Who Will Tell?

An excellent and tremendously enlightening book on the subject of eternal rewards. Sadly, this is a subject that receives very little attention in the majority of Bible-believing churches today.

Hodges states, “The New Testament is permeated by the concept that loss of victory is not inconsistent with true salvation. And the failure to recognize this fact has impoverished the church and clouded its perception of grace. To put it simply, many of the New Testament warnings against failure and loss of reward are seen by many as warnings about the loss of salvation, or else they are taken as warnings against false professions of faith. In either case, the richness of God’s saving grace is seriously minimized. At the same time lofty biblical motives for godly living are lost entirely from sight.” [emphasis added, p.12]

“I wholeheartedly recommend this revised edition of Grace in Eclipse. It may be the best non-canonical book on eternal rewards ever written. Even if you have already read the first edition, this revised edition is a ‘must read’ for the new information it contains, and the necessary reminder about eternal rewards. But beware. You will learn much more than the doctrine of eternal rewards. You will learn how to interpret the Word of God.”

Bob Wilkin, Founder — Grace Evangelical Society

PROLOGUE

Jim has been a Christian for only a short time. Last night, in a group Bible study, he was introduced to the subject of eternal rewards. This morning he is excited by the thought of running a victorious race for God.

On his break at work, Jim shares some of his new-found insights with a fellow Christian named Frank.

“Rewards, huh?” says Frank. “Isn’t that just a little selfish?”

“What do you mean?” replies Jim. It hadn’t sounded selfish last night.

“Well, what I mean is this,” Frank begins, with a slight tone of condescension. “We really ought to serve God because we love Him and are grateful for what He’s done for us. We don’t need rewards to motivate our Christian life.”

“Oh!” says Jim. He can feel the air going out of his balloon.

“Besides,” Frank continues, “you don’t really think some Christians are going to be a lot better off in heaven than other Christians, do you?”

“Well, I hadn’t quite thought about it that way,” Jim admits with a trace of dejection in his voice.

“Look, Jim,” Frank pursues his theme, “good works are what every Christian does just as a natural result of believing in Christ. That’s part of what it means to be a Christian in the first place.”

“But we’re not saved by works,” Jim objects.

“No, of course not! But the Bible says a tree is known by its fruit, so if you’re really saved, the Christian life will be as natural as fruitbearing.”

“What does that have to do with it?” Jim wants to know.

“It’s simple, Jim.” Frank moves in for the kill. “If Christian living is part of being a Christian, why should God reward us for it?”

“You mean there are no rewards at all?”

“No, I don’t mean that exactly,” Frank responds. “But all Christians are overcomers and all of them will wear crowns some day. This stuff about Christians failing and being defeated is a bunch of nonsense!”

“Don’t we all fail sometimes, Frank?” Jim is a bit put off by the whole discussion.

“Of course we do!” Frank’s tone is edged with exasperation. “But good works are our Christian duty, and if you’re not doing them at all you ought to examine whether you were ever saved to begin with.”

“So you’re telling me there are no real losers in the Christian race, is that it?” Jim is very skeptical about that idea.

“That’s right, Jim!” Frank is emphatic. “The only reason people talk about rewards a lot is because they really don’t understand what the Christian life is all about. Hey! Wasn’t that the whistle to get back to work?”

“Yes, I guess break time is over,” Jim agrees.

Actually, Jim was glad to get back to work. There had been something depressing about that whole conversation. It was just as if some kind of shadow had been cast across a path that a few moments before had seemed so bright and thrilling.

A shadow had crossed his path! In fact, that shadow was very much a part of the evangelical scene within which Jim now moved. Its darkening effects were in evidence everywhere.

To put it plainly, grace was in eclipse.