4-26-2026 Oscars in heaven or Grace alone sufficient

Q: What does the Bible say about salvation by grace?

The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn through works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The fundamental message of the Bible regarding salvation is that it is by grace through faith, as clearly stated in Ephesians 2:8-9: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' This means that our salvation cannot be merited or deserved through our actions, but is entirely the result of God's unmerited favor. Salvation belongs to the Lord, and He alone through the finished work of Jesus Christ ensures that we are reconciled to Him. Our best efforts, as noted in Isaiah 64:6, are likened to 'filthy rags' in comparison to the perfection of Christ's righteousness.

Q: How do we know that works do not help in salvation?

The Bible makes it clear that if salvation is by grace, it cannot be by works (Romans 11:6). Romans 11:6 states, 'And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.' This verse explicitly establishes that grace and works are mutually exclusive in the context of salvation. If our actions, however noble, could contribute to our salvation, then God's grace would be irrelevant. The notion that humans can perform acts to gain favor with God diminishes the completeness of Christ's sacrifice. Therefore, any doctrine that intermingles grace with works introduces a heretical misunderstanding of salvation, insisting that it is either completely by grace or it is not grace at all. When we assert that our works can earn rewards, we risk undermining the finished work of Christ.

Q: Why is the concept of rewards in heaven important for Christians?

The concept of rewards in heaven is often misconstrued; in truth, all believers share equal inheritance in Christ as joint heirs (Romans 8:17). The idea of rewards in heaven, particularly the notion that some will receive more due to their works, can be misleading. In Romans 8:17, we learn that 'if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.' This indicates that all who are in Christ will receive the same inheritance and glory. The dangerous implication of a rewards system is that it can foster a sense of pride and compare one's worth before God based on effort rather than grace. Christ Himself is our ultimate reward, and in His presence there is no hierarchy of merit; all believers experience the fullness of His grace equally. The emphasis should be on our relationship with Him rather than on the rewards we may perceive ourselves as earning.

Q: What is the danger of mixing works with grace?

Mixing works with grace turns God's gift into a transaction, implying He owes us something for our efforts (Romans 4:4). The danger of mixing works with grace is that it alters the very nature of God's salvific work into a transactional exchange. Romans 4:4 states, 'Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.' This verse underscores that if we attempt to earn our salvation or rewards through our works, we place God in a position of debt to us, which is utterly absurd. God is sovereign and does not owe us anything for our works; every good thing we do should flow from gratitude and love for the grace He has already bestowed upon us. When we start considering our efforts as a means to garner God's favor, we diminish the grace that puts us in right standing with Him, leading to spiritual arrogance and misunderstanding.

the message that I have for us, titled, Oscars in Heaven. or grace alone sufficient. Thank you all for coming today. I pray that the scriptures that we consider today will bless us all to a better understanding of the amazing grace found in our amazing God through the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lovingly laid down his life, who is God Almighty, the Holy Spirit, the Great Three-in-One.

Back just a little while during Easter, A topic came up with a dear loved one that was very concerning to me. And I have argued on this topic with the same person in great detail decades ago. And at the time, under the preaching of Gene Harmon, Gene gave some really good scriptures and sound advice to point me in the right direction on the topic.

But since it had been quite 20 years back, you know, I forgot a lot of the stuff that he said. I forgot all the scriptures. I remembered one. But I just argued that it wasn't true and only came up with one scripture and this argument wasn't exactly that. It was an argument. And it was between me and a dearly loved one. And it was in front of a bunch of my dearly loved family at an Easter thing.

And I didn't want any of my dearly loved ones to fall into the trap of trusting works in lieu of trusting the free grace of salvation by the finished work of Jesus Christ and Him alone as our only hope. So the topic that I'd like to consider here today is, is there a degree of rewards in heaven for a person who works extra hard here on earth after their salvation? And I see people shaking their head, no, because ever since I've come to this church from 30 years ago, Gene and John and Don Fortner, every preacher that's ever been here has been very, very specific about preaching that salvation is all of grace and not of works, because that's what the scriptures teach. The person arguing to me that there is a degree of works in heaven had just listened to a message from what he considered a great preacher that he thought could be trusted.

The preacher's name was David Jeremiah. I listened to the message because my dear loved one requested that I should. And it was called, Oscars in Heaven. And I'm not going to beat around the bush on this. What that person preached was so far from God's word that I have to say that he is a great doctor. A doctor of deception. The message made it very clear that David Jeremiah is an Arminian doctrine preacher.

