growandknow: Getting Your Crown

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Getting Your Crown

GETTING YOUR CROWN

The word "crown" in the Old Testament is a translation of two Greek words. The two Greek words are "diadema" and "stephanos". They are both translated in our New Testament by the same word "crown", but their usage is different. W.E. Raffety, in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, summarizes the uses of the crowns throughout the whole Bible as follows: "There are five uses of the crown as seen in Scripture references studied, viz. decoration, consecration, coronation, exaltation, and remuneration." Coming back to the two Greek words for crown, "diadema" and "stephanos", we find that "diadema", translated in the revised version more accurately "diadem: is symbolic of sovereignty and power, and is used exclusively for denoting honor and exaltation. 'Stephanos' is different in appearance and not so limited in its usage. It is a garland or wreath twisted out of leaves, pine-shoots, or olive branches, or even an assorted growth of the field. A garland weaved this way made the symbol more noticeable, more intricate, and more meaningful than if it were wreathed out of plain fillet, such as gold. Figuratively this crown (stephanos) is used in Scripture largely in the realm of remuneration, as a reward for the approved Christian life and service."

The five crowns that can be earned as rewards by the Christian for faithful service are all described by the Greek word "stephanos". The "stephanos" of rejoicing (I Thessalonians 2:19), the "stephanos" of righteousness (II Timothy 4:8), the "stephanos" of glory (I Peter 5:4), the "stephanos" of life (James 1:12), and the "stephanos" of incorruptible (I Corinthians 9:25).

Salvation is received strictly as a gift from God. Eternal life in heaven is a gift, but the rewards are earned. The reward is not for being on the Foundation of Christ (I Corinthians 3:11-15), but for what is built thereon. Notice Dr. C.I. Scofield's distinction: "Salvation is a present possession (Luke 7:50; John 3:36; 6:47), while rewards are a future attainment, to be given at the coming of the Lord (Matthew 16:27; II Timothy 4:8; Revelation 22:12)."

Do not confuse salvation and rewards. They are two distinct things. Forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life can never be earned by any of our works. They are the undeserved, unmerited gift of God to all who definitely accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope for reaching heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:5; Titus 3:5).

We can be assured that the rewards that God offers to the saved for faithful service, will be valuable, and therefore, well worth striving for with all our might. Moses esteemed the rewards "greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (Hebrews 11:24-26).

Here is a list of the five crowns:

1. THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN: (I Corinthians 9:25). This will be given to those who "keep under the body and bring it into subjection", running the race faithfully.

2. THE CROWN OF REJOICING: (I Thessalonians. 2:19). This is the soul-winner's crown.

3. THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: (II Timothy 4:8). This crown will be given for those who love His appearing and who live their lives anticipating Christ's soon return.

4. THE CROWN OF GLORY: (I Peter 5:4). This crown is for faithful teaching of the Word of God. This will be given to those instructing others in God's Word.

5. THE CROWN OF LIFE: (Revelation 2:10). This is sometimes termed the "martyr's crown". It is for those who suffer for the cause of Christ. This crown, like the others, is given personally by Christ. "I will give."

In contrast to these five crowns given out by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul makes mention of the corruptible crowns that the world (ruled by Satan) offers. Unfortunately, most people seem to make the "corruptible crown" the object of their ambitions.
Worldly crowns are indeed "corruptible" and will not last. Here are some:

1. THE CROWN OF FAME: There are those that are possessed with a craving to be recognized, to be esteemed, to be influential, to be remembered.

2. THE CROWN OF WEALTH: Many are seeking after the crown of wealth and money as their chief concern in life. And we could go on and on.

I suppose that the corruptible crowns could be summarized in I John 2:16-17. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

Jesus said, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20)." As a believer in Jesus Christ knowing that you will go to heaven according to His promise (John 6:47), are you actively seeking after the crowns which are "incorruptible" (will never pass away). Do you consider yourself WISE AND YET ARE QUITE FOOLISH because, you are not laboring for the rewards that are eternal? Have you done anything worthy of remuneration from the Lord Jesus Christ?

