Let No Man Take Your Crown

Behold I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Rev 3:11

In previous writings I have observed that, as a people, we have lost sight of the hope contained in the Gospel. We have misplaced the energising hope that leads to personal and corporate purity and Zion is desolate. What I have written is solid food for the mature. Receiving the whole counsel of God has the potential to set us ablaze as a people, as surely as the recovery of truth sparked a national revival in the days of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23).

The Gospel is power to those who believe. “These signs shall follow those who believe...” (Mk 16:17). To walk in Heavenly power and authority, we must believe the Gospel in its entirety. Those who possess a complete Gospel hope are men and women of purity and power. Those who possess it not, dwell carelessly and perish through lack of knowledge.

When we lose sight of the Gospel hope, we lose our motivation to purify (1 Jn 3:3). And without purity, we have no Heavenly power. It’s that simple. We may have 'progressed' past Peter and John to the place where we possess silver and gold. We may boast institutional weight and fashionable worship centres and favourable bank relationships. But who amongst us can say, as Peter did, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6). Who amongst us can say, as Jesus did, “Stretch forth thy hand!” Brother and sisters, it doesn't matter how impressive and fashionable the visible church may appear from a worldly standpoint – without the authority of Christ, we are impoverished. Truly I say to you, where our hearts are located (Matt 6:19-21) and how we have been built (1 Cor 3:11-13) are about to be revealed … as through fire. “There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph...” (Ex 1:8). The source of the church's power is about to be tested. Such power that is earthly and draws from institutional standing, technological prowess, clever marketing, and providential bank relationships ... will not stand.

Brothers and sisters, the high point of the Gospel hope is our glorification at the appearing of Christ. If we possess a complete Gospel hope, we are a people who eagerly look for the full manifestation of a kingdom not of this world. We are a people who purify ourselves in preparation for Christ's appearing and the glorification of our bodies. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50), so we strain forward and suffer the loss of all things that we might be glorified, in order to reign with Christ.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we also may be glorified with Him. Rom 8:16-17

The hope of the glory of God exploding forth out of our physical bodies and transfiguring us into the very likeness of the glorified Christ is a powerful motivator to holiness. This appointed event will happen in the twinkling of an eye and will catch many unprepared.

… when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. 1 Jn 3:2-3

If we have only believed for sins forgiven and not bodily glorification, then we have not embraced the entire Gospel message. The Gospel, in its entirety, offers: forgiveness of sin; power over sin; and the removal of sin at the glorification of our bodies. The Gospel offers, in this age, justification and the power to overcome. In the age to come, the Gospel offers the reward of glorification. Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom. In this age, the Gospel offers kingdom entry and kingdom training. In the age to come, the Gospel offers kingdom reigning. In this age, the Gospel offers the gift of new birth and the opportunity to overcome. In the age to come, the Gospel offers the reward of a crown and an iron sceptre to those who have overcome and reached fruit-bearing maturity. Entry to the kingdom and training for reigning belong to this age. The reward belongs to the age to come.

Jesus said, “...those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” Luke 20:34-36

Dear brothers and sisters, here is solid food … if we can receive it. Glorification unto ruling and reigning in the age to come is a reward for those who have overcome the wicked one and who have become intimate with their Lord in this age.

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt 7:21-23

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from inquity. 2 Tim 2:19

Are you grasping afresh the hope that leads to purity? “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” What an energising hope! And yet the church has shied away from any talk of overcoming the wicked one, of cleansing ourselves, of departing from iniquity, of suffering, of labouring to enter the rest of God. The Gospel has been stripped of personal cost – including the cost of one's life – and accordingly it has been stripped of its power.

Such a Gospel – that is reduced to justification alone and stripped of the hope of overcoming and the reward of glorification and kingdom authority – is a powerless gospel.

To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev 3:21

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Cor 7:1

The apostle, Paul, had absolute assurance of his salvation as gifted in the Gospel and yet he laboured abundantly and lay down his life in pursuit of a reward, also offered in the Gospel. There was something in the Gospel that motivated him to labour abundantly (1 Cor 15:10), to suffer the loss of all things (Phil 3:8), to discipline and subdue his body (1 Cor 9:27), and to press onwards (Phil 3:14). There was a hope in Paul that inspired him to cleanse and purify and eagerly look for the second appearing of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:28). Paul possessed the hope of beholding Christ at His appearing and of joining Him in glory – a hope that motivated him to purify himself. While he knew that he had received the priceless gift of sins forgiven, Paul embraced the Gospel hope that he might overcome sin and the wicked one in order to receive the reward of the kingdom. This hope in him motivated him to labour abundantly, suffer the loss of all things, discipline and subdue his body, and strain forward. “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.”

Hear Paul’s insights. Paul does not teach the uncertainty of our salvation gift, as many have erroneously taught. He does, however, teach the elusiveness of the kingdom reward. Paul was granted to steward and teach the mystery of the Gospel – a Gospel that includes the hope of overcoming sin in this age and ruling in glorified bodies in the age to come. 

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 … I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Cor 9:24, 27

Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way... Phil 3:13-15

If we suffer we shall also reign with him... 2 Tim 2:12

Brothers and sisters, let us cooperate with the grace of God and labour to present ourselves approved for kingdom responsibility. It is all of grace – even our labour is not us, it is the grace of God in us (1 Cor 15:10). And yet there is discipline and decisions and a straining forward required of us. There is a dying – a crucified life to embrace. Let us not be like Esau and disregard our birthright and squander it for fleshly gratification (Heb 12:16). Let us not be presumptuous about our inheritance, like the idolatrous and sexually immoral people of Ezekiel's day. They arrogantly reasoned, “Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess” (Ezek 33:24). Brothers and sisters, we risk forfeiting our crown (Rev 3:11), if we do not value and hold fast what we have received in the Gospel – that when Christ who is our life appears, we too shall appear with Him in glory (Col 3:4). 

Our gift of salvation is assured. Our kingdom reward, however, depends on our loving His appearing and our being found worthy at His coming. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matt 5:8). Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14).

Brothers and sisters, if we find ourselves today enamoured with the things of this world and lukewarm in our devotion to Christ and His kingdom, we have not held fast the hope of His appearing and our glorification unto ruling and reigning. Indeed, we may not have even heard about this hope. “Everyone who has this hope in him, purifies himself even as He is pure.” Lord willing, I have much more to write on this. This message has the potential to saturate us afresh in the oil of His love and set us ablaze with the fire of His purity. As we walk in light and truth and eagerly look for the appearing of our blessed Lord and Saviour, we will taste of the powers of the age to come. Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947) walked in fervent love and white-hot purity and he was entrusted with the powers of the age to come, like few others before or after him. In 1914, in Oakland, California, he preached:

Do you believe that the Father in heaven would make you a judge over a kingdom if there was anything crooked in you? Do you believe you will be able to bind unless you are free yourself?

This is solid food for the mature. Let those of us who are mature think this way. Let us recover and embrace the energising hope that leads to purity. Let us do so with the same humility and repentance that King Josiah displayed, when He recovered the book of the covenant. And we too will have the revival that we long for.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Heb 5:14