I think the doctrine of eternal rewards is critically important, yet greatly misunderstood. Scripture is full of references to it. Here are some materials I’ve researched and presented to groups on this subject. The great majority of this is just Scripture, which I’ve organized.

Paul said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Notice that Paul speaks not of a glory achieved for Christ but “for us.” Likewise, Jesus didn’t say, “Store up for me treasures in heaven”; he said, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20, italics mine). Of course, only Christ will be honored as the object of our worship in Heaven. We will gladly lay our crowns, our rewards, before His throne, so He receives the ultimate glory (Revelation 4:10-11). Yet Scripture teaches that we will not only behold His glory but also participate in it (Romans 8:18-19).

Crowns are a common symbol of ruling power, though they may symbolize other rewards as well. Five crowns are mentioned in the New Testament:

1. The Crown of Life—given for faithfulness to Christ in persecution or martyrdom (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10).

2. The Incorruptible Crown—given for determination, discipline, and victory in the Christian life (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

3. The Crown of Rejoicing—given for pouring oneself into others in evangelism and discipleship (1 Thessalonians 2:19; Philippians 4:1).

4. The Crown of Glory—given for faithfully representing Christ in a position of spiritual leadership (1 Peter 5:1-4). (Note that a prerequisite is being “not greedy for money, but eager to serve.” A Christian leader’s preoccupation with money can forfeit this reward.)

5. The Crown of Righteousness—given for joyfully purifying and readying oneself to meet Christ at his return (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

There’s nothing in this list that suggests it is exhaustive. There may be innumerable crowns and types of crowns and rewards unrelated to crowns. But all are graciously given by the Lord Jesus in response to the faithful efforts of the believer.

These crowns bring glory to Christ as they are laid before His feet (Revelation 4:10), showing that our rewards are given not merely for our recognition but for God’s glory. Although God’s glory is the highest reason for any action, Scripture sees no contradiction between God’s eternal glory and our eternal good. On the contrary, glorifying God will always result in our greatest eternal good. Likewise, pursuing our eternal good, as He commands us to do, will always glorify God. False humility that says, “I want no reward,” effectively means, “I want nothing to lay at Christ’s feet to bring Him glory.”

We are to guard our crowns carefully (Revelation 3:11). Why? Because we can be disqualified from receiving them (1 Corinthians 9:27). We can lose them (1 Corinthians 3:15). They can be taken from us (Matthew 25:28-29). We can seek our rewards from men, thereby forfeiting them from God (Matthew 6:5-6). John warns, “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (2 John 8). We can fail to earn rewards, and we can forfeit rewards already in our account.

A crown is a symbol of a position of authority given by God.  Some people have told me, “We’ll get the crowns, yes, but according to this passage, we’ll no longer have them, because we’ll lay them before the throne so that God is the only one who has authority.” That’s not what this passage is saying. Those who lay them before the throne are dedicating their position and their God-given authority to Him. They’re saying, “I’m going to serve you.” But when they walk away from His throne room, they’re still in that position of leadership.

Paul spoke about the Philippians’ financial giving, explaining, “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (Philippians 4:17). God keeps an account open for us in Heaven, and every gift given for His glory is a deposit in that account. When we give, we withdraw funds from our earthly account to have them credited to our heavenly account. Not only God, not only others, but we are the eternal beneficiaries of our giving.

Still, some sincere, Bible-believing Christians really struggle with the concept of eternal rewards. But here’s the incredible thing, the factor that turns the entire debate on its head: it wasn’t our idea that God would reward us. It was His idea! Satan didn’t make up the idea of incentives. Our sin nature didn’t make it up. A corrupt world didn’t make it up. God made it up. He designed us to need incentives to motivate us to do our jobs and do them well.

We flatter ourselves—and insult God—when we say, “I don’t care about reward.”

God will reward the child who gave to the missions offering the money she’d saved for a softball mitt. He’ll reward the teenager who kept himself pure despite all the temptations. He’ll reward the man who tenderly cared for his wife with Alzheimer’s, the mother who raised the child with cerebral palsy, the child who rejoiced despite his handicap. He’ll reward the unskilled person who was faithful and the skilled person who was meek and servant-hearted. He’ll reward the parents who modeled Christ to their children and the children who followed Him despite their parents’ bad example. He’ll reward those who suffered while trusting Him, and those who helped the ones who were suffering. He’ll reward the couple who downsize, selling their large house to live in a small one and give all the money away to missions.

He doesn’t have to reward anyone for anything. He does it because He wants to! And make no mistake, regardless of what you and I think about it, that’s exactly what He’s going to do: “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27).