My dear readers,

Ready for the Crown?

2 Timothy 4:6-8: “⁶For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: ⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

The Epistle of Second Timothy by the Apostle Paul was his last to Timothy, his beloved spiritual son, whom he had appointed to take charge of the church in Ephesus. Encouraging him to be faithful, Paul wrote two epistles. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 were his final words of goodbye, but at the same time, very encouraging ones. Paul wrote these words from a Roman prison while he waited for God’s will to be accomplished in his life. Paul knew he would be going Home soon to be with his Lord. His life of service would soon be over. All his co-labourers and servants of God would see him no more. He would no longer be there to teach, guide and serve with them. And in these final encouraging verses, Paul’s goodbye was more of “see you soon in heaven.” He shared a very personal account of his life of service in Christ, demonstrating his readiness to receive his crown.

• I am ready to be offered – This means, “I am ready to be poured out as a libation”, like a person’s life’s blood as a sacrifice. His end was near. From the day of his conversion, when Christ saved him as he travelled on the road to Damascus to arrest and persecute more Christians, he had served the Lord with the same zeal and fervency he had when persecuting Christians. His life of service was coming to an end. He knew it in his heart. Paul had such an end-of-life readiness because he saw his life as a life of sacrifice, like the animals used for the Levitical sacrifices in the Old Testament. Paul’s daily perspective of his life of service unto the Lord, going wherever the Lord sent him (regardless of the danger and persecution that awaited him), preaching whatever the Lord laid on his heart to preach and doing so without murmuring but with a heart of godly contentment, enabled him to say these words with sincerity and peace in his soul. His life belonged to Christ who had redeemed it with His life’s blood. With this redemption, Paul became Christ’s willing slave. He served his master by speaking His holy Word, doing his holy deeds, bearing his cross, counting it a privilege to suffer for His sake, and was now ever ready to be offered as a libation. Paul knew his Lord, and who he lived for and died for. Are you ready too?

• I have fought a good fight – Paul saw his life of living for Christ as “a good fight”. All of humanity fight to survive on Earth from the day they are born. It is a dog-eat-dog world. They fight for what they believe to be treasures, or some noble causes, or for the legacy of their name, or for loved ones and country. These are some of the “good fight” causes that millions have lived and died for throughout the ages. But all these are temporal and will soon be destroyed when God destroys this Earth in the not-too-distant future.

The fight that Paul speaks of that is “good” is intrinsically good because it has eternal value. He shared the gospel everywhere the Lord sent him, and sinners became saints; churches were founded for the saints to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. These saints would be with Paul in heaven. Paul’s life impacted many for Christ as they travelled with him as his disciples, as did Timothy and Titus. Many in these churches were encouraged by Paul’s life of devotion, courage and faith. His godly life for Christ was exemplary, so that he would humbly and confidently say to all, “follow him” as he followed Christ. Persecution often awaited him, but he did not flinch. He submitted to his heavenly Father’s will and trusted in his Lord who directed him, knowing that where the Lord sent him would always be the best and safest place to be in, even if it meant experiencing persecution for Christ’s sake, serving the Lord. Seeing his world as a battlefield always keeps a soldier like Paul on guard. He made certain that he did not fall by the way side while serving the Lord. He fought against succumbing to sin and temptations. He remained steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that his labour in the Lord would never be in vain.

Soon, the fight would be over. He would be going home to be with his Lord, whom he loved with all his heart, soul, strength and mind. He would be seeing him face-to-face. No regrets. No shame. Only a deep sense of godly anticipation of seeing his beloved Saviour Jesus Christ, who lived and died for him. Paul counted it an honour and a privilege to serve and fight the good fight for His Lord’s glory.

I have finished my course – Paul also saw his life of service as a race. He ran in the course that his Lord had chosen for him, i.e. his calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles. For a Pharisee Jew, who once despised Gentiles, he must now overcome all his prejudices and, with the love of Christ in his heart, reach out to all Gentiles, regardless of their status and standing in society. Paul preached to the down-and-out Gentiles like the slaves, and the rich and poor Gentiles, including kings and soldiers. It did not matter to Paul who stood before him. As long as it was the Lord who sent Him, whether in freedom or in chains, Paul preached the gospel of Christ, knowing that they could bind his body and place him in prison, but the gospel can never be bound. He ran his race according to the biblical rules of holiness and righteousness, as outlined in the Holy Scriptures. It was a race fraught with many dangers and hardships. Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 11:24-30: “²⁴Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. ²⁵Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. ²⁸Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? ³⁰If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.” Now as his life was coming to an end, his Lord directed him to preach the gospel in chains and in a Roman prison. If this was where the Lord wanted his course to end, so be it! May the Lord’s will be done.

• I have kept the faith – In times of peace and tranquillity, one can never be really sure of the sincerity of one’s faith. However, in times of persecution, the fire of suffering for Christ reveals the reality and strength of one’s faith. Paul held on to his faith. He kept trusting in his Lord as he surrendered his life to Him. He knew that all things happened in his life because his Lord had permitted them. His Lord is sovereign over everything in his life. With this unconditional, implicit and absolute trust in his Saviour, Paul held on to his faith with the tightest of grip. Regardless of the external circumstances he faced, he found inner strength he never knew he had during persecution. He learned it was when he was weak that he could experience the strength of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
  
  2 Corinthians 12:10: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Whenever he stumbled, he repented. He knew how important repentance was in his life of serving Christ. To regard iniquity in his heart would result in the Lord not hearing his prayers and receiving his worship (cf. Ps 66:18). Paul would never allow that to happen in his life. He would hold on to his faith and walk right with God at all costs.

From the above four testimonies, Paul was certain that the righteous Judge, i.e. Jesus Christ, who will judge him from the day of his salvation to the end, will give him a crown on the day of judgment. Paul described his crown as a “crown of righteousness”. The crown here refers to a prize awarded at public games rather than “a diadem”, e.g. a crown of royalty inherited by a prince from his kingly father. Paul would finish his race successfully and be presented with a crown. The concept of a crown is to be understood figuratively, rather than literally. The crown of righteousness will be given to a born-again believer who lived his life in righteousness according to the Holy Scriptures, enduring all the trials of life in victory, holding to his faith in Christ, by living in holiness and righteousness before all men and his God. In woe or in weal, he lived righteously.

This crown of righteousness was not for Paul only but is for all who love Christ’s appearing. The ones who love Christ’s appearing when life on earth is painful and unbearable are omitted here. The reason is that when their life on earth takes a turn for the better, their love for Christ’s appearing wanes and evaporates completely. However, those who love His appearing because they love Him and desire to see their Saviour’s face, and who have continually lived a holy and righteous life, are definitely included here. They love Him by serving Him. They love Him when they give their lives to help others. They love His appearing because they know their lives are being lived for Christ. They have sacrificed and been persecuted for Christ’s sake. They love His appearing because they desire God's will to be done on earth as it is always done in heaven! When Christ appears, all sins and sinners will be dealt with. All places of idolatry and sin will be eradicated. Jesus Christ will create a new Heaven and a new Earth for His beloved disciples who love His appearing! They will keep their faith and live in righteousness all their days till they see Christ. They know Christ will welcome them into His loving arms and say to them, "Well done, and welcome home, my good and faithful servants!"

Are you ready for your crown?