2 Timothy 4:8 >
"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
So, James says the Lord will give us "the crown of life", and Paul says we will be given "the crown of righteousness". And Paul says this will be done "on that Day". So, I can see that "the crown of life" means "the crown of righteousness", and this crown will be given to us, "in that Day" and not now. So, in case this is what you mean, Good Book, thanks
But ones might have some question about if the "crown of life" is the same as "the crown of righteousness".
I think they are the same thing > the different terms bring out different things about the same crown > the crown is of God's eternal life and of God's righteousness; in God's love is God's eternal love life plus His own righteousness which means how only God's love is right for us and right with Him; so they all are together, in His love.
So, we do not receive our crown now, but "on that Day". However, I do understand that the righteousness of God is now in us . . . in His life . . . in the eternal life of His love which we do now have in Jesus in us > 1 John 5:11 < Galatians 4:19 with 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 to me show that Jesus already is growing in us, now, as our new inner Person, and I understand that Jesus in us shares with us, now, His very own righteous character and eternal love life . . . as much as we are truly growing and living in God's love now; and, by the way, this love which is righteous is also all-loving, making us also all-loving. And Jesus does say, "if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" in Matthew 5:46. So, we need how You our Father correct us so we become all-loving, in preparation to receive our crown.
Hebrews 12:4-11 says that our Father's correction produces the "peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by" His chastening. So, I consider that we need God's correction, now, so we have the righteousness which will prepare us to receive our "crown of righteousness" which is the "crown of life".
About God's correction > in Hebrews 12:4-11, we also have >
"Furthermore, we have had human fathers who chastened us, and we paid them respect. Shall we much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness." (Hebrews 12:9-10)
So, in seeking and receiving our Father's correction, we gain the "peaceable fruit of righteousness", and because we have been so corrected by God Himself, we "live". So, this to me confirms that there is a connection between God's righteousness and His life, so that we can say the "crown of righteousness" and "crown of life" are the same thing. What I understand is that in God's love we are growing in the eternal life of this love, and only this love is right and therefore righteous. So, it's all together . . . the best of everything, in God's own love in us, now. We grow in this so we prepare to receive the crown of the life and righteousness which we have had and grown in, in this life.
This right love . . . God's all-loving love . . . makes us alive to become all-caring, for any and all people as ourselves. This prepares us. And we truly get to know Jesus, by how we love any and all people, the way He does > Ephesians 5:1-2.
So, Jesus will give us the "crown" of this righteousness, "in that Day". But now we need the preparation. This is a good reason to stay alive here on this earth, for as long as our Father wants us here while He prepares us.
Now is the time to go through His correction which "produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness".
And I understand that righteousness has to do with how only the character of God's love is the right character for us to have. God's correction cures our nature so we now have the character of His love, and this is what makes us truly righteous: first, when a person gets saved by trusting in Jesus (Ephesians 1:12), yes a person is imputed righteousness, but still the person's character is not perfectly righteous like Jesus; but our Father's personal correction in us then changes our nature so we more and more maturely have His own love's righteous character in us. I think Hebrews 12:4-11 can help to make this clear. And so we can live in this love, now, as much as we have been corrected and are growing in God's love.
And this is included in our Biblical, and not only wishful, hope to spend eternity with God >
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)
"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)
So, to me, this means I need to submit to God, all the time - - - trusting and depending on You, O God our Father, to correct me so I am gentle and humble, pure and pleasant, and pleasing to You in Your love's "incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is" so "precious" to You > 1 Peter 3:4. And this love makes me also more and more all-loving like Jesus. And so, if I am corrected to become more and more all-loving, I am seeking all this good for any and all others, so any and all people may so deeply and personally share with You in Your love while personally caring tenderly for others, as well as we care about our own selves. So, You alone are the One who does this in us (Philippians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 3:4-5); You can do no less, in how You effect us with Your own grace curing us
So, amen in the name of Jesus Christ who is Your Son and our Lord and Savior and soon-coming Groom
