Christ's Merit

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Question
Are eternal rewards based only on Christ’s merit, or does our merit count too?
Answer
You know, the Bible teaches that revelation brings responsibility; the more you know, the greater is your accountability. So I think the Scriptures teach clearly that there are degrees of punishment for those who die apart from Christ, but there are also degrees of reward for those who are in Christ. Certainly we stand before God because of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Nevertheless, the Bible speaks of the judgment seat of Christ where we are also judged on the basis not of our salvation, but of the things we've done in Christ. And so, I expect there'll be degrees of reward in heaven based upon our faithfulness both in terms of actions, but also in terms of the intention of the heart.

Answer by Dr. Danny Akin

Dr. Danny Akin is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been serving in the role since 2004. Known as an advocate for international missions and expository preaching, he also has a reputation as a faithful husband and father and genuine man of God. Akin and his wife Charlotte have four sons, four daughters-in-law, and 14 grandchildren.