Sermon Notes

April 28, 2024

Crown of Righteousness

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Last week was vision Sunday where we shared the vision that God has given to our church and that vision is to “Connect people to Christ and His Followers”. It’s in that vision that we bring into focus. The mission God has for all churches (which means it’s for all Christians). The mission is summed up in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission; loving God with everything you have and loving your neighbor as yourself, then making disciples of all nations. This week we will be going back to look at the crowns that believers can earn. The first crown we looked at was the Imperishable Crown and we saw that it was obtained during our daily walk with Jesus. We saw it was going to be difficult, but we must be disciplined with every step. We make sure we are constantly moving closer to Jesus. With each of those steps, we must make sure that we are focused on the things that are eternal instead of those that are temporary. Then we looked at the Crown of Rejoicing and saw that to obtain it you had to have a love for God’s people (His church). You must know that when you pursue this crown (as with any of the crowns that are mentioned in the Bible) there is an enemy who will fight you the entire way. Then we saw that those you bring with you to heaven are your crown. They are literally your Crown of Rejoicing, but it’s rejoicing not in what you did to bring them there, but we rejoice in what Jesus did to bring all of us there. This week we are going to look at the Crown of Righteousness that Paul speaks of as he closes out his second letter to Timothy. As we read the text this morning, we need to understand that “context is key” as Paul explains how he has obtained this crown. What is meant by that is we must not insert our own ideas and meaning into what we think the text is saying, rather, we need to understand what Paul is really saying. We do this by reading through the entirety of scripture. When you have the context of all of scripture you will see that things sometimes aren’t what they seem on the surface (this goes for all scriptures, but especially todays). An example of this that many people know is found in the famous Abbott and Costello routine “Who’s on first”. When they do the bit the players on the baseball team have the last names of “Who, What, I Don’t know, Why, etc.” The joke is that Abott thinks these are questions rather than their actual names when he asks about the players and their positions on the baseball diamond. The lack of context in their conversation is what makes the joke funny. When it comes to Scripture if we lack context, it’s not funny and can cause a misunderstanding of what God is really saying to us. Just remember that everything is not what it seems on the surface when Paul is closing out his letter to Timothy and is explaining the Crown of Righteousness.

Paul sees his life as a triumphant offering. - 2 Timothy 4:6

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.

2 Timothy is sometimes called Paul’s last will and testament because he was in a Roman prison awaiting his execution when he wrote this very last epistle, and this is the end of the end as he is wrapping up everything in the later part of chapter 4. It’s in verse 6 that we see some familiar imagery that Paul has used before and that is of equating his life to an Old Testament drink offering. It’s in Philippians 2:17 that we first see this imagery when Paul says that his life is being poured out as a drink offering. Now he is at the end of his life, and he knows that his time is short. This time he doesn’t just say his life is being poured out, but rather the last drops of his sacrifice are falling because his death is near. When he talks about his death it’s not in a negative tone. As a matter of fact the word we translate as death literally means taking up one's tent and moving on. It’s like a ship that is casting off its moorings to move on to another place. It’s an idea of victory in the present and carrying that victory and freedom over to a new location. That’s what Paul is speaking of when he speaks of his impending death, but on the surface, it seems like he is saying that this victory that he is proclaiming comes because he has given his life as an offering. It appears he is saying that because of his works he has victory, but remember, not all these things are as it seems.

Remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57? “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ”. It’s in the context of this truth that he is proclaiming victory over death, not because of what he has done, but because of what Jesus did alone. Even though he is in some dire situations ― that truth has not changed. Our circumstances will often change, but the truth of our victory has not and will not ever change. He’s not even saying there is anything special about his life given as a sacrifice because again he knows that his life being given as an offering is just an act of worship to Jesus, it’s just as he said in Romans 12:1. His life given to Jesus was just because Jesus deserves it all (including our lives laid down for Him) because of what He did for us on the cross. It is not what Paul had done that has given him the victory, but rather what Jesus has done through a life given.

Paul sees his life as a victory. - 2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

When we think of the end of the lives of our friends and loved ones, we usually are sad and rightfully so, grief is a normal part of our lives. For a believer these times are not totally sad, because the death of a believer only gives way to victory because of Jesus. So in verse 7, Paul continues his victory lap not in his own accomplishment (as it might seem on the surface) but rather in the victory that is only achieved through Jesus.

