I Believe It's Important To Understand What “the Crown Of Life” Is

From The Applied New Testament Commentary (Thomas Hale):
“The believer who perseveres will receive the crown of life.
The “crown of life” is the crown of victory over sin, or the crown of victory in our life’s race.

The main meaning of the crown of life is salvation, or eternal life (see Mark 13:13).”

James 1:12-15 • “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
… But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;

and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth (eternal) death.”
We all know that sin results in both physical and spiritual death
(Romans 5:12-20, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, etc.)
Please note the 2 opposites above:
No sinning results in the crown of life … sinning results in eternal death!

Rev 2:10-11 • “Be faithful until 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 shall not be hurt by the second death.”

He who is faithful until death will receive the crown of life.
Mark 13:13, etc. (below) promises eternal life to him who endures with his faith until death.
The second death is eternal death (Rev 20:14, Rev 21:8).
If one overcomes by being faithful until the end, he does not experience eternal death,
but instead he receives the crown of life … he experiences eternal life (salvation).

Mark 13:13 • “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
But he who endures (in his faith) to the end (of his life) shall be saved.”

Confirmations: 1 Cor 16:13, Gal 5:1, Phil 4:1, Col 1:22-23, Heb 10:35-36, James 5:7-8, 1 Pet 5:9

2 Tim 4:7-8 • “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Our imputed righteousness must be practiced (i.e. continued)
in order to maintain (keep) that righteousness …
“… whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:35)
“… you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether (slaves) of sin leading to (eternal) death,
OR (slaves) of obedience leading to righteousness” (Romans 6:16)
“… the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who
serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.” (Rom 14:16-18)
“… let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous” (1 John 3:7)


Scripture teaches us that “the crown of life” means salvation (eternal life).
And how about "the crown of righteousness" meaning the same thing?
 
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Nobody can take away from you what you dont have. Can they? Don't you first have to have it before it can be taken away?

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life

Do we endure and overcome in this life or the next? What is there to overcome in the next life?
 
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Nobody can take away from you what you dont have. Can they? Don't you first have to have it before it can be taken away?
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life
Do we endure and overcome in this life or the next? What is there to overcome in the next life?
IMO, this is the same as being given the gift of grace-faith, righteousness, justification, etc. (eternal life).
Which all may be thrown away, rejected, fallen away from, and etc.
There are multitudes of passages about losing eternal life,
and about the consequences of doing such and such to gain eternal death, hell, perdition, etc.
Yes, it's all about overcoming in this life, not the next.
 
I myself do not believe a true Christian can lose their salvation, because Christ is now our life, and he can not fail, sin, or die.
 
I myself do not believe a true Christian can lose their salvation, because Christ is now our life, and he can not fail, sin, or die.
Have you seen the warning passages about this?
If you have, how do you explain them?
BTW, none of those I'm talking about even hint that they concern rewards!
 
Have you seen the warning passages about this?
If you have, how do you explain them?
BTW, none of those I'm talking about even hint that they concern rewards!
I have many times over. If we really understood the parable of the sower we would understand that not everyone in the Church today are true Christians even though they say the are. In the epistles God was speaking to those through the Holy Spirit concerning certain things that they needed to do. Even though the epistles were written to the Church, yet in the every body of believers there were false brethren among them. They look real, and act real but are not. It was to these people that needed to be corrected in what they were doing or else they would fall away. Just like the the seeds that fell on stony ground. They endured for awhile yet they NEVER produced any fruit and eventually fall away. The parable of the sower is a cross section of the Church we have today. Only one soil produced fruit, all the others never did. The true born again Christian is in God's hands to bring to completion his work he started in them.
 
I have many times over. If we really understood the parable of the sower we would understand that not everyone in the Church today are true Christians even though they say the are. In the epistles God was speaking to those through the Holy Spirit concerning certain things that they needed to do. Even though the epistles were written to the Church, yet in the every body of believers there were false brethren among them. They look real, and act real but are not. It was to these people that needed to be corrected in what they were doing or else they would fall away. Just like the the seeds that fell on stony ground. They endured for awhile yet they NEVER produced any fruit and eventually fall away. The parable of the sower is a cross section of the Church we have today. Only one soil produced fruit, all the others never did. The true born again Christian is in God's hands to bring to completion his work he started in them.
Okay, this is good ...
except non-OSASers insist that no one can fall away unto eternal death from something he never had.
Please don't tell me that Hebrews 6:4-8 is not about true believers!
Then, there are the "sin list" passages, which are blanket condemnations for anyone who is a habitual sinner.
Granted the Holy Spirit should be successful in bringing MOST BACs back to repentance,
but man has the free will to do whatever he chooses to do!
Hence the dire warnings about losing eternal life, which most Christians today ignore.
Because of the false teachings of today's churches ... too unpopular a subject.
But what would you expect from the hirelings that Jesus warned about.
What's more important to them: paying off their mortgage, or peoples' salvation?
 