For anyone who doesn't know what Arminian doctrine is, just think of it as the opposite of sovereign grace. Jacob Arminius was a 16th century Dutch theologian who originally was a student of John Calvin. Jacob Arminius basically was offended very much so to the five points of Calvinism that are clearly found in truth in the scriptures, much like the majority of churches to this day. They detest the five points of Calvinism. They're founded in the truths of God's Word, though.

Arminian doctrine started back in the 1600s and is a work-based doctrine based on the concept that a person can save their self if they want to, also called once free will, and all they have to do is accept Jesus in their heart and say the sinner's prayer, or just raise your hand right where you're at, save yourself, They take Jesus off the cross and put themselves there. Arminian doctrine will always give you something to do to save yourself. Come to the front of the church, say the sinner's prayer, raise your hand, get baptized, tie 10% of your money, and God will let you into heaven. Arminian doctrine actually says God loves everybody.

And could you imagine that as a bumper sticker on the back of Noah's Ark? How ridiculous would that be, right? There are churches that teach tithing. That is an Old Testament law. It was designed to support the Levites. They didn't have a job. They didn't have money. Their job was to do the work of the sacrifice, the lamb and all that stuff, all the stuff they were supposed to do. And so that they could eat, tithing was to feed them. But now when a church teaches that, they're basically going back to Old Testament law.

And so it's not scriptural. God loves a cheerful giver. You can't out-give God. That's scriptural. But tithing 10% is an Old Testament law. There was Granite Bay. Bayside church told that they got a bunch of millionaires that go there and made him feel really good Told everyone if you tie 10% after one year if you don't feel blessed, we'll give it all back Yeah, they made a lot of money on that one So Romans 9 9 13 says add is it written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated I? Do not understand that I don't understand the whys or the hows of predestination But it's clearly taught in Scripture.

So I believe it I Romans 8.29 says, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate.

You can't argue with that. Arminian doctrine says God just wants you to accept him. And if you let him, God will save you, if you will let him. And He wants you to let Him. They preach a God that is like us and wants. They preach a God that can't do anything. They preach a God that needs you to make a decision so that He can save you. The whole concept is very appealing to people because they don't have to believe God's Word. They just have to decide to be saved. The Word of God is so contrary to that evil doctrine that you will never hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified as your only hope for salvation preached in those churches.

Before we get started on degrees of rewards in heaven, it is a damning heresy as Don Fortner calls it. And I agree with him. And that's also what Gene Harmon said way back when I talked to him about it too. And I'd like to look at a few scriptures that reinforce God's sovereign grace in the works of salvation, that mankind is spiritually dead and can't possibly save himself by his free will, that free will is bound by our nature, which is sin, that unless God, by grace, calls a person out of darkness, and God gives the free gift of faith to believe the gospel, that person is going to hell, which is what we all deserve because of our sin. A statement I'm pretty sure we've all heard under the preaching of the gospel of God's free grace is, if we are saved and go to heaven, that's God's fault. But if we go to hell, that's our fault. God must punish sin. And sin is what we are. Since Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden, Adam essentially cast all mankind into spiritual darkness. That is original sin. We died in Adam.

But if God gives us the free gift of faith to believe the gospel, the gospel of Christ Jesus as our substitute, our redeemer, our advocate, because of his finished work on the cross for the salvation of our souls, as our only hope for justification before God, so that we will live with our Maker for all eternity.

That is amazing grace. A few scriptures that reinforce God's sovereign grace in the work of salvation. Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and not of yourself. It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast, See here, the Word of God says salvation is a gift, and it's a gift that cannot be earned or taken. It must be given. Jonah chapter 2 verse 9 says, But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that I have vowed.

Salvation is of the Lord. Psalms chapter 3 verse 8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon my people. Selah. Think about that. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. There's no other way. Does God need mankind to perform his will? Of course not. That's ridiculous. How could God need anything?

And all the inhabitants, listen, on Daniel chapter 4 verse 35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou?

Some scripture about how we are born spiritually dead. and how God in his infinite mercy gives life through faith in Christ. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. See, it doesn't say who were dead in their trespasses and sin but still have the ability to make a decision to be saved. It doesn't say that. God's perfect plan for salvation says that he quickened, given life to someone who was dead. A dead person can't raise their hand or make a decision to accept.