There is no better time than NOW to make a DECISION to start WITNESSING and LIVING for Christ. Remember, salvation is received by faith and is a present possession. Rewards are a future attainment based on your works.
biblelineministries.org

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The Appearing In Heaven

.........The timing of the realization of our BLESSED HOPE......After Israel were put to one side at the end of the book of Acts, Paul was inspired to write Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 1@Timothy, Titus and Philemon. In Ephesians we read of the wonderful new hope set before us believers today; Eph 2:1 And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins, Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), Eph 2:6 and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, Eph 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God has declared that we have been quickened (made alive) in Christ, we have been raised together, and seated together in the heavenlies in Christ, exactly the same place where Christ has been raised and seated at the Father’s right hand, see Ephesians 1:19-21. There, where Christ is seated above all of the heavenly rulers and authorities, is our glorious inheritance in front of God’s face. There our blessings are located and there we are the heirs of God. Is it any wonder Paul brings this wonderful section to a close with these verses; Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, Eph 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Many Christians love these verses thinking they only refer to Christ dying for our sin and sins, but the salvation provided by grace through faith in Ephesians 2 goes way past these foundational truths to include our glorious inheritance in the heavenlies and the unique blessings we have there. We have been raised and seated together in the heavenlies that is the context of “FOR by grace you are saved through faith”. Praise the Lord, what a wonderful salvation by grace! This salvation is not an earthly one. We, the Church which is His Body, are not destined for the earth. We are not to be blessed with faithful Abraham; nor is the Jerusalem above the mother of us all today. These things were put aside with Israel at Acts 28. Galatians, 1@2Corinthians, 1@2 Thessalonians, Hebrews and Romans which were written before Acts 28, speak of Christ dying for our sins, but they know nothing of the wonderful hope we have today by grace through faith as found in Ephesians and Colossians written after Acts 28. After Israel was put aside then the Lord gave to Paul this wonderful salvation concerning heavenly places. This hope is an element of the Mystery, the present dispensation of the grace of God which was hidden away from ages and generations and it was also hidden away from Paul during the Acts period. We now begin to address a very important question. Since God’s Word says we, in Christ, have been raised and seated in the heavenlies where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, exactly when will we literally be seated there in the heavenlies or heavenly places? In other words, when will our hope become sight? When will our faith be realized? When will God’s Word regarding us come to pass? When will we be seated there in our wonderful new bodies “fashioned like His glorious body”? What is the timing of our hope? The answer to this is found in Colossians 3:1-4 which flows wonderfully onwards from Ephesians 2; Col 3:1 If then (or since, if does not always mean doubt) you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:3 For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ our Life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Here we are clearly told that “WHEN” our Lord, The Head is revealed, “THEN” we, the Church which is His Body, will also be revealed “WITH HIM”. That is the timing of our hope; the revealing of our Lord. Here are one or two other versions: Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (KJV) And Col 3:1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. Col 3:3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. (RV) These three versions use “revealed”, “appear” and “manifested” to translate the Greek word “phaneroo”. Here are some helpful definitions of “phaneroo”: Strong’s. phaneroo; from G5318; to render apparent (literally or figuratively): - appear, manifestly declare, (make) manifest (forth), shew (self). Word Study (E-Sword). phaneroo; manifest, visible, conspicuous. To make apparent, manifest, known, show openly. Dr Strong says that the word “phaneroo” comes from another word, G5318 which is “phaneros”. Phaneros means “shining” and itself comes from a word which means “light, to give light”. When our Lord appears it is a moment of revelation involving great light, a shining forth. Where is this shining forth; this appearing of our Lord? The location is very clearly identified; it is “where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God”. Our Lord will be seated at God’s right hand when He is manifested. We shall look more closely at this in a later lesson but for now we recognize this is not in the air of 1 Thess.4, where the clouds are located. We can see a contrast in this Colossians passage. Notice, our life is “hidden with Christ in God” and while these things are hidden now, there is a time coming when they will be manifested or revealed. This moment will be a very bright one, a blazing forth as some have described it. It will be a glorious moment when our Lord and Head is manifested, but you and me and the rest of the Church which is His Body will be manifested there, in the heavenly places with Him. What will this appearing be like? Imagine you are sitting on a chair on top of a hill which, if there was light, would be clearly visible to the city below. The hill and the city are in darkness but there comes a time when the top of the hill is illuminated with a bright light. Then you, sitting on top of the hill, will be clearly visible to all those in the city below. You on your chair have been “manifested”, you have been “revealed”, you have “appeared” to all. In a similar but far more extensive way the Lord will appear to all in a blazing forth of light. He will be seen by those in the heavenly places, and by those on the earth beneath. Please consider the following verses as an anticipation of future lessons; Mat 24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. Mat 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Mat 24:30 And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear (phaino-the same family of words giving phaneroo of Colossians 3) in the heavens. Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious (epiphanes- the same family of words giving phaneroo of Colossians 3) Day of the Lord. And Mat 26:64 Jesus said to him, You said it. I tell you more. From this time you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of the heavens. Act 7:56 And he (Stephen) said, Behold, I see Heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. And this passage; Rev 6:12 And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind. Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. Rev 6:16 And they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; When the Lord is manifested in the heavenly places, the world will be morally, spiritually and physically dark and in that darkened day a light will blaze forth, our Lord shall be visible and “every eye shall see Him”. The heavens will be peeled back and they will see Him sitting on the right hand of God. This “appearing” of our Lord and Head is far above the clouds, and the air of 1 Thess.4. This is before He begins His descent to the earth. In the day; in the moment our Lord is manifested on the right hand of God, we shall be there in our seats manifested with Him. What an honor, what a moment of unimaginable joy. Let each one of us set our affection “where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God”, for there, in front of God’s face, we have been raised and seated to “appear with Him”. That moment of His appearing is when our hope will be realized. .....

