Have you ever had to use reward to motivate someone to do something you wanted? Parents do it with kids. Coaches do it with playing time. Even adults who insist they are self-motivated suddenly become very cooperative when the right incentive appears. Rewards have a way of accomplishing in ten seconds what speeches fail to accomplish in ten minutes.
Jesus used rewards to motivated His disciples far more often than many people realize. He spoke openly about treasure in heaven, about inheritance, and about joy made full. He spoke about reigning, about being entrusted with responsibility, and about hearing words of approval from God. And what is striking is that He never apologized for any of it. Jesus did not say, “I know this sounds shallow, but hear Me out.” He spoke about reward as though it were an entirely appropriate way to motivate faithfulness.
Most of us understand why this works. Reward shapes behavior because it shapes desire. When a reward is clear, people quietly adjust what they value, what they pursue, and what they are willing to endure. This is true in school, at work, in sports, and in families. Recognition often succeeds where correction fails. That shaping power can be used for good, but can also expose something unhealthy about what we really want.
There is a scene in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” that captures this perfectly. The Grinch has no interest in reconciling with the Whos. He has no interest in community, celebration, or goodwill. But everything changes the moment Lucy mentions there is an award involved. Suddenly, participation seems reasonable. The promise of recognition awakens desire, even though his heart has not changed. Rewards reveal what someone truly values.
In the final chapter of Scripture, Jesus speaks directly about reward. He does so plainly, personally, and with authority.
Revelation 22:12 NASB "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
That single promise forces a question we cannot avoid. What kind of reward does Christ bring, and what kind of life does that reward produce?
Revelation is the Bible’s closing vision of reality as God sees it. Throughout the book, the evil world looks powerful, faithfulness looks fragile, and suffering often appears pointless. Wicked empires threaten faithfulness and ordinary believers are tempted to compromise, grow tired, or give up. God sends several worldwide judgments on this wicked as they make war against His rule. When Christ returns, He completely conquers evil and recreates a new world where He rules and reigns with His chosen people. There is no more evil, sorrow, death, or pain. When we get to the last chapter, Christ speaks one last time, not to speculate about the future, but to declare that He is coming back to judge every life ever lived and reward them according to the deeds.
Since Jesus is coming back what we do now matters. Spirit-empowered obedience shows whether your faith is genuine. And Christ will reward genuine faith with greater joy and greater responsibility in His coming kingdom. The first thing we want to notice is who is giving out the reward:
Heaven’s reward is awarded by the authority of Christ Himself.
Revelation 22:12 NASB "Behold, I am coming”
Notice that Heaven’s reward does not come from a rulebook but from the risen Christ Himself. God’s law is not separate from God Himself. It is a reflection of His character. Obedience and disobedience are personal because they are responses to who God is, not merely to what He has said. To obey God is to honor Him. To reject His ways is to reject Him. Judgment, then, is not simply about rule-breaking, but about relationship. The One who evaluates your life is the same One who lived among us, suffered, died, and rose again. He knows what obedience costs and what temptation feels like. He knows what faithfulness requires in a broken world. Judgment is not detached from the story of Jesus, because the One who judges human lives is the same One who lived a fully obedient human life Himself. And notice that He says that He will…
Revelation 22:12 NASB "render to every man according to what he has done.”
