The idea of reward and consequences in life are rather innate in our being. Throughout the Scriptures we find that many of the writers fuss about the timeliness of rewards and consequences. They repine that the wicked often do not experience the consequences of their actions and that often the righteous are not rewarded for their good actions. The issue here is that we fail to observe that justice is awarded in eternity and not necessarily in time. It is an incontrovertible reality that ultimate justice is not distributed in this life but in the next.
That is the absolute sense of these words from the apostle Paul, “…the just shall live by faith.” In the book of Hebrews it says regarding an impressive list of faithful servants of God, “…these all died in faith not having received the promises.”
It is ours to acknowledge that we have come upon a time in Christian history when there is (especially in America) an altogether too carnal view of the faith. There is a sense that there must be a reward today for our trust, faith and obedience to God. Try as you may to make it so, God will not be pressed into your agenda. Our reward is eternal and not temporal. In the end, that is very good news.
Psalm 1:1-6
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
