Treasure in Heaven

   Matthew 6,19-21 (KJ3): „Do not treasure up for you treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves dig through and steal. But treasure up for you treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not dig through and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“

   The Lord Jesus has repeatedly spoken of the treasures in heaven and the rewards of "good works." And although most Christians now look like they are not interested in such "petty" things, I think it would be wise to take a closer look at this matter.

   It is not apparent from the Bible what form these promised rewards can have. We do not know whether this means something like Mercedes instead of Trabant. But because the Lord Jesus has concentrated on this subject, we can be sure that it is not an insignificant matter.

   The verses at the beginning of the article are part of Jesus „Mount Sermon" and represents the end of Jesus' main explanation of rewards. As a Bible rule, every offer, every promise and every blessing has its own specifications. Considering rewards (treasures in heaven) - we do not do things for our own glory, for people´s praise. If we do something for people´s praise, our reward is just that – people´s praise. No more "heavenly reward" is waiting for us!

   Matthew 6,1-5: Take care not to do your merciful deeds before men in order to be seen by them. But if not, you have no reward from your Father in Heaven. Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, do not trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. But you doing merciful deeds, do not let your left know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, Himself will repay you in the open. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the open streets so that they may appear to be seen of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. 

   Matthew 6,16: And when you fast, do not be as the hypocrites, with sullen face, for they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you that they have their reward. 



    For example, our "account" in heaven grows when we are persecuted for the God´s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ:

   Matthew 5,11-12: Blessed are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and shall say every evil word against you, lying, on account of Me.  12Rejoice and be exceeding joyful, for your reward is great in Heaven; for in this way they persecuted the prophets, the ones before you. 

   Luke 6,22-23: Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they cut you off, and will reproach you, and will cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man;  23rejoice in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is much in Heaven! For their fathers did according to these things to the prophets.



   The main source of "positive points" is probably selfless good works:

   Matthew 10,42: And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to drink to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward, not ever!

   Luke 6,35: But love the ones hostile to you, and do good, and lend, causing no one to despair, and your reward will be much; and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the unthankful and evil ones.

   Luke 12,33: Sell the things belonging of you and give merciful gifts. Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where a thief cannot come near, nor moth can ruin.

   It is also not that easy with the "good works". Something might look good at first sight, and "godly", but eventually it may prove to be something that has been done for people praise, or as arbitrariness - something that God didn't want us to do (and we knew about it). Once it will be apparent:

   1 Corinthians 3,11-15: For no one is able to lay another foundation beside the one having been laid, which is Jesus, the Christ.  And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw,  the work of each one will be revealed; for the Day will make it known, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire will prove the work of each one, what sort it is. If the work of anyone which he built remains, he will receive a reward. If the work of anyone shall be burned down, he shall suffer loss; but he will be saved, but so as through fire.

   Matthew 7,21-23: „Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but the ones who do the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; “depart from Me, the ones working lawlessness!” 

   1 Corinthians 4,5: So then do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both shed light on the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the purposes of the hearts. And then praise will be to each one from God.



   The greatest gift is the gift of eternal life:

   Romans 2,7-8: Ttruly to the ones who with patience in good work seeking glory and honor and incorruptibility and everlasting life;  8but to the ones truly disobeying the truth out of self-seeking, but obeying unrighteousness, will be anger and wrath, ... 



   All of us are waiting for a judgment - a balance of our lives. There will be all uncovered:

   2 Corinthians 5,10: For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he did, whether good or bad.

   Revelation 22,12: And, behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one as his work is. 

   Matthew 25,31-46: But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  And before Him shall be gathered all the nations; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And indeed He will set the sheep at His right, but the goats at the left hand.  Then the King will say to those at His right, Come, the ones blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I hungered, and you gave Me food to eat; I thirsted, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you gathered Me in;  naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you came to see Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.  Then the righteous ones will answer, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungering, and we fed You; or thirsting, and we gave You drink?  And when did we see You a stranger, and gathered You in; or naked, and clothed You?  And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You?  And answering, the King will say to them, Truly I say to you, In so far as you did it to one of these, the least of My brothers, you did it to Me.  Then He will also say to those at the left, Go away from Me, the ones cursed, into the everlasting fire having been prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I hungered, and you did not give Me a thing to eat. I thirsted and you did not give Me a thing to drink;  I was a stranger , and you did not gather Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not come to see Me.  Then they also will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, In as much as you did not do it to one of these, the least, neither did you do it to Me.  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous ones into everlasting life. 

   Revelation 11,18: And the nations were full of wrath; and Your wrath came, and the time of the the dead ones to be judged, and to give the reward to Your slaves, to the prophets, and to the saints, and to the ones fearing Your name, to the small and to the great, and to consume the ones consuming the earth.



   The problem is that we often don't understand our motives:

   Jeremiah 17,9-10: The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is incurable; who can know it? I, Jehovah, search the heart I try the kidneys, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.



   So we need to ask God for help to show us our true attitudes:

   Psalms 139,23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if any wicked way is in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.



   Conclusion:
   I wanted to draw your attention with this biblical analysis of the "heavenly treasures" and perhaps to make one think about the real attitudes and motivations.