Matthew 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
This passage of scripture teaches us that God grants rewards to those who by faith, follow in the footsteps of Jesus, by giving us rewards after we have done that which is right. This age old principle of reward for good behavior can be traced back to the earliest times, and it is a system that is meant to encourage us in the way of righteousness, a path that is not only foreign to the kingdoms of this world, but one which often puts us at odds with the popular majority, and sometimes results in us being ostracized from society. In the above passage, Peter asked Jesus a direct and candid question, to which he got a direct and candid answer, for Christ obviously was not offended by the sincerity of Peter's query.
We must remember that true Christianity sometimes causes us to be placed in situations where we must choose to suffer loss of some kind, if we desire to stay the course with Jesus, and because of this a tremendous amount of pressure is often exerted against our souls to take the easy popular route. Joseph was jailed for not committing adultery with Potiphar's wife, and as he sat in his prison cell, he might have wondered whether it was all worth it. And so, to encourage us to follow principle rather than policy, God promises us rewards, not as a way of earning eternal life, or of working righteousness with the intent of receiving blessings, but rather to let us know that the good and right path results in good and right blessings, for there is nothing unnatural about expecting good results when good is done.
When a dog is being trained, we observe that there is always a bag of goodies nearby, from which the trainer pulls rewards to give to the obedient animal. Even a pat on the shoulder to confirm it in a right course of action, goes a long way in cementing the right actions in the dog's mind. The same is true with children who are faced with daunting challenges to do the right thing, in the midst of a crooked and perverse society, where peer pressure is exerted against their young souls to depart from the path of integrity, to follow the crowd to do evil. Parents should often reward their children either with gifts, cards, or with a warm hug of confirmation, when they try to do what is right, for it not easy for the younger ones to walk the straight and narrow path in this degenerate age.
Every Christian or godly person who has ever lived, has looked forward with earnest and eager anticipation to the earth made new, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and it is because there is a just reward at the end of life's journey, why we are encouraged by God to keep pressing on. Job looked forward to seeing his Redeemer, Abraham looked for a celestial city, Paul strove to obtain an incorruptible crown, James and John asked for high positions, and all of us look forward to eternal youth and immortality, which Gos will give to those who love Him. Nothing is wrong with the system of reward for good behavior, for the principle is firmly established in the word of God.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this godly system, and it is the will of God that we all be encouraged by His promises, which are to be received after having done His good will. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night' and God bless!