In this message we shall cover further aspects of the overcomers in the church. We shall see that the overcomers will reign with Christ and be priests of God and Christ in the millennium, that they will inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God to enter the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, and that they will be glorified with Christ.
In the coming kingdom the overcoming believers will reign with Christ. Revelation 20:4b says, “They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Verse 6b tells us, “They shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Furthermore, in 2 Timothy 2:12a Paul says, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” These verses indicate that in the coming manifestation of the kingdom the overcoming believers will reign with Christ as His co-kings and that they will be priests of God and of Christ.
Some today teach that all the believers will be kings and priests in the millennium. This teaching is not accurate. During the millennium only the overcoming Christians, not all the believers, will be kings and priests. Those who will reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom are those who live in the reality of the kingdom today. Then, in the coming age, they will be in the manifestation of the kingdom.
As the co-kings with Christ, the overcomers will be crowned with a number of crowns. These crowns include the crown of righteousness, the unfading crown of glory, the crown of life, and an incorruptible crown.
In 2 Timothy 4:8 Paul says, “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me in that day; and not only to me, but also to all those who have loved His appearing.” The crown is a symbol of glory given as a prize, in addition to the Lord’s salvation, to the triumphant runner of the race (1 Cor. 9:25). This prize is neither of grace nor by faith as salvation is (Eph. 2:5, 8-9); rather, this prize is of righteousness through works (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). Such a reward will be awarded to the believers not according to the grace of the Lord, but according to His righteousness. Hence, it is a crown of righteousness. The One who awards it is the Lord as the righteous Judge, not as the merciful God or the gracious Redeemer. Paul was assured that such a prize was reserved, laid up, for him and would be awarded to him at the day of the Lord’s second appearing.
Paul says that such an award will be given to all who love the Lord’s appearing. The Lord’s appearing, His coming back, is a warning, an encouragement, and an incentive to us. We should love it and look forward to it with earnest expectation and joy.
First Peter 5:4 says, “When the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” At Peter’s time, crowns were given to victors in athletic games and warfare (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8). Those were corruptible crowns, whose glory faded. The crown given by the Lord to the overcomers will be a reward to them. The glory of this crown will never fade. It will be a portion of the glory for the overcomers’ enjoyment in the manifestation of the kingdom of God and Christ (2 Pet. 1:11).
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