There
are three crowns specifically mentioned in the New Testament. They are the crown of
righteousness, the crown of glory and the crown of life.
The crown of life is the most significant one to study in conjunction with our
raging controversy regarding the believer's security because of its usage in Rev. 2:10,
one of the only two times it is mentioned in the Bible. Rev. 2:10,11 say, "Do not be
afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison
to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point
of death, and I will give you THE CROWN OF LIFE. He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the
second death."
The eternal security position regarding the crown of life is concisely presented
by H. A. (Henry Allen) Ironside in the booklet, "Eternal Security," published by Loizeaux
Brothers:
It's a Package Deal!
Close examination of Rev. 2:10,11 reveals the following: (1) Persecution is a "test."
(2) To "be faithful, even to the point of death" refers to enduring painful persecution, as a
Christian, without disowning Christ. See also Jn. 15:19,20 and 2 Tim. 3:12. (3) While Rev.
2:10 shows what we receive by being FAITHFUL TO THE POINT OF DEATH, verse 11
shows what we miss -- namely being hurt by the "second death." Conversely, if we are
NOT faithful to the point of death we will not get the crown of life AND we will also be hurt
by the second death! It's a package deal, one or the other!
The next issue that should be settled is, WHAT IS THE "SECOND DEATH"? For
the answer we need to go to other times it's used -- such as found in Rev. 20:14 and Rev.
21:8. These two references both clearly identify the "SECOND DEATH" as one and the
same as THE LAKE OF FIRE! Now, getting back to Rev. 2:10,11, if we receive the crown
of life by being faithful to the very end of our lives we will miss being hurt by the lake of fire,
the place where all unsaved people go (Rev. 20:14,15)! There will be NO saved people in
this place! In fact, to be saved means, for the most part, to be saved from the lake of fire!
In summary, the crown of LIFE will be given to all of the saved. It is NOT a "reward" that
only some of the saved will get! The apparel for ALL of the redeemed after this age,
therefore, is a clean, white, linen robe (Rev. 6:11; 19:8) and the crown of life. While only
some of the redeemed will possess the crown of righteousness and the crown of glory,
ALL of them will possess the crown of life!
The crown of life is specifically mentioned just one other time in the Bible, that is at
James 1:12: "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 that love
him."
Observations from James 1:12 are: (1) This life is a "test." If we "persevere," which
is equated with passing the test, we will ALL receive the crown of life. (2) Those that
receive the crown of life are one and the same as those that love God.
Now let's interject a correlating verse also from the book of James: "... Has not God
chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the
kingdom he promised those who love him?" (2:5).
Logically, we can now say the following:
Our conclusion, again as already cited, refutes the teaching that the crown of life is
a "reward" that only some will receive. The truth is, all who inherit the kingdom of God
receive the crown of life. This is important, for one must also be faithful "to the point of
death" to get it (Rev. 2:10,11). This is what the eternal security teachers refuse to
proclaim, for it denounces their position of ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED by stating
such!
This means those that start off faithful, but don't endure, won't receive this crown or
inherit the kingdom of God. Furthermore, the same will be hurt by the second death!
By the way, there are other verses which are much clearer than Rev. 2:10 which
show that we must endure or remain faithful to the "end" of our lives to enter the kingdom!
They are:
Perhaps the clearest of all verses regarding the necessity of remaining faithful to
the end of our lives for final salvation is a verse that some of the eternal security teachers
totally avoid in their books on the believer's security because of its absolute clarity in
contradicting their position:
Return to Evangelical Outreach "A crown of life is not salvation; it is reward. There are five crowns ... the crown
of life for those who suffer for Christ; .... I might lose all of those crowns and yet
not lose my salvation. The Word says, 'If any man's work shall be burned .... he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire' (1 Corinthians 3:15). But I do not want
to be saved that way. I want to win the crown of life. 'Be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life' " (pp. 42-3).
"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm TO THE END will be
saved" (Matt. 10:22);
"But he who stands firm TO THE END will be saved" (Matt. 24:13).
"We have come to share in Christ IF we hold firmly TILL THE END the
confidence we had at first" (Heb. 3:14).
Check out our Heaven
page!
www.evangelicaloutreach.org