I am not a girly girl. I like Nike shorts & t-shirts, sports, good etiquette, jewelry and makeup. {But} I wouldn't say I'm prissy.
However if someone had told me as a young girl that I'd have the opportunity to wear bejeweled crowns in Heaven? Well, absolutely, I would have jumped all over that!
I grew up in a denomination where we didn't read the bible. The minister read it to us and interpreted it. My parents had multiple bibles throughout our bookshelves growing up. Both my Mother and Father were in bible studies my entire childhood. We just didn't read the bible. I knew the basic bible stories from church, Sunday school, and youth group. That was about it.
No one ever told me that we had the opportunity to have crowns in heaven! I feel like that girl who sat in class all week, who shows up on Friday, and is the only one who doesn't realize there is an announced test. Did you know this too?! This may be old news to you but I was thrilled when I found out!
It is incredibly important that we are able to discern between works, faith, and grace before we delve into the good stuff. I come from a Protestant/ Catholic background based on works. I think The Lord intentionally did not reveal the crowns in Heaven to me until He was certain I understood. Knowing my personality I would have worked myself to death to achieve those crowns!
Let's talk jewels! There are five crowns mentioned in the New Testament that are available to believers in heaven:
(1)The incorruptible crown: 1 Corinthians 9:25: "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." This crown is given to believers who faithfully run the race, who crucify every selfish desire in the flesh and point men to Jesus.
(2)The crown of rejoicing:
2 Timothy 4:8: "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
This crown is given to those who faithfully are witnesses to the saving grace of God and lead souls to Jesus. This crown has also been named the soul winner's crown.
(3)The crown of life:
for people who endure suffering, knowing there is a better life in the world to come. James 1:12: "Happy is the man that keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the Crown of Life."
(4) The crown of righteousness:
2 Tim. 4:8: "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." This crown is given to those who anxiously await and look forward to the day when He will return for His saints. This crown is given to those who have lived a good and righteous life for God while living down here on earth.
(5)The crown of glory:
for those who faithfully teach and preach God's Word.1 Peter 5:4: "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."
This also will probably include preachers, teachers, Sunday School teachers, missionaries and all those who teach the Word of God in their respective ministries.
A fun little tidbit: the word "crown" in Greek means "a badge of honor.” I find it unbelievably humbling that Jesus wore a crown of thorns yet we will receive crowns of royalty in heaven.
I love what the British Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon (1832-1894), says about our crowns in heaven "There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below." This is beautiful to me. This excites me! This gives me hope that all of the burdens Christians are living with will be recognized and rewarded in heaven.
Is this not the BEST news?! Doesn't this make you want to jump up and down for joy?! Doesn't this make you excited about heaven?! Like parents do for well behaved children Jesus will do for us--He rewards us!
These rewards can not be earned. Let me say it again--we can't work our way to heaven in order to receive the crowns! We must have a change of heart.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit immediately goes to work on our hearts. We will receive these crowns because Jesus changes our life. We die to our old ways. HE fills us up to overflowing with His Spirit. We don't have to earn His love. He died on the cross because of His love for us!
God, in His abundant mercy towards us, has not only offered us the free gift of salvation but has given us an opportunity to store up heavenly treasures while here on earth.
Matthew was amazingly wise. If we are building our kingdom here on earth it reflects exactly what is most important to us. After all that work there is still no permanency~it will not last for ever.
"Elizabeth, this whole thing is stupid and quite confusing!" Yep, I hear you! Let me explain it to you more simply as it relates to us here on earth.
I am positive that there is someone in your life that you have great respect,reverence and admiration for?
Ok, because of your great respect for them, your reverence, and admiration for them you want to please them. You don't have to work at it you just naturally do it because of who they are. You are invited to a birthday party for this person. You are so excited for the party! You are looking forward to the delicious cake and fellowship (it's not a party without cake). When you arrive at this much anticipated party the birthday person has gifts for you!
You came to the party because of your love and admiration for the birthday person but receiving a gift from them blows you away! You love this person so much that you brought them a present. You certainly didn't expect anything in return!
Ok, that's my sad way of explaining crowns in Heaven. We give Jesus our lives. We can never know the the full magnitude, greatness and Majesty of Christ. We are in awe of Him, His love for us, and how He changed our life. We know we are guaranteed a spot in heaven....that the gift of salvation is more than enough. Well, actually it's everything. Yet we arrive in heaven only to find He has jeweled crowns for us too!
We must recognized our sinful life, and believe that through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, that we too can be resurrected from our sinful life and become forgiven by God for our sins. Once we have freedom in Christ we not only have Heaven to look forward too but crowns too! Isn't that amazing?!
I don't know about you but that's something worth celebrating! The crazier this world gets the more excited about Heaven I become. Oh how He loves us!! {And} words can not express how much I love Him!
"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”~Luke 21:18
"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”~Luke 21:18
