LIFE A REWARD by B. F. Robbins

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 23, 1860

LIFE A REWARD.

By B. F. Robbins

Bro. Smith: In a late number of the Sabbath Recorder, one of its correspondents, Eld. V. Hull, assumes the position that life is no reward and death no penalty. Upon what he bases these opinions I am at a loss to determine for it surely cannot be upon the word of God.

But probably his theological views are in harmony with the sectarian view that man possesses endless life inherent in his nature, or in other words possesses an immortal soul or deathless spirit, and that consequently life is no reward because what a man already has in possession can be no gift, no reward however meritorious his conduct.

It is something like my saying to my wealthy neighbor that on such and such conditions I will give you all the lands and tenements by which you are surrounded; they shall all be yours; when at the same time he has a valid legal claim to all I offer. So life as a matter of course can be no reward to him who hath it already in possession, inherent in his nature. But the word declares that “the wages (reward) of sin is death” (so that no sinner hath eternal life inherently, for that is the gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ).” Here life as a reward is put in opposition to death as a reward, or the wages of sin.

But I am aware that a popular theology teaches that the death which is the penalty or reward of sin, is not an extinction of being, but a state of alienation from God, a moral death, or a death in trespasses and sins; and that Adam died this death the day that he disobeyed the divine prohibition. Let us look at this point. Paul in the 6th of Romans, reasons thus: “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.” But God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. “In due time Christ died for the ungodly.” The one man undoubtedly was Adam. By his sin death passed upon all men because all have sinned. Now the death that passed upon all is the same to which Christ submitted. “For he died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” “He made his soul an offering for sin.” Now I would ask, Are those who contend that a moral death is the penalty of sin willing to abide by the legitimate conclusions to which their theory will lead them? They are these:

1 Adam sinned and his punishment is, he has become a sinner. So the man that kills his neighbor is punished by becoming murderer, or in other words both have died a moral death and that is the penalty.

2 If moral death is the penalty for sin, and “if in Adam all die (a moral death), even so in Christ shall all be made alive” from a moral death. Here is an endorsement of universalism from which there is no escape on the part of those who take this view of death as the penalty for sin.

3. If moral death is the penalty for sin, and Christ died for our sins, then Christ died a moral death, or became a sinner; because he met the demands of the law for us and died in our stead. Horrid conclusion! and yet legitimately deduced from the premises.

4. If a moral death is the penalty for sin then none but Christ ever has had a resurrection from moral death and never will have until Jesus comes the second time. “But every man in his own order; Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Here we may discover the inconsistencies of a false system not founded on the word of God; and to my mind they are logical deductions from a very prevalent view of this subject which makes moral death the penalty for sin. Many popular doctrines will not stand the test of the slightest criticism.

But the word of God is clear in its testimony that life is the gift of God through Christ, a reward to the faithful. “I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.” “To those who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, honor and immortality (he will render) eternal life.” This is the promise he hath promised us, even eternal life.” “This is the record, that God hath given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

In these passages life is a boon given by God through Christ as a reward of patient continuance in well doing, to the faithful in Christ Jesus. When? When he who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Says Paul to the Thessalonians, “I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope.” Though they sleep in death, and sleep is unconsciousness, there is abundant ground for hope concerning them. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” Here upon faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus is founded a sure hope for the unconscious sleepers in Christ; a hope of eternal life from the dead. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

In view of this testimony Eld. Hull’s labored philosophical argument to prove life not a reward, is baseless and must fall before what Paul says by the word of the Lord; for the sleepers in Jesus shall not be prevented from a resurrection from the dead by the resurrection power of the coming Life-giver, and of this we have a sure promise by the word of the true and faithful God.

The faith of the ancient fathers and worthies mentioned by Paul in Heb. xi, was founded upon the promise of life as a reward.

“These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off”—as far as the resurrection, when life would be given them in order to the possession of the “heavenly country” and “city which hath foundations.”

With this expectation Moses “esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect to the recompense of reward.” And what was that reward? A better resurrection, a resurrection unto life. Verse 35. Blessed indeed is the promise of life as a reward to the believer in Jesus connected with the promise of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away;” of being like Jesus at his appearing. “Who shall change our vile body and fashion it like unto his glorious body.” Hence Paul says, “We groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies.”

B. F. ROBBINS. Friendship, N.Y.