In the New Testament, the most obvious example in pursuing the reward is Paul. He ran with a definite direction, and he boxed, not as beating the air. He also buffeted his body and led it as a slave. He did this because he was pursuing a prize. He was afraid that in preaching to others the word concerning the prize, he himself would become disapproved and be unable to obtain the prize (1 Cor. 9:26-27). In order to gain the Lord’s reward, he endeavored to run, but even in his old age, when he wrote the Epistle to the Philippians during his imprisonment, he still did not have the boldness to say that he had obtained the reward. In Philippians chapter one, he was full of confidence concerning his salvation (Phil. 1:19), but in chapter three he was still not sure concerning his obtaining the prize (Phil. 3:13-14). Hence, although he had attained maturity to a considerable extent, he still paid attention to one thing, that is, forgetting the things which were behind and stretching forward to the things which were before, he pursued toward the goal for the prize.
At the time he wrote 2 Timothy, he had reached the end of his course and was about to suffer martyrdom for the Lord. Only then was he able to boldly declare that he would receive the prize. He had fought the Lord’s good fight, he had finished the Lord’s course, and he had kept the Lord’s faith. At that time he knew with confidence that the Lord had reserved for him the crown of righteousness, that is, the prize of righteousness, which would be awarded to him at the day of the Lord’s coming back (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
Therefore, we must not be deceived into believing that once we are saved, everything will be all right. Our salvation cannot be more secure than Paul’s. And yet, after he was saved, Paul endeavored to run and continued to pursue, because besides salvation there was also the matter of receiving the prize. We should take him as our example of one who strove for and pursued after the prize.
When the dispensation of the kingdom comes, on the one hand, Christ will reward, according to righteousness, the overcoming believers in Christ, and on the other hand, He will perfect, according to righteousness, the immature believers in the New Testament, disciplining them (Matt. 24:48-51; 25:26-30) that they may pursue maturity in life and come to perfection.
Many believers think that when the Lord comes back, at the time of the millennium, all the problems will have been resolved. Actually, when the Lord comes again, He will still chasten and discipline the immature believers. To be sure, today the Lord also chastens and disciplines the believers (1 Cor. 11:31-32; Heb. 12:5-11), but He will do so even more at His coming back. In fact, according to the biblical teaching, the discipline which the Lord gives to the believers today is fragmentary, partial, and incomplete, but at His coming again, it will be entire, whole, and complete. Therefore, the Lord chastens and disciplines the believers not only in the dispensation of grace today, but He will do so also in the coming dispensation of the kingdom. According to His righteousness and for His righteousness’ sake, the Lord will discipline and perfect the believers who, in the present age of grace, neglect His grace and are unwilling to be faithful in the pursuit of perfection on the way of His grace. God’s disciplining and perfecting work will cause the believers who previously would not seek maturity in the divine life, to have maturity in life that they may be qualified to enter into the new heaven and new earth to be the constituents of the New Jerusalem. Thus, they will be able to share together with the believers who have matured earlier the enjoyment of the blessing of God’s eternal life in its ultimate consummation in eternity.
At Christ’s second coming all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26). They will be saved by repenting and calling on the Lord’s name through God’s pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Zech. 12:10; Acts 2:18-21). According to the new covenant which God has made with them, they will be saved and regenerated; they will receive the law of life, a new heart, a new spirit, and God’s Spirit (Jer. 31:31, 33; Ezek. 36:26-27). Hence, in the aspect of being saved and regenerated they will be just like the New Testament believers. However, because they will be saved after the church has been raptured, they will not be included in the church and thus will be unable to join the overcomers of both the Old and New Testaments in entering into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the millennial kingdom to reign as kings; they will be able only to enter the earthly section of the millennial kingdom to serve as priests, teaching the nations, who are the subjects, how to serve and worship God (Zech. 8:20-23). This is the way God will deal, according to righteousness, with all the Israelites who will repent and receive Christ at His coming back.