Nothing to Show

	"I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown."

—Revelation 3:11

Did you know that it is possible to have a saved soul and a lost life? A saved soul means that you are saved because you believe in Jesus and not because of the works you do. You have turned from your sin and put your faith in Christ. And God has a plan for your life: He wants you to serve Him.

But a lot of Christians don't do that much for the Lord, though they should. And this means they have a lost life. The Bible says that we will stand before God one day, and our work will be tested to see what sort it is (see 1 Corinthians 3:12–14). If it is built on the wrong foundation, then it will be burned up, but our soul will be saved.

Jesus said, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown" (Revelation 3:11). Hold fast. Hang on. Don't let go. Don't relax your grip. If you do, you could lose your crown.

The crown is a symbol of rewards that are awaiting Christians. To lose your crown means to lose your reward. The Bible speaks of a crown that God gives for our faithfulness to Him (see Revelation 3:11). First Thessalonians 2:19 mentions a crown of rejoicing, which would appear to be a crown for winning souls. Then, in 2 Timothy 4:8, there is a crown of righteousness. James 1:12 speaks of a crown of life for enduring temptation and persevering under trial.

These are the rewards God will give to each of us. But how sad it will be for those who stand before Him on that day and have nothing to show for the life that was given to them.

~Greg Laurie~