“knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
“knowing that from the Lord”
The phrase “from the Lord” is emphatic in Greek. The ultimate reward comes from God, not from our employer. This is crucial knowledge (“knowing”) if we will live a qualitative Christian life.
“you will receive the reward of the inheritance”
God will reward us in eternity whether or not our boss treats us properly. “Inheritance” means property, an inherited property, or property received. In a few cases in the Gospels, it conveys the possession that an heir receives on an ancestor’s death. In this passage, our inheritance is the prospective condition and possession the believer will receive in the future when Christ returns (Acts 20:32; Eph. 1:14; 5:5; Col. 3:24; Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet. 1:4). Ephesians 1:18 says that the Christian will be an inheritance to God in eternity.
The word “inheritance” implies that reward comes from grace. It is a debt that God will pay because He promised this reward.
“for you serve the Lord Christ”
Whatever we do for the firm for which we work, we are to count it as service to the Lord Christ. He is the ultimate judge. He sees whether we loaf on the job or not. All our employment is in His sight.
This is the only place in the New Testament where Jesus is called “the Lord Christ.” This title would have had significant meaning to a slave of the first century. The slave serves a person of great dignity. Think of this–a slave with dignity!! People today go to work and view it as a rat race. They hate every minute of it. This person’s perspective changes entirely when it dawns upon him that he serves the Lord Christ. There will be a new quality to his work.
Principle:
The believer will receive full justice for his labor in eternity.
Application:
We will never receive full justice in this life. We may put in a good day’s work and receive no recognition. That’s life. The standard is still binding that a Christian is to put in a good day’s work regardless of the situation. A paycheck is just remuneration under our system. However, it is the reward from the Lord that counts for eternity.
God will spiritually reward believers for faithful employment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Anything we do full-time is our full-time service to the Lord. There is no such thing as full-time Christian service for a few professional Christians. There is no such thing as a second-class Christian or a “layman.” On the other hand, some Christians may “lay” down on the job!