The sinner's prayer, accept Jesus into your heart, that's like saying it's daytime outside, accept that the sun is out. I mean, God is God. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 4 and 5 say, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us, given us life together with Christ. By grace ye are saved. Colossians chapter 2 verses 13 and 14 And ye, and you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against you, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross, to his cross. A dead person can't see or hear the gospel, so if God gives a person eyes to see and ears to hear the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace through the finished work of Jesus Christ and him crucified, then God, the great three in one, will receive all the glory.

If you can believe right now, right where you sit, God's perfect plan for salvation Through the finished work of Christ and Him crucified, you have been given the most precious gift of faith. God, help us to believe and please, Lord, forgive us our unbelief. God doesn't wish, want, or desire for you to believe the gospel.

That's Arminian doctrine. They preach an impotent God that can't do anything. It's disgraceful to say the creator of heaven and earth can't do anything. We worship an almighty, all-powerful God, who when He speaks, worlds are created. God commands it. He doesn't wish, want, or desire for you to believe the gospel. God commands it. And those who refuse to believe, they will be damned.

This is serious stuff. This is why we pray for the souls of our unsaved loved ones. This is what God's Word says. This is when Jesus began his ministry in Mark 1, verses 14 and 15. That's God commanding. That's not God asking. This is the time. This is the blink of an eye compared to eternity that we live in. 1 John 5, verses 11 and 12, and this is the record that God had given to us.

Eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Mark chapter 16 verses 15 and 16, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Those are red letters of Christ himself, that's God speaking. Okay, so now that we have established that salvation is by God's free and loving grace, and that everyone is commanded to believe, now I'm going to take this just a little bit farther. I've heard Don Portner talk about this before, and John. This is the hymn book. 1 John 5, verse 11 says, And this is the record that God hath given to us, eternal life, and this Son, is in his life is in his son. The entire books about Christ, the hymn book. Look at what Jesus said when he walked with his disciples after he conquered the grave and proved with the miracle of rising from the death that he is God in the flesh.

He proved that the scriptures are true and the prophecies are fulfilled. This is the very reason the year is 2026 AD, anno dimini, the year of our Lord. They want to change that. They want to change BC, you know, and they want to change AD, but we know it means before Christ and in the year of our Lord.

Look at what Jesus said when he walked with his disciples after he rose from the dead. This is on the road to Emmaus in chapter 24 of Luke. And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs. And they talked together of all the things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. This is the story of all of us before we could see Christ in the Word of God. Our eyes are holding to. Unless we are given eyes to see and ears to hear, we also can't believe a single thing in God's Word.

In Luke 24, verse 17, Jesus said, This is one of those occasions where God asks a question not because he doesn't know the answer, God knows everything, including our deepest secrets and thoughts. God asks the question for the benefit of the person answering, and for the benefit of us who read the Word.

Kind of like in Genesis, when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden. In Genesis 3, verses 8-13, they heard a loud voice, God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden, because they had sinned.

And the Lord called unto Adam and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And God said, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you not to eat of? The man said, the woman that thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done?

This is like a parent that asks their child, what are you doing when they're doing something wrong? The parent knows exactly what they're doing wrong. God knew the answer to those questions. He asked those questions for the benefit of his children, Adam and Eve, and for our benefit, who read his word.

Back to Luke in Chapter 24 starting back up at 18. And one of them who was Cleopas answered said unto him art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days he said unto them. What things? Jesus asked him a question. You know, he knows all things, but he's wanting them to recount what they saw.

And they said unto him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.

And besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, a certain woman also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher. And when they found his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. A certain of them, which were with us, went to the sepulcher and found it even so as the woman had said, but him they saw not.

And in Luke chapter 24 verse 25, our Lord Jesus says, O fools and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken, all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them all the scriptures and things concerning himself.

So this is where we get this, the hymn book. Because beginning at Moses and the prophets, basically beginning at Genesis chapter 1, and all the way through Malachi, the last chapter, the entire Old Testament, things concerning himself. The hymn book. It says it right there. 1 John chapter 5, 11. Again, we'll read this again.

And this is the record that God has given to us. Eternal life, and this life is in His Son. So the whole entire Bible is about Christ. Now that we've established a few scriptures that reinforce God's sovereign grace and the work of His perfect plan of salvation through life-giving faith in the finished work of our Savior Jesus Christ, the Great Three-in-One, I would like to move on to degrees in heaven, a damning heresy as Don Fortner calls it.

