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The Antidote to Legalism and Antinomianism

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The Antidote to Legalism and Antinomianism IN GRACEwww.faithalone.org FOCUSMAY & JUNE 2014 Eternal Rewards The Antidote to Legalism and Antinomianism. SALVATION AND REWARDS, p.5 WE BELIEVE IN REWARDS, p.11 ENTERING THE KINGDOM, p.18 SELF-CONTROL, p.26 2 MAY / JUNE 2014 CONTENTS 3 Editor’s Note 24 The Rich Entrance and the Idle Workers Salvation and 5 (2 Pet 1:8-11 & Rewards Matt 20:1-16) by C. I. Scofield by Bill Fiess 8 Evaluated by Christ: 25 TULIP or ASSURE? What the Military by Shawn Lazar Taught Me about the and Bob Wilkin Bema by Ken Yates 26 Self-Control: A Virtue That Wins We Believe in 11 Rewards Rewards 18 What Did the Lord (1 Cor 9:24-27) by Zane C. Hodges Jesus Mean When He Spoke of Entering the by Shawn Lazar 13 Free Grace 30 Initial Assurance or Resources Kingdom? by Bob Wilkin Reassurance? (1 John 5:13) by John H. Niemelä GRACE IN FOCUS Volume 29, Number 3 GRACE IN FOCUS is a free, bimonthly magazine about the © 2014, by Grace Evangelical Society gospel, assurance, and related issues. For your free U.S. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Wilkin, Ph.D. subscription sign up on our website or send your name and EDITOR AND DESIGN Shawn Lazar address to 4851 S I-35 E, Ste. 203, Corinth, TX 76210. If you ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kyle Kaumeyer would like to make a donation to offset the costs of printing PROOFING Bethany Taylor and postage, it would be greatly appreciated. CIRCULATION Mark “Not Rainbow Man” Gray Address changes? Questions? Comments? Prayer requests? Testi- monies? Send them all to [email protected], 940-270-8827. Or write to Grace in Focus, 4851 S I-35 E, Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210 2 MAY / JUNE 2014 MAY / JUNE 2014 EDITOR'S NOTE hat should motivate the secure believer to live for God? We are all asked that question. One motivation comes from the doctrine of eternal rewards. Eternal salvation is a free gift, but eternal Wrewards are earned. Understanding the difference between salvation and rewards is one of the keys to avoiding the errors of legalism and antinomianism. In this issue, we’ve collected several articles that deal with this theme of rewards. We begin with a work from the pen of C. I. Sco- field: “Salvation and Rewards” (from his book, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, 1888), which lays out some key verses that clearly demonstrate the difference between eternal salvation and eternal rewards. We have an article by Zane Hodges which originally was published in our Journal twenty-three years ago (in 1991) entitled, “We Believe in Rewards.” This is an excellent over- What’s Your view of rewards, and why aiming for rewards is godly, not selfish. Ken Yates served in the Air Force before a twenty-year stint as a chaplain with the Army, retiring as Lt. Colonel. He gives us an article Motivation? sharing lessons he learned about our coming Bob Wilkin, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF judgment by Christ at the Bema from his years as an officer with annual evaluations that determined his future rank and service. argue that entering the kingdom means just that, Shawn Lazar has an article on self-control, and and that in all the contexts the issue is believing in why exercising that virtue is key to obtaining Jesus, not ethical righteousness. rewards. If this is your first issue of our magazine, wel- John Niemelä answers a question about 1 John come. Please email us with any comments, ques- 5:13, which sounds like the believing readers cur- tions, or suggestions at [email protected]. rently did not know that they had everlasting life. Enjoy. But Niemelä shows that is not the case, that the issue is John’s desire that they continue to know that they have everlasting life. There is also an article by me on what the Lord meant when He spoke of entering the kingdom. I MAY / JUNE 2014 3 Dig deeper into God’s grace. For thousands of free articles, audio messages, and videos, visit faithalone.org C. I. Scofield SALVATION AND REWARDS he New Testament Scriptures right understanding of the Word that contain a doctrine of salvation for the student should clearly make the Tthe lost and a doctrine of rewards distinction between these. What that for the faithful services of the saved. distinction is may be seen by carefully And it is of great importance to the noting the following contrasts. MAY / JUNE 2014 5 Salvation Is a Free Gift “And behold, I am coming it is. If anyone’s work which he has quickly, and