What are the crowns a believer can receive in heaven? What are the heavenly crowns?

Quick answer

The Bible describes five heavenly crowns—imperishable, righteous, life-giving, rejoicing, and glorious—given by God’s grace as rewards for faithful living. These crowns call us to live with eternal values, persevere through trials, and serve others with joy as we keep our focus on Christ and His promises.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible mentions five different crowns a person can receive in heaven. These include an imperishable crown, the crown of righteousness, the crown of life, the crown of rejoicing, and the crown of glory. Crowns in the New Testament period were associated with the wreath of leaves awarded to the victor of an athletic competition. These crowns are not earned by human effort or earned to gain favor with God, but they are given by God’s grace in recognition of our faithful response to Him. Living in light of these crowns encourages us to prioritize eternal values, persevere in challenges, and serve others with joy. By keeping our focus in this life on Christ and on eternity, we can live intentionally and run the race to receive the rewards He has promised.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Living in light of the heavenly crowns means to always live with an eternal perspective and to remember that how we live on earth matters for eternity. Each crown represents a distinct aspect of faithful living: the imperishable crown urges us to pursue self-control and discipline in our spiritual journey, the crown of righteousness inspires us to anticipate Christ’s return with unwavering hope, the crown of life calls us to endure trials and remain steadfast in our love for God, the crown of rejoicing encourages us to invest in the lives of others by sharing the joy of salvation, and the crown of glory reminds us to serve faithfully. These crowns are not about earning favor from God but about responding to God’s grace with wholehearted devotion. We can live intentionally, striving to live for God in all we do, knowing that our faithfulness will be rewarded in eternity. May we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, who empowers us to run the race and receive the crowns He has promised.

UNDERSTAND

REFLECT

ENGAGE