I had a conversation with our pastor John about this directly after the topic came up, and John was very quick to answer. And he says, if it sounds like works, it is works. If our works are detestable to God, even our best works, our works are detestable before God. Even our best works, the way he said. So I went on to ask John, I said, what if a person believes the gospel and has faith in Christ for the salvation of their soul, but is deceived into thinking they'll have rewards in heaven based off their work? And his answer was very simple.

Same as what Pastor Gene Harmon told me over 20 years ago. You can't mix your works with God's grace, not even a little bit. Romans 11 6 And if by grace, then it is no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. Grace and works are like oil and water. You cannot mix the two.

Don Fortner once told us in a message he preached right here, he said, rat poison is 99.9% good food, otherwise the rats wouldn't eat it. It's that one-tenth of a percent that kills them. That's the same with preaching 99.9% of God's grace and salvation, but adding one-tenth of a percent of your works. It is detestable in God's eyes. That is why Don Fortner calls rewards in heaven a damning heresy.

Isaiah chapter 64 verse 6 says, but we are all as an unclean thing, and our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. Now some can take this too far, and then what does it matter if I do good works or not? Just to clarify, let me read. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 10.

For by grace you are saved through faith and not of yourself. This is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So good works are a natural result of faith, not a way to earn salvation.

Matthew chapter 5 verse 16, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Those are the words of Christ himself. Titus 3 verse 8, this is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto a man. James chapter 2 verse 20, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Galatians 6, 9, and let us not be weary of doing well, for in season we shall reap if we faint not. Good works are evidence of faith. They glorify God and they help to serve others in need. God has actually prepared beforehand the good works we walk in just as we read in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10.

There are many more scriptures that declare for us to do good works and walk like the way Jesus did perfectly. 1 John chapter 2 4 verses 4 through 6 he saith I know him he that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar the truth is not in him but who so keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are Hereby know we that we are in him. He that abideth in him also himself also so try to walk even as he walks. So the scriptures declare for us to walk like Jesus walked perfectly.

And we look to Jesus in order to do that. So the question is not, should we do good works? If our best works are filthy rags, as the Word declares, we should do good works. Out of love for our God, who has saved us, call us out of darkness into His glorious light. The question here that I'd like to ask and answer is, are there a degree of rewards in heaven associated with our good works? Is there a level of rewards or Oscars in heaven as Dr. David Jeremiah declared?

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19. In John chapter 14 verse 2. These scriptures got added after I made this when I was proofreading. They have to be in here. John 14. Verse 2, "...in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." It says there's many mansions, not moldy little holes in the wall for someone to shack up in, or a little straw hut. It says many mansions.

I listened to a message from Don Fortner about rewards in heaven, and Don simplified the answer as he always does, by using sound doctrine of Scripture, the truth found in God Word, to explain why the notion of a degree of rewards in heaven is absurd. Don mentioned several points, but I'm only just going to mention a few that he brought out.

First of all, Don called it a hellish doctrine, a damning heresy that is without foundation in God's Word. He said you should never interpret the obvious things of God's Word with the obscurities, but the opposite. Interpret the obscurities with the obvious. Salvation is by grace and grace alone. The entire book declares that.

Don mentions that there is not one passage of scripture that says some of God's saints will receive more and some of God's saints will receive less when they go to heaven. He goes on to say that there are implications of declaring that. There's implications of declaring a degree of rewards in heaven. He says that if I say one believer will have mansions and so many crowns on their head they can't even lift their head, and the other believer will get to heaven by the skin of their teeth and live in slums, then I'd have to say that heaven's glory is not a reward of free grace, but a reward of a debt.

It implies that it's impossible for a person to be saved and not be a faithful servant of Christ. Everyone who truly believes in the Son of God for salvation worships Him as his Lord and Savior and follows Him as his Master." End of Don's quote. And then I say, at least we try to. God knows we're not perfect like Him, but we try.

Don goes on to say, if there is a degree of rewards in heaven, the men and women, by their service to God, somehow put God into obligation to reward them. By what work would put God under obligation to reward them. Nothing can put God under obligation. It's an absurd thing to think that you could put God under obligation.

