Sept
24, 2017
Eternity
Revelation 4:9-11
9 And whenever the living
creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne,
who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who
is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast
their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and
God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by
your will they existed and were created.”
Throughout Scripture, we find
references to "crowns." Let's take a look at these eternal rewards
for a victorious Christian life and a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Crown of Victory. To finish
life well, believers need Olympic endurance. Athletes in those ancient games
received a perishable circlet of laurel leaves. But when we are effective in
our God-given ministry and triumph over sin, we'll be given an imperishable crown
(1 Cor. 9:25-27).
The Crown of Exultation. The
believers that we had a hand in bringing to Christ will be "our glory and
joy" before the Lord (1 Thess. 2:18-20). Just imagine how you will rejoice
in heaven upon seeing and talking with the people who recognize your
contribution to their spiritual development.
The Crown of Righteousness. The
Christian life is not easy, but there is great reward for living righteously
when facing temptation or hardship. Believers who pursue godliness are always
thinking about the life to come and striving to meet God with a pure conscience
(2 Tim. 4:5-8).
The Crown of Life. Heartache and
pain are unavoidable in this life, but we can take heart because much spiritual
growth happens in adversity. Hang in there to receive the crown of life that
the Lord promised to those who love Him (James 1:12)
In heaven, what will we do with
the crowns we have earned? We will cast them before Jesus' feet (Rev. 4:10),
laying them down as a tribute to the One who saved us, gifted us, equipped us,
and lived in us. Everything good and right came to us through the Lord, so He
deserves our crowns.