I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11 NIV
Let’s be honest, none of us deserve a crown. Yet, by the grace of God, those of us who, like Paul, can say at the end of our lives, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, will be awarded a crown of righteousness from our amazing Lord! A crown, that we could never win on our own, but a crown that Jesus won on our behalf! Technically, He fought the good fight, He finished the course, and He earned the right to award us a crown. It’s a dynamic I will never fully understand, how He cares enough about me and you to go to such great lengths on our behalf, but I will be forever grateful.
The tragic truth, however, is that we can forfeit the grace that could be ours. Yes, we have an enemy, that wants more than anything to take our crown. The admonition from Jesus to the church of Philadelphia is to hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. So what is it that we have, that we must hold onto? We could go in so many directions with that question that I could write for a week, but I don’t have that much time to write and I’m guessing you don’t have that much time to read so lets just focus on two things this church had going for them, the two things that Jesus commends them for earlier in the letter.
1. You have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8b NIV
If we are honest with ourselves, we almost always know the right thing to do, we know how to keep His word. Our struggle comes in actually doing it. God has been faithful in giving us the knowledge of right and wrong, it’s outlined in His word and written on our conscience. Extra-marital affairs, sex outside of marriage, pornography, online flirtatious chats, cheating in business, climbing the corporate ladder while stepping on others, tax evasion, back stabbing, pride, gossip, lying, causing dissension in the church, disrespecting authority, the list goes on and on and engaging in such activities is not in keeping with His word. Does He really view such activities as a denial of His name? Absolutely! Our level of obedience to His word reflects the value we place on our relationship with Him. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14 NIV Nothing on this list will give you as much pleasure or satisfaction as Jesus! Your area of compromise may not be on my list, I’ve just hit the more popular ones, but nothing is worth giving up your crown. Keep His word, remain faithful to His name, and hold on to what you have! And one day you’ll receive a crown of righteousness, not because you were righteous, but because you valued your relationship with Him enough to keep sin from separating you from Him.
2. You have kept my command to endure patiently. Revelation 3:10a NIV
We all know life can be very painful! Sometimes we feel more like we’re surviving than living, just struggling to make it through the day. Take heart in knowing that Jesus understands that. And during those seasons, He’s not looking for you to rise up and change the world, He’s just looking for you to endure the trial. Sometimes your endurance is your shining moment in His eyes! Even if you’re just hanging on by a thread, your continual trust in His plan honors His name. Maybe all you have right now is the ability to hang in there and endure, that’s okay, endure for His glory! And remember, there awaits you a crown of righteousness that Jesus, Himself, will personally place on your head. Can you imagine that day? Picture it. Place your hope in it. He is coming soon, don’t give up, hold on to what you have!
If you already know the Lord, you’re off to a great start. Keep His word even if it means battling your own desires and impulses. Keep fighting the good fight. Don’t let anyone steal your crown! Whatever course He has your life on, endure it patiently, keep the faith and finish strong!