The Crown of Glory
Brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you — certainly I, Paul, did, again and again — but Satan stopped us. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
Ad Astra Per Aspera is a phrase which I heard often and learned well during the days of my youth. The motto of the State of Kansas, this Latin phrase may be translated into English to the stars through difficulty. The phrase would be an entirely appropriate motto for the people of God were it applied to the practise of their Faith. I do not for a moment imply that salvation is difficult to attain; the difficult work is already accomplished and we need but believe. I do mean that living christianly is difficult and certain to invite opposition. But for the child of God who perseveres in so living, God has promised that He takes cognisance.
God's Glory Now —In the verses preceding the text Paul presented great truths which speak of God's judgement of the wicked and which point to truths held in common by all believers. Disappointed by the situation confronting us we may grow irascible, striking out at God and at those about us. Alternatively we may, though aware of the difficulties, nevertheless rest in the knowledge that we serve a God too wise to make a mistake and too good to needlessly hurt us. The particular response reveals our view of God and our relationship to Him.
Paul speaks of his deep longing to be with the Thessalonians. You will recall that he was with them but a brief while before he was forced to flee the city. One of the converts was put under a peace bond, the legal manoeuvre serving as a wedge driven between Paul and the congregation. He could return to the city only at the jeopardy of those he loved and for whom he cared. He viewed this event as engineered by Satan. [W]hen we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you – certainly I, Paul did, again and again – but Satan stopped us [verses 18,19].
He compared the work of Satan to that of an engineer battalion breaking up the road and placing obstacles in the advance of an army. Despite his knowledge of the hindrances and their source, Paul nevertheless had a deep longing to be with these pressed and tested saints – a longing not unlike that which Jesus expressed to His disciples before His death [cf. Luke 22:15]. Paul's longing was not born out of his own desire for comfort, but out of concern for the saints. Paul was deeply concerned that these believers stand firm in the truth of Christ; he did not know how they might respond to the testing of the wicked one and he was aware of Satan's schemes.
Paul did not look back and thus give in to regret and remorse. Instead, he looked ahead and rejoiced. For the Christian the best is yet to come. Paul looked forward by faith and saw his friends in the presence of Christ in eternal glory. In times of testing and trouble it is important that we adopt the long view of things. Paul, though walking about in the moment, nevertheless lived in the future tense. His actions were governed by what God would yet do in the future. Let the world mock about what is sometimes referred to as pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by faith; it is the knowledge of what is yet to be which makes the nasty-now-and-now tolerable. It is the certainty of the glory which is to be revealed which encourages us to continue serving.
Then, suddenly, in a moment of time, his view shifts and he speaks of – glory. For what is … the crown in which we will glory … you are our glory. We are not inclined to give much thought to God's glory. That oversight is our loss in this hectic age in which we live. We are too rushed to invest much time in thinking of such things seemingly removed from the humdrum of daily life. We who know God are stunned into silence, however, whenever we pause to contemplate His glorious presence. Isaiah, when the Lord was revealed to him, heard the angels exclaim:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory"
[Isaiah 6:3].
His response to the revealed presence of the glorious Lord, high and exalted, was to cry out, Woe to me… I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty [Isaiah 6:5]. Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, saw Christ Jesus the Lord of Glory in all His unveiled glory. Hearing the voice of God and seeing the glory of Christ the Lord they fell facedown to the ground and in what can only be considered understatement were said to be terrified [Matthew 17:6]. John, when he turned to see who spoke to him on the Isle of Patmos, saw the glorified Christ. And when he saw Him John fell at His feet as though dead [Revelation 1:17]. Daniel saw the pre-incarnate Christ and he had no strength left, his face turned deathly pale and he was helpless [Daniel 10:8].
I find it instructive that the universal response of believers in the presence of the unveiled glory of the Lord is that each alike is dumbstruck. But here is an aspect of God's glory which is frequently ignored or neglected. The redeemed of God, the Church of the Living God, is considered to be an expression of the glory of God. According to the Word of God we Christians are destined to share in His glory [Romans 8:17, cf. 9:23,24]. Now, believers all reflect the Lord's glory and they are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory [2 Corinthians 3:18]. The pressures faced during this present life are viewed biblically as light and momentary troubles … achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all [2 Corinthians 4:17].
