Casting Crowns

September 1, 2013

Casting Crowns:  What the Bible Says About Rewards in Heaven

Revelation 4:10-11, et. al.                                                                    NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS—Bible crowns show us what is important to God and what we as His children should be focusing on in this life.

Every one of us expects to be rewarded for a “Job Well Done.”  Without the expectation of “rewards,” we would not perform as well.  Even Lucy Ricardo wanted what she felt she deserved.

VIDEO:  Lucy Asking for a Raise

There are a few things that trouble me in the Bible.  One question relates to “rewards in heaven.”  This is also referred to as “crowns.”  If everyone is equal in heaven, then how can some have rewards that others don’t have?  And, since covetousness or envy will not be in heaven, then those without rewards will be perfectly happy—so, what good are rewards in heaven?   Good questions you might say.  Let’s read the answer together:

Revelation 4:10-11

This shows clearly that “rewards do NOT matter to us in heaven.”  We cast them at the Lord’s feet.  But—and this is a very important “but”—rewards, or crowns, matter greatly to God in heaven!  The Lord Jesus Christ will receive great glory by the casting down of our crowns.  So, rewards should matter to us, now, because they will matter to Our Lord in heaven.

Also, crowns or rewards demonstrate for us what is important to Our Heavenly Father, and what is important to Our Heavenly Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ should be important to us.  That’s why “rewards or crowns” matter greatly. 

Let me say a little bit about crowns.  In the O.T. there are five words translated “crown.”  There is the “crown” of the head, or scalp.  There is a word referring to decorative molding (crown molding); a word mean “to set apart;” the usual word for a headpiece; and a word referring to “circle about as with an enemy.”  The idea running through all the words is the idea of a “circlet” of some kind. 

The Greek word for crown, diadema, carries that meaning.  It comes from two words which literally mean “to bind (deo) through (dia),” as twisting the ends of an olive branch through each other to make a circle.  Diadema is one of two words for “crown” in the N.T.

The word diadema refers to the crown of a king.  It is a crown given to honor one’s position in life.  It is given to someone who possessed the right to be a king, usually by lineage. You could not in the usual case win a diadem as a reward.  The other word for crown,  stephanos, refers to a twisted branch, usually of the olive tree, that was awarded to the winner of a contest—as in the ancient Olympics.  It was something one “earned” through performance.

In all five references to crowns we will examine the word used is stephanos, referring to a reward for meritorious service—a “Pay Day, Someday,” as one preacher called it.  This “pay day” or Judgment Day will be both positive and negative.  In a negative sense sinners will receive their pay in accordance with their service to the Devil.  The Bible makes this clear:

“The wages of sin is death.”(Romans 6:23a).

This happens at the Great White Throne Judgment.  Every person alive or who has ever lived will be there:  saints and sinners. 

^{Rev. 20   11} Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.  ¹² I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life,  and the dead were judged according to their works  by what was written in the books.

Now, there will not be any judgment handed out for saints at the Great White Throne.  For the wages of serving Jesus in this body is not “death,” but “life”—eternal life.  Saints will go before the bema seat to receive eternal rewards for good done in the body.

1Cor. 5    ⁹Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing  to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the tribunal  of Christ,  so that each may be repaid  for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

Both Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:9 speak of the “judgment seat.” This is a translation of one Greek word, the word bema.  Bema is used in the gospels and Acts of the raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13).  The more instructive use of bema is by Paul.  Paul’s use highlights the bema in regard to the award ceremony of its Greek athletic contests.  Atheletes would compete for a prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (cf. 2 Tim. 2:5). The victor of a given event who participated according to the rules was led by the judge to the platform called the Bema. There the laurel wreath was placed on his head as a symbol of victory (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-25).  The Bible pictures the believer as a competitor in a spiritual contest.  The Christian will appear before Christ’s Bema to receive his imperishable award. The judge at the Bema bestowed rewards to the victors (from Bible.org).

Here’s five crowns that can be gained by believers:

1.  The Crown of Righteousness (1Tim. 4:7-8)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.

God highly values humility.  The first and most important act of humility is to recognize that we cannot do anything to establish a right relationship with God.  All we can do to become “righteous” is to accept what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.  The Bible says,

^{2Cor. 5   21} He made the One who did not know sin  to be sin  for us, 
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Theologians call this “imputed righteousness,” as opposed to “applied righteousness” we will examine in a minute. There must never be any confusion that our “right standing” with God comes as a “free gift” based upon what Jesus has done, not what we do.  That is “imputed” or assigned righteousness.

