Heaven's Rewards: More Than Just Crowns

You are likely already familiar with the five crowns that will be awarded in Heaven.

The first crown is the Victor’s Crown. This crown will be awarded for self-discipline (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).

The second is the Crown of Rejoicing, which will be given to those who have led others to Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:19).

The third is the Crown of Righteousness, which will be given to those who have a longing for the Lord Jesus—who look for Jesus’ return (2 Timothy 4:8).

The fourth is the Crown of Life, placed upon those who have endured and triumphed over trial and temptation and persecution, even to the point of martyrdom (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10).

The fifth is the Crown of Glory, awarded to the faithful shepherds of the people of God and to Christian leaders (1 Peter 5:4).

These may not be all the crowns awarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Perhaps there are thousands of other categories that will be revealed on that day. As wonderful as our rewards are, they truly don’t represent our core motivation. If we serve the Lord only to get a reward, it indicates we don’t truly understand Christianity.

Somebody put it this way: “In theory, it might be possible to pursue eternal rewards with fleshly motives. However, I’ve never met anyone I’ve sensed was guilty of doing so. I’ve never heard someone say, ‘I’m a missionary in the deep, dark jungle because when I get to Heaven I want a mansion that is bigger than the Joneses.’ I’ve never heard anything like that, have you? For myself, I can’t remember ever thinking, ‘If I witness to that guy, God will owe me big time.’” ¹

Think of it this way. If you’re really an athlete, you don’t run for the trophy. You run for the joy of the race, for the discipline, and for the victory that comes in your heart. The trophy is just something to keep around to remind you of the blessing of being in the race itself.

None of these crowns really represent our greatest reward. None of them—not the Victor’s Crown, the Crown of Rejoicing, the Crown of Righteousness, the Crown of Life, or the Crown of Glory—can compare to our best, highest, and greatest reward of all: Him!

Think of it this way. If you’re really an athlete, you don’t run for the trophy.

Remember what the Lord told Abraham in Genesis 15:1: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” The Lord had planned many blessings for Abraham, which He outlined in Genesis 12 and 15. God promised to bless him, to make of him a great nation, to give him a great land, to give him many descendants, to bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him, and to make his name great. He promised that all the earth would be blessed through his lineage. But nothing compared to the blessing of personally knowing the God of all eternity. The Lord Himself exceeded all other gifts.

The Lord Himself is our exceedingly great reward. And that brings up the best thing I know to say about our rewards. What are we going to do with these crowns? Let’s say you get to heaven, stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and receive three different crowns for your faithful service on earth. What are you going to do with them? The answer is in Revelation 4:10-11, which describes the great heavenly worship service that will occur when the raptured and resurrected saints arrive in heaven.

The Lord Himself is our exceedingly great reward.

“The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’”

Look at that! I believe the twenty-four elders very likely represent the redeemed of all the ages who are caught up to heaven at the Rapture and resurrection. If that is true, it tells us that after we receive our rewards humbly with gratitude, we’re going to see Jesus. We’re going to take the only thing we have in heaven, which is the crown He gave us, and we’ll fall down at His feet and give it back to Him and say, “Thank You, Lord, for helping me to be here. Thank You, Lord, for paying for my sin. Thank You, Lord, for being my Redeemer. Thank You for using me a little bit on earth. Thank You for letting me be Your servant. I haven’t got much to give You, Lord, but here is my crown.”

It’s rewarding to serve Christ, and there are many rewards we receive, even in this life. But the best awards are being reserved for the award ceremony in the heavens, and the best reward of all is our Lord Himself. What a joy to one day cast all our crowns at His feet.

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For a complete study of Heaven, request Dr. Jeremiah’s book, The Promise of Heaven: 31 Reasons to Get Excited About Your Eternal Home

¹ Manfred Koehler, “What Will I Do With a Crown?” Discipleship Journal, Sept/Oct, 2002