0056. Rewards May Be Lost

Rewards May Be Lost

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1Co_9:27).

It is absolutely impossible for a believer to lose his salvation. There are those who hold this error, and they hold it, we believe, because they fail to discern between eternal life, which is of grace; and rewards, which are of works.

The passages commonly used to prove that the believer can finally be lost, are passages which teach that the believer may lose his rewards. Let us notice a few of these Scriptures.

1. "I therefore so run, * * so fight I; * * I keep under my body, * * lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1Co_9:26-27).

The Apostle Paul never doubted his salvation, but he knew very well that he could stand before the Bema of Christ without a victor’s crown, and he knew that he might be saved and yet be rejected, and not approved so far as the incorruptible crown was concerned.

2. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; * * I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Php_3:12, Php_3:14).

The Apostle Paul again suggests that the prize of the up-calling, is to be attained through following after the Lord Jesus.

There are certain things Christ has put before us. Things which pass beyond the realm of salvation and enter into the realm of rewards. These we must apprehend or else lose them.

3. "Heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together" (Rom_8:17).

The word "if" suggests the possibility of not being joint-heirs in the reign of Christ. We may be saved by grace and raptured by grace and even then lose our blessed position in the reign. We must remember that while that servant who had traded well with his talent, was rewarded well; the servant who had hid his talent, suffered loss.

4. "Yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully" (2Ti_2:5).

The runner or the wrestler in the ancient games, was never crowned unless he strictly followed the rules of the game.

We too, may stand before our Lord, uncrowned, unless we faithfully follow the rules of the Divine race course.

"Hold fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown".

There is nothing in the Bible about losing our salvation. There is much in the Bible about losing our crown.

Let us deeply consider the warning of 2Jn_1:8, "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward".

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR