The Reward of the Saved

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me' (Matthew 25:34-40).

We have touched on several matters concerning the judgments of God, degrees of rewards and punishments, the eternal state of the righteous and unrighteous, etc. However, Matthew 25 speaks specifically to the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ after the 7-year Tribulation. In this chapter the unprepared maidens in The Parable of the 10 Virgins and the unfaithful steward in The Parable of the Talents represent those who have rejected Jesus Christ during the Tribulation and will not enter the Millennial Kingdom but will suffer judgment and punishment in hell when the Lord returns. The prepared maidens and the faithful stewards represent those who have received Jesus Christ, remained faithful to Him during the Tribulation, and will enter the Kingdom as the only survivors of the Tribulation.

The seat of honor is at the right hand of a superior (king, lord, master, etc.). Here, the saved who survive the Tribulation will be honored by the Lord to enter His Kingdom on earth. Only the saved out of the Tribulation will enter alive into the Kingdom. The saved of the church age (Pentecost in Acts 2 to the rapture) will return with Christ in the 2nd coming. The Old Testament saints will be resurrected and glorified at the 2nd coming of Christ, as will the Tribulation saints who have been martyred for their faith. All of these will reign with Jesus Christ in His Kingdom on earth.

It is important to note that the words of Jesus to these Tribulation survivors do not teach that they are saved by their works. These words express a personal relationship to Jesus that manifests itself in ministry to the Lord’s people. To believe these enter the Kingdom by works is to contradict the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). There are not 2 ways of salvation.

(1 Peter 1:1-5) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Amen.

Pastor