THE 3 GLORIES OF
HEAVEN Heaven will be a place of fabulous rewards. Everyone agrees on that. There is, however, a verse and passage of scripture that is subject to much controversy. It's the passage of the Vineyard that ends with the remark "God is no respecter of persons." The wealth of verses used on the 3 Glories chart should convince anyone that eternal riches and honor will be given proportionate to the work that we put in. i.e. little work will result in little reward, and much work will result in much reward. See lines 26 through 30, 4, 5, 10 through 16, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38 through 44. Half of the chart is proclaiming the diversity of riches and honor that our generous and just God will shower us with. But what then, is meant by "God is no respecter of persons"? Simply this: come judgment day (reward day), God must apply his same logical, just, and unbending system of judgment to everyone. He will not cut anyone a special deal just because they had fame, wealth, power, or church position in this world. Where much was given, actually, much will be required. Everyone will be measured with God's prefect justice, compassion, covenants, truths, etc, etc. He will not put on rose-colored glasses when he judges some nasty Christian, and see that person the same as a truly wonderful person, and then give both the same reward. That wouldn't happen. People are very different; we even respond to God very differently. This is why God has ingeniously structured his triple-glory kingdom as shown to Moses---to accommodate the wide variety of response from mankind. In that controversial verse, Jesus is telling us that it's his kingdom, his riches, his perfect plan, his test of mankind, and his rules that apply. One other important feature of that verse: at the end of the age, certain believers will be required to make great, abnormal sacrifices (pay with their lives, for example). Although they may have worked but a short while, the immense work/sacrifice that they give reads high on God's charts. It's not just quantity (length of time you put in), it's quality of what you did / are doing. The scriptures do not teach that rewards, crowns, and thrones are given to just anybody, everybody, and/or babies in Christ. Rewards are given proportional to ones growth and efforts, and consistent with God's entry requirements to each glory. When Paul wrote: "I pursue the prize of the high invitation"; why would he bother pursue a prize that is actually the same as the nothing that he started with? The idea that God will reward everyone the same is unscriptural, illogical, and unjust. I rejoice that I serve a just God; payday will prove me right. |
