Does God reward us for being obedient to His Word?

Answer

There is a saying: “Good is its own reward.” However, we may also question whether God rewards us in other ways when we obey His Word. Does being good bring us additional blessings and benefits beyond just a pleasant feeling? This inquiry can have two responses, so we will explore both of them.

Firstly, God’s pleasure in obedience is repeatedly documented in Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament (Psalm 91:14-15;Isaiah 58:13-14). The covenant God made with Israel at Sinai was highly conditional, based on their obedience, and His blessings were contingent on whether they kept His commands or not (Leviticus 3). The Old Testament recounts the outcomes Israel faced when they honored or violated the covenant (Deuteronomy 8:19-20;Daniel 9:11-12). When Israel obeyed, God blessed them «and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. », (Exodus 15:26). When they rebelled, He brought judgment (2 Kings 24:2-3). During that era in history, God provided tangible rewards for obedience to His commands.

By the time Jesus arrived on earth, the leaders of Israel had added to God’s law and transformed it into a religious system devoid of relationship. They considered themselves righteous because they adhered to the rules they had established. They convinced themselves that they were

God’s favorites were the descendants of Abraham and known for their religious devotion.

However, Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his time, saying, “You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied about you accurately, saying: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; their worship is in vain, as they teach human doctrines as divine commands’” (Matthew 15:7-9). The Pharisees followed some aspects of the law strictly but disregarded other parts by their traditions. They were rebuked because their obedience was driven by self-righteousness, not love for God. Those who expected rewards for their obedience were rebuked because their obedience lacked sincerity and completeness (Isaiah 29:13;Malachi 2:13-17;3:8-15;Matthew 23:15-28).

So, does God reward obedience to His Word? To answer this, we must understand that God’s Word serves as the manual for our lives. When we follow its principles, our consciences are clear, and our lives operate as intended. Think of it this way: a man buys a disassembled swing set for his kids. Despite lacking engineering skills or tool experience, if he reads the manual and seeks advice from those familiar with assembly, he can set it up correctly, reaping great rewards for himself and his children. Ignoring the manual, however, invites frustration and potential disaster. There are inherent rewards in simply following instructions.

Psalm 1:1–4 illustrates this: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.”

Of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” When we follow the way of wisdom, we reap better experiences, and those better experiences produce rewards such as material provision, relational benefits, and mental and emotional health. Those are God’s rewards for people who follow His instruction.

God’s reward to those who obey His Word can seem like natural consequences. For example, a child obeys God’s Word and honors his parents. He finds that he is blessed with closer familial relationships, less conflict, and more trust. Are these the direct blessings of God for obedience or the natural consequences of treating parents well—or both? Another example: a teenager obeys God’s Word and avoids sexual immorality. She finds that she is blessed with less complicated romantic relationships, fewer heartaches, and an absence of STDs. Is she experiencing the direct blessing from God for obedience or the logical outcome of choosing the path of abstinence—or both?

God does not always define reward the same way we do. When we think of God rewarding us for behaving well, we usually think of tangible, material goodies. But God has eternity in mind. The Bible and ensuing history are filled with examples of people who obeyed the Lord at great cost to themselves. Scripture’s godly men and women often did not appear to reap any earthly rewards for their obedience, yet many are listed in the Hall of Faith as people whose rewards are in heaven. Hebrews 11:39–40 summarizes: “All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.”

Obedience to the Word includes obedience to the gospel, and that car

Receiving great reward arises when we embrace God’s offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and we are declared righteous in His sight (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13). There is no longer any condemnation awaiting us because, in His grace, God deemed the sacrifice of His Son as ample payment for the significant debt we owed Him (Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:14). As part of that salvation, we are assured of an eternity in glory with Him.

None of the benefits of salvation are a result of our performance. Forgiveness and heaven are gifts bestowed upon us because of God’s immense love. The most undeserving criminal who repents on their deathbed will receive the same forgiveness and eternal life in heaven as the missionary martyred on the mission field (Luke 23:39-43; Matthew 20:1-16). However, Jesus does pledge various rewards in heaven for every act done in His name on earth (Mark 9:41; James 1:12; Revelation 22:12). When we walk in fellowship with Him, maintaining confessed sins and living free from besetting sins, we are daily rewarded with fruit from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), communion with God (James 4:7-8), and the power to resist Satan’s attacks (Ephesians 6:10-17). Whatever challenges we encounter on earth in obedience to God’s Word will be more than compensated in eternity with rewards beyond our imagination.

Things of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. », (Romans 8:18).