12/18/2023 – Fight for your Crown
2 Timothy 4: 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
The apostle Paul describes his entire ministry in three verbs: fought, finished, and kept. He could have listed many accomplishments and provided more statistics than any other servant of God. But it is not success that wins the crown – it is faithfulness. This is the formula by which the apostle Paul proclaims himself the winner of the most valuable prize anyone can achieve: The crown Christ has promised.
He fought very hard to win this prize, not only for himself, but for millions who came to Christ through His ministry. Christ has promised a prize and a reword to everyone who fulfils their ministry faithfully. This promise is closely related to the promise of His return. He says to the church in Philadelphia: Behold I come quickly. Hold on to what you have that no one may take your crown.
You MUST desire this crown. You must work and fight for this crown. It pains me to hear many Christians diminish the importance of the prize Christ promised us. This is not a royal crown, but a crown of victory. In the Olympic games, athletes receive crowns made with leaves as a symbol of victory. They train and sacrifice to be acclaimed the best in their sport. But the crown they receive is perishable. Christ promises us an eternal reward.
We are not fighting to defeat an enemy. That is not our mission: Christ has already defeated all our enemies, including sin and death. We are fighting to serve God and fulfill our ministry. You will have to face struggles- you must fight faithfully against the devil, the world…and even yourself.
Paul does not claim to have won every round. He admits he was at times on the ropes and even knocked down. But he was never defeated. He was always more than a conqueror. We are also more than conquerors because of Christ who loved us.