Jas
1:12 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.
Crown of
life… the Lord has promised. This crown of life is truly what we long for isn't
it? The knowledge that makes this crazy world of ours and our very existence
comprehensible, is the hope we have. The hope given to us by God, that one day
all the crazy will be over. Every single bit of crazy will stop. From the
smallest irritation, to the greatest horror imaginable- it will all cease to
exist. The crown of life promised to those who love the Lord symbolizes the end
of all sin and it's results- death.
Without sin there would have been no such thing as us dying. Every day
we live is- as some have sung about- one step closer to death. None of us knows
when we might die, not a single person knows this not even if they plan their
own death- many who have planned their death have failed in the attempt and
continue to live. Even when a person may appear to be on death's door,
sometimes they pull through to live on longer. Not sick, not injured, not
suffering from any life threatening ailment- we just don't know when death will
happen to us, but we do know that we are one day closer to our death, yes?
Being promised a crown of life is huge!
A crown of
living without any death at all. With the crown of life we know that we-
through our Savior- will one day live in a world free of death. There will be
no sin, and therefore no penalty for sin- no death. We will never again be
separated from God.
A crown of
existence, permanent existence.
When Jesus
took on flesh, setting aside His existence in pure spirit as God with God in
heaven, He did so with the expressed purpose of obtaining justly the promise of
the crown of life for all who believe in Him, fully and wholly believe in Him.
The crown
of life- the kingdom of God- this is why Jesus came to live and die and live
again- to GIVE this to us.
Mat
25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world
A kingdom
prepared!
Luk
22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk
22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto
me;
Luk
22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Appointed
a kingdom!
Rom
2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and
honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom
2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom
2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of
the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom
2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the
Jew first, and also to the Gentile
Seek for
glory, honor, immortality, ETERNAL LIFE!
1Co
9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an
incorruptible.
An
incorruptible crown!
2Ti
4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only,
but unto all them also that love his appearing.
A crown of
righteousness!
1Pe
1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
More
precious than gold!
1Pe
4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings;
that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding
joy.
Glad with
exceeding joy!
1Pe
5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away.
Crown of
glory!
Rev
2:10 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.
A crown of
life!
Rev
3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Sit in the
throne of Christ, with Christ!
The
eternal crown is there for all who believe in Christ and live as a Christ
follower in all truth revealed through the Holy Spirit.
Endure and
receive.
Too many
endure life's many hardships waiting to receive some sort of earthly prize for
having to endure life's horrors. Too many wait for earthly relief from all
their awful circumstances- some dealt to them from birth shaping their lives
into miserable pits of existence. Too many feel the injustices of our current
lives as painful nightmares- and still they have s smidgen of hope their
circumstances might change for the better. We need to place our hope in the
Crown of Life promised to us through Jesus. We need to place our hope in the
heavenly prize- no one can take that prize from us, not ever and the prize is
very real, and it awaits us all should be choose to endure for the eternal
prize.
All
through the grace, love and mercy of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ now and
forever!
Amen.