Don says, a degree of rewards in heaven would imply that there are two judgments. One for the believer after they go to heaven to judge their works, and one for the non-believer for their unbelief. But the Bible declares there's one judgment. For those in Christ and for those not in Christ. It's as simple as that. There's one judgment. A degree of rewards in heaven implies that God's people will have to suffer and pay for their sins in heaven. Don said that too. Romans chapter 4 verse 8.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Don says that if it were possible to separate heavenly glory and the rewards of heaven from salvation, then you might be able to talk about a degree of rewards in heaven. But heaven, as the scripture declares, is the glorious inheritance by grace, by faith in Jesus Christ alone. You can't separate the heavenly glory from salvation.

It just can't be separated. Don mentions that every believer is a soldier in God's army, not a mercenary. A soldier that loves to serve the King of Glory because of his great love towards us in giving us saving faith. Not a mercenary who obligates God to reward him for his service. That quote from Don Fortner reminded me of who could possibly be the original mercenary. Isaiah chapter 14 verses 12 through 15.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations? For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit.

Lucifer was the original mercenary, in my opinion. Out of his pride, he tried to obligate God to reward him for his service as the leader of the worship and music in heaven. He wanted to be worshiped like God. He obviously thought he deserved it. He thought he earned it.

Because of God's grace and mercy towards sinners like me, we have been made joint heirs with God himself. How could there possibly be any greater reward than that? Romans 8, verse 17, And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Genesis 15, verse 1, After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield. and the exceeding great reward. God is our reward. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 18.

We can't. in Hebrews chapter 7, verse 25, Is there more than uttermost? No, there's not more than uttermost. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 27, Without spot or wrinkle. How could something without spot or wrinkle have a spot or a wrinkle or a blemish? That's just simply not the case. That's what they're implying if there's rewards in heaven. This is our standing by faith, that in Jesus Christ He is our great Redeemer, having not spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Colossians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10. Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. Beware of men's vain traditions, that's what a degree of awards in heaven is. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but over principalities and powers of darkness.

This is a principality that we're wrestling over. Don said, To declare a degree of works in heaven promotes pride. It causes people to look down on others. It threatens punishment. You better come to church, you better tithe, you better do good works, or you'll be punished. That's what that is implying on the degree of works in heaven.

In Matthew, the laborer in the vineyard, I'm going to read this parable. Matthew chapter 20, starting at verse 1. This is the words of Christ. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.

And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. He said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all day, idle? They said unto him, because no man hath hired us.

And he saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning with the last unto the first. And when they came, that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more, and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden of the heat of the day.

But he answered one of them and said, Friend, do I do thee no wrong? I do thee no wrong, didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way, I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good?

So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many be called, but few chosen. Christ is our exceeding great reward. There is no greater reward. Look at the salvation of the thief who died next to Christ. Not next to Christ, on the cross. Luke chapter 23, verses 41. And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man had done nothing amiss. That thief is saying exactly what we are also. Because of our sin, we would receive the due reward of our deeds. That's why we would deserve to go to hell if it wasn't for God's grace.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Sounds to me like being in paradise with Christ is our great reward. In Revelations chapter 21, in verse 4, That's another reason why there'd never be any degrees of rewards in heaven. Because there's no crying, there's no sorrow, there's no pain. We're all joint heirs. Jesus made many mansions for us. We all have that reward. There is no greater reward than salvation.

To be found in Christ and His righteousness before the throne of God Almighty who demands perfection, this is the beauty of God's grace. He provides perfection. Complete perfection. Through the sacrifice He provided of His own precious Son. Here's another quote from Don Fortner. He said, God provides everything that is required, everything that is necessary, in the whole business of bringing sinners from the gates of hell to the position of heaven's glory." So I think that it's very clear by the scriptures that the thief who died on the cross next to our Lord Jesus will receive the same blessings and rewards in heaven as the Apostle Paul, or David, a man after God's own heart, or any of the apostles or the prophets, They will all receive the same exceedingly great reward as us who believe right now. God help us to believe. Amen.

4-26-2026 Oscars in heaven or Grace alone sufficient

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about salvation by grace?

How do we know that works do not help in salvation?

Why is the concept of rewards in heaven important for Christians?

What is the danger of mixing works with grace?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

4-26-2026 Oscars in heaven or Grace alone sufficient

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about salvation by grace?

How do we know that works do not help in salvation?

Why is the concept of rewards in heaven important for Christians?

What is the danger of mixing works with grace?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

More from Michael Gigliotti

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Suggested for You

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book