If you had to narrow down all successful people into one attribute, what would it be?
Leadership?
Skilled Communicator?
Courage?
Discipline?
These are all great attributes to have, but the one most common is work ethic. Grit, determination, and resilience make successful people, and at their core is the willingness to work hard. It has been borne out time and time again; life has a way of rewarding a strong work ethic. In life, a strong work ethic can grant you many blessings. However, a strong work ethic can provide someone with much more than physical blessings.
At the end of everyone’s life, they will stand before the judgment throne of God. Those who have not accepted God’s son Jesus Christ will be judged for their rights and wrongs. In other words, they will be judged for their sins. Romans 6:23 states that the payment for any sin is death. Therefore, if anyone has sinned when they stand before God, they will be cast off into eternal death.
While this is the picture of the unbeliever, that will not be the trial that everyone receives; for those who accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for their sin, their slate is clean. When these people stand before God, they will have no sins to be judged. In the end, they will be accepted into eternal life because they believe in God’s son. But, before their acceptance, they will be judged on something else, their works.
To be clear, no one can be accepted into heaven based on their works. The only ticket to heaven is a life that the blood of Jesus has covered. But God does want to know what his children did with the gifts he gave them. During this judgment, Matthew 25:23 gives us the 3 things everyone wants to hear.
The first is, “Well done.” The death of the physical body marks the end of an earthly assignment. During this assignment, God gave each individual various gifts and talents to use to advance God’s kingdom. Those who forsook their gifts are not excluded from heaven, but they will have to answer for their lack of stewardship. Those who invested their gifts faithfully and used them to honor God will hear his seal of approval in 2 words, “Well done.”
The next thing everyone wants to hear is, “You are being promoted.” Those who receive the “Well done” also get a promotion. The one who was faithful over a few things during their earthly assignment will be given more to watch over in their eternal life. It is an honor and a blessing to be in God’s kingdom, but even greater blessings await those who worked diligently with what was entrusted to them.
The third thing everyone wants to hear is, “Let’s celebrate.” The earthly assignment has its ups and downs. Some days it seems easy; other days, it seems impossible. Some days are filled with purpose; others feel meaningless. But it is through the trials of life that one produces endurance and faith. Faithful endurance allows one to focus on what’s most important, God’s kingdom. When God’s kingdom becomes a priority in the life of a believer, there is an invitation to a great celebration hosted by God himself, waiting on the other side of the throne.
“Well done,” “You are being promoted,” and “Let’s celebrate” are all things people want to hear at the throne. Heaven is gifted by the blood of Jesus. These phrases are earned through the hard work one puts in for God’s kingdom during their life on earth.
Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.
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