Bible Thoughts

January 6, 2002

For so long as David had lived, he was mindful of God. The shepherd king recognized that his only hope came from the Lord. He was confident in his faith as he trusted in Jehovah.

Young people are to have "confidence" in Jehovah and in His word. Such trust will bring the hope of which David speaks. Many great men and women of the Bible were faithful to the Lord because of their trust in Him during their youth. Teach a child when they are young; when they are older, they will remember the teachings they received early in life.

What is it that young people need today? Do they need the heroes of the world? Do they need the example of politicians? Do they need the books, movies, and magazines of the world? Or, is there something beyond what the world has to offer? Christians know the answer to these questions. While there are decent heroes, honest politicians, proper books, acceptable movies and magazines, these do not satisfy the real needs of our young folks. Hence, what do they truly need while they are young?

Young people need to be taught the ways of righteousness. Parents must instill within their offspring a profound respect for the teachings of the Lord. The principles of truth and morals should be taught from the cradle. While we are preparing them for this life through secular education and societal experiences, make sure that we provide the spiritual teachings that they will need during their lifetime.

Young people need examples of righteousness. When we teach our youth, we must live what we expect of them. A righteous example is a powerful tool to influence your offspring. If they see that you practice what you profess to believe, they will take note. If a parent says one thing and practices another, a child will recognize such hypocrisy and be disheartened. Such examples, however, are not limited to parents and grandparents. Each Christian should live in such a manner as to present to young minds and hearts the joy of serving the Lord.

Young people need encouragement. When Paul wrote the following to brethren, he was not excluding those who are young. "And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all"(I Thessalonians 5:14). A word may be all that is needed to encourage your child or someone else's child to help them overcome a problem. Do you remember when you were younger and how much a kind and pleasant word meant to you? Times have not changed. Young people still need encouragement. After all, they hear enough "discouraging words."

Young people need the association of those who are living the life of the righteous. In some congregations, it is difficult to find enough young people to have the companionship that is needed by one who is trying to be righteous. In other congregations, however, there are many young people who find strength in knowing that others are living the life of a disciple. Encourage your sons and daughters to make close friends of those who are close friends of Jesus Christ.

The needs of youth are many and varied. Let each take note that spiritual needs are first in one's life. Fulfilling such needs will make one a better person now and save one's soul in eternity. The Lord did say to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness." These words are for young and old.

One of the Christian’s great motivations is the desire to receive the crown of life. When James wrote of the “crown of life” he was not speaking of a literal crown but was speaking of a figurative reward. The idea of a crown as reward was common in the apostolic literature. Paul mentioned crowns of rejoicing, and righteousness. Peter spoke of a crown of glory. James, of course, wrote of a crown of life. John, in his revelation from Christ, also wrote of a crown of life. The idea of a crown as a reward is firmly entrenched within the New Testament. As such, it is good for a Christian to be encouraged by these promises. But there is a simple truth that must be recognized, the use of the ”crown of” terminology is not literal but exists to provide a real life counterpart to a spiritual truth, i.e., it is something that the audience can relate to.

The people of the time recognized that a crown was given to the winner of a race; Paul spoke of such in 1 Corinthians 9:24. All of this should seem obvious to a true student of the Bible. However, there is a mode of thought that exists today that says the crowns mentioned in the New Testament are really varying degrees of reward, i.e., that it is possible to receive the “crown of life” but not receive the “crown of glory” because they are two different rewards. This idea stems from the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. Proponents of this doctrine, recognizing that the scriptures do indeed warn of the possibility of falling out of favor with God, have provided this explanation: it is not possible to lose salvation but it is possible to lose your crowns; 1st Corinthians 3:12-15 is used as proof of this concept. The question must be asked: What happens to people who are saved but who lose their crown of life? What happens to them? Acceptance of such theories often comes from reading the Bible at a superficial level. Someone will write out such a theory and give a few scriptures as proof. Others read the theory, see the “proof”, and accept it as truth because it supports a belief that they already had. The true Bible student, instead of merely accepting the explanation, searches their Bible and reads the entire context of the scriptural quotation. If this is done concerning “crowns” it becomes apparent that the reference is purely an analogy.

The idea of a crown is merely another way of expressing reward. Truthfully, some crowns are already attained. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:19 that the Thessalonian Christians were his (as well as Silvanus’s and Timothy’s) “crown of rejoicing”. The true Christian recognizes that the “crown of life” spoken of by James is awaiting all those who endure the trials of life and remain faithful to the Lord. Whereas in a carnal race, there is only one reward for the winner of the race, in a spiritual race there is a reward for all that persevere to the end. The Christian who endures to the end will not be rewarded with merely his or her own life, but also the lives of all Christians. The faithful who were loved in this life will be there in the next. This is the Christian’s hope and encouragement.-Scott Huston