One area of theology that I feel is not taught about very often in church is the topic of heavenly rewards. As a result, I have seen even mature Christians show some confusion about some aspects of these amazing rewards that we can look forward to one day receiving from God.

I feel that this confusion and/or lack of teaching on this topic can set Christians up for two possible errors:

1. We may feel worried when we think about heaven and fear that we will be disappointed with how few heavenly rewards we will receive.
2. We may feel discouraged when we compare our lives, spiritual gifts, and ministries with other Christians who we imagine may receive more or better heavenly rewards than we will.

Neither of these errors will inspire and encourage us to do what we can now to maximize our use of the gifts God has given us.

I have mentioned heavenly rewards in a number of my blog posts, but it would likely be time-consuming for someone to go through them and pull out all the relevant sections to put together all of the information into one spot. Even then, I may have missed covering some aspects of heavenly rewards if this information wasn't related to the arguments I was making in those posts.

Therefore, I feel it is worth doing a few in-depth posts on this topic in order to clear up any possible misunderstandings Christians may have about heavenly rewards, and which can consolidate my thoughts on all aspects of this topic.

In my previous post, I covered all the things that every Christian can look forward to receiving in heaven simply because we believe in Jesus as our Savior.

However, there are some additional rewards that the Bible reveals God will give to Christians which do depend on our actions in this life.

In this post and my next post, we will examine what these rewards are and discuss how Christians can qualify for them. I hope these posts will encourage Christians that even though we are eternally saved the very first moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14), there are still very good reasons to hold onto our faith and to do our best to serve God in this life.

In this post, I'll cover the three eternal crowns that the Bible says God will give to Christians provided that we meet certain criteria, and I'll offer some advice on how we can ensure we do not become disqualified for these crowns.

In the next and final post on this topic, I'll cover the rewards God promises to give us for our good works, and how these rewards will most likely translate into positions of ruling authority with Christ.

Three Objections To The Teaching of Heavenly Rewards

Before getting into this topic, I want to address what I feel are three frequent objections to the topic of heavenly rewards. These are:

1. Christians shouldn't care about receiving heavenly rewards.
2. Doing good works out of a desire to receive heavenly rewards is selfish.
3. The concept of heavenly rewards that depend on our behavior might cause Christians to brag about our own efforts and achievements.

I will respond to each of these objections in the next three sub-sections. If these questions don't concern you, feel free to click this link to skip down to the next section where I begin to discuss the eternal crowns that the Bible teaches Christians can receive.

Objection 1: Christians Shouldn't Care About Heavenly Rewards

Sometimes, I've seen it argued that it is somehow 'unspiritual' for Christians to want to receive heavenly rewards.

As an example, I know of a Christian song which includes the line "And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown, for my reward is giving glory to You."

While this claim sounds pious and humble, I think this view actually dishonors God. Heavenly rewards are God's idea, after all, since no one can force God to give out heavenly rewards if God didn't want to.

So if God wants to give out heavenly rewards, then that's God's decision, and Christians shouldn't object to it. It would actually show more humility for us to accept what God has told us in the Bible about how he wants to generously reward his people in heaven, than to complain and say that heavenly rewards are unfair or somehow 'unspiritual'.

Furthermore, Jesus himself encourages us to seek heavenly rewards:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Paul says something similar:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, NIV)

When we realize that these crowns and other rewards that we'll get to enjoy for all eternity depend on the things we do in our incomparably-short lives right now, it can provide strong motivation for Christians to do the best we can for God at all times. As C.S. Lewis argues:

If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither.1

In the past, Christians have not been ashamed to admit that heavenly rewards have motivated them to serve God more passionately. For example, Jonathan Edwards wrote that one of his goals was:

To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence ... I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.2

Present-day Free Grace theologian Robert Wilkin also shares that the doctrine of heavenly rewards increased his motivation to serve God well:

I came to see that the doctrine of eternal rewards is intimately connected with love for Jesus. If I love Him, then I want His approval. I want to hear Him say, "Well done, good servant" (Luke 19:17).3

So living our lives now with a focus on heaven and with a desire to receive additional heavenly rewards in order to inspire us to do our best for God is thoroughly biblical. It's also highly recommended by other Christians of the past and present.

Thus, there's no reason why any Christian should feel bad for doing good works or for serving God with the hope of receiving heavenly rewards in the back of our minds.

Objection 2: Wanting to Earn Heavenly Rewards Is Selfish

A second objection may come from the claim that it is selfish for Christians to serve God out of a desire to qualify for additional heavenly rewards. Critics of the teaching of heavenly rewards often insist we should only do good works out of a desire to love God and love others.

Now, it is true that our good works should be done out of love for God and love for others, since even the greatest things we could do will be unworthy of God's commendation and reward if there is no love involved at all as part of our motivation:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Doing good works simply out of a motive to be seen or admired by others also will not be rewarded in heaven (Matthew 6:1-2, 6:5, 6:16).

Yet the fact that God tells us about heavenly rewards and encourages us to seek them shows that desiring these rewards is not selfish.

It also tells us that seeking to qualify for heavenly rewards is compatible with doing good works out of love for God and others. If it were somehow sinful or selfish for Christians to desire heavenly rewards, then God wouldn't have told us about them.

But since God has told us about these rewards, then presumably, he wants us to do the things that will qualify us to receive these rewards. And if that's what God wants, then we should want it, too.

Objection 3: Heavenly Rewards Mean That Christians Could Boast

A third objection to the teaching of heavenly rewards may come from the worry that in heaven, Christians will be able to brag about their heavenly rewards to others. Or perhaps, we might fear that the idea of 'earning' heavenly rewards means we could whine to God that we 'deserve' more rewards, as if they are a sort of salary or pay.

However, in heaven, neither of these attitudes will be a problem.

In reality, every person's good works ultimately come from God. Because all people are sinners, all the good things we do are only possible because God enabled us to do them through the Holy Spirit acting as common grace in our hearts, and because God put us in the right place at the right time to do these good works (Ephesians 2:10).

