FYI: By the way, when speaking of earning jewels for your eternal crowns, many surveys taken over the years declare 98% of all Christians have never experienced the joy of leading a single person to Christ. Quoted from “crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leaders,” Christianity Q&A, Dr. Roger Barrier 9/24/19
I began the book by unpacking who you are and who God is and now seek to close it with what we’ve been given. In addition to the exceeding great and precious promises that position us to be partakers g God’s divine nature, there is the adornment of authority.
I like jewelry, but not just any jewelry. I love jewelry with a story. My wedding rings represent the story of our marriage. I have rings that were given to me at the birth of each son. I have pieces that are gifts from friends or that are tied to significant seasons or changes in my life. The meaning or timing behind the gift is how I determine if a piece of jewelry is an adornment or an accessory.
I love the story Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. It came into my life during my mid-twenties and has stayed with me ever since. I read it to my children when they were young, and I read it to myself whenever the need arises. In this allegory, a young woman filled with fears travels from home to the high places where perfect love casts out fear. Along the way, there are many twists, turns, and trials. At each place, the heroine, Much-Afraid, builds an altar and picks up a stone of remembrance that she carries in a pouch. At one point, she is so discouraged and the promise seems so far off that she is tempted to toss aside these memorial rocks as worthless reminders of her disappointment. On second thought she keeps them, which is a good thing, because later each stone is transformed into a jewel in her crown.
Scholars believe there are five specific crowns mentioned in Scripture. There is the Crown of Righteousness, which we receive when we exchange our sin and shame for Christ’s righteousness and He crowns us with His salvation. There is the Crown of Rejoicing; this one is reserved for those who worship and praise God regardless of their circumstances. Next is the Crown of Glory for those who long for His glorious reappearing. On these last few pages, I want to highlight the remaining two.
Pages 233-234. Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Chaos, Confusion & Comparison. Lisa Bevere. Revell 2016
NEXT UP: The Imperishable Crown. See I Cor 9: 24-27.