The final judgment is not selective. It applies to every life. No one is judged by association, family background, or reputation. Each person stands before Christ as an individual, including believers. No one stands in the shadow of another person’s faith, and no one hides behind another person’s failure. There are no group verdicts, no inherited standings, and no borrowed identities. Every life is brought into the presence of the same Judge, and every person is addressed personally by Him. This universality does not make judgment impersonal. It makes it unavoidable. Everyone is fully seen, fully known, and personally answered for, because everyone must appear before Christ Himself, including believers. The apostle Paul says it most plainly the Corinthian church:
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Not one soul in all of Heaven and Hell escapes this evaluation. Every deed done in this life is fully weighed by Christ Himself, whether good or bad. What you do in this life, good or bad matters, even if you’ve confessed your sin and trusted Christ’s forgiveness. His forgiveness is real but there will still be a conversation about it. And it isn’t just your deeds that are judged but your thoughts. Christ tells the church of Thyratia:
Revelation 2:23 NASB “…I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”
Every thought we have ever thought in this life is going to be exposed. Anyone with a shred of self-awareness, who understands God’s holiness, should be alarmed. Our thoughts are not as private as we would like to think. And it is not as if God is a voyeur violating something that should belong only to you. You were created by Him and for Him and wouldn’t even have any thoughts apart from Him gifting you with life. And as the all-knowing God, He is unable to pretend ignorance. We all tend to think our thoughts are justified in some sense, but our motives will be weighed by Christ’s standard:
Proverbs 16:2 NASB All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.
Because God weighs motives rather than outward appearances, Christ warns again and again that outward obedience does not equate to inner holiness. Jesus makes this unmistakably clear in the Sermon on the Mount. Again and again, He takes commandments that everyone recognizes as outward rules and then presses them inward, to the level of the heart. For example He says
Matthew 5:21-22 NASB "You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
In other words, you can look obedient on the outside and still be deeply wrong with God on the inside. Anger, contempt, and silent resentment matter to Him, even when they never turn into visible action. He does the same thing with adultery, making promises, retaliation, and loving your enemies. That is why Paul warns believers not to sit in judgment over one another. He says,
Romans 14:10, 12 NASB But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
When we judge others, we forget that our own hearts will be weighed by Christ. How easy it is for us to confuse respectable behavior with a right heart before God. But this raises an honest question.
If salvation is a gift of grace, and forgiveness is real, why does the Bible keep returning to what we have done? Why does Jesus speak so often about obedience, fruit, and perseverance if works do not save us? The Bible’s answer is consistent and careful.
Works do not earn salvation, but the Holy Spirit always produces works in everyone Christ truly saves. Scripture never teaches that fallen people can improve themselves in order to be accepted by God. Instead, it teaches that when God saves someone, He changes them from the inside. Final judgment does not cancel grace. It shows that God’s grace in your life lived on this earth was genuine.
Jesus taught this using a simple picture about trees and fruit.
Matthew 7:17-18 NASB "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Fruit does not give life to a tree. Life gives fruit to the tree. In the same way, obedience does not create faith. Faith produces obedience. When God gives new life, something new begins to appear. When nothing ever appears, there is no life.
Jesus explains this even more clearly when He says that He is the vine and His people are the branches. Life does not flow from the branch into the vine. It flows from the vine into the branch. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. When a person is joined to Christ by faith, the life of Christ flows into them, and the Holy Spirit begins to produce fruit. That fruit is not human effort trying harder. It is the result of staying connected to Christ. Where there is no fruit, there is no connection to the vine.
The apostle Paul teaches the same truth. Paul is clear that people are made right with God by faith, not by works. At the same time, Paul says that final judgment is according to what has been done.
Romans 2:6-7 NASB who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
Paul is not saying that people earn eternal life by their effort. He is saying that God’s final judgment will make sense. The verdict God gives will match the life His Spirit produced. The judgment will not be random. It will show that God’s grace actually changed someone. James speaks very plainly about this.
James 2:17 NASB Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
James does not say that works replace faith. He says that faith which never leads to obedience is not living faith. Living faith acts because God’s Spirit is at work. Dead faith only talks. This is why the Bible can say that works are necessary for salvation without turning salvation into something we earn. Works are necessary, not as payment, but as proof. God does not examine lives to see whether people added something to grace. He examines lives to show what grace produced.
This should not lead believers to question whether our obedience is perfect, because it never is. The question is whether God’s Spirit has begun a real work of repentance, trust, and change in you. Salvation rests completely on Christ. But the Christ who saves also gives His Spirit, and the Spirit always bears fruit.
