Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 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
In essence, if you are a joint-heir with Christ then you have everything Christ has and all who are saved are joint-heirs.  Whatever awards we get we are going to toss them back at His feet because we know we only got them because of His work for us and in us.  

Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

This passage speaks a bit to what you are asking.  No matter how long we labor in the field we do get the same reward of eternal life and joint-heirship.

Scripture does speak of various crowns for service here but doesn't indicate that we will keep them or toss them back.

Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Here it seems that soulwinners will stand out.

What exactly our rewards will do for us in eternity is made perfectly clear.  We get some and we can lose rewards.  We can get to Heaven saved by the skin of our teeth so to speak    and have none.  (1 Cor 3)

I did a sermon on this topic sometime back.

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=34745

See if this doesn't help you some.  May God bless you as you seek His will through His Word!