ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Heavenly Crown 2 Timothy 4:8
And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. NLT.

God came to save us from sin so that we will reign with him in the end. Reigning with God in the end is God’s way of rewarding us for choosing him and of walking with him here. There are lots of reward waiting for us when we finally see him, one of it is that we will have on us his name. Rev 3:12. Another reward is that we will be given distinct names that each of us can only understand. Rev 2:17. The rewards God has prepared for us in heaven are amazing if we follow what the Bible says. Revelation 21 talks about our abode called the new Jerusalem, it is a city whose streets are made of the purest of gold that had a tree that produces different type of fruit in each month.

However, there is a reward that I want to talk about this morning which is the crown God has prepared for us in heaven. Matthew 16:27: For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. NLT. This scripture talks about Jesus coming to judge everyone according to their deeds and for those who walks with God will receive “a pat on the back” by God in form of a crown as their reward for their unwavering walk of faith. Peter calls it the crown of never-ending glory and honor. This implies that the crown can never wear out or lose its glory. 1 Peter 5:4: And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. NLT.

The second way the bible describes the crown is that it is the crown of life. James 1:2: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. NLT. The third description of the crown is that it is the crown of righteousness. 2 Timothy 4:8: And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. NLT. In other writings of Paul, he talked about the crown but he did not give it a name and I will just stick to the name he gave it in 2Tim as the crown of righteousness.

There is something about this crown that I want us to cherish. Peter, Paul, James, and our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about it in the revelation John the beloved had. For it to occur in the bible about six times shows you its importance and points to the fact that it is a huge reward God has for us in his heavenly kingdom. I for one wants to get every reward God has for his children in heaven and all you need to do to get the crown starts with saying yes to him by confessing him as your Lord and saviour to receive his righteousness. After this, you will walk according to his leading as your father.

On this note, if you have not given your life to him before and you want to do so, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and I will be your witness till the end. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.
God bless you.