Bro....salvation is a free gift. Rewards are a different matter.
Mat 20:8
“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them
their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’
Mat 20:9
“And when those came who
were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
Mat 20:10
“But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
Mat 20:11
“And when they had received
it, they complained against the landowner,
Mat 20:12
“saying, ‘These last
men have worked
only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
Mat 20:13
“But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
Mat 20:14
‘Take
what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man
the same as to you.
Mat 20:15
‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
Mat 20:16
“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
Agreed. Salvation is a Free Gift, but additional rewards are earned/merited. The Holy Spirit is a Free Gift, and if you die having the Holy Spirit, you are saved. You can lose the Holy Spirit by deadly sins such as apostasy etc, as 2 Pet 2:20-22.
Now, thankfully, many Christians don't commit apostasy etc. So most Christians who are saved by grace through faith and who remain by grace in that faith in Christ until death will be saved. Faith=Justification. Perseverance=Salvation.
Now, if you don't commit apostasy etc, then all for Good Works you do with Faith in Christ, you will be rewarded. What Good Works. Bible mentions at least 5 (1) Prayer (2) Fasting (3) Almsgiving (Mat 6; storing Treasures in Heaven), then (4) Evangelism, 1 Cor 3:8,13-15 etc and finally (5) Martyrdom, Rev 2:10, or (6) Carrying Crosses out of Love for the Lord. Gospels.
Will be back shortly to answer more, but here are 3 quick passages:
I. Mat 24:12 "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm [endures/perseveres] to the end will be saved."
The Lord is teaching us:
(1) those who grow cold in love by apostatizing, turning away from Christ, to commit wickedness etc will not be saved.
(2) The word used is Agape for Love, which shows they were believers at first. Thus, believers can cease to love Christ.
(3) Some say the Lord is asking us to be sinless etc here. But He didn't. All He asked is to persevere in believing/loving Him.
II. Mat 18:32-34: "32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed."
Here, we see the Lord refute OSAS, which could also be called "OFAS/OJAS" (Once Forgiven/Justified, Always Saved).
(1) This person was first forgiven by God. But then he sinfully refused to forgive his neighbor. For that, he was lost.
(2) Does that mean unforgiveneness is an unforgivable sin? Not at all. We just have to confess and repent of it.
If we do, we'll be saved. But this man didn't. Hence he was lost. It's clear asking for forgiveness is once is not enough.
III. Mat 24:
"45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
(1) Here again, we see the Lord expects faithful obedience not for a single hour, but until He comes again or our death.
(2) The first servant was faithful and did what the Lord asked. He was both saved and also richly rewarded.
(3) The second servant was wicked and refused to obey the Master. He was not saved and also punished.
If there is a doubt in the OT, clarify the doubt with the NT/Epistles etc.
But if there is a doubt in the Epistles, clarify the doubt from the Gospels.
Rabbi Saul/Saint Paul is indeed a great Rabbi, but Rabbi Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior is Far, Far, Greater.
God Bless.