If we somehow fail to see the Church as an evidence of God's glory we impoverish ourselves. The Church, flawed and failure prone as she is, and crippled with imperfections though she may be, is nevertheless the expression of God's glory. Our eyes are prevented from seeing the full revelation of the glory of God in His people at this time. Yet were we but able to see our fellow believers as they shall soon appear we would find that we were struck speechless in the presence of creatures so beautiful, so awesome, so glorious.
God's Glory Before Us —I insist on the authority of God's Word that there is a present glory now resident within the Church and among the people of God. That glory, great though it is, obviously is not to be compared to the glory which is yet to be revealed. John, the aged Apostle of Love, writing in his first epistle, observes: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is [1 John 3:2]. Take note of that promise: [W]e shall be like Him.
Because we shall be like Him we will in that day find our glory in that which glorifies Him; and we are taught that Christ is coming to be glorified in His holy people [2 Thessalonians 1:10]. Thus, as Christ is glorified in His people so we are glorified in those whom we have won to faith and brought to share in eternal righteousness. Did ever greater cause for Christian witness exist? Has ever greater reason to speak of our Faith been provided us?
God is just, and He takes note of His people; especially does He observe their labours which are exerted for His sake. Throughout the Word of God are found precious promises which speak of His grace as He takes note of the labours of His holy people. That God promises us rewards is another evidence of His grace. God could demand service of us simply on the basis of all He has done for us. But He chooses to encourage us and to bring yet greater glory to Himself through rewarding us for our labours. What sort of rewards is promised to the child of God? What must be done in order to be assured of these rewards?
God promises throughout the pages of the Word of God crowns to those saints who fulfil specified tasks. We cannot be certain what is signified with the conferring of these crowns, but we are confident that each speaks of divine awareness of our efforts and they speak of eternal recognition of those same efforts. God is faithful to recognise the devotion of His holy people. Because He is faithful we are likewise confident that He is fair.
There is promised to the one who subdues his body, keeping it under control for God’s glory, an eternal crown. Writing the Corinthian believers, the Apostle referred to this reward. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. [1 Corinthians 9:24-27].
Self-control is produced by the presence of the Spirit; it is one of the fruits of the Spirit [Galatians 5:23]. Since the Christian's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the believer must be careful not to defile the body. He must keep his body under control not only to avoid wickedness but also to employ the body in a godly manner for the tasks to which the believer is called. When Paul spoke of the possibility of being disqualified for the prize he was not speaking of the loss of salvation, but he spoke of the loss of eternal recognition.
When tempted to surrender to your own desires, whether to gratify base sexual urges or to surrender to your own greed or to give in to your longing to step back from spiritual conflict, don’t do it. Remember that God knows the struggle you face and He even now takes note of your battle against the flesh. When you have won the battle of self-control He will Himself give you the prize. Speak to the lost! Stand up for Christ despite the pressure to be silent! Resist the temptation to give in to the siren call of this age to tolerate just a little bit of evil!
The ultimate act of committing oneself to God may well be considered to be martyrdom – dying for the sake of the Faith and for this selfless act there is promised a crown of life. When the Risen Christ addressed the churches, only two of the seven are spared a call to repentance. One of those churches is the martyr church of Smyrna. Addressing that persecuted church the Son of God gives this precious promise which belongs to us as well. He encourages, Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life [Revelation 2:10].
It is not crass to state that dying because of your faith is not difficult to arrange. All one needs do is to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and they can die. The manner in which one dies is significant, however, for that final earthly act speaks of the way in which that one has lived. You see, living for Christ is by far the more difficult task. The glory of God is seen in the life of the believer being revealed the manner in which that believer lives out his or her life. Whether or not the Christian stands firm against wickedness, whether or not the child of God resists evil, whether or not the believer openly glorifies God, is of far greater importance than how one dies. If we have lived openly for Him, we are likely to die well when that day comes.
The believer who perseveres despite trial likewise anticipates the reward of a crown of life. That is a beautiful verse which James penned and worthy of our memorisation. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him [James 1:12]. This noteworthy recognition expands our understanding of this divine reward. I said that living for Christ is the precursor to dying well. Though we may never be called to die because of our faith, each of us can aspire to live well and thus live to the glory of God through our faith.
