Heavenly Rewards

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term sanggeup (賞給) means "that which is given as a reward." In Protestantism, the word refers to the recompense God gives believers for their faithfulness and service. It most often denotes the reward received at the Last Judgment or in heaven. In the New Korean Revised Version, Genesis 15:1 uses sanggeup in the phrase rendered in the King James Version as "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Most other passages use the shorter word sang ("reward"), but sanggeup is widely used in preaching and church life.

Biblical and Historical Background

Passages frequently cited in connection with heavenly rewards include the following:

• Reward in heaven: Matthew 5:12 and Matthew 6:1–6. These passages teach that righteousness performed to be seen by others receives no reward.
• The testing of works: 1 Corinthians 3:12–15. Each person's work will be tried by fire, and even if the work is burned up, the person himself will be saved. For this reason, the passage is often cited as grounds for distinguishing between salvation and reward.
• Judgment and recompense: 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 22:12.
• Crowns: A crown was the wreath placed on the victor in an athletic contest. Scripture speaks of an incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25), a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8), a crown of life (James 1:12), and a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4).

In the Parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:11–27), the servants receive authority over ten cities and five cities respectively. This scene is cited as evidence that rewards differ in degree. By contrast, in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, the laborers receive the same wage regardless of how long they worked. This parable is cited as grounds for relativizing such distinctions.

Historically, the Council of Trent (1545–1563) of the Roman Catholic Church taught that the good works of the justified merit an increase of grace and eternal life. Because the Reformers held that salvation is given by grace alone, they explained that rewards, too, are not wages earned by merit but gifts bestowed by grace. The chapter on good works in the Westminster Confession of Faith takes the same position: good works cannot in themselves be meritorious, yet God accepts and rewards them in Christ.

Practice in the Korean Church

In the Korean church, heavenly rewards are frequently emphasized in revival meetings and sermons. Often expressed as "laying up rewards in heaven," the concept has been used to encourage evangelism, service, offerings, and perseverance amid suffering. Views on the subject tend to vary among individual preachers and theologians rather than being settled by official denominational resolutions.

• Graded rewards view: Salvation is given equally by grace, but rewards differ according to works. Preaching influenced by dispensationalism interprets "the judgment seat of Christ" in 2 Corinthians 5:10 as a judgment that determines believers' rewards. Some also teach that the various crowns represent distinct categories of reward.
• Cautious view: Some scholars and pastors in the Reformed tradition understand rewards as gifts of grace. They caution against describing differences in reward in excessive detail, and some regard the essence of the reward as fellowship with God himself.
• Criticism and response: Across denominational lines, critics warn that emphasizing rewards can lead to a merit-based mentality, competition in giving, or a prosperity-oriented faith. Others respond that because Scripture clearly promises rewards, they are a legitimate motivation for the Christian life.