Mike Focht 8/7/2026
Should we serve God for eternal reward? Many Bible teachers would say, "Certainly not!" We should serve God out of love, duty, and humility. Serving Him for an eternal reward is selfish, works-based, and latently or blatantly materialistic. We even have worship songs and hymns with similar lyrics. Promising God service but not for reward. The sentiment even carries a sense of higher spirituality. Even so, it is an unbiblical and unspiritual emphasis.
The teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles never say anything like what those teachers or songwriters say. The Bible never warns us to be watchful so that we don’t serve God in hope of an eternal reward. In fact, the emphasis and statements are exactly the opposite. Nearly every book in the New Testament, and many in the Old Testament, encourages service to God with the motivating promise of eternal reward.
Just let these words of Jesus Christ sink in. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward (Matthew 10:41-42).
Jesus is intent on making sure that anyone who even gives a cup of cold water in His name knows and believes they will receive a heavenly reward for their simple service. Why is this important to see? Because ignoring, denying, or directly contradicting Jesus’ teaching always harms us. Jesus knows best what His disciples need to hear.
Now, I think it is important that I make a distinction here. And I think this is what many well-meaning but ignorant believers miss when speaking about not wanting, needing, or serving God for an eternal reward. There is a world of difference between believing that my service of handing someone a cup of cold water in the name of Christ merits an eternal reward and believing in faith the gracious, unmerited promises of Jesus Christ regarding eternal rewards.
The reason every Christian should serve God, hoping for an eternal reward, is that God, in His manifold grace, designed the reality of eternal rewards as one way to glorify the richness of His giving character. It isn’t more spiritual to have faith in God than it is to believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The most spiritual thing we can do is accept all that He says with simple, childlike faith.
We serve God, hoping in His promises of eternal reward, because living faith in His Word pleases Him. We don’t deserve eternal rewards, but we do depend on His promises. Love God. Have faith in His Word. Hope in His promises. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven!