When Does the Bible Say that God Will Recompense Us?

“Hey, I had that first,” my middle child protested, and the next thing I knew, wails erupted from our youngest. When I pulled them apart, an argument of recompense ensued.

Although the word “recompense” might feel a bit outdated, its concept is one we still relate to today. In fact, how children behave shows us its two sides.

According to a sibling’s misguided opinion, valid payment justified the pain inflicted because a wrong had been received. A wallop repaid a given offense.

“She deserved it,” my daughter declared after the tussle landed her little sister on the ground.

But to recompense means more than to pay back a wrong. It rewards good, too.

What Do We Mean When We Say Something Should be Recompensed?

My husband often gives pocket change to our grandsons for helping with small tasks around the home. They are recompensed, or compensated, for their service. Generally, we applaud those whose deeds merit reward. Even nature teaches us that lush beauty recompenses the work of planting, watering, and pruning. Favorable rewards follow good behaviors.

Scripture speaks of God recompensing disobedience. Our sins require the just recompense of a Holy God. The Bible also shows recompense in the sense of rewards for following Him. Actions that please Him bring benefits. Sinful conduct incites God’s judgment. Both relate to justice and point to a perfect Father.

However, God does not only regard what we do or don’t do. He sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He recompenses what only He can see or know. His justice extends to our thoughts, attitudes, and motives.

While our ideas of repayment swing unsteadily on the legs of emotion, culture, time, and human authority, God’s recompense will be meted out in His perfect timing. The Bible ends with the assurance that God will settle the scores one day.

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:12-13 ESV)

Eternity will ultimately find the right and true recompense for which we naturally strive.

Where Does “Recompense” Appear as a Word or Concept in the Bible?

The concept of recompense is as old as time. Adam and Eve received recompense for their disobedience, which continues to affect us. God destroyed His creation in a flood because of wickedness, but Noah, a just man, was saved because he found favor in the eyes of the Lord. King Saul’s throne was ripped from him because he didn’t listen to the Lord, while the line of King David, whose heart belonged to God, birthed the Messiah.

Several different words in the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek are translated with the English word “recompense.” It’s found about 86 times in 12 English Bible translations. Context determines when the Bible refers to it as positive or negative. The concept means “getting what is deserved” (good or bad), combined with the consequence of “giving back.”

God gave laws to the Israelites. Breaking those laws included repayment, usually in the form of punishment. Theft, injury, hurt, or harm required “giving back” according to the written requirements. Throughout the Bible, we see the concept of “returning in kind.” However, it never sanctions vengeance, which belongs to God alone.

What Does It Mean to Recompense For Something?

In today’s society, compensation based on merit (in jobs, school, or the legal system) often leads to arguments. We debate whether some people deserve more than others and should receive different compensations. At the same time, our culture often gives “returns in kind” in violent ways, which shows a dissonance within our souls.

The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 2:6 that God “will render to every man according to his deeds” (KJV).

We’ve all seen situations when human justice hasn’t satisfied an offense, or a good deed has not earned its reward. Faulty retribution, incomplete or even erroneously given, reveals our blindness to true justice.

Recompense was God’s idea. He instituted punishment, retribution, and rewards. His holiness cannot be tainted with evil, nor does He desire us to be. His recompense upholds a standard so high we cannot attain it by our own merit.

Romans 6:23 tells us what we deserve, but also what we receive without merit in Christ Jesus:

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (KJV)

Jesus came so that sin’s recompense could be paid in full. Without Christ, that debt is unattainable.

Does the Bible Say God Will Recompense Us for Our Suffering?

Jesus affirms that suffering because of our faith will be rewarded in heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12 ESV)

We all suffer. Sometimes, it results from our own bad decisions. Other times, suffering seems unmerited and not understandable. Biblical recompense follows on the heels of an action, thought, or heart attitude. But not all bad relates to our actions, nor all good.

Jesus lived a perfect life, yet He suffered cruelty and death at the hands of evil men. God does not ignore nor forget suffering.

As with Job, a righteous man, we must recognize that God also allows bad things to happen for reasons only He fully understands. Sometimes, our recompense for suffering is spiritual growth or stronger, more informed faith.

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV)

As a result of our suffering, we may become the conduit of comfort to others(2 Cor. 1:3-4). God remains righteous and good regardless of the recompense received in this life.

“For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.” (1 Peter 2:20 ESV)

Does the Bible Say We Should Recompense Others?

The holy nature of God underlies the Biblical foundation of recompense. We, as believers, need a Biblical understanding of this surprisingly complex issue.

Jesus’ example and words commanded radically different responses than the norm. For example, he did not advocate repaying evil for evil. He taught people to turn the other cheek. Yet, He did not annul logical and just consequences for actions.

He drove out the money changers at the temple. He reprimanded the disciple’s quest for greatness. He scathingly rebuked the religious rulers for hypocrisy. He rewarded many for their faithfulness, extending healing and compassion.

Compensation, humanly bestowed, falls far short of divine recompensation. Jesus always responded with grace and truth. Christ’s example should cause us to strive to be people whose actions and attitudes point toward Christ, balanced by grace yet anchored by truth.

In our dealings with others, we remember Paul the Apostle’s words:

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 12:19 ESV)

The Bible affirms that eternity brings recompense in God’s way, in His measure, and in His timing. How we demonstrate it to others reflects the gospel. We have been bought with a price, and the greatest call on our lives testifies to others what God has done for us. Recompense, which demonstrates grace and mercy but also aids others to live righteously, helps them grasp the magnificent gift of salvation.

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/arsenisspyros

Sylvia Schroeder loves connecting God’s Word with real life and writing about it. She is a contributing writer for a variety of magazines and online sites. Sylvia is co-author of a devotional book and her writing is included in several book compilations. Mom to four, grandma to 14, and wife to her one and only love, Sylvia enjoys writing about all of them. 

Her love for pasta and all things Italian stems from years of ministry abroad. She’d love to tell you about it over a steaming cup of cappuccino. Connect with Sylvia on her blog, When the House is Quiet, her Facebook page, or Twitter.

This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.

"Be Still and Know that I Am God"
"Pray Without Ceasing"
"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"
"All Things Work Together for Good"
"Do Not Fear"