Salvation is not only a gift of God, it is a promise.  Jesus told His apostles, and by inference, everyone who obeys the gospel, that there are many rooms in the Father’s house (heaven), and that one day He is coming back to get us and take us home (John 14:1-3).  Paul certainly had confidence that Jesus will fulfill His word.  Before he died, Paul did not doubt the salvation of his soul.

2 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)
⁸  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Does it sound like Paul had confidence in Christ?  He did not say there might be a crown of righteousness laid up for him; he said there is laid up for me the crown.  We too can trust in the promises of God.  Paul made sure to point out that the crown he was referring to would be given to all who have loved His appearing, that is, those who have loved the Lord Himself and have lived a victorious life.  The crown is not the royal crown (Diadema), but the crown of victory (Stephanos).

How is victory attained in Christ?  It begins by one obeying the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16) and having his sins washed away by the blood of the Lord (Matthew 26:28).  But, one’s initial obedience to the gospel does not assure victory.  If we want the crown that Paul was sure would be his, we must live the life he was willing to live.

2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)
⁷  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul did not just get into the fight, he absorbed all the blows of the devil and kept on fighting.  He finished the race, never leaving the faith, no matter how laborious the course became.  That is the life one must live in order to get the crown.  We must live a life of endurance, running the race of Christianity with patience (Hebrews 12:1).  James wrote of this same crown.

James 1:12 (NKJV)
¹²  Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

This sounds a lot like what Paul wrote.  The crown goes to those who endure.  It is a promise we can believe, but we must keep loving the Lord.  Remember, Jesus said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  As long as we do that, we can have complete confidence in Christ and the promise that one day He will come back to get us, and where He is, we shall be also.

Only Satan wants you to doubt Christ.  In the beginning, he lied to Eve telling her that if she disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, she would not die.  Today, Satan wants us to believe that if we obey God, we will not live.  While Eve believed the devil and died, it is likely that if we believe him, we will lose out on life.  Do not forget, it is faith that gives us the victory (1 John 5:4).    

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.