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Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing. ~ 2 Timothy 4:8
In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 the Apostle Paul gives us an overview of God's activity in his life, present, past and future. Having considered v.6-7, today, we consider v.8, where we learn of that which the Lord had in store for Paul in the future.
In the first part of v.8 we read, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness."
The phrase "there is in store for me" means safely deposited with God. This phrase includes a present tense verb, meaning that it is secure continuously into eternity. God can make that promise because it is a promise conditioned upon the righteous life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer is eternally righteous because the ledger of Christ has been added to his right standing before God.
"The crown" that the Apostle speaks of here is stephanos which was a reference to the wreath placed on an athlete's head after a victory in some kind of an olympic event. This crown was usually woven like a garland out of some kind of a plant.
The Apostle Paul identifies this crown as the crown of righteousness. Though he had the gift of imputed perfection of the Lord Jesus applied to him, this speaks of complete and experiential righteousness, living in the presence of pure goodness. This righteousness means all is well and nothing is out of place. This word describes a state of being free of sin and death.
In 2 Peter 3:13 we read, “According to His promise we are looking for the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Righteousness, as in the absence of sin, will endure. Revelation tells us there won’t be any unrighteousness in heaven, none at all. Heaven will be righteousness perfected. So, the Apostle Paul is looking then at the reward of his life which is eternal righteousness which was earned by the Lord Jesus on his behalf.
When we get to heaven we will never be tempted to sin. We will never again know an evil thought. We will know absolute perfect and eternal righteousness. That’s what we all long for. Like Paul, our greatest battle against self will be over. This is the righteousness that the Apostle Paul writes of here in v.8.
The words "that Day" is the day when all that is now invisible to man, realities which cannot be discovered by the scientific mind, will be made visible, and all the earth will see what has been there all along. That is the great Day toward which we are moving, a moment when time gives way to eternity, when all the waiting ends, when "time shall be no more." We will no longer be locked into having to wait for this righteous eternity to happen.
This crown of righteousness will be for all who have longed His appearing. Literally, this crown of righteousness is for those who love His presence and appearance. The Apostle uses the word agape to describe our love for His appearing. The greatest single mark of a true believer in Christ is his commitment love for this one who laid down His life for us.
When we became Christians, we began to love God. We don’t always do what’s right, but we love God because He loved us first. His love has been deposited into our being via the Holy Spirit. We can't help but love Him. The reward of eternal righteousness is promised to all those who have loved His appearing.
There is nothing better than the story of the Lord Jesus' appearing, of the relief He brings to our spirit, the lifting of the load of guilt, the healing of our inner lives. To love His appearing means to live in the light of His coming, to live as if He were coming today. All this, Paul says, will occur at that one day. This is the mystery that will usher in eternity.
The Christian life is entirely different than anything this world has to offer. It is not a mere philosophy of being good to your fellow man. It includes that, but that is not all of it. It is not merely good teaching about some of the intricate mysteries of life or about what happens after death. It is that which centers on one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. And, He is the One who is the heart, the soul and the glory of the Christian faith. The anticipation of this hope of seeing Him is the ultimate of all anticipations, and we wait patiently. His appearing will be glorious for then we will know righteousness in its fullness.
