1. “That day” (2 Tim. 4:8).
That day refers to the day of the Lord’s return. Thus, the reward spoken of in this verse will be given at the time of the Lord’s return.
2. “Until the Lord comes”; “The Son of Man is to come...and then He will repay each man according to his doings” (1 Cor. 4:5; Matt. 16:27).
When the Lord comes, we will receive a recompense from the Lord that is either a reward or a punishment.
3. “The resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14).
The resurrection of the righteous mentioned in this verse refers to the resurrection of the believers. This will occur at the time of the Lord’s return (1 Thes. 4:16). The reward for what we do for the Lord today will occur at that time.
4. “In the restoration” (Matt. 19:28).
The restoration of all things spoken of in this verse occurs in the millennial kingdom following the Lord’s return (Acts 3:20-21). If we leave everything to follow the Lord today, we will be rewarded by Him at the time of restoration.
1. “Before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10).
The judgment seat of Christ spoken of in this verse and the throne of judgment spoken of in Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15 are not the same. His throne of judgment is to determine whether the worldly people will perish, both the living and the dead. The judgment seat of Christ, however, is not related to His determination of whether the worldly people will perish; rather, it is related to His determination of whether the believers should receive a reward or punishment. Those of us who are believers will never appear before the throne of judgment to determine whether or not we will perish, because Christ has already received that judgment in our place on the cross. We must, however, appear before the judgment seat of Christ to determine whether we will receive a reward or punishment. The judgment seat of Christ will be established at His return to judge the works of the believers. Thus, in the future believers will be judged according to their works after salvation to determine whether they should be rewarded or punished. The judgment seat of Christ is the place where our reward will be obtained. (We will speak in more detail about the judgment seat of Christ in chapter 57.)
2. “Before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10).
The judgment seat of God is the judgment seat of Christ because God has given all judgment to Christ (John 5:22). In the future believers will stand before the judgment seat of God, for which Christ bears the responsibility, and we will be rewarded by Him.
1. “Choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, considering the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked away to the reward” (Heb. 11:25-26).
The Bible not only teaches us concerning the matter of receiving the reward but also shows us patterns of pursuing the reward. In the Old Testament the clearest pattern is Moses. Moses could have been the crown prince of Egypt and could have enjoyed more riches than anyone else. However, because he hoped to obtain the reward from God, he chose rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of Egypt. Thus, he cast aside the riches and enjoyment of the royal palace. In his eyes the reproach of the Christ was greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. We should imitate him and cast aside the riches and pleasures of the world to live for Christ and the people of God to pursue the coming reward.
1. “I therefore run in this way, not as though without a clear aim; I box in this way, not as though beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave” (1 Cor. 9:26-27).
In the New Testament Paul is another very clear pattern of pursuing the prize. Paul tells us that he ran in this way, not as though without a clear aim, and that he boxed in this way, not as though beating the air. He buffeted his body and made it his slave. He did this because he was pursuing the reward. He was afraid that he might speak of the reward to others (not merely the gospel of salvation) yet be rejected and unable to obtain it himself.
2. “Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize” (Phil. 3:13-14).
In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul shows that he diligently ran in the Lord’s way in order to obtain the Lord’s reward. He ran until he was old, and when he wrote Philippians from prison, he still did not dare say that he had laid hold of it. In the first chapter of Philippians he wrote of the matter of salvation, and he was full of assurance (v. 19), but when he got to the third chapter and wrote of the reward, he dared not say with assurance that he had obtained it. Although he was very mature in the Lord, he continued to pay attention to this one thing: forgetting the things which were behind and stretching forward to the things which were before, pursuing toward the goal for the prize. He did not worry whether his past was bad or good, whether it was fleshly or spiritual; regardless of what was in the past, he did not pay attention to it. He focused only on stretching forward toward the goal for the prize. No one who runs in a race looks backward continually to see how well he has run. If one wants to run well, he must forget the things which are behind and stretch forward to the things which are before. Paul ran in this way. If we would obtain the reward, we must imitate him by running in this manner.
3. “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Paul ran until the time that he wrote 2 Timothy, that is, until he came to the end of the race. It was only when he was about to be martyred for the Lord that he dared to say that he had obtained the reward. Because he fought the Lord’s fight, finished the Lord’s course, and kept the faith, he knew with assurance that the Lord would reward him with the crown of righteousness, a righteous reward. He ran and pursued after this for many years, and in the end he knew that he had obtained the reward. He knew that the Lord had a crown of righteousness for him, a righteous reward that would be kept for him until the Lord could give it to him on the day of His return.
Brothers and sisters, we absolutely must not be deceived and think that it is enough to be saved. Our salvation is as secure as Paul’s, but after his salvation he endeavored to run the race and pursue the reward. We should take him as our pattern, and we should endeavor to pursue the reward following our salvation.
Salvation is one hundred percent according to God’s grace, whereas obtaining the reward is based fully on His righteousness. Salvation is obtained because of our faith, and the reward is obtained based on our works. God is both gracious and righteous. His grace requires faith; His righteousness requires works. His grace through our faith gives us salvation; His righteousness based on our works gives us the reward. According to His grace, He would never save anyone because of their good works; according to His righteousness, He would never reward anyone who does not have proper works. His salvation is an expression of His grace; His reward is a declaration of His righteousness.
Salvation is obtained in this age by sinners; the reward will be obtained in the future by believers. If a sinner wants salvation, he can receive it now through faith, but if a believer wants the reward, he must wait for the determination at the coming of the Lord in the future.
Moreover, salvation is common to all believers, but the reward is only for overcomers. Thank God that every believer has already obtained salvation. Whether or not we receive the reward, however, will be determined by whether or not we overcome. Although God saves us when we believe, we must overcome in order for Him to give us the reward. Although God’s salvation is for every believer, His reward is only for the overcomers. Therefore, if we merely believe, we can only obtain God’s salvation. If we want to gain His reward, we must pursue to be an overcomer. May God give us grace!