So ultimately, whatever good anyone does must be attributed fully to God, who is the source of all good (3 John 1:11, John 3:21, 1 John 4:7, James 1:17, Mark 10:18).4 Thus, Paul said that the good things he did was only because of Christ in him (Galatians 2:20), and the same goes for all Christians (Philippians 2:12-13).5

Because of this fact, there will be nothing for any Christian to brag about to anyone regarding any heavenly rewards that we may qualify for. And we certainly won't be in a position or mindset to demand anything more from God than what God graciously chooses to give us as heavenly rewards.

Thus, I like the famous quote from the early church theologian Augustine who basically says that in the end, "God crowns his own gifts".6

This is why the Bible says that in heaven we will periodically worship God by casting our crowns before his throne, as a way of acknowledging that everything good we've ever done was only due to God's grace and power working through us (Revelation 4:9-11, Romans 11:34-36).

Still, we will get to eternally enjoy these heavenly rewards that God will graciously give us because of how we freely chose to obey him by following through on the good works that God himself prepared and enabled us to do.

With these initial objections out of the way, we can now move on without feeling any guilt or anxiety about this topic. In the rest of this post I will discuss three different eternal crowns that the Bible mentions, and examine how Christians can qualify to receive them.

What Are Eternal Crowns?

One category of heavenly rewards that the Bible reveals Christians can qualify for are eternal crowns.

Typically, in Western culture today, a crown is thought of as being an expensive fashion accessory worn by kings, queens, and other nobility to show their royal status.

However, the word for 'crown' that's used in the Bible verses we will examine is the Greek word stephanos. Historically,

In the Greco-Roman world, a crown (often a woven wreath) was given as a sign of honor to people of high status. One such group of admired people was the victors of athletic games... Besides athletes, notable public servants and high-ranking officials were also given crowns as a sign of honor.7

So these crowns aren't necessarily associated with ruling authority, even though rulers would likely have been people of high honor and may have worn crowns.

However, we can definitely say that these eternal crowns that are mentioned in the following verses can be seen as a special sort of prize or symbol of honor that will be given to particular Christians, sort of like how athletic medals are today given to high-achieving athletes.

Thinking of these crowns as being similar to athletic medals is appropriate, since Paul uses the metaphor of running a race to describe the Christian life:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath [stephanos], but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Yet unlike the athletic medals given out at sports events, I do not believe that there are limited supplies of these crowns, and so Christians are not competing with one another.

In fact, as I will argue below, I believe that it is possible for every Christian to qualify for each of these eternal crowns. Just because one person receives a crown doesn't prevent anyone else from also receiving the same type of crown.

But in 1 Corinthians 9:27, why does Paul say he disciplines his body in order to not be disqualified for these eternal crowns?

I think it's because there are a variety of temptations for Christians to not do the things that would qualify us to receive these crowns.

These temptations primarily come from how our bodies and brains are usually geared toward pursuing things that feel good to us and avoiding things that cause us discomfort, stress, or pain. (That is, provided that there isn't something unusual going on in our bodies/brains regarding past trauma or mental illness that might skew our behavior in various unhealthy ways).

So to qualify for each of the following three crowns, there will be some sort of suffering that Christians must be willing to endure in the process.

And as Paul also says, just like how there are some rules athletes must follow in order to avoid being disqualified from the competition, so there are also some things Christians must avoid doing in order to not be disqualified for these crowns.

Let us now examine of these three types of eternal crowns, explore the specific form(s) of suffering Christians must endure to qualify for these crowns, and discuss some possible ways that Christians may become disqualified for these crowns.

The Crown of Righteousness

Paul wrote,

Henceforth 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. (2 Timothy 4:8)

Some Bible translations say "all who long for his appearing", which is basically the same idea. If we love the idea of Jesus returning, then we should also long for him to return. And if we long for Jesus to return, then presumably, it's because we love the idea of being with him more than we love everything else that's going on in our lives, as good as these things can be.

Thus, qualifying for the Crown of Righteousness is straightforward: Christians just need to live with an attitude that continually looks forward to and loves the idea of Jesus' next appearance in this world.

This event will occur at the Rapture. This is when Jesus will leave his current place at the right hand of God the Father in heaven (Hebrews 12:2) and will appear in the clouds above Earth to resurrect all deceased Christians and transform all living Christians from mortal to immortal. Jesus will then take us to be with him in heaven in his Father's house (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, John 14:1-3).

For Christians who haven't been taught about the Rapture, or who don't believe it, or for the people who are left behind at the Rapture and have to endure the seven-year Tribulation as described in the book of Revelation, I believe they could also qualify for this crown by looking forward to Jesus' second coming.

As a side-note, Jesus' second coming is a separate event from the Rapture, since the second coming of Christ is when Jesus will appear in the clouds with his armies of angels and raptured Christians at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (Revelation 19:11-14, Jude 14-15), in order for Jesus to destroy the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and their armies at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:19-20).

And as another side-note, even if some Christians don't currently believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture, they will still be included in it, because salvation is by faith in Christ alone — both for eternal life, and for inclusion in the Rapture, as I argue in my post here.

I believe that one way that Christians who love/long for Jesus' return demonstrate this attitude is to watch for the signs of the end times in the world around us, and to get excited when we see these things all lining up that indicate that Jesus could be returning very soon.

And Christians who do see the signs of the end times in the news should also use these signs as motivation to keep sharing the gospel and warning others about the Rapture, so that our unsaved loved ones hopefully won't fall for the alien/UFO deception once the Rapture does happen.

However, Christians who truly love the idea of Jesus' return will also likely experience particular forms of suffering.

The Suffering Necessary to Qualify for the Crown of Righteousness

To qualify for the Crown of Righteousness, Christians must overcome the temptation to settle into a comfortable life of simply working our jobs, going to church, seeking promotions, raising our families, pursuing our goals, hobbies, and pleasures, and looking forward to retirement, as society tells us to do.

In contrast, reminding ourselves that Jesus could return at any time at the Rapture can be an uncomfortable way to live because it changes our priorities. Instead of only seeking our own success or pleasure, we prioritize sharing the gospel with people who we care about and who we do not want to be left behind to suffer in the Tribulation. We also aim to make each day count for God, since it could be the last one we have in this world.

