16 Feb 2012
James 1:12
James 1:12: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
Here we find one of the Heavenly crowns that the Bible talks about – the crown of life. This particular crown is given to those who endure temptation. So, if that’s the case, why does this verse say that it’s promised to those who love God?
The answer is something that is hard for the modern world to hear. You see, Jesus said that if we love Him we should keep His commandments, for that is how we demonstrate our love. Therefore, those who have endured temptation have demonstrated a genuine love for God – a love that is proven through obedience.
Obedience is not popular these days. We’d much rather live as we please and skate by on the idea of “Well, God will forgive me, so I can do whatever I want.” The reality is that this idea leads straight to Hell. Those who are true believers will love God, and that love will be demonstrated in their lives through obedience. Those who mock obedience and live as they see fit will never get anywhere near this crown.
Does that mean that all true believers will get this crown, or will it be reserved for those who have led particularly godly lives? I honestly have no idea. But I do know this: God cares about our faithfulness. When it comes time for judgment there will be Christians who receive no rewards at all because they led appalling lives. I suspect we will discover that our actions in this life mattered a great deal more than we ever thought.