“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.”

I lost a very loved member of my family. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shared that I just don’t understand how someone without a secure faith in God, eternity, and His sovereign plan for each of us could even begin to survive such a soul-crushing loss. My family will hurt for a long time, but we will all survive, mostly because we know he lives, and we will be together again for a much longer time than we are apart. I’m convinced that Jesus’ followers’ eternal reward is being experienced now to an extent. As believers, our eternal life begins right here on earth the moment we accept, by faith, the redemption God offers. For the lost, that eternal suffering begins the moment Jesus is rejected. At the very least, they feel it through an emptiness and a hopelessness. Part of our eternal reward that Solomon speaks of is the awareness of heaven and the celebration for those already there. I recently watched a baptism. As the young man emerged from the water, the crowd broke out into cheers as if he had just scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. The reason for most of the observers’ celebration was the acknowledgment that this man would live forever in heaven. Incidentally, we are told that a celebration breaks out in heaven when a soul is rescued for eternity. Today, live in your reward. #BeTheEdge

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Jesus