Treasure in Heaven" and Kingdom Rewards

Matthew 19:21 presents a striking call: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Parallel language appears in other passages, such as:

Matthew 5:12: "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven..."

Luke 12:33: "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth."

Evangelical teaching often takes these as referring to a system of individual rewards in heaven for Christians today: if you live sacrificially, serve diligently, and give generously---with the right attitude---you are said to be "storing up treasure in heaven" that will be dispensed at a future judgment. This is then used, sometimes quite manipulatively, to motivate giving, service, and activity in the church.

Several problems arise with that approach.

First, these statements occur within an explicitly kingdom context, directed to those to whom the earthly kingdom was being offered---the Jewish people under the covenants and promises given to Israel. When Jesus speaks of "treasure in heaven" and immediately follows it with, "A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:23), the focus is the coming kingdom on earth. The "kingdom of heaven" in Matthew refers to that promised earthly reign, not to "going to heaven when you die."

Second, in the period prior to the revelation of the mystery given to Paul, Scripture does not present the typical modern language of "dying and going to heaven" as the central hope. The Old Testament expectation and the gospel kingdom preaching center on the restoration, rule, and blessing of God's reign on earth. "Heaven" in such contexts can function as the place where rewards are held, authorized, or guaranteed, but the enjoyment of those rewards is tied to the kingdom age.

Thus "treasure in heaven" in the kingdom passages is best understood as kingdom reward---positions, honors, and privileges granted in the earthly kingdom to those under that specific program who have demonstrated faithfulness, generosity, endurance under persecution, and obedience. It fits a works-based covenant economy: those under the law and under the kingdom offer were promised tangible reward for obedience and faithful response.

By contrast, believers in the current age of grace---those who are part of the body of Christ---stand on a different footing. Ephesians 2:8--9 emphasizes grace apart from works as the basis for salvation. Colossians 2:10 declares believers "complete in him." If we are already complete in Christ, then making our eternal future into a graded system of paybacks and private treasure undermines the very nature of grace and completeness.

This does not mean that faithfulness and service are meaningless. It does mean that the "treasure in heaven" language in these kingdom texts is not directly about our eternal state as members of the body of Christ. Those passages describe rewards within the kingdom program. Applying them uncritically to the present age leads to confusion and often to guilt-based manipulation ("You are not just required to give; you must also have the right motivation or you will lose your reward").

For us, the "retirement benefits," so to speak---eternal life in God's presence, resurrection glory, being with Christ---are the same for all who are in Christ. We are not competing for differing eternal packages of treasure. Our standing is secured by grace, not by accumulating merit.

Treasure in heaven, then, in Matthew 19:21 and the related kingdom texts, is best understood as the future reward in the promised earthly kingdom for those under that covenantal economy who obeyed Christ's radical calls to generosity and discipleship. It is not a mechanism by which believers today in the body of Christ earn differentiated eternal status before God.

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