Jamin Bradley

In his book, The Fifth Love, Michael Karounos makes the great controversial point that “God establishes different covenants with each person according to their condition, their understanding, and their opportunity.” There are many passages we could use to make this point.

• Jesus tells a parable in which God entrusts different people with varying degrees of responsibility based on their abilities, and then he holds them accountable for what they do with it. (Matthew 25:14-30)
• Jesus mentions that there are people who have been delegated great power in the Holy Spirit, but he has no relationship with them, largely because of their behavior. (Matthew 7:21-23)
• Jesus recognized that a widow who gave a penny had given a much greater offering than rich people who gave large sums, because it was all she had. (Mark 12:41-44)
• Paul seemed to hint that people’s varied understandings of morality will be taken into account on the Day of the Lord. (Romans 2:12-16)

Karounos continues his controversial points, saying, “Many Christians have a utopian idea of Heaven as a place where everyone is treated ‘equally.’ Nothing could be farther from the truth. As on Earth, so in Heaven: one’s reward is according to one’s ‘works’ not because of who one is.” Again, Scripture shows this variation.

• Jesus and John recognize that there will be seats of authority God appoints in Heaven. (Matthew 20:20-23; Revelation 20:4)
• Jesus tells the twelve disciples that because they’ve given up everything they had to follow him, they’ll be appointed to thrones in Heaven, giving them authority to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:27-28)
• Jesus promises a great reward to those who gave up monumental things to follow him. (Matthew 19:29)
• The martyrs get a head start on the earthly resurrection life since they gave up their very lives to follow Jesus. (Revelation 20:4)
• On the Day of the Lord, people are judged for their works. (Revelation 20:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
• Jesus declares that Heaven has a backward hierarchy, where the first are last, and the last are first. (Matthew 19:30)
• Paul paints the image of all Christians building individual houses on the foundation of Jesus. Some of our houses are made of weaker, less attractive materials, while others are made of stronger, more beautiful ones. One day, that house will be set on fire to see what is strong enough to survive. Whatever survives gets a reward. Those who are only left with the foundation will get into Heaven with loss, not gain. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

We could go on with many more passages to back up Karounos’s thoughts, but I think these are enough to establish these points. We are all saved by the grace of Jesus, for we cannot save ourselves. But we are all judged by works, for our allegiance to Christ is rewarded with variation in this life now, and the life to come.

Perhaps we can learn this lesson from Jesus himself. Would the Father have given the Son the Spirit “without measure“ if he had not tested him in the desert first? Would Jesus have been exalted to sit at God’s right hand if he hadn’t given up everything on the cross?

May the measurements we receive now and later also come with testing and obedience.