Bible Studies
Matthew 10:40-42 - Limiting God's Rewards
Key Verses: (NRSV & MSG)
- 40: "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." - "We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me."
- 41: "Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous." - "Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small."
- 42: "And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple - truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." - "Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."
- Are you welcoming?
Promise of the Gospel:
The idea that God rewards our lives based on our welcoming acts of goodness goes against some of the ideas we, as Christians, have learned to accept. We know we cannot earn salvation through our good works. We have earned salvation by our faith in Christ. What greater reward is there than this? But, on the other hand, Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching His followers how things work in the kingdom of heaven. He continuously provided examples to show us how we are expected to act as His disciples. Our actions reveal where we are on our pathway to holiness; which is our Christian destiny. We are being remade in Christ's image and our good works help reveal to us how well we are doing. Today's verses unveil the importance of being accepting of everyone we meet for it is through our acts of hospitality and acceptance that we receive God into our lives. However, servanthood is only one-half of the story. To fully participate in the rewards of holy living, we must also be able to open our hearts and receive the cup of service from others. It is not more blessed to give than to receive. Each, giving and receiving, are opportunities to open the door to God's rewards that will carry us directly into the kingdom of heaven and into an eternity of blessedness. As we read today's verses the question we must ask ourselves is: "In what ways am I limiting God's rewards and blessings in my life?"
Faithwriters Magazine
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1960 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Gary Sims or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1960 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.