THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – Friday August 18th
2017
Memorise: And when the chief
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1st Peter 5:4
Read: 2nd Timothy
4:7-8 (KJV)
4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith:
4:8 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.
MESSAGE:
In
several passages of Scriptures, the Christian life is compared to being engaged
in a sporting activity, particularly the analogy of running a race. In other to
finish strong like Apostle Paul did, we need to pay close attention to these
analogies and apply their lessons to our Christian life. 1st Corinthians 9:24-26
makes it clear that everyone that participates in a race does so for the
purpose of winning. It also says that winning requires serious training and
perseverance. Furthermore, this passage states that of the many participants in
the race, only one person emerges as winner. 2nd Timothy 2:5 reveals
that you must play according to the rules and regulations of the game to be
declared the winner. From Hebrews 12:1-3, we understand that we must
have our minds set on the reward in order to endure the rigours and pains of
training. 2nd
Timothy 2:4 says athletes must observe a discipline, controlled, and
regimented lifestyle like soldiers while preparing for a competition. You need
to measure your Christian life by these analogies to know how well you are
fairing in the race to Heaven. You should not be satisfied with just being a
Christian who enjoys the support and encouragement of the spectators only; your
ultimate goal should be to make it to Heaven and receive the crown of
righteousness. You should be prepared for rigorous training in the word of God,
and persevere through the process of sanctification. Like the eagle, you should
take the flight towards Heaven as a personal endeavour and ignore the
multitude. You must strictly obey every detail in the word of God without
reservation. Your mind must be fixed on the crown of righteousness and the
glory that awaits the saints in Heaven, so that you can finish your course in
this world with joy. Furthermore, you must submit yourself to the discipline,
control and regimented lifestyle described in the word of God and as directed
from time to time by your divinely appointed coach: the Holy Spirit.
The
crown of righteousness is something of value promised to every Christian that
would serve God faithfully in this world and endure the persecutions and tests
of faith that comes with following Jesus Christ. This crown is meant for those
who would joyfully accept discipline and training in righteousness, those who
will remain obedient to the word of God regardless of the dictates of popular
culture, and soul winners determined to sacrifice everything in order to make
Heaven. I hereby pray for everyone who is earnestly looking forward to eternal
life, that you will not lose your crown in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point
Father, please help me to pay
the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and help me make it to
Heaven in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide
was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and
also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version
of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across
all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia,
Windows Mobile and PC.
No comments:
Post a Comment