WHY THE BLESSED HOPE IS BLESSED - PART FIVE

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

January 21, 2016

Hebrews 6:10 says: For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
The Lord does not forget our work and labor for him in this life. Men may forget and ignore your work and labor, but not the Lord, because he keeps records. (Malachi 3:16)  And the proof he does not forget our work and labor of love for him is that when he comes again he will judge our works and reward our works if they are good.
1Corinthians 3:13-14 says: Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

The blessed hope is blessed because when Christ comes again he will reward our good works and we will see in that day, the work we did for him in this life were not in vain and was worth it all. There is an old song that says: It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse in his dear face all sorrows will erase. So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

This is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Our work and labor is not in vain for he will reward our works when he comes again. The two greatest works you can do for the Lord in this life is the work of evangelism and edification because according to 1 Timothy 2:4, God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Lost men are saved by hearing and believing the gospel when we preach it to them. This is the work of evangelism. Saved men come into the knowledge of the truth when we teach it to them in the local church. Most evangelism is done in the world and most edification is done in the local church. (Ephesians 4:11-12) Our only regret when Jesus comes again will be that we did not do more while we had the time to do it.