The Crown Of Life.

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

 ⁸ “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

 ⁹ “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. ¹⁰ Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
 ¹¹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

I said i would come back to this and in due course I have finally got there. I wrote before about this wonderful little church. Christ finds within this church and it's people nothing to condemn. As shocking as that is to our sensibilities the next part is far worse namely that they will suffer. Surely that is all wrong? Surely the better we perform as a church the more our reward will be. But this is where the prosperity gospel preachers I believe have it wrong. Think about the really great apostles. Was Peter or Paul or John rich? As soon as they find Jesus does life suddenly start going well for them. Is there money and prosperity in their lives ? Well Peter I believe according to tradition was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded. John ( remember 'The disciple who Jesus loved') was put in boiling oil and then exiled. So why is it we do not expect to suffer for our faith. 

The truth is I do not want to suffer. Not really my thing you see. I would obviously prefer it if I could breeze through life without any suffering at all and then die very peacefully in my sleep. So why would I want to suffer.

Firstly who are we suffering for? Jesus Christ. I cannot put into words, although I try often, all the things Christ has done for me. But considering all that he has done for me should I not be willing to suffer for his sake.

Secondly who does it benefit?

¹⁰ God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
      for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 ¹¹ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you^[c] and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. ¹² Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Matthew 5.

Our reward is in heaven. It is very easy for us to lose sight of what it is all about. If we remain faithful to God our reward will be heaven.

⁸"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. ⁹But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

Luke 12.

These are great promises that Jesus gives here. When we acknowledge Jesus before men, when we suffer because of his names sake our reward is in Heaven.

This is made clear at the end of the letter to Smyrna.

¹⁰ Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

 ¹¹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

Not harmed by the second death does not mean we will not die. But persevere to the end and we will not face the second death. Hell.

We will be given the Crown of Life. 

John Stott sums it up like this in his commentary on this letter:

" But Christ is generous in His gifts. If we endure,He says, and by our endurance prove the genuineness of our Christian profession, we shall escape the Hell which is the second death (v.11) and enter the heaven, which is the Crown of Life."