Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 11/29/2006

Question
Suppose there are two persons. The first person accepts Jesus Christ as his personal savior from the very beginning in his life. Lives his life according to God's will and makes every effort possible to stay away from sin. The second person lives a sinful life, and is not close to God at all but at the very end of his life he accepts Jesus Christ as his personal savior and confesses all his sins. Does God reward them the same in the after life? Does the Bible say anything about different kinds of rewards in heaven?  

Answer
Hi Adam,

Thanks for this great question.  The Bible does in fact tell us that there is a judgment for Believers in heaven.  This judgment is rewards based not punishment based.  Let me show you what the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

So, all of your works are either wood, hay or stubble, or they are gold, silver, and precious stones.  The judgment will be like all of your works after salvation being piled up and set on fire.... whatever is left is your reward.  Our passage tells us that many will suffer loss because all of their life's effort was counted as wood etc and they had nothing to show for their life's investment on earth.

I hope that this is a help to you.

In Christ
Pastor Don