It can certainly be tough to live with a constant expectation and hope that today might be the day when Jesus comes back to take all true Christians to heaven in the Rapture. Watching for the signs of the end times can also be depressing or frustrating for sensitive Christians due to the constant stream of negative events we hear about in the news, and the speculation about even more negative events to come in the future.

Even longing for Jesus to return as we are troubled by all the evil and suffering we see happening in this sinful world around us can take an emotional toll on us (2 Peter 2:7-8). Like the psalmists, we might often find ourselves crying out "How long, oh Lord!" (Psalm 90:13, 94:3, 35:17-18).

Christians who are qualifying for this crown must also overcome the temptation to hide our hope of Jesus returning in case it might cause controversy or open ourselves up to being mocked by others for believing what the Bible says about the Rapture. We might be tempted to be quiet about our hope of Jesus' soon return in order to preserve our reputations in others' eyes, perhaps to increase our chances of getting promotions at work, or to fit in with a certain crowd.

Thus, we can say that opening ourselves up to potentially experiencing some of the above forms of suffering is an inherent part of qualifying for the Crown of Righteousness.

How To Not Lose the Crown of Righteousness

However, Christians can be at risk of losing the Crown of Righteousness not only due to the temptations to focus on enjoying our current lives and to not risk the disapproval of our family or friends. It also appears that we can actually let this crown be taken away by others!

After Jesus promised the church of Philadelphia that he would keep all true Christians out of the coming time of trial/Tribulation that would affect the whole world, Jesus immediately added the warning to not let anyone take away their crowns (Revelation 3:10-11).

Again, obviously, these crowns are not a reference to eternal life, which is guaranteed to Christians the moment we believe in Jesus (Ephesians 1:13-14). Thus, it is most likely a reference to the Crown of Righteousness, because as discussed above, this is the crown that is associated with hoping and longing for Jesus to rescue us from this world via the Rapture.

I think there are two main categories of people who may be able to take away Christians' Crowns of Righteousness:

1. Christians who set high-watch dates for the Rapture without specifying that these dates are always only guesses, no matter how promising the arguments for these dates appears to be.
2. Mockers and scoffers who deny the idea that Jesus will return at the Rapture anytime soon, and make fun of or insult Christians who do hope that Jesus could return any day.

Both of the above categories of people can cause Christians to lose our Crown of Righteousness by causing discouragement (either indirectly or directly) that tempts us to give up on constantly hoping and longing for Jesus to return.

I will discuss both of these categories of people below in more detail, in order to provide encouragement and advice about how to react to these types of people so that we do not lose the Crown of Righteousness. However, if you would rather just skip to the next type of eternal crown, you can click this link here.

Rapture Date-Setters

As I've written about more in my post on why Christians should keep looking for the Rapture, it can be discouraging when a high-watch period for the Rapture passes by without Jesus returning.

As a result, some Christians can find it easier to avoid listening to end-times watchers who set high-watch dates for the Rapture, and instead simply watch the news with the expectation that Jesus could return at anytime, even today. This can be one way to avoid losing our hope if these high-watch dates come and go without the Rapture happening.

This past September 23-24, 2025 was an especially high-watch time for quite a few compelling reasons. Unfortunately, because the Rapture didn't happen then, a number of Christians who had previously been very excited about the Rapture do seem to have now lost their enthusiasm and hope for Jesus' imminent return.

If these Christians permanently give up on watching and longing for Jesus' return as a result of this recent disappointment, they may very well be disqualified for the Crown of Righteousness.

Personally, I do encourage Christians to pay attention to high-watch dates for the Rapture if a good case can be made for these dates. I believe it is honoring to God to consider these dates and the arguments for them, and to hope that the Rapture may indeed occur during one of these high-watch dates.

Yet responsible Rapture date-setters must always caution that these dates are never a guarantee and are always only a guess. Thus, date-setters should always warn Christians against doing irresponsible things like quitting their jobs, racking up credit-card debt, giving away all their possessions, skipping medical appointments, and so forth, just in case the Rapture doesn't happen during the next upcoming high-watch date.

However, another issue with high-watch dates is that they can potentially tempt Christians to mistakenly presume that Jesus will definitely not return anytime before the high-watch date. This attitude may be one way that Rapture date-setters risk causing some Christians to lose their Crown of Righteousness.8

For example, some end-times watchers have a favorite Old Testament feast that they look forward to every year because they say it has the best symbolism for the Rapture. When it passes, these Christians feel that they can safely stop watching for Jesus' return and go on with their normal lives until the same feast comes around next year.

To avoid falling into this error, we must remember that Jesus warned that because no one absolutely knows the day or hour of his return (Matthew 24:36), if we are not continually watching for him, he will return at a time we do not expect (Matthew 24:42-44, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6).

However, Christians must be careful because these verses are also frequently used by the second category of people who unknowingly try to take away Christians' Crowns of Righteousness: Rapture mockers and scoffers.

Rapture Mockers and Scoffers

Although people who scoff at the idea of Jesus returning soon have existed since the early church, all of the attention the Rapture received on social media this past September 23-24 brought out a lot of people who publicly tried to discourage or make fun of Christians who were excited about the possibility of Jesus returning during that timeframe.

These skeptics were perfect examples of Peter's warning in 2 Peter 3:3-7 that in the last days many scoffers would come who would doubt or deny the idea that Jesus could return at any time. Unfortunately, even Christians can fall into this category, but if they do, then they will likely not receive the Crown of Righteousness, and they may experience other negative consequences when they do see Jesus face-to-face.

We can see the consequences of being a Rapture scoffer in the parables of the faithful and wicked servants in Luke 12:42-48 and Matthew 24:45-51. In these parables there are two types of servants who are waiting for their master to return to his estate:

1. The faithful servants who are prepared and waiting for their master to return at any time, and are behaving accordingly.
2. The wicked servants who say their master will not be returning anytime soon, and so they get drunk and beat the faithful servants.

When their master returns, he blesses the faithful servants by giving them greater authority over all the master's possessions and other servants (Matthew 24:45-47, Luke 12:42-44). This promotion likely corresponds to the ruling privileges these Christians will receive for their faithful service and good works, which will be discussed in my next post.

