Crown of Righteousness

A few weeks ago I was able to present how we earn the crown of righteousness. I have written out my notes and hope you find them helpful.

The Crown of Righteousness,
What does this crown of righteousness really entail and more importantly how do I even earn this crown of righteousness. Is it even possible to earn it? How does God describe this crown? These are very good question to think about and I hope to examine it with you today.

In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 let’s take a look at what Paul has to say about the crown of righteousness. This is the final letter Paul writes to the church before his death. He is about to be beheaded by Nero in approximately 66 AD.

Paul Says,
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.

How does Paul receive this crown of righteousness at the end of his life? Is it something he worked for? Or is it something outside of himself that allowed him to earn it.

Before we find out that answer to those questions let's take a look at the definition of righteousness. I found this definition and I believe it hits the nail on the head.

Being sinless in the sight of God; also called 'justification.'

Uh oh. Houston we have a problem.

Being sinless in the sight of God?

I think maybe we have all broken 1 or 2 of the commandments. For me its pretty much all of them, I have even committed what society calls the worst of the 10. Besides cheating, stealing and lying. I have committed adultery and murder. If we remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount he said even if we have hated someone we have committed murder. Also this one I have struggled with my whole life and that is if I even look upon a women with lust I have committed adultery. The law has convicted me I know I am not sinless. It is why God gave us his commandments to let us know how short we come to Gods perfect standard. I am thinking this crown may be unobtainable through my own merits. If we claim we are sinless the bible tells us differently in 1 John 1:8 , 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Let's turn to one of the very first man that was called righteous by God himself. in Genesis 15:6. Abraham was found righteous in the eyes of God. What was it that he was accounted righteous for before the Lord? Lets read.

15 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

It is only Abraham’s belief that makes him righteous by God. Not anything else he has done. If we take a look at one of my favorite radio pastors besides pastor John Werhas, Jon Courson articulates why Abraham was found righteous. Let me read what he says.

Was it when Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees—a place of real sophistication and wealth—that God declared Abraham righteous? No. Was it when Abraham took his son Isaac to Mount Moriah in order to offer him as a sacrifice that God declared him justified? No. God declared Abraham righteous when Abraham simply believed Him (Genesis 15:6). When is a man saved and justified? Not when he follows God’s call obediently or even offers himself sacrificially, but when, like Abraham, he simply says, “Lord, I believe You. I believe what You say is true—that I’m righteous in Christ Jesus, that my sins past, present, and future are all forgiven.”

This goes directly back to Ephesians 2:8-9 that is for by grace that you have been saved and not of yourself, its is the gift of God lest anyone should boast. We can’t earn it.

As pastor Fred spoke this weekend. The criminal on the cross was not able to get down from it and go perform works of any sort. It was strictly his belief in Christ that could save him. It always amazes me when I hear people talk about having to be baptized to be saved. I always ask what about the guy on the cross when did he get baptized?

Let’s flip the coin and see what the other kind of righteousness looks like. Self-righteousness.

Well maybe we should take a look at the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and see if they have any insight into what it means to be righteous. I mean these guys are super religious right? If anyone can give us a good example of how to be righteous they surely could help us out don't you think? We shall see!

In Luke 18:10-14
Jesus tells us about two men who go up to the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee and the other is the scum of Jerusalem in that day in age the TAX Collector. I don't know if much has changed from then to now. Is anyone happy to see a tax collector? I guess today we could change it out for the dreaded lawyer!

Lets read from Luke 18:10-14.
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

Let me pause here for a moment. Who is the Pharisee praying to? HIMSELF! What on earth? I mean talk about self-righteousness to the nth degree. He went to the temple to pray with himself or was it to pray in front of others to show how righteous he is? How many I’s are used in three sentences I thank you, (best part of his prayer) I am not, I fast, I give, I posses. Can I ask where is this Pharisees heart?

We also see he calls him self just. Not like the others who he claims are unjust. Look at his very last thought I give tithes of all that I posses. He doesn’t even give God credit for what he has but he is so righteous that he gives what he posses. Are not the things he has God’s to begin with. We could spend days analyzing all that is wrong but we know what the problem is, pride and self-righteousness.

But do each one of us have a little Pharisee in our own heart? Let me take out my little checklist that I keep track of. This sermon is preaching directly to my heart.

Went to church – check
Read my daily bible verse – not one more or less – check
Put on Christian t-shirt - check
Gave beggar on the corner a dollar – check – man I am good
Blogged on how Joel Osteen is a wolf in sheep clothing – check

What am I doing? With all these things that I am accomplishing am I giving glory and credit to God who has given me these abilities? Am I creating a vertical relationship with God or am I creating a horizontal relationship with the world and men. Or am I doing them because pastor Fred or Wes come up and say that-a-boy Wes. You are a godly man – yeah right!

Or could it be that we do these things because we think we are pleasing God through our own works? In Isaiah 64:6 says
But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousness' are like filthy rags;

I believe these things can be pleasing to God but like Abraham they mean nothing if I don’t believe in God in a way that I put my complete faith into Him and what He has done for me. My righteous works mean nothing if I don’t have faith and belief in Christ.

Continuing from Luke 18
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

What is the difference between the two? First off we see the tax collector prayed to God not himself. God be merciful to me a sinner. He knew his position with God. He knew there was no way that he was going to be righteous is the sight of God. He is building and establishing that vertical relationship with God. God is looking at the heart of these men. It always goes back to the heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7 God says

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Where is your heart today? Are we like the Pharisees full of pride of our own self-righteousness or are we like the tax collector who knows he can only be made righteous through God? And knowing that God has made us righteous that we desire to do good works and best of all he created us to do good works when Christ is the center of our lives. Ephesians 2:10 says

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

To come full circle back to the original question we raised with Paul’s passage in 2 Timothy 4:6-8. How did he earn his crown of righteousness? We know now that there is nothing we can do ourselves to earn it. It is only through our belief and faith in our Lord and Savior who covers us with His righteousness. Once we are covered by His righteousness we desire to do righteous things because of what He did for us. I want to end with this really short video clip on 1 Peter 2:24. Peter says the following starting with verse 23:

23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd


Wes
Galatians 2:20