12 Jesus urged His listeners to faithful living now and as a result, “great is your reward in heaven.” In Matthew 16:27 Jesus said that He will reward each one for what they have done. Matthew 25:31-46 is the iconic passage where Jesus describes the day when those followers of His who had been kind, compassionate, and merciful in this lifetime will be commended and rewarded for having done so, and those who were indifferent to the suffering of others will be called out for it. And in 2 Corinthians 5:10 the Apostle Paul reminds us that one day we will all stand before God and be held accountable for the things we did in this lifetime, both good and bad.
 
My point is that there is are many passages in the Bible which teach about varying degrees of reward in heaven based upon how we conducted ourselves on earth. I have mentioned only a few of them. Every act of worship, prayer, Bible study, good stewardship, and service to others contribute to our spiritual growth now, and they have implications for eternity in heaven. In the book “The Doctrine of Salvation,” Dr. Darrell Robinson uses this illustration to make that point (I’m paraphrasing):
 
“When we get to heaven, each believer in Christ will enjoy heaven to their maximum capacity for spiritual appreciation and enjoyment. But we will not all have the same capacity. One believer, having lived a faithful life of spiritual growth and service, may get to heaven with the capacity of a fifty-gallon drum. Another, having been much less faithful, may get to heaven with the capacity of a one-gallon container. Each will be filled to overflowing and enjoying heaven to their maximum capacity, but they will have very different capacities.”
 
When we get to heaven, we will discover that what the Bible teaches about the importance of faithful living and spiritual growth in this lifetime was true after all. We will discover that it really did matter.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim   
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
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