Okay, this is good ...
except non-OSASers insist that no one can fall away unto eternal death from something he never had.
Please don't tell me that Hebrews 6:4-8 is not about true believers!
Then, there are the "sin list" passages, which are blanket condemnations for anyone who is a habitual sinner.
Granted the Holy Spirit should be successful in bringing MOST BACs back to repentance,
but man has the free will to do whatever he chooses to do!
Hence the dire warnings about losing eternal life, which most Christians today ignore.

Even though I believe that once a person becomes born again, and Christ now becomes his life, he can still lose his physical life through disobedience. There was a young man 1 Cor 5 that was living with his fathers wife. Paul tells the Church...

1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

We do not know what happened to this guy, most likely he repented from what he was doing.
As for Hebrews 6:4-8

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Is there anytime that you know of where a Christian can never repent? It says it is impossible for these to repent and come back. There is no such a thing in Christianity or the Word of God. If we confess our sins God is faithful, and just to forgive us our sin, and then cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This scripture is not talking about Christians falling away but how it is impossible for that to ever happen. Those in the Church who are not true believers can fall into this category as they never had fruit in their lives that prove they are his. Did you ever notice Jesus always drew large crowds of people everywhere he taught? They did not just come to hear his Words but they loved being in the presence of God. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and it flowed out of Him and people sensed it in his Words. They were being made partakers of the Holy Spirit by being in his presence. There are many Churches where anointed preachers, teachers are bringing forth the Word of God, and everyone there is tasting that power, yet they are not true believers. When Church is over they go right back to their evil ways. In the next verse it describes just that in Hebrews 6:7

Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

The rain of the Holy Spirit just like the rain that comes upon the earth is always good, never evil or bad. The rain always produces no matter what kind of seed is being watered. If it is bad seed it brings forth thorns which are burned in the fire. If the seed is good it produces good fruit and blessing from God. What determines the fruit is the seed, not the water.
 
Even though I believe that once a person becomes born again, and Christ now becomes his life,
he can still lose his physical life through disobedience.
Okay, this is good
... except we have passages threatening the loss of eternal life, not physical,
and
... except there are the "sin list" passages, which are blanket condemnations for anyone who is a habitual sinner!
Granted the Holy Spirit should be successful in bringing MOST BACs back to repentance,
but man has the free will to do whatever he chooses to do!
Hence the dire warnings about losing eternal life, which most Christians today ignore.
Seems thou art one of them, but I enjoy your replies nontheless.
 
Okay, this is good
... except we have passages threatening the loss of eternal life, not physical,
and
... except there are the "sin list" passages, which are blanket condemnations for anyone who is a habitual sinner!
Granted the Holy Spirit should be successful in bringing MOST BACs back to repentance,
but man has the free will to do whatever he chooses to do!
Hence the dire warnings about losing eternal life, which most Christians today ignore.
Seems thou art one of them, but I enjoy your replies nontheless.
I did not always believe this. As I grew in the Lord these last 38 years my believe on htis has changed. Here is one reason.

1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

No Christian can continue in sin as his nature has been changed. What he once loved to do, he now hates. Christ has become his life.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Since Christ is our new life, can Christ ever fail, sin, or even die? When we do sin it is because we took control of our lives from Christ in us to do our own thing. But when we do sin, it is not us doing it but that is dwelling in us.

Rom 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Rom 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
Rom 7:17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
 
Okay, this is good … except I believe it is true that a BAC can habitually sin!
These folks are simply called backsliders … but you maintain they will be brought back.
But 1 John 1:7-2:1 says they must be sincerely repentant … and maybe they will be.
Is Rom 7:17 saying it is not one’s spirit/soul who is sinning, but just the old man nature?
 
Okay, this is good … except I believe it is true that a BAC can habitually sin!
These folks are simply called backsliders … but you maintain they will be brought back.
But 1 John 1:7-2:1 says they must be sincerely repentant … and maybe they will be.
Is Rom 7:17 saying it is not one’s spirit/soul who is sinning, but just the old man nature?

Man is spirit, soul, and body. When God breathed into Adam the breath of life a third component was created which was man's soul.
Adam was now conscience not only of his physical surrounding, but also the spiritual world in which God dwells. His body with all of its senses contacted the physical world. With his spirit he was able to contact the spiritual world. The soul of man is where his conscience will, and emotions reside. Adam received information from his body, and spirit into his soul to where he was very conscience of both worlds at the same time. Once Adam sinned, his spirit died and he lost contact with the realm of the spirit where God dwells. Now he was totally at the mercy of his flesh to gain information in which to make decisions on how he should walk. When Jesus died on the cross for us, and we receive him into our hearts that exact same Spirit that was in Christ is now our life. This life overcame death, sin and the Devil
for all time. This is why our new nature can never sin or die, because Christ can never sin or die. When we do sin it is because instead of letting Christ in us to work through us, we are letting the sin in our flesh to work through us. (works of the flesh) As the Apostle Paul tells us...