But for the wicked servant,

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:50-51)

Luke's version of this parable adds the detail that,

And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. (Luke 12:47-48)

These verses can be very concerning because of how the consequences for the wicked servants are often interpreted as them being condemned to hell.

However, this interpretation is not correct, because all true Christians are eternally saved the moment we first believed in Jesus as our Savior (Ephesians 1:13-14). These wicked servants are still their master's servants, not random strangers who don't belong on their master's estate.

So I really like Zane Hodges' and Robert Wilkin's discussion of this parable. They explain that the description of the unfaithful servants being "cut in two"/"cut in pieces" and being "put with the hypocrites" in a place where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" does not mean that some Christians will be condemned to hell.

Instead, Hodges and Wilkin note that Hebrews 4:12 says that God's word is as sharp as a sword that can pierce deeply into the heart and soul. Therefore, they argue that these unfaithful servants will receive Jesus' criticism or rebuke which will feel as harsh as being "cut in two" or "cut in pieces".9 I would say the same interpretation likely applies to Luke's warning about the wicked servants receiving a "beating" which is more or less severe depending on that servant's level of knowledge of their master's expectations.

Then the references to the wicked servants being grouped together with the hypocrites in a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth also needs to be interpreted in ways such that it does not teach that a true Christian could ever be thrown into hell.

So let's just stop and think this through for a second:

A hypocrite is a person who claims to be something, but who doesn't act accordingly. These wicked servants claimed to be servants, but they didn't act like it based on how they mistreated their fellow servants and were not behaving in ways that good servants were because the good servants truly expected their master to return at any time.10

As a result, these wicked and hypocritical servants will lose out on the rewards that are given by their master to the faithful servants. Because of this loss, the wicked servants weep and gnash their teeth, which in first-century middle-eastern culture was an expression of intense grief.11

For Christians to miss out on the Crown of Righteousness and instead receive Jesus' criticism would certainly lead to some level of grief and shame when they see Jesus face-to-face at the Rapture (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26). This sense of shame would be especially intense for Christians who had been arrogantly insisting to others that there is no Rapture, or that the Rapture wouldn't happen in their own lifetimes.

However, this grief/shame will be temporary:

So since this passage is about a real servant of Christ who has lost the promotion and the rewards that could have been his by being faithful, he experiences intense grief. Some Christians experience a muted form of this grief now when they look back at wasted years and opportunities, but when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will no longer have our sin nature and the grief will be intensely acute. We will be perfect and will be able to see with painful clarity what we have lost. Grief is an appropriate response to that. This does not mean that such servants will weep and gnash their teeth forever, for we know that God will wipe away all tears from every eye (Revelation 21:4).12

It can be tough to hold onto our faith and hope in the Rapture even when mockers and scoffers tell us that Jesus won't be coming back for hundreds or thousands of years, especially if some people in our closest circles of family and friends have this sort of attitude. However, the parable of the faithful and wicked servants is good motivation to not give in to this attitude:

If someone says, "I don't think He's going to be here this year, so I'll get around to serving Him next year," or, "I'll do what I have been thinking of doing next year because I don't think the chances are good that He'll be here this year," this person has fallen into the same trap into which this unfaithful servant fell. His whole demise began with thinking that his Master delayed His coming. Beware of any form of theology which teaches that Christ has already come, will not come, or is delaying His coming.13

The promise of an eternal crown simply for continuing to love and long for Jesus' return is excellent motivation to not give up on our blessed hope of the Rapture (Titus 2:13), and to help other Christians also hold onto their crowns by reminding them of this hope (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11).

The Crown of Glory

The Crown of Glory will be given to pastors and church leaders who faithfully look out for the people in their care:

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Pastors who only do the job for the sake of money or status will not receive this crown, because they didn't truly care about the well-being of their congregations (John 10:11-13).

This Crown of Glory is probably the crown Paul mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 and Philippians 4:1, since both of these passages say that the Christians Paul had taught and looked out for in these early churches were Paul's crown, joy, and glory.

However, I don't think the Crown of Glory is only for official pastors, church leaders, or missionaries. I don't think that God cares about whether we have an official position in a church, but cares most about our hearts and our behavior. I also think that God is far more gracious than we often expect.

Therefore, I highly suspect that any Christian who spiritually nurtures, encourages, teaches, mentors, defends and/or protects fellow Christians will also receive this crown, because these are the sorts of things that good pastors/shepherds do (e.g. Titus 1:7–9, Acts 20:28–30, Matthew 13:51–52).

As a result, I believe that parents who spiritually shepherd their children well can look forward to receiving this crown. So can Sunday School teachers, Bible study leaders, church elders and deacons, or even simply any Christian who feels called to support the spiritual growth of another Christian in his or her circle of family or friends.

We might not do these activities in the same sorts of ways our entire lives, since exactly what is called for would vary from person to person and situation to situation.

Even pastors can sometimes feel called to move on to some other sort of occupation after a longer or shorter period of time in ministry. Paul was writing letters and doing ministry right up until when he was eventually executed by Rome, however, I don't see any evidence that a pastor or regular Christian must do this sort of work until death, or even for a certain period of time, in order for it to count toward earning the Crown of Glory.

Therefore, I would argue that instead of this crown being a reward for achieving a particular position of leadership in the organized church for some undefined period of time, the Crown of Glory is a reward from God given on the basis of Christians having a continual concern and love for others who we are in relationships with. If we do what we can to care for the spiritual growth of people in our circles of influence when opportunities to do so come along, then God will be pleased.

The Suffering Necessary to Qualify for the Crown of Glory

However, it is hard work to diligently care for other Christians' spiritual wellbeing.

It's a well-known fact that pastors frequently experience burnout due to the demands of their work, even if they feel spiritually called to the task.

Pastors are often pulled in many directions by their parishioners who tell them conflicting advice about how they believe the pastor should act, what the pastor should say, or what the church should do or not do. No matter what decision pastors make, someone is often unhappy or critical of them. Big decisions can even cause large numbers of people in their churches to leave.

