“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 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” (2 Tim. 4: 6-8).
Paul is nearing the end of his Christian pilgrimage, and he speaks of his life as a believer and minister as a drink offering, about to be poured out before the Lord. A drink offering, poured out on the ground, looks as though it is gone forever, but God keeps track of everything that goes into the soil. Paul is ready to be done, and he talks about his readiness with a series of metaphors. The first is taken from the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, and he then follows it up with two athletic metaphors — or perhaps a military metaphor and an athletic metaphor. He has fought as a warrior or as a boxer ought to fight. He has run as an athlete ought to run, with his eye on the finish line. These metaphors point to the reality that Paul is describing. He has kept the faith, he has not wandered off or veered from the path.
Paul knows that salvation is by grace, and he knows that it is all of grace. He knows that the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to those who have faith in Him. This does not alter in the slightest his willingness to speak about the awards ceremony at the end of the race. Paul’s vision of the Christian life is the kind of event that is followed by the raising of flags, the playing of anthems, and the placement of gold medals around the neck. In his day, that prize was a crown, and he describes what he will receive as a “crown of righteousness.” The Lord, who is Himself righteousness, will award Paul a crown of righteousness on the last Day. Not only will the Lord do this for Paul, He will also do for everyone who has loved His appearing. Those who love His appearing look forward to it. In that Day, the Lord will honor His gifts with yet more gifts. He who gives all righteousness will reward us for having that righteousness, and He will do it by giving us a crown of righteousness. It is the crowning gift that crowns all gifts.