: God's Plan with Men by Martin T T Thomas Theodore - Salvation

@FreeBooksWed 07 Jun, 2023

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"The desert rose, though never seen by man; Is nurtured with a care divinely good; The ocean pearl, though 'neath the rolling main, Is ever brilliant in the eyes of God.

"Think not thy worth and work are all unknown Because no partial pensman paint thy praise; Man may not see nor care, but God will own Thy worth and work; thy thoughts and deeds and ways."

Neither is the objection well taken that to teach men to aim to have rewards in Heaven is appealing to an unworthy motive. Jesus taught it , Paul taught it , Moses endorsed it , and the objector himself prays for God's blessings here in this life.

Nor is the objection well founded, that for people to aim to have rewards will destroy the motive of love. Rather, it adds to the motive of love. A father gives his son, yet not of age, a fine farm. That arouses the boy's love. The father tells the boy that, though not of age, he may have the full reward of his labor on the farm, beginning at once. This does not destroy the motive of love. So, the Saviour, having died for our sins , and given us eternal life , arouses our love; to give us the privilege of having rewards in addition to salvation , does not destroy our love, but increases it.

There seems to be one other limitation to receiving rewards in Heaven for the deeds of this life: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."--Matt. 5:19. The teaching seems to be that for one to deliberately break even the least commandment, while he will be saved yet he will have no reward .

Three of the Saviour's parables are closely connected in their teaching concerning rewards: The parable of the pounds, where each servant has a pound and one gains ten pounds and another five; one receives authority over ten cities, the other receives authority over five cities, just half the reward of the other, because he was just half as faithful . This parable represents that class of men who have equal opportunity in life and teaches that their reward will be in proportion to what they accomplish. The second is the parable of the vineyard, representing the length of time of service when the laborers were not to blame for not entering the vineyard earlier; showing that they shall not lose because they could not get into the vineyard to work earlier. The third is the parable of the talents, where the one with five talents gained five other talents and the one with two talents gained two other talents, and they both received the same commendation, the same reward, "I will make thee ruler over many things" ; teaching that the one with small opportunity if he uses it faithfully, will receive as great reward as the one with great opportunity who uses it faithfully.

There is the prize, there are rewards, for those who bring their bodies under from comforts and privileges that they may thereby win others to be saved. With the coppers in the foreign mission envelope from an orphan newsboy was found a note written in a child's awkward handwriting, "Starved a meal to give a meal." He would not have been a castaway from salvation had he bought and eaten his lunch that day; but there will be, at the resurrection of the just , the prize for having brought his body into subjection that he might gain the more.

During a collection for foreign missions, a poor, ragged, one-legged negro hobbled down the aisle and laid three packages of money on the table: "Dat's fur my wife; dat's fur my boy; dat's fur me." When the collector saw the amount, he protested, saying that it was too much for a poor crippled man to give. As a matter of fact, it meant weeks of sacrificing, sometimes with no meat on the table. As the tears trickled down the black cheeks, the negro said, "Oh, Boss, de Lord's cause must go on, and I may soon be dead"; and turning he hobbled back to his seat. He was only a poor, ignorant, one-legged negro, but he ran in the race, and at the resurrection of the just he will receive the prize.

A Christian Chinaman sold himself to some mine owners that he might go down in the mines and while working lead his fellow-Chinamen to be saved. He had no support from those to whom he preached, but worked with his own hands. He ran in the race, and will receive the prize.

If the young Catholic priest was redeemed who turned from the comforts and privileges of a wife and home and gave himself for the lepers, there will be the prize at the resurrection of the just.

The world says that a man is a fool to make such sacrifices; Jesus said: "Thou fool ... so is he that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."--Luke 12:20, 21. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire."--1 Cor. 3:14, 15.

HOW TO BE SAVED--REPENTANCE AND FAITH

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