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To be a king is good.
The ruler of the land gets all the perks, from fancy limousines to the finest dining possible. The king also gets to wear the crown, glittering in its glory, and fanciful in its finery. It tells the world just who he is.
The Word of God offers us a better crown in James 1:12:
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
A king (or queen) doesn’t get to wear his (or her) crown every day. It’s a special occasion thing, and the rest of the time, that stunning symbol of sovereignty is stored in a massive vault where it’s protected from those who might try to whisk it away for devious means. Our crown of life will last forever and never have to come off our head. We earn this crown by means of salvation in our Lord. Jesus paid for it when he stood before Pilate in John 19:2:
“And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.”
Purple was the color of royalty. Herod himself most likely put this robe on the shoulders of Jesus. The crown bore the thorns, the piercing barbs that presaged Christ’s upcoming crucifixion on the holy cross.
We repay Jesus’ pain by remaining steadfast in his name, by living our lives by his example, and by letting Christ’s sacrifice shine through us. It’s not about cool cars, lavish meals, or sparkling before massive crowds. There’s nothing wrong with those things, but they satisfy our carnal man. Our crown of life is a spiritual one, and our satisfaction in Christ comes through our spiritual nature.
If we still need the world’s accoutrements to be satisfied, our crown of salvation remains to be firmly seated on our head.
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Code: FGO.J.17.16a.vp.esv