The reward mentioned in verse 35 is the kingdom reward because it will be given to us for our enjoyment in the coming kingdom, not in this age. Today in the church life the kingdom is an exercise. If we are faithful in the kingdom exercise today, we shall be rewarded with the kingdom as an enjoyment in the coming age. Then it will be the kingdom reward.
Eternal salvation is by grace, but the kingdom reward is by righteousness. In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul says that a crown of righteousness, the symbol of this reward, not a crown of grace, was laid up for him. So in verse 18 of the same chapter, he has the assurance that the Lord will save him into His heavenly kingdom. This was due to his faithfulness in following and serving the Lord. The Lord, the “righteous judge,” will give him this reward of the kingdom according to His righteousness, not according to His grace.
The kingdom reward will be according to our work. In Matthew 16:27 the Lord Jesus said that at His coming back He will reward us according to our works. In Revelation 22:12 He says, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” As we have already seen, 1 Corinthians 3:8 says that we shall be rewarded according to our labor. Eternal salvation has nothing to do with our works, but the kingdom reward will be altogether according to our works which we have by the Lord’s life after being saved.
This reward will be decided by the judgment seat of Christ. Second Corinthians 5:10 says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” The judgment seat of Christ will be set up at His coming back. At the judgment seat the Lord Jesus will judge all His believers. None of the unsaved will be judged at that time, for all of them will be judged at the white throne a thousand years later (Rev. 20:11-15). There, at the judgment seat of Christ, the decision will be made regarding what reward we shall receive—the enjoyment in the kingdom or some punishment.
This reward will be given to us at the Lord’s coming back. In 1 Corinthians 4:5 Paul says, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” At His coming back, the Lord will judge everything and will reward every one of His believers. We must take heed to the warning in this verse. At His coming back, the Lord “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” Today we can hide the things of darkness and the counsels of our hearts. But all this will be brought to light and made manifest at the Lord’s coming back. Then every one of us shall receive a reward accordingly.
The kingdom reward will be enjoyed in the coming kingdom. Both Matthew 25:21 and 23 say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” According to the context of Matthew, to enter into the Lord’s joy is to enter into the coming kingdom. The faithful servants will participate in the Lord’s joy in the kingdom as a positive reward.
The kingdom reward is to participate in the coming Sabbath rest. As we have seen in previous messages, this coming Sabbath rest will be Christ’s joy and reign in the millennium (Heb. 4:9; Rev. 20:4, 6). There, in the thousand-year kingdom, we shall share Christ’s joy and participate in His reign as kings.