Understanding reward in the Christian life is impossible apart from seeing Christ Himself as our sanctification and our life. The entire framework of reward collapses if we imagine it as a contest of comparative morality—where the one who sins less than his neighbor wins the prize. That is not the gospel. That is not sanctification. And it is not the ground of any reward God will recognize.
The True Basis of Reward: Christ as Our Life
Reward is not a wage for moral improvement. It is the natural outcome of participating in Christ as sanctification and life. The source must be right—if we do not see Christ as the very substance of our sanctification, we will misunderstand both the nature of Christian growth and the meaning of reward.
Scripture is explicit:
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28)
Christ appears a second time “without sin unto salvation.” He is not returning to deal with sin again, nor to measure out reward based on who managed to sin less. He comes as the embodiment of salvation, bringing with Him the reward that corresponds to His own life manifested in His people.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22:12)
Building on the Only Foundation
Paul tells us plainly:
“You are God’s field, you are God’s building. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
The increase is God’s alone. We are nothing in ourselves. The foundation is Christ, and no other. What matters is not the volume of our activity, but the nature of what is built. Paul warns us to take heed how we build:
“If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
Gold, silver, and precious stones—these are incorruptible. They represent the very life of Christ wrought into our service. Wood, hay, and stubble—these are perishable, the product of human effort, religious zeal, and fleshly striving. The fire will test each work, and only what is of Christ will remain.
What Is at Stake
If you accept the error that reward is for sinning less than others, you lose everything that is distinctively Christian about sanctification and reward. You trade the incorruptible life of Christ for a system of self-improvement. You make the finished work of Christ secondary to your own performance. Ultimately, you undermine the very foundation of justification, inheritance, and sonship. The reward is not for what you produce apart from Christ, but for what remains after all that is not Christ is consumed.
The Only Work That Remains
The only works that survive are those grounded in Christ’s incorruptible life. Reward is not a celebration of your moral track record, but of Christ’s life manifested in you. This is why sanctification is not about striving to be better, but about participating in the One who is our sanctification. The portions of Christ wrought into us—these are what will endure the fire and be rewarded.
If you want to see more of how Christ Himself is our satisfaction and the reality of sanctification, read the eBook Christ as Satisfaction.
Do not settle for a reward built on perishable things. Build on Christ. Let His life be your sanctification, your foundation, and your reward.
