<<2 Timothy 4:6-8 (King James Version)>>
6. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
As the title of the blog says, "Pride before a fall". In contrast to that, I want to bring up this part of Paul's life, as he write to Timothy a second time.
The point here is all about Paul's valedictory. He is coming up toward his final days and he is exhorting Timothy to follow in his example. The big thing I noticed and want to mention is about what he says in verse 7:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul's life (after conversion) was lived in such a manner that he could quite possibly be considered the best Christian to have ever lived. Was he perfect? No. But he did consistently seek after God and even prior to his conversion, we see that Paul was a zealot for what he believed in. Despite that his focus was on the law and not on Christ, Paul was 110% into seeking God the way he thought he needed to. And that zealousness of Paul carried over into his Christianity.
But apart from that little tangent, it's important to notice that Paul describes his life. "I have fought the good fight". "I have finished the race". "I have kept the faith". Paul describes his life in Christ.
Firstly, there is a fight that we all must be involved in as Christians. It's called the Christian life. Everyday is a battle, part of an overarching war between God and Satan, good and evil, pride and humility, selfishness and selflessness. Waking up in the morning is not just "another day" to be traveled, it's another battle to be won. Every decision, every day will mold and determine the future of our lives and our spiritual closeness to God. Paul had "fought the good fight".
<<2 Timothy 2:3-4>>
3. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
A soldier will endure hardship, trials, defeats, temptations, and many other things that will test his loyalty. A soldier who will fight the good fight is one who will remain humble in all things and seek only to "please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier". God has chosen us as soldiers for Christ. Our daily battles will determine our ability to look back at the end of it all and say "I have fought the good fight".
Secondly, we all run a race. Again, each and every day, we wake up running a race. God has a plan for our lives, and we must keep our sights on Christ at the end of the race. Our desire should not be to simply run the race, but to win it.
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1.Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Every day we run this race, and every day we will set our eyes on something to keep us going, to keep us running this race with fervency and strength. If we take our eyes off the prize, our performance suffers. Paul has finished the race. He completed those things that God desired for him to complete. When I look back at the end of it all, will I think "I have finished the race" or "I just couldn't make it any further". Our race is not our own to run, and we cannot run it alone. We have a Helper, one there in our time or need, of discouragement, to pull us through and renew our strength, to help us finish the race.
Thirdly, our faith is the one thing that, if nothing else, we should guard with our lives. In a society of pluralism and tolerance, it is easy to simplify our faith to nothing more than cliches and a once day a week event. Paul saw this in his time, and he kept his faith. I am reminded of his establishment of the 4 churches in Galatia, where he was kicked out, threatened, stoned and still he "kept the faith". There is no greater blessing than to know the Truth and to look back when the end is near and smile because you know you have kept the faith. Not only this, that you can consider yourself proud to have kept the faith, but also that in order to successfully fight the good fight and to finish the race, it requires a solid rock foundation rooted in faith. If that foundation is broken, something less than total commitment will begin to settle in.
<<1 Peter 3:15>>
15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear
Not only is it imperative that we do not falter on the things we already know to be Truth, but we must also keep learning more from the Truth in order that, when the time comes - and it will - that adversity contradicts our faith, we can stand firmly and correctly with nothing less than the Truth. Paul preached the Truth, nothing less. When needed, he confronted Peter, a member of Christ's inner circle because of his determination to "keep the faith" with nothing wavering. Keeping your faith is guarding your faith, and the only way to do that is to be rooted in your faith.
In the end, I can imagine that as Paul walks up to the gates of Heaven, the words of God come to life: "Well done, good and faithful servant."
When my end comes, and I stand before God, I want nothing less than that. But where am I at right now? Am I on the path that leads to such an honor? Only I can be sure of the path I'm on. And only you can be sure of the path you are on.
In the end, I want God to look back and say to me "Well done, good and faithful servant."
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