MAT 20:8 "So when evening was come (the Lord's coming),
the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, 
Call the labourers, and give them their hire, 
beginning from the last unto the first." 

MAT 20:9 "And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour,
they received every man a penny". 

    Although here, it is all lumped up into one,
the Judgment of the Great White Throne for the unbelievers (rev. 20:11-15),
and the Judgment Seat of Christ for Christians (2Cor. 5:10),
for rewards are different.

        At the judgment seat of Christ,
the Christians shall be judged according to grace, 
and rewarded according to their faith. 
Their works shall be judged according to  what materials they used
in their Christian walk while here on earth
(1Cor. 3:11-15).
(The materials determines their motives.) 

    We must build on Christ, as the foundation,
 with Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones. 

Gold is the symbol of deity and it represents God, the Father. 

Silver represents redemption and what Christ did on the Cross. 
Precious stones are  compound materials, and represents the Holy Spirit,
working in and through the believers. 

Gold is used alot in the O.T., especially in the building of the Ark of the Lord. 
It speaks of the deity of God. 
Silver was used to purchase things in the O.T.,
and it speaks of the redemtion of God through Christ. 
They, both gold and silver are elements, meaning one material. 
Precious stones such as ruby, emeralds, etc. 
are compound materials made up of more than one elements. 
It speaks of the Holy Spirit working in and through the believers, the church. 

    Christians must base everything, salvation and rewards,
on His Grace and by faith. 
It must be built on the Word of God. 
It must be of God (gold), and what Christ did (silver),
and letting the Holy Spirit have his way in us and through us. 

It is not how great or how many, but on the material we build on. 
These materials mean that our motive is right, and it will stand the test of fire. 
Our salvation is based on grace, and what Christ did on the Cross,
and we receive it by faith. 
Rewards are also based on the same, 
grace is what God did,
and continues to do,
and faith is believing and resting on His Word. 

    Building with wood, hay or stubbles will burn. 
Building with these materials, means that our motives are wrong. 
Wood is a tree that is dead, and cannot produce any fruit or life. 
Hay is just as bad, for it cannot feed anyone, and stubbles are scraps
that are swept and blown in the wind. 

    Compare this with 2Tim. 2:19-21 and you see the materials mentioned,
are gold and silver. 
The precious stones are the Christians,
as a vessel of honor meet for the master's use. 

    The Gentiles are under grace and it is a gift. 
Those that were told to go at the eleventh hour did not do anything. 
By the time they got to the vineyard, it was time to quit working, 
it was all done. 

We as Gentiles are not of the Old Testament and had no agreement with God. 
The Jews had an agreement of the Old Covenant (Testament). 
By the time the Gospel was preached to us, 
Christ had finished the work on the Cross. 

He cried out "IT IS FINISHED.” 

We as Gentiles, are under grace, (as well as the Jews, if they believe). 
"For by grace are you saved through faith, and not of ourselves, 
it is a gift of God, not of works lest we should boast."
(Eph. 2:8, 9). 

  "But when the first came, they supposed that they should have
received more; and they likewise received every man a penny." 
(MAT 20:10)

     The penny for all, denotes the equality of the payment. (salvation)
Those that are under the law shall receive accordingly.

But the law condemns, and does not justify, 
unless you can keep it all and forever. 

The Gospel was given by grace, and it is Christ who fulfilled the demands of the law. 
We under grace, will receive the penny, not as works, but as a gift; 
for Christ did the work for us on the Cross. 

    Those that work, think that they shall receive more,
according to the work that they do.  Works keeps you earthbound,
and focus on self, and even Christians should know this. 
Grace is receiving with graciousness and in thanksgiving, and reflects the giver. 
We are saved by grace through faith, and we live by grace through faith. 

MAT 20:11  "And when they had received it, 
they murmured against the goodman of the house," 
MAT 20:12  "Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, 
and thou hast made them equal unto us, 
which have borne the burden and heat of the day." 

     Works burden, and is tiring, and one feels the heat of the day. 
Those that emphasize works, will judge and complain to see that all are doing
what they are doing, and to do it equally. 
They put the burden on others as well as on themselves. 

Grace frees you from the burden, for Christ carried the Cross for us,
and continues to carry us, for we rest in Him. 
The truth shall make you free (Joh.8:32b). 

MAT 20:13  "But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, 
I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?" 

MAT 20:14  "Take that thine is, and go thy way: 
I will give unto this last, even as unto thee." 

      Yes, all shall be paid accordingly. 
Those that are under law, shall be judged by the law.
(Rom.2:12)
The law condemns for it brings out the sinfulness of man 
(Rom. 3:20b; 7:13b). 

Those that are under the law are the first,
and those that are chosen under grace are the last. 
But we shall be first,  as the body of Christ shall be ushered into the heavens,
at the coming of Christ,
and the Jews shall be dealt with last, at the Great Tribulation. 

MAT 20:15 " Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?
Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" 

     Mankind does not understand the things of God.

They judge according to their own intellect, and are bias.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways, 
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 
(Isa. 55:9). 

  "So the last shall be first, and the first last: 
for many be called, but few chosen". (Mat 20:16)
 
 

    Although the whole bible has to do with The Grace of God,
the first are the Jews and the Old Testament under the law,
and the last are those who believe in the Gospel of God, 
concerning Christ and the Cross, and under Grace. 

 “Many are called (kletos; invited), 
but few are chosen” (eklektos; selected). 

 “He came unto His own and His own received Him not, 
but as many as received Him to them gave He the power
to become (authority) the children of God, 
to them that believe on His name.”
(Joh. 1:11-12). 

How He has Chosen Us

 Joh. 15:16  "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, 
and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, 
and that your fruit should remain: 
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, 
he may give it you".

Joh. 15:19  "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: 
but because ye are not of the world, 
but I have chosen you out of the world, 
therefore the world hateth you". 

    I would like to take this time to explain by a hypothetical story,
of how God has chosen us. 

    A rich man wanted to start a company of his own,
and made an invitation to many to come and join him. 
Thousands of people heard the invitation, 
but only 500 of them responded and came to the meeting. 

He was confident that he would succeed, 
and told the people of his plan. 

They all agreed, and thought that they would be well set for years,
and for their retirement. 
But he asked all to fill up this agreement that he had written out. 
He asked that they all sell all unnecessary things that they had,
and to draw out all their life savings and to invest them with him. 
 

    Many would like to have gone  along with him,
but to put in everything was too much of a sacrifice,
and they did not really believe that he would live up to the promises he made to them. 
Only fifty responded and gave all that they had,
because they believed in him and his promises. 
The others would like to have, but on their terms. 
He selected the fifty that had faith and was willing to go with his plan. 
He selected the fifty, and the rest was not selected, thus it was he who had chosen them. 

    The differences it makes with eternal life is the faith you have in Him,
and what he had done for us through the Cross of Christ. 
God that knows all things has chosen us,
because he saw the faith in our hearts even before we were born. 

"For by grace are you saved through faith." 

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