Is Heaven the Same for Every Believer?

Posted on Jun 18, 2019 Topic : Prophecy
Posted by : Mark Hitchcock

Most of us have probably wondered at times if our life is really amounting to much. We recognize all too well how weak and feeble our best efforts are.

We ask ourselves questions like “Does what I do every day with my life really matter? Much of it seems so mundane, routine, and even inconsequential.”

Or, we secretly wonder, “Will God remember what I do here on earth? Will all the sacrifices I make for the Lord and others bring any reward in heaven, or is heaven the same for every believer no matter what we do on earth?”

You might even wonder if the idea of rewards is that big a deal. When the topic of future rewards comes up, it’s not uncommon to hear Christians say, “Just being in heaven will be enough. That’s all the reward I need. Seeing God and spending eternity with Him is reward enough. I don’t care if I get anything above that or have a front row seat. Being in the back row will be enough for me as long as I’m there.”

This kind of response can sound humble and pious, and it is true that being in heaven will be infinitely better than being in hell. Who could dispute that? Every believer will praise God for all eternity for making it possible to dwell in heaven with Him.

While true as far as it goes, there is also a serious shortcoming in this kind of thinking. Receiving rewards will be a sign of God’s pleasure and approval of our lives here on earth. We should seek His approval above all else. Not to mention that rewards are God’s idea, not ours.

The Bible commends serving God for rewards. Think about this: Jesus and the human writers of the New Testament would not have told us so much about future rewards if they didn’t want us to know about them and seek them. God wants us to know that our labors and sacrifices here on earth are not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). He wants to motivate us when we are enduring difficult times. He wants us to know that life here counts for eternity, and that He graciously rewards sacrifice and faithfulness.

Because rewarding believers is God’s idea, disregarding or denying eternal rewards is an insult to our gracious Father. The rewards God offers us are priceless treasures that He expects us to desire. We have the opportunity now, by what we do and how we live, to assure ourselves of infinitely greater eternal rewards in the life to come.

According to the Bible, the all-knowing, all-seeing God is keeping track of how you’re living and what you’re doing for Him every day, and you have more to gain by living for Him than you can ever imagine.

Rewards for serving Christ faithfully are beyond our wildest imagination. There will be differences among God’s people in the coming kingdom and on into eternity depending on the degree of our faithfulness and sacrifice for our Lord.

As Randy Alcorn notes in The Law of Rewards, “Will God make all souls equal in heaven and thereby consider as equally valid a life of selfishness and indifference to others’ needs as compared to a life kneeling in prayer and feeding the hungry and sharing the gospel? The Bible clearly answers no.”

Rewards are a big deal to God, and someday, when we stand before Him, they will be a big deal to us as well. They will be tangible evidence that we pleased the Lord with our life. For that reason, they should be important to us now, because this is the only season during which we can earn them.