"Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Race, Keeping the Faith!"

“Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Race, Keeping the Faith!”

 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store 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 to all who have longed for His appearing.                             2 Timothy 4:7-8

 

These are the words of the Apostle Paul to his protégé, Timothy.  Who was a devout Christian, a servant of the Almighty God.  He was a pastor. And the Apostle Paul was his mentor, and as a mentor, Paul wanted to ENCOURAGE Timothy in his ministry in Ephesus. 

 

The Apostle probably had an inclination that his message to Timothy would not be just for Timothy, but it would reach a wider audience of believers and moreover those in the ministry. 

 

In this letter, Paul, who was in a Roman dungeon, when he penned this epistle, must have had a sense that his time was drawing near, when he would be beheaded for his own ministry of spreading the GOSPEL as far as he could.  Therefore, it was of the utmost importance to Paul to ENCOURAGE Timothy to FIGHT the GOOD FIGHT, FINISH the RACE, and KEEP the FAITH.   A message that should resonate in the hearts of every TRUE BELIEVER, and ESPECIALLY those who are called into the ministry. 

 

Earlier in this letter, Paul had said this: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  In other words; you are in a battle, so put on the FULL ARMOR of the Living God, and be prepared to FIGHT the GOOD FIGHT.  And like a runner in a race, DON’T GIVE UP! but PRESS ON to the FINISH LINE, all the while be sure to KEEP the FAITH. 

 

And in so doing, you will WIN the CROWN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, which is being kept for you, and   the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will present it to you on that day, the day of Christ’s return.  You will be side by side with ALL of those who have FOUGHT the GOOD FIGHT, FINISHED the RACE, and KEPT the FAITH.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you will NOT receive any rewards, much less the Crown of Righteousness, but you will be sentenced to an ETERNITY in Hell, the place of FOREVER torture, torment, heartache, agony, pain and despair, with NO way of escape, UNLESS, you come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and  FIGHT the GOOD FIGHT, FINISH the RACE, and KEEP the FAITH.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!