Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8
A Crown Of Righteousness
That is a promise from God, a fabulous one I might add. This crown of righteousness is in fact the same crown of life you have read of in Scripture, (James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 2:10). This is a very prestigious crown, given to only a select few.
You can be one of those select few, but you have to stand for God in order to obtain this crown of righteousness. Standing for God is not an easy thing to do, but always remember, there are rewards for making this stand, not empty promises that come from men.
We Love His Appearing
What I love about this promise is the fact that this crown is already yours. It is waiting for you in Heaven as you read this. Not just you, but for “all them also that love his appearing”.
These days, not everyone loves Jesus, much less the thought of His appearing. That would be His Return which occurs after the Tribulation. You do however, you love Jesus, and love making a stand for what is right. Jesus is our family, and we always back our family in life. Even if He is not in our literal presence, He is still with us.
As I thought about this verse this morning, the book of Revelation came to mind. Let me share that with you.
Not Everyone Loves His Appearing
For those not hip to prophecy, the setting of the following verses come after the appearance of the Antichrist and the Tribulation. Jesus has now appeared on earth and we love “love his appearing”, but not everyone does, (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)…
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Revelation 6:16
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
Who said?
The wicked, those outlined in Revelation 21:7-8. They will not ‘love Christ’s appearance’, they will be filled with fear and concern as they are faced with the realization Christ is real, and He has returned. However, the shame of such a moment is partly clouded with concern over their former world.
Revelation 18:9
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Reward Day
Their ‘ol corrupt and wicked world order is now over. Then we begin to reign with Jesus, (Revelation 20:6). You see, when Jesus appears on earth, the Millennium begins. Reward day starts for you and I. It will be the day we receive our crown of life, so
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Revelation 18:20
I look forward to that day my friends. So while this life can be tough, and the times will continue to get tough for Christians. You can cut it. You can make it through with God on our side, and just remember what awaits you upon His Return. A crown of righteousness.