The Good Fight

The first thing Paul mentions is fighting the good fight. We’ve seen this mentioned before when we looked at the Imperishable Crown because the term fight denotes that this is going to take effort ― a lot of effort. But what is this fight for? It’s the fight for truth. It’s exactly what Paul just finished commissioning Timothy with verse 1-5 when he says “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up His Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you”. Paul is telling Timothy; I’m not asking you to do anything that I didn’t do when Jesus commissioned me but let me tell you brother it’s going to be hard. You fight the fight, but don’t worry you will have plenty of help. You have been called and equipped by Jesus.

The Finished Race

Don’t you love that Paul used the word “finished” instead of won when he refers to this race that is his life? In Acts 20:24 Paul says his life is useless unless he finishes the work Jesus has given him. Can you imagine Paul, the author of about half of the New Testament, calling himself useless? It’s because he knows he was created for good works (Ephesians 2:10) and wanted to carry out the mission that God had trusted him with not because he had to, but because of his love for Jesus and his desire to be obedient. He didn’t win the race because Jesus already had just as the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:2-3, “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up”. Again, Paul pressed on in obedience (Phil. 3:14) to finish the race because Jesus has already won. He was able to finish the race because he had kept his eyes on the champion of the race. He had kept his eyes on Jesus.

The Faithful Endurance

Paul finishes off this verse by speaking of how he has stewarded what God has given him. Again he is speaking to Timothy, whom he just commissioned to do the same thing, and this is not him bragging or giving a reason he would receive the Crown of Righteousness, but he is using this as encouragement. He is telling Timothy that if he can do it, anyone can, but it’s not in his own strength that this can be accomplished but rather as he says in Philippians 4:13, he can do (or endure) all things through Christ who is his strength and can be Timothy’s too, if he trusts completely in Christ.

It’s easy in life to be beat down and think we are defeated. Paul was in a place that many would say, “Yes, Paul has lost, Paul has been defeated”, but Paul knows that your life cannot end in defeat when it ends in Jesus. That was the basis for Paul’s encouragement to Timothy ― to do the same thing, fight the good fight, finish the race, and be faithful no matter what happens. There is victory in Jesus and the things that Christ has called each one of us to. “To Connect people with Christ and His followers” is not done in our own strength or abilities. It's done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul sees his life as righteous. - 2 Timothy 4:8

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

As Paul finishes off this section it sounds like he is saying, because of everything that he has done and listed in the previous two verses that there is a Crown of Righteousness that will be awaiting him but remember everything is not as it seems and context is key. That’s not what Paul is saying at all. If you remember, Paul had said in Romans 5:4 “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” Paul knows that this Crown of Righteousness is not because of anything he had done. As a matter of fact, he knows the truth that is proclaimed in Isaiah, that his good deeds (our deeds), even his best deeds, are like filthy rags. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul states that “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ”. So Paul knows and is saying that this crown had NOTHING to do with him, but rather it is what he receives because of what Jesus has done and has credited to his account. It’s not just him, but all those who look forward to His coming and those are the church or fellow Christians. Anyone can have the righteousness of Jesus credited to their account, not because of anything they have done, but only because they put their faith in Jesus Christ. It is through faith that they have been saved by His grace! I can only imagine that as Paul finishes out this letter, he is remembering all the corrupt and unrighteous judges that he has stood before on his way to Rome. He knows the moment the last drop of the offering of his life is poured out in this life. He also knows it is then that he will stand before the perfectly righteous judge and he has absolute assurance what will happen then, not because of his righteousness, but because of the righteousness of God. The victory Paul has proclaimed in these three verses is a victory that can only be found once and for all in Jesus Christ.

So how are you living your life? Are you living in victory through Jesus or are you trying to achieve victory on your own? Have you put your faith in Him and had His righteousness credited to your account or are you trying to have victory in your own righteousness? Are you daily giving yourself as a living sacrifice to God and (as Paul put it) pouring out your life as a drink offering? Are you fighting the good fight by connecting people to Christ? Are you finishing the race well? Are you being faithful with everything that God has entrusted you with? Are you looking forward to the Crown that comes from the Righteousness of Jesus? Are you living your life in the Victory of Christ or in defeat from your brokenness that comes from sin in this world?

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Sermon Notes

Crown of Righteousness

2 Timothy 4:6-8

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