Rewards in Heaven?

  • Thread starter Thread starter J.R
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

J.R

Guest
I listen to alot of Christian radio for many reasons, one of which is I get a better understanding of what our Protestant brethren believe and what they disagree with the Catholic faith. While listening to Hank Hanagragh i.e. “The Bible Answer Man” the other night a caller and Hank were discussing rewards in heaven for what we do on Earth. They said “what we do on Earth during our lifetime determines what our rewards in Heaven will be”. So this struck me as odd for the reason I thought Protestants believe that what we do on Earth (as they put it works) has nothing to do with Heaven as long as we except Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Can someone help me understand why they think this way and is it biblical? Or is it that they are realizing that the belief of works can have something to do with our eternal salvation and they just don’t want to embrace any Catholic belief or doctrines?
 
I think they would say that while “works” are not effective in bringing you salvation, they can add to your rewards in heaven. In other words, salvation is by Faith, rewards are for works.

JimG
 
Peter Kreeft (I forget just where, and I’m not near my library) wrote that in heaven, each person will experience all the joy they are capable of experiencing. This is consistent with the existence of some kind of variation in degrees, but gets away from any notion of a bookkeeping system coming into play.

Hank, we should note, approaches things from a sola scriptura and Calvinist “TULIP” perspective.

Blessings,

Gerry
 
40.png
JimG:
I think they would say that while “works” are not effective in bringing you salvation, they can add to your rewards in heaven. In other words, salvation is by Faith, rewards are for works.

JimG
Click to expand...
Yes Jim I agree and understand that for the most part. The one thing Im not sure of is when they say we are rewarded in Heaven for our works on Earth, is that biblical? Because it is my understanding that will have all that we will want in Heaven.

Thank You And God Bless all.
 
Hank, we should note, approaches things from a sola scriptura and Calvinist “TULIP” perspective.
Click to expand...
Blessings,
Click to expand...
Gerry
Click to expand...
Gerry could you explain Calvin’s “TULIP” perspective? Is it his “Institutes”? If so would you tell me where so I could read it? I have a copy in my home library.

Thank you and God Bless all.
 
J.R.:
Yes Jim I agree and understand that for the most part. The one thing Im not sure of is when they say we are rewarded in Heaven for our works on Earth, is that biblical? Because it is my understanding that will have all that we will want in Heaven.

Thank You And God Bless all.
Click to expand...
Yes, we will all have all that we want in Heaven. The more we cooperate with God’s grace in this life, through self-giving and good works, the more we increase our capacity for joy in Heaven.

I think that there are several bible passages where Jesus promises that our good works here will be rewarded in heaven. In the great Last Judgment scene in Matthew 25:31ff, Jesus certainly promises heavenly rewards for our earthly behaviour. We will all be entirely filled with God’s joy, but a 40-gal jug holds more than a jar, even though both are full.

JimG
 
I agree with JimG–we do get rewards for our good works on earth, the Lord promised those who left family & friends for His name will be rewarded a hundredfold----also the one who gives as much as a cup of water in Christ’s name will receive his reward—look how Veronica was rewarded for wiping His face when He was on His way to Calvary----the Lord loves a cheerful giver & if we are cheerful givers we will get a great reward in heaven
 
Hello JR.

The Protestants want to imply that Catholics think they “earn” their way to heaven through works rather than needing Christ’s blood. Is there anything about the Mass that indicates that we do not need the salvation of our Lord’s sacrifice to go to heaven?

The way people go to heaven is through Jesus Christ, the reason people go to heaven is because they love God and love for God is accomplished through free from the will of God obedience to the will of God.

The trouble with the Protestant teaching of “faith alone not works” is that they deny Christ’s teachings that He alone, not people themselves, will judge who goes to heaven through Him and that Jesus will judge who goes to heaven through Him by the works each individual does on earth.

NAB MATTHEW 25:41

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." **NAB JOHN 12:47 **

(Jesus is speaking.)

"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken - it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me." NAB JOHN 5:27

(Jesus is speaking.)

“The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned.” NAB REVELATION 22:12

(Jesus is speaking.)

“Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood.”

Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
Protestants believe that works have no effect on whether one is admitted into heaven. But many will admit, from its scriptural basis, that the experience of heaven will differ between individuals in heaven and that earthly works will be (at least part) of the basis for these differences.

One Protestant illustrated this by saying Hitler could have gone to heaven if he had repented, but that he might be spending an eternity as a little dog patted on the head by everyone else in heaven … and eternally grateful for it.

I don’t think this view of heaven contradicts the Catholic idea. Of course, given the plethora of Protestant views, I’m sure there are also many Protestants who would disagree with it.
 
Racer X:
I don’t think this view of heaven contradicts the Catholic idea. Of course, given the plethora of Protestant views, I’m sure there are also many Protestants who would disagree with it.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, this Protestant “doctrine” doesn’t live in a vacuum. It represents the concept of “sola fide” or faith alone. This most definitely contradicts the Catholic idea.

But it dominoes to other doctrines like
  • Imputation of righteousness vs. infusion of righteousness
  • Is God to be seen primarily as a Judge or as a Father
  • Predestination vs. Free Will
  • Is justification an event or process
All of these doctrines (the left-hand halves) emerge when you read Scripture through the lens of Faith Alone. Catholic doctrines are on the right.
 
NAB MATTHEW 13:44

“The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field. He hid it again, and rejoicing at his find went and sold all he had and bought that field. Or again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant’s search for fine pearls. When he found one really valuable pearl, he went back and put up for sale all that he had and bought it.”

Is not Christ’s parable about the buried treasure and the fine pearl describing Mother Theresa? Will there be any babies abandon in garbage cans for saints in heaven to pull out, hold tight to their chest and say, “I will love you” as Mother Theresa did on earth? Will any saints in heaven be able to choose not to commit adultery out of faith to God? Will Saints in heaven be able to not steal from their neighbor out of love for God?

Your reward in heaven is your treasure of love for God and it is built in your free willed heart on earth.

Please visit Parables Painting Pictures of Paradise www.geocities.com/athens/forum/3325/PPPP.html

Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top