A life of compromise is not likely to be suddenly changed in the day of one’s death. Among those murdered in the Littleton, Colorado school shootings were three young people identified by their bold witness in the face of death – Rachel Scott, Cassie Bernall, and John Tomlin. Each was active in her or his church. Each was bold in witness for the Faith. John Tomlin had been on a mission trip to Mexico the year previous. Rachel Scott wanted to be a missionary. Rachel Scott could not die well unless she had lived well. Cassie Bernall could not die well had she failed to live well. John Tomlin could not die well had he failed to live well. However, should we be called to die for Him, He recognises our sacrifice for His Name’s sake.
All who lovingly look for Christ's appearing will receive the crown of righteousness. Awaiting execution because of his faith, the aged Apostle to the Gentiles wrote a final missive to the young preacher Timothy. I cannot read the words he penned without feeling deeply the impact of that godly life. I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now – loipo;n … all of Christian life can be summed up in one small word – now. I am already being poured out like a drink offering… and now! The time has come for my departure… and now! I have fought the good fight… and now! I have finished the race… and now! I have kept the faith… and now! Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing [2 Timothy 4:6-8].
Though I would be remiss should I ignore the importance of that brief word, the message demands that I refocus attention on the reward. After this life has run its course there is the crown of righteousness promised to all who have longed for Christ’s appearing. In the press of daily life it is distressingly easy to forget that Christ is coming again. The demands of the job, the press of family life, the pressure to refresh the body and the spirit, the vast body of information flooding our senses through the Internet and through television, all alike conspire to dull our anticipation of Christ’s return. When did you last arise from your bed, throw open the eastern windows and wonder aloud, Perhaps today? Let the promise of Christ’s recognition of those who long for His return impel each of us to be counted in that number.
The faithful servant can anticipate the crown of glory. Peter addressed the elders of the churches and in appealing to them he issued a glorious promise of recognition for their service. To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it 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 will never fade away [1 Peter 5:1-4].
Though Peter specifically addresses elders in this passage I do the text no harm if I address any who faithfully execute the ministry with which they were entrusted. Did our Lord assign you to demonstrate great faith to encourage the people of God? Will He not take note of your faithful exercise of that gift? Has our Saviour given to you a gift for administering the work of God? Do you imagine that He will overlook your faithful service among His holy people? Are you charged to be one who strengthens the grieving through demonstrating mercy? Are you responsible before the Lord to be generous with the wealth of this world to advance His cause? Has the Master given you a charge to evangelise the lost? Though you are not an elder among the people of God, do you actually think that He does not know of your faithful service?
Some have understood the passage which constitutes our text as teaching that there is a crown for winning souls to Christ. I would not steal anyone's hope in God's goodness and in God's grace. Though such may be suggested by the context, Paul did not say that he would receive a crown. He said that the saints themselves would be his crowning glory when he met them before the Judgement Seat of Christ. To be sure, some of the believers in the church were not living as they should and had become a burden to Paul. But when he looked forward and envisioned them perfected in glory, they brought joy to his heart and served to refocus his hope. Several truths need to be emphasised from this brief consideration.
The rewards will be distributed at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ’s rewards will be distributed at His return. Had Christ not offered Himself as the perfect and the final sacrifice for sin, there would be no thought of life to come. Had Christ not died, there would be no salvation either from judgement or from sin. Had Christ not risen from the dead, there would be no hope for future rewards such as addressed through this message. Had Christ not conquered death, there would be no reason for anyone to now labour in His service.
But Christ is indeed risen from the dead, and He has ascended into Heaven where He is seated at the Father's right hand. From thence He has promised that He shall return to receive His people to Himself and to judge all that have rejected Him. His return to reward and to judge, though it is delayed, is nevertheless certain. That singular event of Christ's return brings joy and hope to the heart of the believer and creates greatest anguish and anxiety in the heart of the outsider. With hearts full of compassion the believer reaches out to the outsider to warn against delay in receiving Christ as Lord now.
