ROYALTY (5)
Crown of Glory
Finally, the last crown: Crown of Glory.
“…and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4)
The Five Crowns
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)
“Blessed is the
man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to
those who love Him.” (James 1:12)
“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.” (1 Corinthians 9:25)
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown
of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” (1 Thessalonians
2:19-20)
“and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4)
Let’s look at the meaning of
the word glory to understand what this final crown symbolizes. The word glory means great beauty and splendor.
So, let’s look again at the Scripture in 1 Peter 5:4: the Chief Shepherd will give us a crown
that is so beautiful that it will never lose its glory. Why would God give us this crown? What
must we do to receive this great honor?
If we look at the full passage 1 Peter 5:1-4 we will see what it takes to receive this crown.
“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings
of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God
which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when
the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
Now I
have something to say to the elders in your group. I am also an elder. I myself have seen Christ’s sufferings. And I
will share in the glory that will be shown to us. I beg you to 2 take
care of the group of people you are responsible for. They are God’s flock.[a] Watch over that flock because you want to, not because you are forced to do it. That is how God wants it. Do it because
you are happy to serve, not because you want money. 3 Don’t be like
a ruler over those you are responsible for. But be good examples to them. 4 Then
when Christ the Ruling Shepherd comes, you will get a crown—one that will be glorious and never lose its beauty.”
God will give us this crown because of our service to His flock. This is not a crown
for just pastors, bishops, elders, etc. This crown is for anyone who ministers or shepherds God’s
people. This will include leaders of the church, your family and even people at your place of employment.
This crown is for people who are happy to serve, not for money or any special recognition but because they desire to
please God. Our service is not to be out of obligation but out of love. So, the question
is: Are you serving or are you sitting on your “blessed asset”? If you are
serving, are you looking for earthly rewards or are you seeking the crown of glory? You must examine your
heart (motives) for why you do or don’t do what God has called for.
You may say, “Lord, I don’t know what you want me to do?” Or “I’m
not qualified to do this!” Or “I’m not willing to do this because it’s too hard!”
Our heavenly Father is looking for people who are willing to lay it on the line even at the risk of personal suffering
or sacrifice. God will always give us the ability to complete His work. We are to follow
the example of Christ and be willing to lay down our lives, make personal sacrifices and serve out of love. No
matter the cost! Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
God will give you
the capacity and ability to accomplish His will. He will never ask you to do something that He has not
equipped you for because it is not you but His Spirit through you doing the actual work. All we have to
do is make ourselves available and God will do the rest. That’s why the crown of glory will never
fade away.
So ask yourself these
questions:
- Am I ready to present my body
as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God?
- Am I willing to allow
God to transform me by renewing my mind?
If you said no, please study Romans 12. If you said yes, please study Romans 12.
This is a blueprint on how to live your life in the will of the Father. If you follow His plan,
then you will receive that crown of glory. And you will hear those words from Christ Jesus that every Christian
should long to hear, “Well
done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
