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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith.” II Timothy 4:7
Nearly everyone agrees that II Timothy was Paul’s last
epistle before his martyrdom and entrance into the presence of the Lord. In all the other letters, he expresses hope
and confidence that he will be released and will be able to continue his
service to the Lord. But this letter
takes on an entirely different tone.
While still teaching and encouraging his young charge, he has come to
grips with the reality that he may indeed be home with the Lord soon. He had endured years of hardship,
imprisonment, and frustration. This of
course came after years of traveling, preaching, and seeing the mighty hand of
God at work in the lives of many people throughout Asia Minor and Eastern
Europe.
Three things that Paul proclaims to Timothy at this point in
his life: “I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” These were not words of pride that Paul spoke
about his accomplishments, but rather further instruction to this young
pastor. Here is the example of the way a
life is finished well by the grace of God.
I have fought the
good fight. Here Paul surveys his
past and sees there was value in what he had done. Those who are true believers understand
Paul’s allusion to the Christian life that he walked as a “fight.” It is a battle daily, not only with those
whom from the outside seek to challenge and topple a Christ-follower, but the
battle within as well. Our frail human
nature naturally wants to take the easy road, the simplest path, the one with
the least resistance. We want our effort
to be as little as possible and our results still great. Our sin nature also wages war against us
seeking to trip us at every turn and discourage us with its failures. Often are we tempted to give up, pack it in,
let someone else carry the banner the rest of the way. But the Apostle knew the value of fighting
on. It was “good.” The value of that for which he labored and
fought was worth it. Sometimes we grow
weary of the fight day after day. We
gaze toward our future and see nothing but more battles, more foes to face, and
we falter. The good thing is that we
only have to fight today’s battles, not tomorrow’s or next year’s, just
today’s. Paul put one foot in front of
the other each day and fought the good fight.
In reality, the only way to experience defeat is to stop fighting. How are you doing in today’s battle?
I have finished the
race. This may seem obvious that one
will finish the race, but it is not always a given. Runners pull up lame, some even give up
before finishing the race due to no chance of winning. Nothing inspires us more than to watch
someone who had no hope of winning the race see it through to the end. History is rife with stories of athletes who
fight through injury and disappointment only to end the race last. But they finished. Paul urges Timothy to make sure he finishes
the race. Finishing the race requires
commitment, perseverance, and courage.
These are qualities that one builds over a lifetime of finishes. The way we finish each day, each week, each
month, each year, each job, each task, each responsibility builds within us the
characteristics we need to complete our lives well. It is why each year, about this time, I begin
to urge and encourage our students to finish the school year strong. We all grow a little weary during a school
year and the temptation to pull up and coast to the end affects student and
teacher alike. However, there is
something of great value in not only finishing, but finishing well. Are you finishing strong?
I have kept the
faith. Having lived through the 60’s
and 70’s, I can’t help read this and not think of the common parting greeting
of the youth of those decades, “Keep the faith, baby!” The faith they and Paul referred to was
decidedly not the same. Paul encourages
Timothy by his example to maintain his convictions and commitments to the
truths that God has revealed. Time and
time again we see pressure from society to move away from the basic moral
stance given to us in the Word and many in the church compromise and give in. To hold firm would mean we are libel to be
out of step with our neighbors and we may face malice as a result. It takes great courage to stay the course and
not be swayed. We see this happening too
often in our society today where the culture begins to object to the clear
teaching of scripture and soon many in the church follow. Few, it seems, are those who stand
steadfast. And yet it is a great virtue
to be able to say, like Paul, “I have kept the faith.” I wonder how many who are reading this today
could honestly say that they have not compromised in their commitment to the
truth revealed by God. Can you?
I pray that when I draw near to the end of my life on this
earth, I will be able to honestly say these things like Paul, not as a
testament of my own accomplishments, but of the grace and mercy of God to me on
display for others who may come behind me from which to draw courage. I challenge you to make this your goal as well.
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