[O]ur hope, our joy … the crown in which we will glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus is yet future. But it is certain for it shall be revealed when He comes. Consider that one glorious clause, when He comes, which summarises the delayed hope of all the saints of all ages – for Christ Himself shall come. This is the Christian Faith.
Long years before Paul wrote these words Job spoke of that Faith when he affirmed:
I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God.
[Job 19:25]
The rewards are intimately associated with the people whom we have won to faith. [Y]ou are our glory insisted the Apostle as he wrote the Thessalonians. The souls won to the Faith, the men and women who had made a conscious decision to believe this Good News of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection and who openly identified with Christ in His Church – they were the crowning glory of the missionaries' labours.
Just so, no finer monument to the labour of this congregation can be imagined than men and women living as Christians in this fallen world. No greater monument to your life as a believer can be imagined than to think of those whose lives you have influenced for good and for God. While we labour out of love for Christ, the men and women alive in Him nevertheless give us cause to rejoice greatly.
Just now some of you are likely thinking, But I never won anyone to faith in Christ. I have not done anything of eternal consequence. Perhaps that assessment is true, in which case I urge you to let this message serve to encourage you to begin to speak openly as a Christian and to begin to openly identify as one who is twice born.
Nevertheless I believe it important to speak to the majority who depreciate their labours. When you prayed for another, do you imagine that God took no notice of your cries for mercy? And when the records are revealed, should it be a surprise that your prayers were credited as having power in turning that precious soul to faith? When you stood for the cause of Christ as colleagues mocked the Faith, perhaps one who heard you began a search culminating in life. When you bowed your head to give thanks before eating in the company of unbelieving friends, though some laughed or jeered others took note of your devotion to God and were convinced they should consider Him. When you offered the hope found in the Faith while comforting a grieving friend, some took note of what you said. Do you not imagine that God was glorified? Do you not think that your life and witness had impact beyond anything you could ever have imagined? Never would I discourage vigorous witness to the Risen Christ, neither would I discount aggressive evangelism – we need more such outreach to our world. I simply mean to focus attention on that which we are doing that is right, reminding each of us that we have impact in the lives of those watching which is far beyond our wildest imagination.
Some to whom I speak today are perhaps discouraged. Does it matter whether I continue to speak of Christ? Does it make any difference whether I openly live for Him? Does it truly change anything if I invite another to believe in Him and ask them to join the church? Perhaps that describes how some of the Thessalonians felt. They were enduring great persecution and suffering, and perhaps some of them were tempted to give up, to be silent in the face of such intense opposition. Don't give up! Paul encouraged them. Seize the spiritual resources which are yours in Jesus Christ. You have the Word of God to comfort you and the people of God about you; but especially you have the glory of God before you. There is no reason to give up. We need a message like that even to this day.
Others to whom I speak today are discouraged, feeling there is little for which to live. How can you expect to live a life which is fulfilling and satisfying so long as you have no hope for the future? On one occasion I spoke to a young man who specifically asked that I take time to address his concerns. He was a university student and greatly interested in what he might do with his life. He was focused on the immediate though the thought of the ultimate silently plagued his soul.
"When you finish your studies," I began, "what will you do?"
"I will get a job," he replied.
"And?" I probed.
"Well, I will get married and provide for my wife," he continued.
"And?" I pressed.
"I will raise a family and gather a retirement fund," he hesitantly stated.
"And?" I inquired again.
"I will retire," he stated bluntly.
"And?" I continued.
"Well, I will die," he sputtered.
"And?" I asked one final time.
There was no answer to this final query, nor indeed could there be an answer for the thought was sobering in the extreme. We prepare for the brief moment we call life, doing all that is expected of normal human beings, equipping ourselves to earn a living and amassing a small fund for our retirement – and then we die. But this is not the end of the matter, for we know that we must face Him to whom all must give an account. And what shall we say? The knowledge that we have no answer before the Living God steals peace and leaves us ill at ease.
But it need not be thus. The message of the Risen Son of God declares again, as it has for these nearly two millennia, that God has provided a way to peace and that God has made provision for man to live forever. Won't you believe? And won't you receive this gift of life found in the Risen Christ today? The Word of God declares if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13]. Amen.