Do people with short Christian lives get any rewards in Heaven?

[whirlwind]

What I mean is people who are saved right before they die, and people who die before the age of accountability. I'm wondering because they are in Heaven but they never really had a chance to do any work for God.

[BobTheBuilder]

From what I know the Evangelical tradition and its theological counterparts (Calvinism) hold that it is simply faith that saves a person soul not works. It doesn't matter what you did, if you do not believe in God and the Son, you will not be saved. However to truly believe in God and the Son one must uphold the teachings of the Bible.

This is radically different from early Christian thinkers such as Augustine who wrote (in City of God and Confessions) that works determine salvation, and that even righteous non-believers were saved.

[Rainbo2]

The parable of the workers comes to mind. Vineyard owner went out throughout the day hiring workers, He told them the salary when he hired them. When at the end of the day the first workers found out that the last workers were being paid the same they complained. The owner reminded them that they had agreed to the salary.

[whirlwind]

From what I know the Evangelical tradition and its theological counterparts (Calvinism) hold that it is simply faith that saves a person soul not works. It doesn't matter what you did, if you do not believe in God and the Son, you will not be saved. However to truly believe in God and the Son one must uphold the teachings of the Bible.

This is radically different from early Christian thinkers such as Augustine who wrote (in City of God and Confessions) that works determine salvation, and that even righteous non-believers were saved.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I didn't mean to imply that salvation is works based.

[whirlwind]

The parable of the workers comes to mind. Vineyard owner went out throughout the day hiring workers, He told them the salary when he hired them. When at the end of the day the first workers found out that the last workers were being paid the same they complained. The owner reminded them that they had agreed to the salary.

Thats a good point. I guess I'm specifically thinking of rewards such as the crowns since those seem to be based on things people did in their lives.

[JIM]

BOB,
Just out of curiosity where did Augustine write that in in his Confessions and City of God works??

Jim

[BobTheBuilder]

BOB,
Just out of curiosity where did Augustine write that in in his Confessions and City of God works??

Jim

Thanks for questioning me on that.

Augustine was in fact NOT a early church thinker who favored works as a means of salvation. He's all about Grace. I can't believe I dropped the ball on that one.

It was in fact Augustines theological rival (a monk named Pelagius) who proposed that one requires works to achieve salvation. His theory (creatively named Pelagianism) was decried by the church in the early 400's, mostly because Augustine told them to.

The true differentiation between Augustines theology and Calvinism lies in the whole doctrine of predestination. Logically predestination may exist in Augustines work, however Calvin explicitly states that God (in essence) chooses and knows before hand who will be saved and there is nothing we can do to change our fate.


excuse.begin()

This is what happens when college kids have to read 300 pages of Theology in 2 days....it all just starts to run together.

excuse.stop()

And with that I should probably start Adam Smith.

[sracer]

The parable of the workers comes to mind. Vineyard owner went out throughout the day hiring workers, He told them the salary when he hired them. When at the end of the day the first workers found out that the last workers were being paid the same they complained. The owner reminded them that they had agreed to the salary.
Bullseye! I can't add to that simple and accurate interpretation of that parable. :thumb

[JIM]

BOB,
You wrote:
excuse.begin()

This is what happens when college kids have to read 300 pages of Theology in 2 days....it all just starts to run together.

excuse.stop()
LOLOL Excuse understood. Good thing it wasn't 301 pages..... that comes next week I am sure!!

Jim

[JIM]

Whirl,
Yes they get rewards!!! One of the best, which all believers get, is being in the presence of the King. Whatever rewards one gets in heaven though doesn't matter since no one is better than the other in Gods eyes whether one has a lot of rewards or very little.

Jim