We have shown that lazy people may find it hard to receive salvation. However, if they are saved, they will find it hard to win a crown. They will not rise to God’s best in this life, and they will not receive God’s best rewards in the life to come.
The rewards that the Lord gives in this life:
- spiritual leadership,
- spiritual ministry, spiritual encouragement,
- spiritual fruitfulness,
- spiritual rest,
- etc,
are reserved for those who labour with Him, suffer with Him, cooperate with Him and give no opportunity to the devil. Lazy people have no part in this. They are unwilling to pay the price, such that, although they may be very gifted, they will come to naught.
Laziness rewards people in this life with
- no leadership,
- no ministry,
- no encouragement,
- no fruitfulness,
- no rest,
- etc
Even if the lazy person has any of these, what he has falls short of what he could have had, had he been hardworking! The dangers of laziness will even become more obvious at the judgment of the white throne or the Judgment Seat of Christ. The master said of the lazy servant who buried his one talent,
“Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth” (Matthew 25:30).
The one talent may be likened to the potential for salvation which God gives to all people. Those who bury it are lost. Those who invest it by faith in the Lord Jesus are saved. Saved but lazy people will not be rewarded. They will do cheap works that cost them nothing. They will produce works that are wood, hay, stubble and, when tested by fire, nothing will remain, and so they will be saved as through fire. The apostle Paul wrote,
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder l laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
Have you thought about the fact that because of your laziness, you may be in heaven for the billions upon billions, trillions upon trillions of years of countless eternity with no crown to lay at the Saviour’s feet because you loved sleep, indulgence, food, etc? Have you thought about how you will feel then, having no city to rule for the Lord and with the Lord, because you refused to put yourself under discipline? What will your
- enjoyment,
- ease,
- pleasure,
- and all else,
serve on that day?
Have you thought about how fleeting time has been and time is? Have you thought about the dimensions of eternity? Will you not repent of your madness?
Will you not repent now?
