The wicked man does evil and glories in it. The self-righteous man does good and glories in it. The Christian abhors the evil and follows the good, but glories only in the Lord; for what has cleared him from the evil he has done but the death of his Lord? and what fruit can he yield to God without his Lord?
The wicked man gets all his enjoyment now by the pleasure there is in sin. The self-righteous man all his reward now by the praise he gets from man. In the world which is to come they will both have their part in the outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, for neither of them has "a wedding-garment on," and none can stand in the presence of God without that (Matt. 22:11-13).
The Christian gets no reward now-he gets all his sorrows now. Sorrow is a necessity to him by reason of the discipline he must needs pass through to be an overcomer in a world which is wholly estranged from God and full of allurements and snares, i Pet. i- 3-7 plainly declares this:'' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."
Thus the Christian's reward can only be "at the appearing of Jesus Christ." All desire for any now must inevitably drag him down from the true Christian path, and place him thus on a worldly level. His present joys must be from communion with his Lord in the things which are not seen-that inheritance in heaven-while patiently going through the needful trials, whose end will have such praise and honor and glory as man here below cannot bestow on any of his poor fellow-mortals. "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." P. J. L.