“Imputed righteousness” requires humility.  Pride says, “Give me what I deserve.”  Humility declares, “Thank you for NOT giving me what I deserve but for giving me what I could never gain on my own.  When we wear this crown in life, it demonstrates to all the world that one’s only hope for eternity lies in a right relationship with Almighty God based upon what Jesus Christ did on the cross.  This humility is a life-long pattern for the believer.  Notice that our text says this crown is given, “to all those who have loved His appearing.”  That refers to those who patiently and humbly wait for the Lord’s Second Coming.

Those wearing the crown of righteousness are not placing our hope in ourselves, our government,  social activism, or any other worldly thing.  The hope of the true believer lies in Jesus Christ, and Him alone.

God highly values humility.

2.  The Incorruptible Crown—1Cor. 9:25-27

²⁴ Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race,  but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.  ²⁵ Now everyone who competes exercises self-control  in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown  that will fade away,  but we a crown that will never fade away. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. ²⁷ Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

God values obedience.  I call this, “righteousness in action.”  We have seen already that our righteous standing with God has absolutely nothing at all to do with our performance in regard to the Law.  That righteousness is “imputed righteousness,” or righteousness established by God, Himself.

There is another aspect to this righteousness which is “applied righteousness,” or the “working out of the righteousness God put in us.”  Paul said,

^{Phil 2   12} So then, my dear friends,  just as you have always obeyed,  not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

God values obedience.  God values a disciplined life that attempts to conform to God’s standard, the Law, as much as is humanly possible with the aid of the Holy Spirit.  This is “practical righteousness,” as it complements “imputed righteousness.” 

It is hard to tie down a simple definition for righteousness, but in a simple sense it means, “right behavior.”  It is not an abstract idea but an idea, securely founded in Hebrew thought:  a right relationship with God in regard to the Law.  It is not about “winning a relationship with God” by keeping the Law, but winning favor with God once God has established a relationship with you through His Son. 

There can never be any confusion that our “right standing” with God comes as a “free gift” based upon what Jesus has done, not what we do.  That is “imputed” or assigned righteousness.  But, we must also understand that God’s Law (torah, instruction) is still, “perfect refreshing the soul” (Ps. 19:7).  Jesus did not “abandon” the Law but “filled it up to its fullest meaning.” (Mat. 5:17): The Law, as fulfilled by Jesus, is the goal or standard for the Christian’s life.  You cannot know what sin is without the Law (Rom. 7:7).

Once God establishes a relationship with us—that is fulfills the requirements of the Law through Christ—and we have accepted that free gift, then we have “right standing” with God, or imputed righteousness.  Then our love and devotion to God requires that we monitor and adjust our behavior, as much as possible with the aid of the Holy Spirit, to conform to God’s Law.  Thus, we fulfill the command, “Be holy as I am holy” (Lev. 11:44; 1Peter 1:16).  This is “applied righteousness.”  We avoid bad things, like lying, stealing, lust, etc., and we pursue good things like praying, loving, worshipping, meditating on the Word, and serving.  God highly values “good behavior” or obedience from his children.

3.  The Crown of Life—James 1:12; Rev. 2:10

¹² A man who endures trials  is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown  of life that God  has promised to those who love Him.

^{Rev 2   10} Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil  is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days.  Be faithful until death,  and I will give you the crown  of life.

God values sacrifice.  There is something very wrong with a person that likes suffering and sacrifice.  In fact, something is not much of a sacrifice if it doesn’t create some measure of hardship or even pain.  But, as unpleasant and difficult as sacrifice is, it is a mark of every true believer. 

All people suffer, but not all suffering will lead to a reward or crown.  It is suffering and sacrifice for the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom that will gain the Crown of Life.

It’s not the fact that one suffers, but how, and why, and for Whom one suffers.  Only suffering for Christ leads to a Crown of Life.

This crown is sometimes called, The Martyr’s Crown, because a Christian martyr is one who pays the ultimate price for his or her Christian faith.  We often think of martyrs as those who lived in Bible times and faced the great persecution from the Roman Emperors like Nero, Domitian, and Diocletion.  But, the fact is that more people have died for the Christian faith in the last 100 years than in the previous 1900 years combined!  One such martyr is a young lady by the name of Rachel Scott.  Rachel was the first person murdered at Columbine High School April 20, 1999.  Rachel was asked by the gunmen if she believed in Christ, and when she answered in the affirmative, she was shot. Minutes later, they returned to her, as she was lying on the ground wounded, asking her a second time if she still believed. On answering yes again, she was shot in the head.  She had gone to school for 12 years (since kindergarten) with Dylan Klebold, one of the shooters.  Her Christian faith was well-known by her classmates—including the shooters.  She left several diaries behind, and in one she wrote this: “I am not going to apologize for speaking the Name of Jesus,” she wrote in a letter to her friend one year to the day before her death. “I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything…I will.”