And that's in addition to pastors having to deal with the everyday interactions with people in their churches or ministries who can be clingy, needy, codependent, rude, egotistical, arrogant, pushy, judgmental, and on and on.

For Christians who aren't officially ordained, we are lucky we don't necessarily have to deal with these sorts of challenges. However, there are other more subtle difficulties that we face if we feel called to care for and support fellow Christians.

For example, it might be tempting to sleep in or stay at home rather than going to church where we can meet with, encourage, and pray for fellow Christians. Getting up early and going to church only to grit our teeth during worship music that doesn't meet our taste and then sit through a boring sermon can sometimes make us wonder why we even bother. And after a long day at work, going out to a Bible study, or even logging into a virtual one might seem like it requires more energy than we have.

Sometimes, it's easy to put off making a phone call or sending and email or text message to someone we feel God prompting us to check in on. Fitting in the time to visit with someone such as an elderly shut-in or someone we feel called to mentor can be tough when there are many other things in our lives going on and we would rather have the free time to relax.

When a fellow Christian falls on hard times and needs extra emotional support, prayer, advice, encouragement, or more practical physical forms of care, it can be easy to conveniently 'disappear' or be 'too busy' rather than step up and do what we can.

As a result, it can be tempting to presume that other Christians will take on all the effort of spiritually nurturing our children or families, such as the pastors, deacons, elders, Bible study leaders, or Sunday school teachers.

Truly caring for others also leads to a certain level of stress and emotional turmoil that can increase our blood pressure or ruin our sleep if things aren't going well for them. On a spiritual level, our concern for our loved ones' eternal salvation can be especially agonizing, especially if they are hostile to hearing the gospel.

Thus, in order to prevent strain in relationships, it might be tempting to not offer correction or guidance when we see something in someone's spiritual life that might concern us. The same is true on a larger scale, where raising concerns about things we see going on in our churches can lead to discord with church leaders that result in broken relationships, and possibly, the need to part ways with a formerly-welcoming community.

These are just some of the challenges and forms of suffering that Christians who are called to spiritually care for others must endure in order to qualify for the Crown of Glory.

How to Not Lose the Crown of Glory

So, as discussed, one obvious way of 'losing' this crown would be to simply never bother doing what is necessary to qualify for it in the first place.

Alternatively, as with the Crown of Righteousness, being found by Jesus as an unfaithful servant would likely disqualify someone for this crown.

Jesus called on Peter to "feed my sheep" (John 21:17), and this is what faithful pastors should also do.

However, if we become servants who, instead of being faithful, end up mistreating other Christians in various ways (Matthew 24:48-51, Luke 12:45-48) then Jesus will not be pleased and will not reward us with the Crown of Glory that he would give to faithful servants who have been tasked with "feeding" (i.e., caring for) their fellow servants (Matthew 24:45-47, Luke 12:42-44).

Preaching a false gospel could also disqualify someone for the Crown of Glory (Philippians 2:16, 2 Timothy 3:8). Putting Christians under a yoke of slavery by telling them they have to follow the Old Testament law would be one way of preaching a false gospel (Galatians 5:1-9, 2:4-5, 2:11-21).

These sorts of false 'shepherds' who preach a false gospel would be like thieves or robbers who do not come into the sheep pen through the only door (i.e., Jesus Christ), but who try to climb in over the fence (John 10:1, 10:7-13).

This is why Paul, to make sure he had been preaching the gospel correctly, went to Jerusalem to talk to James, Peter, and John, "in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain" (Galatians 2:1-2).

Or, to use another athletic metaphor, Christians who preach a false gospel or who manipulate and mistreat their fellow Christians for their own gain would be like when a football player trains very hard but gets confused once he grabs the ball and runs as fast as he can into his own end-zone to score a touchdown against his own team. Such a player certainly wouldn't receive much commendation or reward from his coach when he steps off the field.

So if we want to not be disqualified for the Crown of Glory, it is important to make sure that we are teaching the correct gospel message of eternal salvation by faith in Christ alone, and to not add additional conditions or legalistic requirements that put burdens on fellow Christians.

The Crown of Life

The Crown of Life is promised to any Christian who endures persecution because of his or her faith, even up to the worst-case scenario of martyrdom:

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.(Revelation 2:10)

We know this Crown of Life is not simply referring to eternal life, because as I wrote in my previous post on heavenly rewards, eternal life is guaranteed to all Christians the moment we first believed in Jesus as our Savior (Ephesians 1:13-14).

However, this crown is not limited only to Christians who happen to live in a time or place where they are tortured or killed for their faith. Elsewhere, the Bible says the Crown of Life will be given to any Christian who holds on to his or her faith despite facing trials:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12, NIV)

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)

And the above verses don't specify how minor these trials or persecutions need to be before they count towards earning this crown.

In fact, the Bible says that persecution comes to everyone who aims to live a godly/righteous life (2 Timothy 3:12, Matthew 5:10). Every trial we face is a test for our faith, which, if we don't give up, will be rewarded with praise and honor (1 Peter 1:6–7).

So as long as we don't renounce our faith in Christ, whether it costs us only a little loss of reputation among our coworkers or friends, or costs us our lives, we can look forward to one day receiving the Crown of Life.

And for the Crown of Life, experiencing persecution is inherently unpleasant because it brings some level of pain, whether emotional, physical, financial, relational, etc. Thus, there is no need for a separate section on this topic, because enduring suffering for our faith is the main criteria necessary to qualify for the Crown of Life.

How to Not Lose the Crown of Life

Presumably, if this crown is given for faithfully enduring persecution or martyrdom, the way to lose this crown would be to give in to this persecution and deny Jesus.

Jesus said,

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33)

Again, this verse cannot be referring to being denied eternal life, because eternal life is guaranteed the moment a Christian first beliefs in Jesus (Ephesians 1:13-14). Therefore, Matthew 10:32-33 must refer to something else that Jesus will deny these Christians who denied him. Denying them the Crown of Life would be an appropriate outcome.

This interpretation is reinforced by how Paul said:

The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13, NRSVA)

Let's unpack this verse in more detail, since it's not often looked at in church.

