The last two lessons dealt with Judgments of God followed by Judgments of self. The purpose of these Judgments is for self introspection and to confirm the receiving of the Crowns of reward as listed below.

There are requirements to collect you reward from God and the main one is that you are a heartfelt repenting born-again believer in Jesus Christ.

Our salvation is based on our confession of Jesus Christ as Lord for the forgiveness of our sin plus nothing.

The crowns are a reward for living a righteous life according to the precepts set out in the Judgments.

Q1/ Judgments are for self introspection. (True or False)

Q2/ When we confess Jesus as Lord and ask for forgiveness for our sins we can enter heaven. (True or False)

Q3/ We need to do work to get into heaven. (True or False)

Even though a Christian enters into His rest by faith plus nothing it is possible if we haven’t learned from the previous two lesson we may have Regrets or lose of a crown or crowns.

Taking personal responsibility for our Christian walk making an assessment or judgment of our Christian life will ensure rewards on going home.

I Corinthians 3:8-15

    CROWNS        Rewards or Regrets   

i.    The Crown of life James 1:12  1Corinthians 10:13

ii.    The Imperishable Crown 1Corinthians 9:24,27 Mark 8:34,35

iii.    The Crown of Rejoicing 1Thesolinica 2:19,20 Psalm126:6

iv.    The Crown of Righteousness 2Timothy 4:7,8 Luke 9:62

v.    The Crown of Glory 1Peter 5:1,5 Luke 22:26 Mark 9:33,35

vi.    The Crown of Patience Rev 3:10 & 11

vii.    Soul-winner’s Crown Proverbs 11:30-31 Proverbs 14:24-25

Q4/ If we don’t modify our life to overcome Gods judgment we may face lose when we go to heaven. (True or False) 

1/ Crown of life

The Crown can be divided into two parts.

i/ Tribulation of a physical nature where pressure is placed upon the believer to give up the Faith.

Revelation 2:10 Do not at all fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the Devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tried. And you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. (MKJV)

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (MKJV)

 ii/ Temptation that leads to a physical transgression which is of course spiritual separation from God.

1Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it. (MKJV)

To overcome temptation and persecution we will receive the Crown of life.

Q5/ We all face tribulation at some time in our life. (True or False)

Q6/ Temptation must be overcome to receive the Crown of Life. (True or False)

2/ Imperishable / Incorruptible Crown

The Imperishable Crown is for those who show the fruit of Self-control with things which are not of benefit for the Christian.

1Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. 25 And everyone who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Then those truly that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air. 27 But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others I myself might be rejected. (MKJV)

Temperance in all things is required because it can lead to the breaking down of the fabric of life and then with further indulgence to the breaking down of the spiritual life too.

Mark 8:34 And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it. (MKJV)

Not only is it temperance but it is leaving the way we lived life as a no-Christian and taking on the life that Jesus has set before us.

Q7/ Temperance in all things is required to receive the Imperishable Crown. (True or False)

3/ Crown of Rejoicing

This crown is for those who no matter what is taking place around them they continue to rejoice in the Lord, for they know their eternal promise and the know the things of this world are passing away.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are you not even to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy. (MKJV)

It is for the Christian who does not base their faith on feeling, but on the Spirit and the truth of God.

Psalm126:6 He who goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (MKJV)

Happiness is a feeling which is dependent on a happy thing happening and as we know happy things don’t happen all the time and this can allow disillusionment in.

Joy is the key factor because it not based on a feeling but on knowledge of God and His wonders. It’s knowing in your spirit that you will see and are seeing His glory.

Rejoicing now as we walk in this life will mean we will receive the Crown of Rejoicing.

Q8/ The Crown of Rejoicing is received by the knowledge that your destination is secure. (True or False)

Q9/ Joy is the key factor in receiving the Crown of rejoicing because it not based on a feeling. (True or False)

4/ Crown of Righteousness

The Crown of Righteousness is for those who have their eyes set on Jesus and keep true to the path that is set before them, not looking back to where they have come from but where they are going.

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (MKJV)

Keeping the Faith in one God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is essential. Their can be no assimilation or integration with other gods.

2Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 8  Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but also to all those who love His appearing. (MKJV)

As we have looked at Jesus and followed His example we have been changed into His likeness. We are also the righteousness of God in this world and therefore we will receive the same crown as He has.

Q10/ Assimilation or integration with other gods is OK for the Christian. (True or False)

Q11/ There is only One, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. (True or False)

5/ Crown of Glory

Here we see with this crown it is relating to the heart of a person. Do they have the heart to serve others?

1Peter 5:1 I exhort the elders who are among you, I being also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. 2 Feed the flock of God among you, taking the oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor for base gain, but readily; 3 nor as lording it over those allotted to you by God, but becoming examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, younger ones, be subject to older ones, and all being subject to one another. Put on humility. For God resists proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble. (MKJV)

It is for those who point people to the word of God for their answers to meet the needs.

Luke 22:26 But you shall not be so: but the greater among you, let him be as the lesser, and he who governs, as one who serves. (MKJV)

Also what is required to receive this reward is an understand of submission to leadership walking in a humble spirit.

Mark 9:33 And He came to Capernaum. And being in the house, He asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves in the way? 34 But they were silent. For in the way they had disputed among themselves who was the greatest. 35 And He sat down and called the Twelve and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. (MKJV)

Leaders also need to be aware of them selves so that they can receive this crown. They are not to rule the people like a king, but to serve the people helping them to find the answer which can only be found in God.

Q12/ To receive this reward is an understand of submission to leadership walking in a humble spirit. (True or False)

Q13/ Serving the people with a humble attitude will not get this reward. (True or False)

6/ Crown of Patience

Waiting is a difficult thing but as we wait for the thing of God, He will give us strength to deal with waiting.

God is never late and He is never early, He is always on time.

The temptation of not waiting is associated with being undisciplined.

Revelation 3: 10 Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the habitable world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. 11  Behold, I come quickly. Hold fast to that which you have, so that no one may take your crown. (MKJV)

The things of the Spirit have been settled in heaven and all we need to do is to conquer our impatience’s and wait.

Revelation 6:2 And I saw. And behold a white horse! And he sitting on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. (MKJV)

Q14/ God is always late. (True or False)

Q15/ The Crown of Patience is just waiting for Him to come. (True or False)

7/ Soul-winner’s Crown

The exact term of Soul-winner’s Crown does not appear to be in the Bible, but the principle is expressed in these verses.

Revelation 14:14  And I looked, and behold, a white cloud. And on the cloud sat one like the Son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. (MKJV)

We first see Jesus with a golden Crown and the Sharp sickle which is the tool of the harvest and the symbol of the end time’s harvest.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he who takes souls is wise. 31 Behold, the righteous shall be rewarded in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner. (MKJV)

The Soul-winner’s Crown is for the wisdom of going out into the entire world and winning of souls.

Proverbs 14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches of wisdom; the foolishness of fools is folly. 25 A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies. (MKJV)

Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man who is a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners. But wisdom was justified by her children. (MKJV)

Luke 7:35 But wisdom has been justified by all her children. (MKJV)

God is well pleased by the fact that people are being led into the Kingdom and He regards anyone who has the desire to see people saved is wise and therefore will be crowned now and in eternity too.

Q16/ The name Soul-winners Crown doesn’t appear in the Bible. (True or False)

Q17/ The Sharp sickle is the tool of the harvest and a symbol of the end times harvest. (True or False)

Q18/ Winning souls, is a sign of wisdom. (True or False)

Conclusion

We have seen from the previous lesson it is better to judge ourselves using the word of God as a benchmark to avoid Gods judgment and that if we do that we will receive rewards and not regrets.

Rewards are not here to motivate us to doing things, this should come from the love we have felt from God and the love we feel for Him, plus the desire to let others know about this love.

The crowns are there to show us if we follow the teaching of God that He is well pleased and that if we study what the crowns mean we can have this reward now. They are there to show us the quality of life we can live right now we don’t have to wait to get to heaven.

Jesus said I come to give you life and then to give you more, the more is quality living.

Q19/ Rewards are to motivate us to doing things. (True or False)

Q20/ A life lived by the standards of God will be one full of richness and glory now and in eternity. (True or False)