At the GES national conference this May, our VBS theme is “Crowns in the Kingdom.” Throughout the week, the children will be learning a truth many adults never clearly grasp: While eternal life is a free gift, the Lord will reward faithful believers with crowns. These crowns/rewards will be theirs for eternity. See HERE for Crown of Righteousness Blog.
All believers will enter the kingdom, but those who endure will not only enter the kingdom but will also reign with the Lord (2 Tim 2:12). There is a difference between entering a place and reigning in it.
The first crown the kids will discuss is the crown of life. Revelation 2:10 speaks of this crown. The Lord says:
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
In this passage, the Lord is speaking to the church at Smyrna. The believers were facing many difficult circumstances, including persecution, prison, suffering, and even the possibility of death. Since the Lord is speaking to believers, and the condition for receiving this crown is being faithful unto death, this crown is not about receiving eternal life. The reception of eternal life is free and does not depend upon suffering. The believers at Smyrna already had eternal life, because every believer does. This crown is a reward promised to believers who remain faithful under pressure.
At VBS, we will make an analogy between the crown of life and the Purple Heart medal. The Purple Heart medal is awarded to soldiers who are wounded in battle. I was am Army chaplain for many years and met many soldiers who were wounded in our nation’s various wars. They had received the reward of the Purple Heart. Sometimes I could see the scars from their wounds. They had all courageously faced suffering and paid a price. Our nation recognized their sacrifice and rewarded them.
The crown of life will be given to believers who remained loyal to the Lord when life was hard. They “went to battle” for Him and paid the price. Sometimes, they, too, received visible scars. Our Lord will reward such faithfulness. Our nation is grateful to her soldiers who fought bravely when times were hard. We can be assured that the Lord will show His gratitude to disciples who were “wounded” for Him.
This lesson is not just for children. It is for every parent, volunteer, and church leader.
We live in a time when faithfulness is often cheapened. But Scripture presents rewards as real motivation.
Jesus does not bribe us with the threat of losing eternal life. Instead, He invites us to live in such a way that He can honor us in His coming Kingdom. I have seen many Purple Heart recipients with special license plates on their cars. I wonder how those who receive the crown of life will look in the kingdom.
This day at VBS will remind children:
“God sees when we keep trusting Him—even when it hurts.”
That is a lesson we can all learn.
