| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | February 1997 |
Love’s Labor Rewarded
“God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” —Hebrews 6:10
DISCOURAGEMENT IS A hindrance to growth in grace; St. Paul was seeking to encourage his readers. The context implies that they had experienced some setback, some discouragement. He intimates that while they had begun well, their zeal had cooled to some extent. In this chapter and on to the tenth inclusive, he points out the danger of falling back and away, after we have become Christians. And to those who are likely to become discouraged he gives the exhortation of our text, ‘God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love’. We might inquire, What great work, or labor of love, could they do that would constitute it unrighteous for God to forget to reward it? Are not good works the proper course for all mankind? How would it be unrighteous for God to forget these good works?
The answer of Scripture would seem to be that the world cannot do any good works that God could acknowledge—“There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10) But ‘God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love’, writes the apostle. What does he mean? We reply, he is addressing Christians, those who have become God’s children by entering into a covenant with him. They were children of wrath, even as others; and still, according to the flesh, they are imperfect. But God is not dealing with these according to the flesh. He has received them into his family under a special arrangement, a covenant of sacrifice. In that covenant he agreed that through Christ he would make allowances for their weaknesses, and deal with them according to the intentions of their hearts and minds, according as they would seek to please him as his children. God has bound himself of his own free will by entering into a covenant with his people. He is bound to them, on the one side, and they are bound to him, on the other side. Neither can escape the conditions of that covenant.—Heb. 6:13-18; Ps. 50:5
DANGER OF LOSING THE REWARD
These covenanters were members of Adam’s fallen race, condemned to death. This is the race for whom Christ died, and who will be recovered from death and from the condemnation of sin that came through Adam’s disobedience. And this merit of Christ’s death was applied first for a choice class, who, during the Gospel Age, should long after God and gladly accept his arrangement through Christ. This being so, when these heard of Christ as the Redeemer, they believed on him, they sacrificed their earthly hopes, aims, ambitions—all—in order that they might enter into this covenant with the Lord.
The thought which inspired them to take this step was the hope that they might attain to the spiritual inheritance, to be joint-inheritors with Christ of the kingdom to be set up on the earth. (Rom. 8:17) This was something to which God had opened up the way through his provision in Christ. They gave up the earthly things for the grander, the heavenly. They voluntarily sacrificed all earthly rights and interests. They bound themselves irrevocably to the Lord.
Now, if they should make a failure in this matter, they would lose absolutely everything. The apostle is pointing out this fact. They have acknowledged God’s arrangement, and there is a great reward coming to them under the terms of their covenant with him. (Rev. 2:10) Do not, he urges, forfeit this reward by turning away from the Lord and becoming cold or lukewarm—which condition might lead on to entire rejection of God. Rather, go on and be of good courage; and the Lord, Jehovah himself, shall strengthen your hearts; wait expectantly on him.
In Hebrews 10, the apostle tells them how in the past some of them had endured great afflictions, and of how others had been sympathizers and companions of those who had been so persecuted. All this was endured for the Lord’s sake, for the love of the brethren, and in harmony with God’s arrangements. Therefore, they should have confidence in God that he loved them, and appreciated all they had borne for him. The apostle exhorts them again not to turn back, not to be discouraged, but to be encouraged. Again he assures them of his confidence that they would persevere to the end.
MINISTERING TO THE SAINTS
St. Paul declares that their labors of love were shown toward God’s name. This honor toward God’s name consisted in their ministering to the saints. This was a proof of their love for the Lord. This ministry, too, had been kept up. The saints represent God in the world. Whatever is done for the saints is, therefore, done for God. There is a distinction to be noted in the Bible as respects those who are in covenant relationship with God and those who are not. We have certain duties and responsibilities toward the world. The Golden Rule is to operate always and toward all men. But we have not the same obligation toward the world that we have toward the saints. Whoever honors the saints and serves them, honors and serves God. This seems to be the apostle’s thought in the matter.
We are not to understand that the Lord would be displeased that we should do good to all men. Rather the apostle urges, “Let us do good unto all men as we have opportunity.” (Gal. 6:10) Be generous, be kind to everybody, but especially to the saints. This is what is particularly pleasing to God. Every service lovingly and gladly rendered to the saints is rendered unto God’s glory. This is true in a very special sense, for there are people in the world who might be naturally more admirable in character, and it might be more pleasing to serve them than to serve many of the saints. But in the service to the saints there is a special blessing from the Lord. We are to have this in mind when meeting and fellowshiping with those who have become children of God, and when we have opportunities to assist or comfort them. They must have our love, our cooperation, our sympathy, our aid. There may be other options when dealing with others, but not in respect to our brethren in Christ.
PERSEVERANCE IN THIS MINISTRY
The apostle says, “In that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Heb. 6:10) This signifies that they were still in this proper attitude. Although somewhat discouraged in the good way, they were still helpful to one another. Another thought—it was not merely the amount of good works that they did that counted; for many good works are done by many people which would not in any sense be recognized by God or be bound to be rewarded. The world is not in covenant relationship with God. If anyone does a good work, he, by an unwritten law, gets more or less blessing out of it. Whoever does a good work with a worthy motive will receive some reward, some blessing. It will ennoble his character, and help to fit him for the blessings of the next age. When all the world will be on trial for life before the judgment seat of God, the nobler the character in that day, the fewer corrective measures will be necessary. In order to get the present blessing of the Lord—his special blessing—one must be in covenant relationship with him.
The work now being done by those in such relationship with God will be worthy of his notice and reward. In I Corinthians 13:3, the apostle points out that, with the body of Christ, good works alone are not sufficient to indicate God’s favor. He declares that if he should give his body to be burned and should give all his goods to feed the poor, there would be no real merit in it unless it was done from the motive of love. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal,” was his further declaration. One might do these good works to have the honor of men. If they were done for any such reason, God would not consider them good works to be rewarded. The works that God recognizes as good works and worthy of his approval and reward are those done by his faithful people, who are justified and sanctified, and who serve from love to him, to his people, and to his cause.
The Apostle Paul says to these, “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.” (Heb. 10:8) This is important to have in mind. It is important for us to see to it that our motives are those of love toward the Lord, and his cause, and his brethren. Such good works, if persevered in according to our ability and opportunity, will not fail of a blessed reward.