STRIVING TO OBTAIN THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
"And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the Ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfil it.” Colossians 4:17 (NKJV)
BIBLE READING: DANIEL 12:13; ACTS 13:36; 2TIMOTHY 4:6-8
There is no greater Honour or privilege anybody under the Sun can receive than being enrolled in the Service of the Lord God Almighty Himself. The Holy Bible states that every single one of the Christian believers who are part of the First Resurrection would exercise Absolute Rule with the Lord Jesus Christ during His Millennial Reign (Rev. 20:6). This is exactly a thousand years, which amounts to two hundred and fifty (250) consecutive terms in Political Power AS A MERE BUILD UP to our Eternal Reign with Him! Even the office of the President of the United States (POTUS) is restricted to a maximum of two terms per individual. There is a serious need to pause and meditate on this. The Stark Reality is that a Crown, as we have learned in our previous devotional, is proof that the bearer or wearer is qualified to rule with the Lord Jesus during the Millennium. One of the most prominent and important of these Crowns is the Crown of Righteousness.
The Holy Scriptures describe the Crown of Righteousness as a Reward received from the Lord Jesus Christ by all Christian believers who Faithfully fulfill God's Divine Calling or Purpose for their lives. Apostle John the Beloved while writing his First Epistle said that "For THIS PURPOSE the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1Jn. 3:8b). The Apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus before his spectacular conversion on the road to Damascus, also understood this. Towards the end of his life and Ministry while being fully aware of his imminent martyrdom via beheading at the command of Emperor Nero, he communicated this Truth to his Spiritual son Timothy in his Second Epistle to the latter. Paul emphasized his readiness to be reunited with the Lord Jesus Christ which then prompts us to ask: What gave him the effrontery to claim the Crown of Righteousness? The answer is seen in Three Dimensions as recorded in 2Timothy 4:7:
(1.) I have fought A GOOD FIGHT.... Primarily, the only good fight every Christian believer is mandated to engage in is the Good Fight of Faith (1Tim. 6:12). The Righteous man lives and is sustained by Faith alone (Hab. 2:4); hence the quality of your Faith determines how you eventually end up.
(2.) I have finished MY COURSE.... Secondly, Paul pointed out that he had finished HIS OWN Course, which refers to his God-given Ministry or Assignment. Never expect God to commend you for doing what He never commanded you to do in the first place.
(3.) I have kept THE FAITH.... Finally, Paul kept or guarded the Christian Faith, which was committed to his trust (1Tim. 1:11). We as Christian believers are under a Divine Obligation to always contend for our Common Faith because whatever we have been called to do must be a Witness or Testimony before all to our New Life in Christ (Jude 3). Chasing after God's Agenda without manifesting His Moral Attributes is essentially counterproductive.
The Major Aim of every Genuine Disciple of Jesus Christ ought to be Christlikeness, which is the end and sum of all Spiritual Warfare. The Holy Scriptures state the following emphatically: "So I run straight towards the Goal in order to win the Prize, which is God's Call through Christ Jesus to the Life above" Phil. 3:14(GNT). This Goal is that which qualifies us and enables us to fulfill God's Divine Call upon our lives. Let us labour today by His Grace to BECOME more like Him and finish the Ministry He entrusted to us, thereby qualifying to receive the Crown of Righteousness as we hear Him gladly tell us "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21).
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, to You alone do we ascribe all the Glory, Honour and Power. O Lord, please empower us to manifest Your Divine Call upon our lives and give us the Grace to accomplish it that we may be fully qualified for the Crown of Righteousness in Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.