The Crowns #6
Earlier
I have introduced and defined the topic and tell us that from the time immemorial people have been receiving reward for what they are doing, and one of the reward people received is crown in the first article. In the second article I write about the positive and negative usage of the word crown and some of the uses of crown as found in the bible. In this article I desire to write on some other crowns mentioned in the bible and how they are related to believers.
3) The Crown of Rejoicing
This kind of crown is for those who are witnessing to others about Christ Jesus those who are pointing people to Christ, those who are showing people the way out of their sins, telling them of how to become saved.
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Thes 2:19)
It is always a wonderful experience when one leads someone to Christ Jesus, the person who leads the person to Jesus would be full of joy as well as the person being led to Christ Jesus. It is like a lady who has accepted the proposal of a lover, the person who proposed would be happy and the person being proposed to would be happy because he knows there is no slavery in love, genuine love will always bring happiness to lovers’ hearts. Little wonder Jesus says of the happiness in heaven over a sinner that repents and come to Jesus Christ. Heavens would be happy; angels are happy and of course those in the world too would be full of joy for the wonderful feat the Lord has performed in saving the lives of the person from the hands of the devil.
“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luk 15:10)
The crown of rejoicing would be for all believers as we continue to tell the people of the world through different means available to us of the way of salvation, he says, how beautiful are the feet of those who preached the gospel.
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom 10:15)
Our feet are beautiful as we go about with the gospel, our hands are beautiful as we write about how people would come to know Jesus the more, and those who have no knowledge about the gospel of how they shall know the gospel, our voices are beautiful as we sing of how people would be saved etc. For us, this crown of rejoicing has been promised at the end of age when God shall wipe all tears away from our eyes and we be crowned with the wonderful crown. Our joy shall know no limitation there.
Poll 2: Wearied:
Are you wearied of telling people about Jesus?
Conditions of the world may want to weary us about sharing the gospel, but we should not be wearied and should keep speaking about Jesus to others globally in anyway whatsoever. We should always bear this in our minds that we shall soon get to the end of the race and be crowned.
4) Crown of Life
Another crown that shall be given the believers is called the crown of Life.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (Jas 1:12)
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev 2:10)
Let us see some things from these verses to quicken our minds and for easy grasp of the word of God.
(i) This Crown is Sure
Apostle James says here that this crown is of certainty that the Lord has promised it to some selected people. (Jas 1:12) Now if we are entertaining some doubts about this kind of crown he wants us not to entertain such doubts because his word is yea and amen, it is impossible for him to lie.
“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:” (Heb 6:18)
(ii) Those the Crown are for
Those whom the crown are meant for are clearly spelt out by these two apostles, John and James and they are;
a) Those Who Endure Temptations
Let us see the Greek words for the key words in James 1 verse 12.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (Jas 1:12)
Endure is written in Greek as “ὑπομένω”, when romanticized it becomes hupomenō (phonetic spelling is hoop-om-en'-o) which means to stay under, to undergo, to have fortitude, to persevere.
While the Greek word for temptation is “πειρασμός”, the romanticized form is peirasmos (phonetic spelling is pi-ras-mos') which means adversity, experience of evil.
The Greek word for tried here is “δόκιμος”, romanticized form is dokimos (phonetic spelling is dok'-ee-mos) which means acceptable, approved.
Apostle James in this chapter is telling the disciples that the enemies cannot enter the territories of the believers without receiving approval to do so. When, the enemies thus receive approval to tempt us as he received approval to tempt father Job in the bible, we need to endure such condition, we need to persevere and it is those who persevere, endure such conditions who shall receive the crown of life after the trial has been over.
“And the LORD said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
“Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
“And the LORD said unto Satan, behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
“And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
“While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, the fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
“While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,” (Job 1:7-20; also read Job 2:1-10)
He was terribly tempted by the devil to deny Yahweh but the remain did not deny Yahweh, he stood his ground against all odds and he was blessed after scaling through those hard times. Apostle James succinctly put his experience as this.
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (Jam 5:11)
To those who endure terrible things that people would consider impossible to happen to humans, God has promised to give them crown of life. We, however, need to know that what person A would pass through is different from what person Q would pass through.
In the next article I shall show us other things require for this crown.
