Our works also include the secret intentions of our heart. God sees *why* you do what you do.
1 Corinthians 4:5 - “don't judge anything before the time, the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and the motivations of the heart.”
Matthew 7:22 - “Many will say in that day: Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy, and cast out demons, and did many wonders in Your name? And He said: ‘I never knew you’”
There's been no intimacy, and you practice lawlessness. You just do your own thing, your own way, to promote yourself.
Then finally, our words will be evaluated, because our words reveal our heart.
Luke 6:45 - “a good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things”.
So out of the abundance of the heart, you speak. Your words can bless people. Your words can hurt people. Your words can bring life; your words can bring death - all our words are noticed.
Matthew 12:36 - “By your words you'll be judged, for every idle word that men speak, they'll give account of it, in the day of judgement.”
By your words, you'll be justified. Every idle word, every unprofitable word. Think of how people talk, and chitter-chatter, and gossip, and complain, and run people down - God is hearing every conversation! The words are all registering; and carry weight to bless, or to bring about loss.
Here's another principle then, related to eternal rewards - all our words are written in God's books. I don't know whether they're literal books, or books of some kind, but it’s very clear from the scriptures, that God keeps a written record of everything! In a moment of time, you'll see all your life; everything you did, why you did, it and the effect it had - just like that!
The first thing then is: the works of people are important, and they have a lasting impact.
Psalm 139:16 - “Your eyes saw my substance, being unformed. And in Your book was written all the days You prepared for me, when there wasn't even one of them.”
God obviously has a book; and in the book, He writes out every day of your life. You're not going to die before your time; you're going to die in time, and God has planned every day for your life - He keeps a record of every day.
Daniel 7:10 - “the court was seated, and the books were opened”.
He’s talking about the coming of the Lord, and now there's books (plural). So clearly, books, or records, are kept of our actions, and words in our life; and our motivation.
Revelations 20:12 - “I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened.”
There it is again – books (plural); and it says…
“Another book was opened, called the Book of Life, and the dead were judged according to their works, by the things written in the books.”
God keeps a record, and even our conversations are recorded.
Malachi 3:16 - “those who feared the Lord spoke to one another; and the Lord listened and heard them. A Book of Remembrance was written before Him, for those who fear the Lord and meditate on His name.”
There's lots of books - the ‘Book of Life’; and now there's another book called the ‘Book of Remembrance’!
Matthew 12:36 - “Every idle word that a man speaks, he gives account of”!
God keeps a track on our conversations!
The next main point is that our works follow us for eternity. Our works follow us, for all eternity! We will be known by our works.
Revelation 14:13 - “I heard a voice from heaven saying, write: blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours - and their works follow them.”
Their works follow them! For all eternity, we'll be known by how we lived in these 80 years. Our works will ‘follow us’. That word ‘follow’ means: ‘to accompany you on the journey’.
For all eternity, we'll be known for the passion we had for the Lord, and the purity of our motives; or whether we did our own thing and built our own empire - it will be known forever! It's not like, you get to heaven, and everyone's equal; everyone's the same; and no one knows what went on, it's all covered or concealed... Nope!