All Christians have already died with Christ (Colossians 3:3, Romans 6:3-4) in that our old selves are now gone, and our inner spirits have been made new and are no longer bound to sin or the Old Testament law (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:6-7, 7:1-6). This spiritual rebirth guarantees that we will one day live forever with Christ (Romans 6:5, 6:8).

And Jesus says that whoever comes to him he will never cast out (John 6:37). Jesus cannot lie, and therefore, he "cannot deny himself" (i.e. go against his own promise). Therefore, even if we lose our faith, we will still be eternally saved, because Jesus is faithful to us, even if we are not faithful to him.

So the only part of 2 Timothy 2:11-13 that seems to be conditional for true Christians is the line "if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us."

Thus, this part of the verse must be referring not to eternal life, but to the privilege of reigning and/or ruling with Christ, which this verse does seem to say depends on Christians persevering in our faith until the end of our earthly lives.

However, I don't think this criteria means that Christians permanently lose the Crown of Life the very first time they deny they are a Christian.

Let's imagine a child on the playground who nervously hides his cross necklace under his T-shirt in order to avoid being bullied. Would this action mean that this child could never re-qualify for this crown later in life after he has gained more confidence? For example, what if he later becomes a missionary to some country where Christianity is illegal, and he is caught and thrown in jail, tortured, or executed for his faith? I don't think God would be so petty as to deny this Christian the Crown of Life.

Even if the nervous child doesn't end up doing something so dramatic, but, one year later he does get up the courage to openly be a Christian at school, despite the snickers and occasional derogatory comments. I think he would re-qualify for this crown.

After all, Peter initially boasted that he would be willing to die alongside Jesus (Matthew 26:35). Yet on the night Jesus was arrested and taken away to be crucified, Peter famously denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75). After his resurrection, Jesus made sure to lovingly restore Peter by prompting Peter to reaffirm his love for Jesus three times, to cancel out the three denials (John 21:15-17).

Years later Peter was also crucified for his faith in Christ, like Jesus warned him he would (John 21:18-19). So I think Peter would definitely qualify for this crown, despite having famously denied Jesus at one point in his life.

Therefore, I think the only way for Christians to be disqualified for this crown would be for them to commit apostasy, i.e., to give up their faith for the rest of their earthly lives. They may, for example, convert to another religion in order to save their lives, and stay in that religion until they die. Or because of some trauma or disappointment they experience, they may become bitter and walk away from an active relationship with Jesus that may never be restored until they see Jesus face-to-face after death or the Rapture.

However, if such apostates do later return to their faith in Christ before they die, then, because as 2 Timothy 3:12 and Matthew 5:10 say, all Christians will face some sort of persecution, then I think these formerly-unfaithful Christians could re-qualify for this crown.

Qualifying for Eternal Crowns Requires Self-Discipline

Because of how it has been shown that Christians will experience some sort of suffering as a result of our determination to keep persevering or "running the race" to qualify for the above three crowns, Christians must have strong willpower and self-control in order to not give up or become disqualified.

But how do we gain this willpower and self-control?

Paul instructed his protegé Timothy:

Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

This is where practicing some spiritual disciplines might be helpful as a way to train our self-control and willpower.

When we think of spiritual disciplines, we might think of medieval monks or other historical Christian ascetics who sometimes took the practice of asceticism to extremes. Some ascetics even intentionally inflicted suffering on themselves in various (and sometimes gruesome) ways, sometimes out of the mistaken belief that suffering itself earned merit with God or was required for their sins to be forgiven.14

But in reality, the English word ascetic comes from an ancient Greek verb which means "to practice, to exercise; to toil, work or labor; or to provide, furnish, or adorn. The noun form of the word refers to practice, exercise, study, custom, regimen, diet, or training".15

Thus,

The ascetic is one who enters the training appropriate for his or her development into an accomplished athlete of body, mind, or spirit. If one wishes to speak or run or carve or fight or sing well, one must prepare the relevant parts of mind and body by exercising them. One must "take pains," must exert oneself, in the appropriate ways.16

For example, if people want to be as good at a sport as their favorite athlete, then they should realize it's not just about trying to act the same way during a game, but living the same lifestyle that requires long hours of training and practice.17

So likewise, as Christians, we know we are saved only by our faith and God's grace, and not by our actions or good works. However, the ability to successfully live as Christians is not guaranteed. As Dallas Willard says:

But grace does not mean that sufficient strength and insight will be automatically 'infused' into our being in the moment of need. Abundant evidence for this claim is available precisely in the experience of any Christian. A baseball player who expects to excel in the game without adequate exercise of his body is no more ridiculous than the Christian who hopes to be able to act in the manner of Christ when put to the test without the appropriate exercise in godly living.18

This is why Christians need to develop personal discipline:

The mark of disciplined persons is that they are able to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.19

The entire question of discipline, therefore, is how to apply the acts of will at our disposal in such a way that the proper course of action, which cannot always be realized by direct and untrained effort, will nevertheless be carried out when needed.20

As an extreme example, if Jesus hadn't had the self-control and mental strength to endure forty days of fasting and solitude in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), then how would he have been ready when it came time for him to face the even-more-intense suffering of being deserted by all of his disciples when he was arrested (Matthew 26:56), never mind willingly endure the physical pain of being whipped, beaten, and crucified?

If we don't have the mental resilience and discipline to do difficult things despite the suffering we might face as a result, then it will lead to negative consequences in our daily lives. Even being able to wake up and go to school or work when we would rather not is a form of suffering we must overcome in order to have a chance at being self-sufficient and successful in this world.

Likewise, without mental resilience, willpower, and discipline, it will also be hard to do our best as Christians when we face temptation, persecution, mocking, emotional/physical stress, or other forms of suffering that come as a result of our faith and our desire to please God and serve him well.