That is why Heaven’s reward is given according to what has been done. Not because God is impressed by effort, but because He is showing what His grace has truly accomplished. If salvation rests entirely on Christ, and if even our obedience is Spirit-wrought, then what exactly is this reward that Jesus brings with Him? And why would God reward obedience that He Himself has produced? God does not reward us because we have earned something on our own. He rewards us because He delights in what His grace has produced.
Heaven’s reward will correspond to the life we’ve lived.
Jesus does not speak tentatively about reward. He speaks clearly and confidently about reward.
Revelation 22:12 NASB "My reward is with Me”
Notice that Jesus does not say He will decide later what the reward should be. He says it is already with Him. That tells us something important. Reward does not begin with our performance; it begins with His generosity. Christ is not standing back, waiting to see whether we impress Him. He is coming with rewards already prepared.
This immediately raises another question. If our obedience is imperfect, and it always is, how can it be rewarded at all? How can God look at a life that is still marked by weakness, struggle, and sin, and say, “Well done”? The answer Scripture gives is not that God lowers His standards. The answer is that Christ supplies what we lack. Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that our standing with Him does not rest on the quality of our obedience, but on the obedience of His Son.
Romans 5:19 NASB For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Jesus did not only die for us. He lived for us. His entire life was one of perfect faithfulness to the Father. Where we failed to love God fully, He did. Where we gave in to temptation, He resisted. Where our obedience was inconsistent, His was complete. That perfect obedience is credited to everyone who trusts Him.
This means something very important for believers. When God looks at your life, He does not separate your obedience from Christ’s obedience. Your obedience is real, but it is never evaluated on its own. It is always viewed through your union with Christ. His obedience covers what yours lacks. At the same time, Christ’s death fully deals with your disobedience.
Isaiah 53:5 NASB But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Because of the cross, the penalty for your sin has already been paid. That is why Scripture can say with confidence:
Romans 8:1 NASB Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This changes how we understand reward. For believers, the final judgment is not about punishment. That has already been settled. It is about recognition and joy. Jesus describes it this way:
Matthew 25:21 NASB "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Yet many believers quietly struggle when looking at their service to the Lord and thinking, “It is not very impressive.” We see our mixed motives, our inconsistency and how often we fall short. And the temptation creeps in: If I cannot obey perfectly, why even try? That way of thinking sounds humble, but it is not faith. It forgets how God works.
God never asked you to produce perfect obedience on your own. He asked you to abide in His Son. Jesus Himself said that He is the vine and we are the branches. Life flows from Him into us. The fruit that grows is real fruit, but it grows because of His life, not our strength. That is why Scripture can say both things at once. We are called to obedience, and God Himself produces that obedience in us.
Philippians 2:12-13 NASB So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Your effort matters, but it is not independent. Your obedience matters, but it is never isolated from Christ. God is not measuring you apart from Christ’s sinless perfection. He is looking for the real fruit His Spirit produces: repentance, trust, love for God, and a growing desire to please Him. And here is the astonishing part. God does not only accept that Spirit-wrought obedience. He rewards it. Jesus speaks about reward again in a very personal moment with His disciples. Peter, speaking honestly, voices a question many believers feel but are afraid to ask.
Matthew 19:27-29 NASB Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?" 28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
Peter’s question is not asking whether following Jesus is worth it in theory. He is asking whether it is worth it in real life. They had left stability, income, family expectations, and normal paths forward. Peter is asking, Does any of this loss matter to God? Jesus does not rebuke the question. He does not say, “Stop thinking about reward.” Instead, He answers it with generosity that almost sounds excessive. He promises not only eternal life, but restoration multiplied many times over. Jesus tells them plainly that nothing surrendered for Him is forgotten. Nothing sacrificed is overlooked. Nothing given up in faith is wasted.
God is not like the worst boss you have ever worked for who brags about being “by the book,” but somehow the book always works in his favor. You work eighty hours a week, miss family time until you burn out. And when payday comes, and he smiles while handing you the smallest check he is legally allowed to give.
