Reward and Punishment in the Bible

Preston

 

Have you "persevered in doing good"?

I meet so many young adults who seem to be on a downward slope toward atheism after growing up in a religious household, so it was refreshing to meet someone who seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Preston, 24, is a video producer who grew up in Hong Kong. His first reaction to my question about his beliefs was that we spend eternity in whatever state we die in. If we are joyful and kind to others, we experience peace in eternity; if selfish and uncaring, a sort of self-made hell. When I asked more about this he agreed that it wouldn’t depend on their last thoughts but more like the sum total of them.

Preston seems to base his beliefs more on his own wishful thinking and common sense rather than on a particular religion, but the ideas of reward and punishment in eternity based on our actions in this life seemed to be his conclusion nonetheless. The Bible supports this in many passages. For example, Romans 2 tells us “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”

Our good deeds and kindness to others are important to God and it makes sense to people, religious or otherwise, that their goodness must count for something in eternity, just as it makes sense that bad deeds should not go unpunished.

It’s interesting, however, that nearly everyone who believes and promotes this idea of reward and punishment in eternity believes they are one of the good guys. It’s those other people who should be punished! But who makes this determination? Exactly who is it that has shown “persistence in doing good”? What is the standard?

This same passage about reward and punishment is found in the context of an argument that “…at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” The point is made that none of us are persistent in doing good; if we were, we would indeed be rewarded with eternal life.

The context of this passage is that we are all guilty in some way of being among those who “are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil” and we are all subject to “wrath and anger”. Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and as Paul describes our condition in the first chapters of Romans we all should see how we have personally been found guilty and deserving of wrath.

Thankfully, though, our story doesn’t end there. 3:24 continues to say “…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” We sinners can’t save ourselves, not by any amount of good works, important as they are to God. But 3:25 tells us “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”

I’m glad Preston is waking up spiritually to his need to take seriously his own moral condition. May he make the next step to realize neither he nor any of us are one of the “good guys” who have truly persevered in doing good. May he then “receive by faith” the only One who has met this perfect standard of “persistence in doing good” – Jesus Christ, who alone can give that eternal life to all.

Thanks, Preston, for allowing me to record our conversation! It can be seen at https://youtu.be/h9x6MZQgPKo on my YouTube channel.