8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. (NIV)
The reward John talks about transcends this life. In Greek it is misthon (μισθόν). This is a word that can refer either to pay like the “pay” of James 5:4 (Judas was paid a misthon for betraying Jesus, Acts 1:18) or a different kind of “reward,” which is Paul’s line of thought in 1 Corinthians 9:17-18. Here, John is talking about the reward that is given in heaven, not something we have earned (Ephesians 2:8-9), but the complete reward and blessing of eternal life in heaven because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf. What we “work” for is to proclaim that message to all people.
John warns us that it’s possible to lose that undeserved reward. How? By hitching ourselves to some other message; by going after some other reward. Any other eternity that people hope for, apart from the one given by Jesus, is a lie and a cheat and a deception of the devil. The reward the devil gives is a share in his eternal suffering; he can give nothing else. The reward that God gives is eternal life with him; he can give nothing else. There is no doubt that we belong to God through faith in Jesus, we have only to trust in him alone.
On Christ, the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. His wife, Kathryn, attended Chapel from 1987-1990 while studying Secondary Education (Theater and Math) at UW-Madison. Kathryn’s father, John Meyer, was also the first man to serve as a Vicar at Chapel.
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