Dr Paul Allen

The Bible does indeed teach us to strive for eternal rewards and that we are clearly encouraged to expect greater privilege and responsibility, which may also involve more interaction with (or reporting to, or consulting with) the Lord, as we rule and reign alongside him in varying spheres of responsibility and diverse capacities of service. How do we live in the light of the teaching about eternal rewards? You might think, “I don’t care about receiving a special reward from God —I would serve him for free; salvation is all the glory I need and way more than I deserve.” That sounds noble enough. But ponder this: if God tells you there are rewards for faithful service, and you live your life as if there aren’t, are you really living a life of faith? Faith is believing in and acting on what God says. A life of faith is one that takes God at his word and then acts on it in a way that reflects that trust in his promises. I once saw a t-shirt in a music store that decl...

Christians throughout the ages have been galvanized to action by their trust in the biblical teaching that there are degrees of reward in heaven as an incentive and an inspiration to sacrifice comfort, security, finances, and earthly esteem in exchange for a guaranteed return on investment beyond all comparison. George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards , David Brainerd , William Carey, John Newton, William Wilberforce, CT Studd , Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor, George Müller , and Charles Spurgeon , to list a smattering of our pastor and missionary luminaries, openly expressed that their motives to serve God were fueled by this glorious doctrine that peppers the New Testament . The more Christians understand the Bible’s teaching on eternal rewards, the more they will engage in the kingdom effort on earth, and the more they will reap the benefit from what they sow here when they get to heaven. Yet Dr. Wellum argues against the concept of degrees of eternal reward! You maybe disappointed by h...

Have you heard of the 92nd Comrades Marathon Race in South Africa ? Since the first race in 1921 the Comrades Marathon has become one of the most famous and prestigious of all ultra-marathons. Winning the race is a coveted achievement. But there are many ways to win the Comrades Marathon. You can win it simply by finishing first, like Bill Rowan did in 1921 by coming in a mere minute under nine hours. You can win it five hours and 35 minutes, like Bongmusa Mthembu did. You can win it more times than anyone else, like Bruce Fordyce did: nine times. You can even win by running against people who are not running. Yes, you can win a Wally Hayward medal if you finish in under six hours or a Bill Rowan medal if you beat his time of nine hours. But you can also win the race by beating the real competition: pain. It is the pain and fatigue that most runners are trying to conquer, not the person in front of them. It is a challenge of body and mind, and runners are racing...