Matt. 5:12; 19.27-30
1 Cor. 3.11-15
Rev. 14:13
Hebrews 12:2
While good works are not meritorious for forgiveness, grace,
or justification, they ARE meritorious for other physical and
spiritual rewards in this life and in that which is to come. (See Ap.
IV:194)
Whoever casts love away will not keep his faith, because he will
not keep the Holy Spirit. (See Ap. IV:219)
To disparage the mortification of the flesh would be to disparage
the outward administration of Christ's rule among men. (See Ap.
IV:193)
The punishments that chasten us are lightened by our prayers and
good works. (See Ap. IV:268)
Alms merit many divine blessings, lighten our punishments, and merit a
defense for us in the perils of sin and death. (See Ap. IV:278)
Among the justified works merit bodily and spiritual rewards
through faith and thus there will be distinctions in glory among the
saints. (See Ap. IV:355)[[202107190759]]
Luther, Bondage of the Will, AE 33:291-292 : In fact, this whole insoluble problem [of injustice] finds a quick solution in one short sentence, namely, that there is a life after this life, and whatever has not been punished and rewarded here will be punished and rewarded there, since this life is nothing but an anticipation, or rather, the beginning of the life to come.
Luther, “Great Confession” (AE 37:372): Finally, I believe in the resurrection of all the dead at the Last Day, both the godly and the wicked, that each may receive in his body his reward according to his merits. Thus the godly will live eternally with Christ and the wicked will perish eternally with the devil and his angels.
Gerhard: These should all be illustrated with statements and examples of Scripture, adding also the promises and warnings about rewards and punishments, both temporal and eternal, in soul, body, and fortunes, etc. “To lecture about sins without mentioning threats is not to teach the Law but to abolish it,” as Chemnitz writes sternly (Loci, part 2, in *explicat. quinti praecepti, p. *195).
Chemnitz (Examination, vol 1, page 653ff) : This teaching is set forth in our churches plainly and distinctly from the Word of God, namely, that the expiation of sins, or the propitiation for sins, must not be attributed to the merits of our works. For these things are part of the office which belongs to Christ the Mediator alone. Thus the remission of sins, reconciliation with God, adoption, salvation, and eternal life do not depend on our merits but are granted freely for the sake of the merit and obedience of the Son of God and are accepted by faith. Afterward, however, the good works in the reconciled, since they are acceptable through faith for the sake of the Mediator, have spiritual and bodily rewards in this life and after this life; they have these rewards through the gratuitous divine promise; not that God owes this because of the perfection and worthiness of our works, but because He, out of fatherly mercy and liberality, for the sake of Christ, has promised that He would honor with rewards the obedience of His children in this life, even though it is only begun and is weak, imperfect, and unclean. These promises should arouse in the regenerate a zeal for doing good works. For from this we understand how pleasing to the heavenly Father is that obedience of His children which they begin under the leading of the Holy Spirit in this life, while they are under this corruptible burden of the flesh, that He wants to adorn it out of grace and mercy for His Son’s sake with spiritual and temporal rewards which it does not merit by its own worthiness. And in this sense also our own people do not shrink back from the word “merit,” as it was used also by the fathers. For the rewards are promised by grace and mercy; nevertheless, they are not given to the idle or to those who do evil but to those who labor in the vineyard of the Lord. And so the word “merit” is used in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Wuerttemberg Confession, and in other writings of our men. In this way and in this sense, we set forth the statements of Scripture in our churches about the rewards of good works. 1 Tim. 4:8: “Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Luke 14:14: “You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Matt. 5:12: “Your reward is great in heaven.” Matt. 10:42: “He shall not lose his reward.” Gal. 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” Eph. 6:8: “Knowing that whatever good any one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord.” Heb. 6:10: “God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for His sake in serving the saints.” 2 Thess. 1:6–7: “Since indeed God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, etc.” Scripture is full of such promises of spiritual and bodily rewards.