The Crown of Life will oftentimes be secured by your death.  God highly values sacrifice, whether it is sacrificial living or sacrificial dying. 

4.  The Crown of Glory—1Peter 5:2-4

² Shepherd God’s flock among you,  not overseeing  out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will;  not for the money but eagerly; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd  appears, you will receive the unfading crown  of glory.

God highly values leadership.  As we said above, God highly values obedience from all of His children.  But, God even more highly values those who step up the game a notch and accept a place of responsibility in His Kingdom.

God’s Army requires faithful followers, but faithful followers require effective leaders.  When I first climbed down the hatch of the USS Ethan Allen, I was amazingly astonished by the technology of the inside of a nuclear submarine.  My eyes were probably as big as saucers.  This mighty war machine carried more fire power than all the bombs dropped in WWII combined.  The ship was impressive.

But, I want to tell you what was even more impressive to me--the officers and senior petty officers that commanded that ship.  Their leadership, I would come to experience, during very stressful and dangerous situations caused me as a junior sailor to want to do my very best and pay any price to accomplish the mission.

That’s what great leaders do.  They encourage, motivate and support others to become all that they can be.  God highly values leadership.

5.  The Crown of Boasting—1Thess. 2:19; Dan. 12:3

^{1Thess. 2    19} For who is our hope or joy or crown  of boasting  in the presence of our Lord  Jesus at His coming?  Is it not you?  ²⁰ For you are our glory  and joy!

^{Dan. 12   3} Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness,

like the stars forever and ever.

This is normally taught to be the Crown of Rejoicing.  Rejoicing and boasting are synonyms, but boasting often has a negative connotation.  But, there is nothing negative about boasting about how God has used you to bring others into the kingdom of God.

God highly values soul-winning.  Notice in the Thessalonian text that Paul is boasting about people—those he has won to the Lord in this world.  Then notice how the Apostle John refers to those who have been led to the Lord as “shining stars in the bright expanse of the heavens.”  No work is more important than the work of evangelism—sharing the good news with a lost person, and seeing that person turn away from a life of sin and turn toward a loving Savior.  Many things we do can make a difference in our world—feeding the poor, finding shelter for the homeless, ministering to widows and orphans, or a multitude of other activities—but one activity will not only change our world today, but also change eternity.  That activity is soul-winning.

The Word of God tells us:  Pvr 11:30  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

The Crown of Boasting, or Rejoicing shows us that God highly values soul-winning, and so of course it would be wise to be a soul-winner. 

This is also called the Crown of Rejoicing because nothing brings greater joy in heaven or earth than a sinner coming home to the Savior.  The Bible shows how much God values soul-winning,

Lk 15:7   ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Nothing thrills God’s heart more than one of His lost children being found and led back into the safety of the fold.  God values soul-winning.  We would be wise to value it also.

Here’s the conclusion of the matter:  God outlines what is important and pleasing to Him by giving us Crowns.  Humility is important to God;  Obedience is important to God; Sacrifice is important to God; Leadership is important to God; and most of all, soul-winning is important to God.  God has promised to reward us for doing those things that bring Him pleasure and glory.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming soon and He will be bringing “rewards,” or “crowns,” for His faithful followers:

Rev 22:12 tells us,  “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

Heaven is a perfect place—but not a place of absolute equality.  I cannot fully explain how in a perfect place where people are perfectly happy that some people have rewards, or crowns, that other people do not have.  But, I cannot explain a lot of things, but that does not mean they are not true.

Reward, or crowns, matter enough to the Lord Jesus Christ that He is going to bring them with Him when He comes again.  All I can really know is this:  what matters to God should matter to you and I.  The Five Crowns show us what matters to God:  humility, obedience, sacrifice, leadership, and soul-winning.

I cannot think of anything more foolish than to know what matters to God, and yet, fail to make these a priority in your life.  I may not understand how God’s rewards work, but I know without a doubt what God has said in His Word will bring a reward.

Let’s honor God by valuing those things that He values.

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