My reward is with Me, built on it endures, he will receive a “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If to give to every one according to his reward. If anyone’s work is burned, you knew the gift of God, and who work” (Rev 22:12, emphasis added). he will suffer loss; but he himself it is who says to you, “Give Me a “Do you not know that those will be saved, yet so as through fire drink,” you would have asked Him, who run in a race all run, but one (1 Cor 3:11-15, emphasis added). and He would have given you living receives the prize? Run in such a “Do not fear any of those things water’” (John 4:10, emphasis added). way that you may obtain it. And which you are about to suffer. “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come everyone who competes for the Indeed, the devil is about to to the waters; and you who have prize is temperate in all things. throw some of you into prison, that no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, Now they do it to obtain a perish- you may be tested, and you will come, buy wine and milk without able crown, but we for an imper- have tribulation ten days. Be faithful money and without price” (Isa 55:1, ishable crown” (1 Cor 9:24-25, until death, and I will give you the emphasis added). emphasis added). crown of life” (Rev 2:10, emphasis “And the Spirit and the bride say, added). ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, Note that this last verse does ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts “God’s purpose in not say receive “life”—the suffer- come. Whoever desires, let him take ing saints in Smyrna had life (i.e., the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17, promising to reward eternal life) and were suffering for emphasis added). righteousness’s sake—but a “crown “For the wages of sin is death, with heavenly and of life” they should receive. Crowns but the gift of God is eternal life in eternal honors the are symbols of rewards—of distinc- Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23, tions earned. It may be remarked emphasis added). faithful service of His that four crowns are mentioned in “For by grace you have been saved the New Testament: that of joy, or through faith, and that not of your- saints is to win them rejoicing, the reward of ministry selves; it is the gift of God, not of from the pursuit of (Phil 4:1; 1 Thess 2:19); of righteous- works, lest anyone should boast” ness, the reward of faithfulness in (Eph 2:8-9, emphasis added). earthly riches…and to testimony (2 Tim 4:8); of life, the encourage them in the reward of faithfulness under trial Works Pleasing to God (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10); and of glory, the Shall Be Rewarded exercise of Christian reward of faithfulness under suffer- In contrast with the freeness of eter- virtues.” ing (1 Pet 5:4; Heb 2:9). nal salvation, note that God rewards our works. Salvation Is a Present “And whoever gives one of these Possession little ones only a cup of cold water in “And he said to him, The believer has eternal salvation the name of a disciple, assuredly, I ‘Well done, good servant; because the moment he believes in Jesus for say to you, he shall by no means lose you were faithful in a very little, everlasting life. his reward” (Matt 10:42, emphasis have authority over ten cities’” “He who believes in the Son has added). (Luke 19:17, emphasis added). everlasting life; and he who does not “I have fought the good fight, I “For no other foundation can believe the Son shall not see life, but have finished the race, I have kept anyone lay than that which is the wrath of God abides on him” the faith. Finally, there is laid up laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now (John 3:36, emphasis added). for me the crown of righteousness, if anyone builds on this founda- “Most assuredly, I say to you, he which the Lord, the righteous Judge, tion with gold, silver, precious who hears My word and believes in will give to me on that Day, and not stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s Him who sent Me has everlasting to me only but also to all who have work will become clear; for the Day life, and shall not come into judg- loved His appearing” (2 Tim 4:7-8, will declare it, because it will be ment, but has passed from death emphasis added). revealed by fire; and the fire will into life” (John 5:24, emphasis test each one’s work, of what sort added). 6 MAY / JUNE 2014 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he His appearing (2 Tim 4:8, emphasis who believes in Me has everlasting added).
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