The measure of Christ's gift.

I've written a lot about how our rewards in Heaven are based on our service to God and I have supplied multiple Scriptures to support that.  I have also repeatedly made the distinction between salvation which is free and our rewards which are earned.  I ran across a Scripture today that I think illustrates this nicely.

Ephesians 4:7(NKJV)

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 

I believe the system of rewards in Heaven applies to Jesus as it does to the rest of us.  The reason I believe that is that God is a God of justice.  It would not be just to give someone preferential treatment. 

So let's look at the highlighted part above.  "The measure of Christ's gift".  Christ's gift to whom?    I would suggest it is referring to Christ's gift to God.  That gift in a way is the same as our gift to God.  A heartfelt and sincere desire to do the will of God in our lives, and the action to go with the desire to make it happen.   

Jesus did that by being obedient all the way to the cross.  Jesus willingly sacrificed His life in the service of God and God's plan.  Jesus did it to an extent that no other human being had done before or has done since.  And so consequently Jesus has gotten the biggest reward in Heaven.  He gets to sit at the right hand of God! 

Another part of the reward is that Jesus now gets to decide who's names get entered in the Book of eternal life.  He can offer that grace to any and all who want it.  The measure of Christ's gift is that He is the only one in the whole universe who can offer the grace of eternal life. 

And that is how each one of us came to receive salvation even though we don't deserve it.  It is the grace that Jesus can offer because of the measure of the Gift He gave to God. 

But once saved God will base our rewards in Heaven on our service to Him just as He based Jesus' rewards on the service Jesus provided to God because God is a God of justice. 

I just love the symmetry of the whole thing!