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

As long as we are living in these physical bodies sin will always be present with us in our flesh. It has no problems in sinning. It never gets tired of sinning, and it has no conscience.
 
Okay, this is good ...
except what do we do with the verses that say: if we sin, we lose eternal life.

Is God playing games with us, trying to trick us, etc.?
E.G. The following passage threatens eternal death ... so it must apply only to unbelievers, right?
Rev 21:7-8
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God
and he shall be My son.But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers,
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Note: “… you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him”
 
Okay, this is good ...
except what do we do with the verses that say: if we sin, we lose eternal life.

Is God playing games with us, trying to trick us, etc.?
E.G. Does the following passage apply only to unbelievers:
Rev 21:7-8
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God
and he shall be My son.But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers,
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Note: “… you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him”

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
 
Sorry, but John is talking about a different kind of overcoming than Jesus is here!
Rev 3:
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."


I.E. John was only talking about overcoming the world.
Jesus overcame a whole bunch more than just the world.
 
Sorry, but John is talking about a different kind of overcoming than Jesus is here!
Rev 3:
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."


I.E. John was only talking about overcoming the world.
Jesus overcame a whole bunch more than just the world.

How many overcoming is there? If Jesus overcame the world, death, and sin then we also overcame these because he is now our life.
Every born again child of God is overcomer. Even when it comes to eternal life. There is not going to be a day in which God will give you eternal life, because we already have it! We have already risen with Christ and we are already sitting in Heavenly places in Him. on the right hand of God.

1Jn 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--
Eph 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
 
This is all very nice ... but how about explaining why ...
there are so many dozens of dire warnings about losing eternal life, which do not mention rewards.

As for me, I agree with the Spirit-filled missionary, Thomas Hale ...
“The believer who perseveres will receive the crown of life.
The “crown of life” is the crown of victory over sin, or the crown of victory in our life’s race.
The main meaning of the crown of life is salvation, or eternal life (see Mark 13:13).”


BTW, do you also throw out Mark 13:13 ...
because a true BAC would never fail to endure persecution unto death (until he dies)?

I.E. Does the NT state all kinds of stuff that could never happen?
As in, they are all in there for no reason except to fill up the pages.
 
Last edited:
This is all very nice ... but how about explaining why ...
there are so many dozens of dire warnings about losing eternal life, which do not mention rewards.

There are no scriptures that talk about losing eternal life. There are that talk about losing your physical life because of disobedience. Go back and study the parable of the "sower" as that is the cross section of how the Church is today. Jesus said that the parable of the sower is the most important of all parables, and without knowing that one you will not understand any of them...

Mar 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
Mar 4:14 The farmer sows the word......
 
I have many times over. If we really understood the parable of the sower we would understand that not everyone in the Church today are true Christians even though they say the are. In the epistles God was speaking to those through the Holy Spirit concerning certain things that they needed to do. Even though the epistles were written to the Church, yet in the every body of believers there were false brethren among them. They look real, and act real but are not. It was to these people that needed to be corrected in what they were doing or else they would fall away. Just like the the seeds that fell on stony ground. They endured for awhile yet they NEVER produced any fruit and eventually fall away. The parable of the sower is a cross section of the Church we have today. Only one soil produced fruit, all the others never did. The true born again Christian is in God's hands to bring to completion his work he started in them.

Wow..when I read you're post, an image of my church members and myself came to mind. Not saying they're not true, they were and still are chosen..but ,like myself, fell away. Stopped going to church act...except for my brothers..there's only I think 3 members total at my church..well the one I used to go to. They are faithful and true.
I have my own reasons for leaving..but, it is what it is.

Any who, to address the OP, what you've stated is a timeless true ..but it is complete HELL to endure... the end seems to take too long or be far away .
 
[QUOTE Osterloh, post: 352019, member: 13964"]This is all very nice ... but how about explaining why ...
there are so many dozens of dire warnings about losing eternal life, which do not mention rewards.

As for me, I agree with the Spirit-filled missionary, Thomas Hale ...
“The believer who perseveres will receive the crown of life.
The “crown of life” is the crown of victory over sin, or the crown of victory in our life’s race.
The main meaning of the crown of life is salvation, or eternal life (see Mark 13:13).”


BTW, do you also throw out Mark 13:13 ...
because a true BAC would never fail to endure persecution unto death (until he dies)?

I.E. Does the NT state all kinds of stuff that could never happen?
As in, they are all in there for no reason except to fill up the pages.[/QUOTE]

I don't know, Peter denied Jesus 3 times and one with a curse before He died... but he was forgiven..and changed.


I dont
 
Back
Top