Crown Him with Many Crowns
The Lord has given you a gift and a chance to earn some incredible prizes.
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
This verse from the old hymn obviously refers to the Lord in His position as King of Kings. But did you know that you may also receive multiple crowns? There are five crowns mentioned in the New Testament and they’re given to believers immediately after the Rapture. A hint of this is found, right after the promise that we’ll be kept from the coming tribulation, in Rev 3:11. “Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown.”
The crowns are identified as the
And You Thought the Emmys Were Something
The Award Ceremony described in 1 Cor 3:12-15 clearly distinguishes these crowns from the free gift of Salvation by sequence and purpose. The Gift of Salvation is granted at the moment of belief (Ephe 1:13-14) before any behavior, good or bad, has occurred and marks the beginning of our new life. The events of 1 Cor 3 take place on the Believers’ Judgment Day, and reflect the fruits of our life after salvation. It’s important to realize that everyone involved in this ceremony is a believer (vs. 15). Simply put, salvation is the gift at the beginning that makes it possible for us to earn the crown at the end.
I Want One Of Those
The requirements are explained in 1 Cor 4:5. If the motives of our hearts are pure when we perform certain “acts of righteousness,” we may be earning one or more of these special prizes. But if there’s any thought of personal recognition or of earning some special credit for ourselves, we’re disqualified. The Lord told us in no uncertain terms; if we perform for the praise of men, we’ve gotten all the credit we’re going to get. If we keep our good deeds secret He who sees all things will remember and reward us (Matt 6:1-4).
Matters of the Heart
The only permissible motive in earning these crowns is what I call an “attitude of gratitude.” Selfless acts of love performed for no other reason than to express the gratitude we feel for the free gift of salvation we’ve received. Both the reactions of others and the immediate outcome are irrelevant. It’s the one area of our life where we’re not held accountable for results as long as the motive of our heart is pure.
I’m persuaded that our Lord’s ways are so different from ours, and our motives so difficult for us to discern, it’s impossible to tell what we may be earning. And the minute we try we’ve probably disqualified ourselves anyway. Hence the admonition in 1 Cor 4:5. “Judge nothing before the appointed time.”
The Gift and the Prize
Understanding the difference between the Gift (Salvation) and the Prize (Crowns) gives you great advantage in interpreting scriptures that speak of these things. The words themselves hold the clue. One doesn’t earn a gift. It’s freely given out of love with no strings attached. And it’s never taken back. So it is with our salvation.
A prize on the other hand is something you qualify for and work to earn. It’s a reward for behavior, and if it’s later determined that you violated the rules and should be disqualified, it can be revoked. So it is with our crowns. “Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown.” (Rev. 3:11)
When you understand that the Bible is God’s Word and therefore can not contradict itself, you know that if He says even once that our salvation is guaranteed, then its guaranteed. He can’t say it is in one place and then say it isn’t in another. If it appears that way, He has to be talking about two different things. And sure enough, He is. When He speaks of the gift of salvation, it’s unconditional irrespective of behavior. (2 Cor 1:21-22) When He speaks of the rewards we can earn, He’s speaking of our crowns. (Phil 3:13-14)
Where’s My Crown?
By the way, what do you suppose we do with these crowns, once we get them? According to Rev 5:10 we immediately turn and, bowing before His throne, place them at His feet. In so doing, we acknowledge that even our acts of service were made possible because of His gift to us.
If you’re working to earn the gift He’s already offered for free, you’re wasting your time and your life, and missing out on the joy of service. If you’re working to enhance or preserve His gift you risk offending Him, saying His effort was not sufficient. If you’re overwhelmed by the fact that He has accepted you just as you are, and just can’t restrain yourself; passing His love along every where you go with out any thought of reward, then one day soon He will crown you with many crowns.
