I often hear people speaking of winning their crowns. But when I talk to them there seems to be some confusion regarding what these crowns are and exactly how you win them. So I thought I would share some thoughts drawn from what God teaches us. But please understand that what I am about to say has nothing to do with works salvation. It has everything to do with faithful service by those who claim Christ.
There is far too low a view of godliness and surrender in today's churches. Christ is viewed as giving everybody who comes to Him the greatest rewards, regardless of their faithfulness: simply because HE died for them. Not so! The Bible teaches no such thing. Yes, our salvation is eternally secure. But our crowns are only the result of faithful service to Christ.
God shows us in His Word what He desires of mankind. The Holy Spirit will then lift some specific things out of that and lay them on a specific person's heart. Indeed, each and every Christian has been called to some form of good works. (Ephesians 2:10) Whether we engage in these things is up to us. Should we shun what the Master desires us to do and, instead, do nothing ... or do what WE think is better to do, then we shall indeed be ashamed at His coming! As 1 Corinthians 3:15 tells us, it will be a painful experience.
My one concern, however, is that what I say may lead the reader to focus on the rewards he or she can earn. This is a wrong focus. Our one focus has to be Jesus Christ. All that we do must flow from our love for Him and through the power of Him in us. God has a plan for each one of us. The Bible says He desires to perfect us for service on this earth. But being perfected does not refer to becoming without any flaw. The Greek word is teleios and refers to something reaching a state of being finished or of being of full age or maturity. Perhaps the best way to convey the sense of the word is this: teleios refers to something arriving at the purpose for which it was created. When we are perfected --which in each of us may be different-- we will finally be fitted for the purpose for which God created us and called us. That is God's plan for us.
Yet God does not intend that we should work out this plan ourselves, fitting ourselves for His service. No, equipping us for His service is His job, not ours. Our job is submit ourselves to Him. Our role is one of attitude. We are to set our sights on the things of Heaven, not the things of earth (Colossians 3:1-2). This is what Jesus referred to as "laying up treasures for yourself in Heaven." (Matthew 6:20) In other words, instead of focusing our desires and our efforts on what will satisfy us in this life --creature comforts, financial security, recreation, entertainment, a better job, better house, better car, or any other such worldly thing-- we are to focus our efforts on drawing closer to Christ. who is our life. For that is where we will receive the true fullness of both this life and His life in us (Colossians 3:4).
If we seek our satisfaction in the priorities of this world and view the things of this world as being of importance, we frankly have succumbed to a carnal existence. We are called to much higher than that. But the way to that greater, higher, richer plane is only through surrender and obedience. When we cease making time for God and instead set God first, giving Him of the first of our time--before ANY thing else, whether family, friends, work, recreation, entertainment, or the following of our dreams-- then we will find ourselves being drawn closer and closer to Him. He will cease being someone we pray to and instead become someone we live with. He will become exceedingly precious and exceedingly intimate with us. And we will walk in Holy Spirit power and the joy of His service.
But the route there is only through the renewing of our minds, which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit working through the Word. So we must set a time to awaken and pray; we must set a time for devotions; we must set a time to prayerfully read His Word; we must set times to worship and praise; we must set times to fellowship with other Christians. We must determine to do this for it is the one way to reach the perfection of His plan for us, the one way in which to receive all of the rewards laid up for us in Heaven. Only we can exercise the desire God which has given us to draw closer to Him, to be in increasingly sweeter communion with Him.
Now, if all of this sounds as though our devotion to God is to take over our lives completely, then you have understood correctly. It is not abnormal religious zealotry; it is the true Christian life. But only WE can put God first and allow Him to do His work in us. He is waiting for us; however we have to make the decision to do it.
Yet if we do, watch out! You will find yourself in an entirely new realm of existence on this earth, an existence with overcoming, mountain-moving, soul-winning, fire-lighting, devil-defying, victory-winning faith that flows in you and through you and accomplishes God's will around you!
Sadly, the majority of Christians view just getting to Heaven to be sufficient. To them a good life here and an eternity with God is good enough. What a short-sighted view! Tragically, their worldly view obscures their Heavenly potential. They are like Esau who sold his birthright for a mess of stew. They would rather have what they want now than to trust God with greater promises down the road. So they trade the promise of an eternity of the richest rewards in Heaven for a few score years of self-led life on this planet.
My dear brothers and sisters, please stop reading for a minute or two and ponder this question-- can you see yourself in that description above? Have you been willing to trade Heavenly promises for earthly satisfactions?
I have answered that question for myself. And each day, I have to re-answer it. For our walk is a daily one. But as a pastor and as a brother in Christ, I worry about you. I encourage you to ensure that your chief priority is God in your life. And if it is not, then I urge you with all the energy that I can muster to right now get on your knees or your face before God and determine to make Him your chief priority. Then take the steps to place Him first in your day, as I described five paragraphs above. Throw all else overboard and focus on Him until He is your all in all.
I am not in the least speaking of you doing work for God; I am speaking of allowing Him to work in YOU. Don't strive to be heavily involved in working for Christ, but instead to be heavily involved in walking with Christ. When your walk with Him is intimate, your work for Him will simply flow. And you will find that God is bringing you to the very purpose for which He created and called you. And THAT is how you will receive in Heaven ALL of the rewards that He has laid up for you.