God does more than tolerate our flawed service to Him. He will extravagantly reward the obedience that His grace made possible. Eternal life alone would already be more than we deserve. But God gives more. He delights to honor what His Son accomplished and what His Spirit produced in us. That is why Heaven’s reward will correspond to the life we’ve lived. Not because our obedience was flawless, but because Christ’s obedience was. Not because our service earned anything, but because God loves to display the riches of His grace.
If reward is real, if obedience matters, and if Christ Himself is bringing that reward, then when does this all take place? And what does that timing mean for how we live right now? Jesus answers that question with just four words.
Heaven’s reward is certain and approaching, not hypothetical and distant.
Revelation 22:12 NASB "I am coming quickly”
These four words press urgency into everything we have already said. When Jesus says, “I am coming quickly,” He is not giving a calendar date but declaring certainty and nearness. His return is a reality that presses itself into the present. The point is not how soon, but how sure Christ is coming. And because He is certainly coming, your time suddenly matters.
That truth forces us to reckon with how little time we actually have. Scripture consistently reminds us that life is brief. It passes faster than we expect. And yet we live as though time were endless. We spend hours chasing things that will not last. The average American adult spends roughly 30-35 hours per week in discretionary screen-based or hobby activities, according to a variety of recent surveys on time-use studies. Having a child in a travel sports league can resemble a part-time job. None of those things are sinful by themselves. But taken together, they quietly drain our attention away from what matters most.
Jesus spoke about leaving houses, family ties, and property for His sake. In our world, the equivalents look different, but the pull is the same. Careers that demand everything. Comfort that resists inconvenience. Entertainment that numbs urgency. Endless upgrades, endless distractions, endless reasons to delay obedience just a little longer. When Jesus says He is coming quickly, He is forcing us to ask a hard but loving question: What are we investing our limited time in?
Long-term investors understand something short-term traders often forget. Chasing quick gains feels exciting, but it rarely builds anything lasting. Long-term investment requires patience, discipline, and the willingness to delay comfort now for something better later. The payoff is not immediate, but it is real.
Jesus is calling us to think that way about eternity. Much of what fills our time produces immediate satisfaction but no lasting return. Service, sacrifice, faithfulness, and obedience often feel costly in the moment. They require saying no. They require showing up. They require inconvenience. But Jesus promises that nothing invested in His kingdom is wasted.
God does not call us to vague spirituality. He calls us to concrete faithfulness. The church needs servants who show up even when it feels inconvenient. We need people who are willing to participate in Tuesday morning prayer meetings for 30-60 minutes. We need growth group leaders. We need people to attend growth groups even if it feels sacrificial. Do you realize how much simply showing up encourages those who are sacrificing their time to help you grow? Is that not a form of service? We need people to reach out to visitors and church members we haven’t seen in a long time. We need people willing to serve in children’s ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, men’s ministry, women’s ministry, greeters, etc.
And it is easy to tell ourselves that our small efforts do not matter, that someone else will handle it, or that we will get more serious later. But later is not guaranteed. “I am coming quickly” means the window for faithful investment is limited. It means the opportunity to serve Christ in this broken world will not last forever. There will come a day when obedience gives way to reward, when faith gives way to sight, and when service gives way to rest.
Jesus is not trying to scare His people. He is inviting them to live wisely. He is calling us to invest our time where it will matter forever. Heaven’s reward is not distant, and it is not uncertain. It is approaching. And how we use our time now will echo into eternity.
Conclusion
Some of us have quietly followed Christ in ordinary faithfulness. You have served when no one noticed. You have obeyed imperfectly, often discouraged by how small your efforts seemed. But nothing offered to Christ is overlooked. Your obedience matters because His grace is real. Some of us need to be reminded that we do with our time matters. What we pursue reveals the trajectory of our life, because our lives reveal what we truly believe. This truth should lead us back to Christ Himself. If our hope rested on our obedience alone, we would despair. But our hope rests on Christ’s obedience for us. He lived the life we failed to live. He bore the penalty our disobedience deserved. He gives His Spirit to produce real fruit in us. And He is coming again, not to condemn His people, but to reward what His grace has accomplished. Heaven’s reward is not earned. It is given. And it is given by a Savior who loved us first.
