Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
A new “Adult Sabbath School Study Guide” lesson quarterly for our fourth quarter of 2022 titled “On Death and Dying: Our Future Hope”, and our first lesson titled “Rebellion in a Perfect World”. In the introduction on pages 2-3 the principal contributor is contrasting a remarkable novel from the 1930’s titled “Lost Horizon”, versus “God’s trustworthy promise of a perfect world with no more tears, pain or death” (quarterly Introduction pg. 3). The comparison is made because of “our hope of eternal life” (ibid). It would appear that this will be one of our quarterly’s main thrusts. That eternal life is the motivation, the goal, the hope of following our Lord. I hope that is not the case.
EGW makes several references to being motivated by “hope of reward”. All quotes decry this motive. Here are four (4) of those quotes:
1. (Patriarchs and Prophets pg. 523) … “’If it seems evil unto you to serve Jehovah,’ he said, ‘choose you this day whom ye will serve.’ Joshua desired to lead them to serve God, not by compulsion, but willingly. Love to God is the very foundation of religion. To engage in His service merely from hope of reward or fear of punishment would avail nothing. Open apostasy would not be more offensive to God than hypocrisy and mere formal worship.
Yikes!! EGW says that along with “fear of punishment”, “hope of reward” is worse than open apostasy, calling it what it truly is… hypocrisy or formal worship. Horrors!
2. (Patriarchs and Prophets pg. 601-2) … “Let the youth be led to understand the object of their creation, to honor God and bless their fellow men; let them see the tender love which the Father in heaven has manifested toward them, and the high destiny for which the discipline of this life is to prepare them, the dignity and honor to which they are called, even to become the sons of God, and thousands would turn with contempt and loathing from the low and selfish aims and the frivolous pleasures that have hitherto engrossed them. They would learn to hate sin and to shun it, not merely from hope of reward or fear of punishment, but from a sense of its inherent baseness, because it would be a degrading of their God-given powers, a stain upon their Godlike manhood.”
“Hope of Reward” is an inferior motivation for mankind. But more. It is degrading, taking our high-calling to be sons and daughters of the Most High and converting it to self-centered gain. EGW even calls these motivations “low and selfish” (Patriarchs and Prophets pg. 601). And such they are. These motivations take our eyes from our Father and our brothers and sisters everywhere and place our eyes upon ourselves, precisely what an unregenerate heart wants.
It is true that there is a reward for those who trust God. But again, EGW comes to our aid to put this in perspective:
3. (Christ’s Object Lessons pg. 398-9) … “The Lord desires us to rest in Him without a question as to our measure of reward. When Christ abides in the soul, the thought of reward is not uppermost. This is not the motive that actuates our service. It is true that in a subordinate sense we should have respect to the recompense of reward. God desires us to appreciate His promised blessings. But He would not have us eager for rewards nor feel that for every duty we must receive compensation. We should not be so anxious to gain the reward as to do what is right, irrespective of all gain. Love to God and to our fellow men should be our motive”.
So, as we study this quarter, let us keep all this in mind. Let us always keep our eyes on Him. Let us always remember, and never forget, what our Father tells us… “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1).
4. “We are not to think of reward, but of service; yet kindness shown in this spirit will not fail of its recompense. ‘Thy Father which sees in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.’ While it is true that God Himself is the great Reward, that embraces every other, the soul receives and enjoys Him only as it becomes assimilated to Him in character. Only like can appreciate like. It is as we give ourselves to God for the service of humanity that He gives Himself to us. {MB 81.2}
“Only as (our soul) becomes assimilated to Him in character” (ibid). This is the reward… our person, our character becoming like Him. And that character has a word. The word is “agape”. Love for God and others that transcends self. Transcends any craven need to escape punishment or gain reward. The true reward? A God-like character that seeks not reward but seeks to “do what is right, irrespective of gain” (op. cit.) and to “give ourselves to the service of humanity” (op. cit.). This is our “hope of reward”, lest we forget. To be with our God… to be like Him. To be willing to sacrifice our own eternal security for the love of a single one. To be "agape".
With brotherly love,
Jim