I pray this helps someone today.
There is far too low a view of godliness and surrender in today's churches. Christ is viewed as giving everybody who comes to Him the greatest rewards, regardless of their faithfulness: simply because HE died for them. Not so! The Bible teaches no such thing. Yes, our salvation is eternally secure. But our crowns are only the result of faithful service to Christ.
God shows us in His Word what He desires of mankind. The Holy Spirit will then lift some specific things out of that and lay them on a specific person's heart. Indeed, each and every Christian has been called to some form of good works. (Ephesians 2:10) Whether we engage in these things is up to us. Should we shun what the Master desires us to do and, instead, do nothing ... or do what WE think is better to do, then we shall indeed be ashamed at His coming! As 1 Corinthians 3:15 tells us, it will be a painful experience.
My one concern, however, is that what I say may lead the reader to focus on the rewards he or she can earn. This is a wrong focus. Our one focus has to be Jesus Christ. All that we do must flow from our love for Him and through the power of Him in us. God has a plan for each one of us. The Bible says He desires to perfect us for service on this earth. But being perfected does not refer to becoming without any flaw. The Greek word is teleios and refers to something reaching a state of being finished or of being of full age or maturity. Perhaps the best way to convey the sense of the word is this: teleios refers to something arriving at the purpose for which it was created. When we are perfected --which in each of us may be different-- we will finally be fitted for the purpose for which God created us and called us. That is God's plan for us.
Yet God does not intend that we should work out this plan ourselves, fitting ourselves for His service. No, equipping us for His service is His job, not ours. Our job is submit ourselves to Him. Our role is one of attitude. We are to set our sights on the things of Heaven, not the things of earth (Colossians 3:1-2). This is what Jesus referred to as "laying up treasures for yourself in Heaven." (Matthew 6:20) In other words, instead of focusing our desires and our efforts on what will satisfy us in this life --creature comforts, financial security, recreation, entertainment, a better job, better house, better car, or any other such worldly thing-- we are to focus our efforts on drawing closer to Christ. who is our life. For that is where we will receive the true fullness of both this life and His life in us (Colossians 3:4).
If we seek our satisfaction in the priorities of this world and view the things of this world as being of importance, we frankly have succumbed to a carnal existence. We are called to much higher than that. But the way to that greater, higher, richer plane is only through surrender and obedience. When we cease making time for God and instead set God first, giving Him of the first of our time--before ANY thing else, whether family, friends, work, recreation, entertainment, or the following of our dreams-- then we will find ourselves being drawn closer and closer to Him. He will cease being someone we pray to and instead become someone we live with. He will become exceedingly precious and exceedingly intimate with us. And we will walk in Holy Spirit power and the joy of His service.
But the route there is only through the renewing of our minds, which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit working through the Word. So we must set a time to awaken and pray; we must set a time for devotions; we must set a time to prayerfully read His Word; we must set times to worship and praise; we must set times to fellowship with other Christians. We must determine to do this for it is the one way to reach the perfection of His plan for us, the one way in which to receive all of the rewards laid up for us in Heaven. Only we can exercise the desire God which has given us to draw closer to Him, to be in increasingly sweeter communion with Him.
Now, if all of this sounds as though our devotion to God is to take over our lives completely, then you have understood correctly. It is not abnormal religious zealotry; it is the true Christian life. But only WE can put God first and allow Him to do His work in us. He is waiting for us; however we have to make the decision to do it.
Yet if we do, watch out! You will find yourself in an entirely new realm of existence on this earth, an existence with overcoming, mountain-moving, soul-winning, fire-lighting, devil-defying, victory-winning faith that flows in you and through you and accomplishes God's will around you!
Sadly, the majority of Christians view just getting to Heaven to be sufficient. To them a good life here and an eternity with God is good enough. What a short-sighted view! Tragically, their worldly view obscures their Heavenly potential. They are like Esau who sold his birthright for a mess of stew. They would rather have what they want now than to trust God with greater promises down the road. So they trade the promise of an eternity of the richest rewards in Heaven for a few score years of self-led life on this planet.
My dear brothers and sisters, please stop reading for a minute or two and ponder this question-- can you see yourself in that description above? Have you been willing to trade Heavenly promises for earthly satisfactions?
I have answered that question for myself. And each day, I have to re-answer it. For our walk is a daily one. But as a pastor and as a brother in Christ, I worry about you. I encourage you to ensure that your chief priority is God in your life. And if it is not, then I urge you with all the energy that I can muster to right now get on your knees or your face before God and determine to make Him your chief priority. Then take the steps to place Him first in your day, as I described five paragraphs above. Throw all else overboard and focus on Him until He is your all in all.
I am not in the least speaking of you doing work for God; I am speaking of allowing Him to work in YOU. Don't strive to be heavily involved in working for Christ, but instead to be heavily involved in walking with Christ. When your walk with Him is intimate, your work for Him will simply flow. And you will find that God is bringing you to the very purpose for which He created and called you. And THAT is how you will receive in Heaven ALL of the rewards that He has laid up for you.
I pray this helps someone today.