Therefore, Dallas Willard recommends that Christians make use of various spiritual practices — both those that Jesus and his disciples used, as well as other less-traditional possibilities which we can experiment with.21 He notes that,

In shaping our own list of spiritual disciplines, we should keep in mind that very few disciplines can be regarded as absolutely indispensable for a healthy spiritual life and work, though some are obviously more important than others. Practicing a range of activities that have proven track records across the centuries will keep us from erring. And if, later, other activities are really more what we need, our progress won't be seriously hindered, and we'll probably be led into them.22

The list of 'major' spiritual disciplines discussed by Willard in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines (1988) that he says have had "a wide and profitable use among disciples of Christ"23 include:

• solitude (i.e., spending time alone to focus on God)
• silence (i.e., not speaking to anyone for a period of time)
• fasting (i.e., temporarily avoiding eating food or certain types of food)
• frugality (i.e., reducing unnecessary financial spending)
• chastity (i.e., avoiding sexual activity, but only for a limited time, if married (1 Corinthians 7:5))
• secrecy (i.e., serving God, giving to charity, or practicing these disciplines without making it known to others (Matthew 6:4, 6:6, 6:17-18))
• sacrifice (e.g., giving something or abstaining from something for the sake of helping others, even when it negatively affects our legitimate needs)
• study (e.g., reading the Bible and perhaps reading some theology)
• worship (i.e., thinking about God's greatness and giving him glory/praise)
• celebration (i.e., feasting with others, singing, dancing, enjoying ourselves)
• service (i.e., helping others, especially with tasks that we dislike or feel are 'below us')
• prayer (i.e., talking to God)
• fellowship (e.g., gathering together with Christians at church/Bible study (Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 18:20))
• confession (i.e., sharing or admitting our weaknesses, struggles, temptations, and sins with other trusted Christians (James 5:16))
• submission (i.e., following advice from a pastor, spiritual mentor, or more mature Christian)

However, the point isn't to practice these disciplines in order to manipulate God into blessing us, because then this just becomes superstition or legalism. It also isn't just about denying ourselves everything good, as if suffering for its own sake pleases God.

As noted earlier, practicing spiritual disciplines is a way of developing the increased self-control and willpower that will allow us to do other difficult things whenever we want to or need to.

Thus, "we can even lay it down as a rule of thumb that if it is easy for us to engage in a certain discipline, we probably don't need to practice it."24 It is like a baseball player who, if he wants to improve, practices what he is not good at, rather than the things he is good at.25

Therefore, which disciplines are useful for one person may not be right for another person.26

Fasting is one example of a spiritual discipline that can be a valuable exercise, not because God literally cares about what's in our stomachs, but because

Fasting teaches temperance or self-control and therefore teaches moderation and restraint with regard to all our fundamental drives. Since food has the pervasive place it does in our lives, the effects of fasting will be diffused throughout our personality.27

Although fasting from food is definitely a practice that requires willpower, it might be easier for many Christians to begin with something easier, such as by giving up something else we enjoy for a certain period of time, as a way of practicing the same sort of discipline. This approach could also work for Christians who can't fast from food due to certain medical conditions.

The spiritual practices of silence and solitude are similar to fasting. These disciplines can challenge people who find it uncomfortable to be by themselves, or who find it hard to not speak when they want to. But James said that the ability to control our tongue shows that we can control ourselves in every other way, too (James 3:2-5).

This current church season of Lent (the forty days before Easter) is often a time when Christians of many denominations choose to fast in one way or another. These days, I've even heard about the idea of 'fasting' from social media or from excessive cellphone usage.

One year, as a personal test of willpower, I gave up playing computer games for Lent. As a result, I actually became a lot more productive. Since then, I haven't played computer games hardly at all, and have used my free time to work on other things like this blog or my other creative hobbies.

Frugality (financial restraint) and chastity (sexual restraint) are similar practices to fasting, but in different areas of life, Yet if these disciplines are mastered, not only do they increase our discipline, but they can lead to various blessings in this world.

For example, the frugal discipline of living within our means often leads to the blessing of not being enslaved by debt. The discipline of chastity leads to the ability to not give in to sexual lust and thereby avoid all the problems that having sex outside of marriage can lead to, and can also prevent the slavery of being addicted to pornography.

So disciplining our bodies by doing things that are sometimes unpleasant builds in us the character and willpower we need to qualify for all of the above eternal crowns, which all require Christians to endure some sort of suffering in one way or another. As an additional bonus, this same discipline will be beneficial in many other areas of our lives.

Train With Balance

Yet I need to add a disclaimer that wise Christians should balance spiritual discipline with self-care, and know which one we need at what time, based on our mental or emotional state.

Remember that athletes cannot train constantly or they will become weak and injure themselves. Thus, coaches teach athletes when and how to train, how long to train for, when to rest, how to rest, what to eat, and what not to eat, all in order to maximize the athlete's ability to perform at their best. Wise coaches also know to not throw a novice athlete into a training regimen meant for an Olympic athlete, but to start slow and easy and gradually work up.

Therefore, alongside practicing some spiritual disciplines from time to time, it is also important for Christians to take care of ourselves and do enjoyable things, because self-care is a form of spiritual warfare.

So as Paul rightly noted, all of these principles from athletes training for athletic competitions can be applied to Christians' spiritual lives, and these principles can be useful to keep in mind when Christians aim to grow in our spiritual maturity and self-discipline.

And as my former pastor Bryan Guinness helpfully points out, Olympic athletes typically have a team of coaches, trainers, fellow athletes, friends, and family who all support them in one way or another. So likewise, Christians should recognize that running our spiritual race is easier when we surround ourselves with a supportive team (Hebrews 10:24-25).28

If we do desire a 'coach' to help us make progress in our spiritual training, then seeking out a Christian mentor could be helpful, whether a trusted pastor, spiritual director, or simply a wise and mature Christian friend.

Conclusion

In this post I have shown that in addition to all the heavenly rewards every Christian can look forward to enjoying, there are other eternal rewards that Christians can qualify for, and that we should desire to qualify for. Pursuing these rewards is not selfish or materialistic, but is recommended by Jesus, Paul, and other Christians.

In particular, there are three eternal crowns that every Christian can potentially qualify for, regardless of our personal position or situation:

• The Crown of Righteousness for continually loving and longing for Jesus to return.
• The Crown of Glory for faithfully caring for fellow Christians' spiritual development.
• The Crown of Life for enduring persecution without giving up our faith.

