1 Corinthians 15:40-44 had so much to say to us about God’s creative plan, and how, from the beginning, the glory of the sun, moon, and stars are all physical pictures of the spiritual reality that we have in Christ – the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2), the moon as a picture of the church reflecting the light of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11), the stars have different glories or magnitudes, which is a picture of the differing glories of believers, based on their reward (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
The glory we receive will be based on our obedience to Christ, and the attitude / motive behind our obedience. If the motive is pure, there is eternal reward. If the motive is impure and selfish, the reward is temporal and will be burned away. Our salvation is not part of the equation, but the glory we receive is!
1 Corinthians 3:10-15: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
2 Corinthians 5: 8-10: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good (eternal value – gold, silver, precious stones) or bad (temporal value – wood, hay, stubble).
Colossians 3:1-4: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
We must always remember that we, as individuals, are in control of what sort of reward we shall receive at the judgment seat of Christ, the reward judgment! It is always an issue of the heart and why we do what we do each and every day.