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TRUST JESUS CHRIST AND HIS (FINISHED WORK) PLUS NOTHING

I started this blog for the Lord in January 2008.
The first post was about the confusion of when the Rapture
will occur. Pre, Mid, Post, and other ideas. The Holy Spirit
has been teaching me all these things because The Lord has
given me a love of his TRUTH. I was saved before I started the blog because I already trusted in Jesus' FINISHED WORK
on the cross and believed in the Scriptural resurrection of
our Savior. The FIRST STEP for any person to understand
your Bible, is to TRUST ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST for his
completed saving work on the cross and believe he was resurrected to Glory as Scripture tells us......PLUS NOTHING
else ! Not works of any kind, denominational dogmas and
traditions of men that try to add works and sacraments,
good deeds, tithing, creeds, laws of men or God, baptism in
water by men in any name, and anything else men try to tell
you need to do in their particular denomination of men to add
to the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST on the cross. ONCE YOU TOTALLY TRUST CHRIST JESUS FOR YOUR SALVATION AND PLUS NOTHING ELSE, The Holy Spirit
will at that very moment...baptize you into the Body of Christ
and from then, on the Holy Spirit will teach you all things a little at a time, line upon line from the Living Word of Truth
in Scriptures. Don't trust anyone or denomination, but
search in HIS WORD to see if these things are so.

The second thing barring sincere seekers of truth from
Truth, is that most all denominations, including the first
denomination the RCC, believe in some way, they as "the church", have received Israel's blessings and have become
the new, "Spiritual Israel" This teaching found in Replacement
Theology, Amillennialism, Covenant Theology are totally
FALSE. To understand properly God's Word, one must
do what is found in II Tim 2:15. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

All Scripture is for your knowledge and understanding, but
God has worked with men differently in times past, now,
and in the future. All Scripture is not written to you to follow
as it was to Israel in the past. Israel was under the LAW program and the Body of Christ today is under the GRACE
program. You must(rightly divide)between the two of these
churches to understand what was meant for Times past and what is meant for the Body of Christ today.

I will be talking about and posting from now on about what
the Holy Spirit has been teaching me in particular in my walk
in faith and in spirit in Christ, as part of his Body.

May God bless you richly in the wonders and DEEP RICHES
spiritually of his Grace.

Amen
Sincerely in Christ Jesus,
Your Brother Mark

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GLEAN and GROW in FAITH and KNOWLEDEGE

It is a common, but very serious MISTAKE.....
to think that just because you disagree on some points....
another brother in Christ Jesus, in the Body of Christ, has about the Rapture....that you cannot "GLEAN " MANY OTHER IMPORTANT NUGGETS OF TRUTH.......
that will aid us in growing in grace and knowledge of the
BIG PICTURE overall in what is happening and will happen
in PROPHECY...on the stage of history.

Come Brothers....let us share and learn about issues of
importants.... WITHOUT getting upset. There are many wonderful pieces of the puzzle we can glean from other brothers.
Hold fast to your truth...but don't be so dogmatic, so closed minded, so upset....not to dialog between brothers and sisters of the same
Body of Christ...even though we might disagree on some points.

God will act His way regardless of our.....
at this present time....SEEING THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY

Remember....When we are all changed we will understand
ALL.....and see Him as He Is.......Amen

God Bless,
BrotherMark

The Price To Free You Has Been Paid...Just Accept It

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Getting Your Crown

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