Therefore, I believe there will be many, many more Christians who will receive these special crowns than we might initially expect. We ourselves might even be earning crowns that we never expected to receive, without even knowing it!

These crowns will be like athletic medals that Christians will eternally be honored to receive, even though we will periodically cast these crowns before God in worship since our ability to do the things that led to us qualifying for these crowns came from God in the first place.

Yet if we do desire to qualify for these crowns, then practicing some spiritual disciplines can be one way of building the willpower that will enable us to endure the suffering that each crown requires in one way or another.

In my next post, I will cover the final category of heavenly rewards that Christians can receive: the privilege of ruling with Christ to a greater or lesser extent, based on how well we served God with everything that God gave us in this life.

Footnotes:

• 1. Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pubs., 2004), 21, citing C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Collier Books, 1960), 118.
• 2. Jonathan Edwards, Letters and Personal Writings, Works of Jonathan Edwards Online Vol. 16, ed. George S. Claghorn (Jonathan Edwards Center: Yale University, 2008), 754, resolution #22.
• 3. Robert Wilkin, Bruce Wilkinson Speaks on Eternal Rewards, Grace Evangelical Society, March 31, 2017.
• 4. I agree with Arminius who wrote, "I ascribe to grace THE COMMENCEMENT, THE CONTINUANCE, AND THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL GOOD,—and to such an extent do I carry its influence, that a man, though already regenerate,can neither conceive, will, nor do any good at all, nor resist any evil temptation, without this preventing and exciting, this following and co-operating grace—from this statement it wil clearly appear, that I am by no means injurious or unjust to grace, by attributing, as it is reported of me, too much to man's free-will." Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2006), 143-144. Thus, Olson says "Clearly then Arminius did believe people are totally dependent on grace for any and every good they have or do" (144).
• 5. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. 1, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY: 2011) 2.5.15 p.335, 2.5.2 p.318-319.
• 6. The full quote is "The Lord, he says, will award me a crown, being a just judge. So he owes me what he will award; so the just judge will award; having inspected the work, after all, he can’t deny the reward … But with the reward you do nothing; with the work, you don’t act alone. The crown simply comes to you from him; the work on the other hand comes from you, but only with him helping … To Paul fighting the good fight, completing the course, keeping the faith, he paid back good things. But for what good things? For ones he himself had given. Or wasn’t it by his gift that you were able to fight the good fight? … The only things of yours that we know were prepared for you by yourself are evil. So when God crowns your merits, he is not crowning anything but his own gifts." Augustine, "Sermons", trans. Edmund Hill, in The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century ed. John E. Rotelle, part 3, vols. 1–11 (Brooklyn, NY: New City Press, 1990), s.333.2,5, as quoted by Kevin Offner, "Augustine on Heaven and Rewards", C.S. Lewis Institute, June 2, 2017.
• 7. William D. Mounce, Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 148-149.
• 8. Arden Kierce, "Don’t Let Scoffers and Date-Setters Steal Your Crown," RaptureReady.com, July 6, 2024.
• 9. Zane C. Hodges and Robert N. Wilkin, Tough Texts: Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Works? (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 58.
• 10. "Because the servant was unfaithful, his portion is appointed with the hypocrites. He was not being hypocritical about the Gospel or about thinking that his Lord was going to come. Even when he talks about the Lord's delaying his coming, he's not saying 'I don't believe in Him anymore' or 'I don't believe He's coming.' He believes that He's coming, but he thinks it's not for a while. So, instead of fulfilling his role as a servant, he pleases himself. He begins to eat and drink with the drunkards, and he begins to beat his fellow servants. His behavior, even though he is in the role and position of a servant of the Lord, is contradictory and therefore hypocritical." Zane C. Hodges and Robert N. Wilkin, Tough Texts: Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Works? (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 58.
• 11. "In such passages, the real problem is that we westerners have a tendency to be more restrained in our expressions of grief.... but in the Middle East it is not unusual for a person who has lost a young child, a beloved wife, or somebody near to him to weep, wail, and gnash his teeth. Frequently in the Bible we read of people who weep, wail, rend their clothes, wallow in ashes and put dirt in their hair. These are Middle Eastern ways of showing intense grief. This is how Matt 24:51 should be understood. There is nothing about this description of grief that must always be interpreted in connection with hell. I don't think anybody in Jesus' day would have automatically connected this description with eternal torment." Zane C. Hodges and Robert N. Wilkin, Tough Texts: Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Works? (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 59.
• 12. Zane C. Hodges and Robert N. Wilkin, Tough Texts: Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Works? (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 59.
• 13. Zane C. Hodges and Robert N. Wilkin, Tough Texts: Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Works? (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 62.
• 14. "Monasticism — nothing in the history of the Western world has done more harm to the present-day prospects of a sensible and necessary asceticism than the emergence of monasticism as a form of Christian life. It should go without saying that much of the motivation that gave rise to monasticism was praiseworthy, that many great Christians have served within the monastic orders, and many good things were accomplished by these great men [and women].... It is equally true, however, that within those orders spiritual discipline came over the years to be identified with confused, pointless, and even destructive excesses. These excesses were supported upon attitudes of body hatred and the belief that forgiveness or merit can be gained by sufferings, whether self-inflicted or imposed by a religious superior — all of which are now universally and rightly condemned." Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 135, quote from 139.
• 15. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 148.
• 16. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 149.
• 17. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 3-4.
• 18. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 4-5.
• 19. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 151.
• 20. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 151-152.
• 21. "As we have indicated, there are many other activities that could, for the right person and upon the right occasion, be counted as spiritual disciplines in the strict sense stated of our previous chapter. The walk with Christ certainly is one that leaves room for and even calls for individual creativity and an experimental attitude in such matters. Yet the range of extension of the disciplines is largely determined by our own established tendencies to sin that must be resisted, as well as by the possible avenues of loving service to God and humankind that offer themselves to such creatures as we are." Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 190.
• 22. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 158.
• 23. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 158.
• 24. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 138.
• 25. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 138.
• 26. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988),157.
• 27. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1988), 167.
• 28. Bryan Guinness, "The Olympian & the Christian – 4 Things in Common", Upward Calling, February 10, 2026.