SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 8/3/2025 8:02 AM
My
Worship Time Focus:
PT-4 “The Future: The Crown, with Which He Will Be Rewarded”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 4:8
Message
of the verse: “In
the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also
to all who have loved His appearing. (4:8)
This morning I
begin this fourth SD from 2 Timothy 4:8 by writing about the words “Of righteousness which translates the
single Greek noun dikaiosune, which
is here a genitive. Linguistically, it
could be either a genitive of source, meaning that righteousness is the source of the crown, or a genitive of
apposition, in which case righteousness describes
the nature of the crown. As noted above,
a believer’s heavenly reward is based to some extent on his faithfulness,
making possible a genitive of source.
But in this context seems more appropriate to take righteousness as an appositive, describing the crown. It is the crown of eternal righteousness—the very
righteousness of the Redeemer granted in full perfection to the glorified
believer” writes John MacArthur, and so I will just have to take his word for
it.
He
then goes on to write more about rewards, a subject that every true believer
should be interested in. “Certain
rewards that believers will receive or not receive will be individual, based on
their own faithfulness. Summarizing the
truths of the parable of the talents, Jesus said, ‘To everyone who has shall more be given, and he shall have an
abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be
taken away’ (Matt. 25:29). Paul
teaches that ‘we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in
the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad’ (2 Cor.
5:10). In his previous letter to
believers at Corinth, he had explained that ‘each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because
it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of
each man’s work. If any man’s work which
he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall
suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire’ (1 Cor.
3:13-15).”
No years back
when the Lord used me to lead a family to the Lord and we were going over these
verses in 1 Cor. 3:13-15, we came up with a saying, and that saying for those
who would not get any reward was that they would have a smokey robe, they were
saved as we are told, but they were pretty close to the fire and that is why
their robes were smokey. Now I don’t think
that will actually happen, but it goes to demonstrate that believers are to use
the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given them to accomplish the work that the
Lord has planned for them to do, and then they will be rewarded for that work,
but as stated before it is all about the Lord, for He saved you through His
death, burial, and resurrection, as the Holy Spirit calls you for salvation,
and then the Holy Spirit gifts you for the work that will bring glory to the
Lord, so in the end it is all about God even though for some the Lord will ask
them to die for the cause of Christ just like Paul would soon do.
Spiritual
Meaning for my Life Today:
It is my desire to do the work that the Lord has called me to do, and
today I once again begin to teach my Sunday school class as the eight weeks of
not having to teach is over.
My
Steps of Faith for Today:
I trust that the Holy Spirit of God will be with me as I continue to
teach from the book of Colossians.
8/3/2025 8:28 AM
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