“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2Tim 4:7).
Yo, Adrian!
Confession time. I have a soft spot for “Rocky” movies. Long before the mumbling Philly street fighter morphed into a multi-billion dollar motion picture franchise, Sly Stallone created the original Oscar-winning film about the ultimate underdog.
There’s a pivotal scene in the first flick where Balboa admits to his girlfriend Adrian that he has no chance to beat the champ (as well as any thought of a sequel!). But he holds out one sliver of a dream.
“All I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.”
SPOILER ALERT! (Please tell me you’ve seen the original “Rocky.” For Pete’s sake, it came out in 1976!). The Italian Stallion is still standing at the end of the fight. He may have lost, but he went the distance. Yo, Adrian!
From Assassin to Apostle
There’s another story of someone who went the distance. Someone who you fought hard right to the end. Someone who left nothing in the tank when he crossed the finish line. Someone who kept his eyes on the prize no matter what came his way.
We’re talking about Paul. That’s right, the Apostle Paul. The former Pharisee and one-time enemy of Jesus who’s the subject of one of the greatest turnarounds in history. The resurrected Christ transforms him from assassin into apostle. From murderer into martyr. From trying to kill the followers of the Rabbi/Carpenter into dying for Him too.
After the resurrected Jesus blindsided him at high noon outside Damascus, Paul dedicated his life to telling everyone he met about God’s mind-blowing offer of mercy and grace through His Son. The apostle traveled the known world spreading that very Good News and planting churches.
This mission was anything but pleasure cruise. We’re talking jail, beatings, torture, stoning, shipwrecks, death threats, lack of sleep, hungry, thirsty, hot, and cold. Paul may have been beaten up but not beaten down. He never stopped fighting. He never stopped running. He never lost faith.
Like Rocky, Paul went the distance.
Paul’s Three-Punch Combination
He also wrote important letters of instruction to these new communities of believers which we’ve saved and collected in a little something we like to call the New Testament. In his very last letter, the man from Tarsus writes to a young preacher named Timothy (2Tim 1:1-2). Paul’s on Death Row in Rome (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). He hands the ball of ministry to his protege (2Tim 2:1-4:5) and hopes for one last visit (2Tim 4:9, 21).
That’s the scene as the camera zooms in on Paul. Behind bars once again. He’s pouring out the last drops his life in sacrifice to his Savior (2Tim 4:6). Like a fighter throwing a jab, hook, and uppercut, the apostle then delivers a three-punch combination as he looks back at his life just before the final bell.
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” (v7). Paul’s given it everything. He’s left it all on the field. He’s got nothing left in the tank. He knows that the cause was worth it all. And he’s still standing.
He went the distance.
A literal translation of the apostle’s words from Greek to English sounds more like something from another big time movie franchise. “The good fight I have fought. The race I have finished. The faith I have kept.” Call it the Yoda Intergalactic Translation. You almost expect next thing Paul to say is “Do or do not. There is no try.”
Max Effort
Let’s use the super-slomo and take dissect Paul’s impressive three punches. First he writes, “I have fought the good fight” (v7). In doing so, he doesn’t want there to be any doubt about the effort involved. He uses the verb “fought” (Gr. αγωνιζομαι/agonizomai) which means to participate in a contest in the public arena, contend for a prize, struggle incredibly hard against an opponent, fight the enemy with everything you’ve got.
It seems clear that our man Paul is a First Century sports fan. He uses this very same language when writing to the Corinthian church as he compares following Jesus to the intense preparation of an Olympic athlete. “Everyone who competes in the games (Gr. αγωνιζομαι/agonizomai) goes into strict training” (1Cor 9:25 NIV). We’re talking the same kind fierce focus and devotion to our Savior as folks like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt had to their sport.
Think I’m exaggerating? We get our words “agonize” and “agony” from the term the apostle drops. As a matter of fact, “fight” is actually the very similar word αγων/agon. While it certainly can mean any struggle, contest, game, race, or conflict. But it also paints a picture of a big crowd filling a stadium or arena watching a contest or game, an arena, stadium.
The Athlete in the Arena
In other words, Paul’s agonizing battle has been a very public struggle. The NT is chockfull of times when the apostle’s mission to tell people about Jesus puts him at the center of citywide unrest and riots. Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:44-50). Iconium (Acts 14:2-6). Lystra (Acts 14:19). Philippi (Acts 16:19-24). Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-9). Berea (Acts 17:12). Corinth (Acts 18:12-17). Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41). Even in Jerusalem (Act 21:27-36)!
What a great reminder that while our faith in Jesus is personal, it is anything BUT private. Living for the Lord means living out loud. Like Paul, “agonizing the good agony” means swimming upstream in the swift current of our culture. It’s going to be hard. Much of the time we’re going to look different, sound different, and act very differently from the folks around us. Here’s the deal. Following Jesus will make us look weird to the world at times. There will be spectators as we fight the good fight but this is anything BUT a spectator sport!
Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is all about Paul’s superhuman effort to leave it all on the playing field. Over in a letter to believers in Colossae, he makes it clear that Jesus is the supernatural source of his strength. “For this I toil, struggling (Gr. αγωνιζομαι/agonizomai) with all His energy that He powerfully works in me” (Col 1:29). Oh, the struggle IS real. And our Savior gives us His strength to fight.
Fight the RIGHT Fight
Notice that the apostle has “fought THE GOOD fight” (v7 emphasis added). It’s not just any fight. Not “a” fight. He’s not simply walking around with a hair trigger looking to throw down at a moment’s notice. This is THE fight. It is the GOOD fight. It is the RIGHT fight.
In other words, Paul has wasted his time and energy on stuff that doesn’t matter. I wish I could say the same. Too often I get distracted by things that have no eternal value. I allow myself to get sucked into silly and meaningless skirmishes that steal my strength from what God calls me to do.
How about you? Do fight stupid little battles that pull you away from the real war? Do you major in the minors? Just a reminder of the mission Jesus has given us. Love God. Love others. The Lord said so much Himself (Mt 22:37-40; Mk 12:29-31). As a matter of fact, He says our love for each other lets the world know exactly Whom we follow (Jn 13:34-35). Just before He headed home to Heaven, Christ commanded us to make sure we tell everyone we meet all about His message of grace and goodness (Mt 28:19-20).
Failing to Fight
Then there’s my little problem of failing to fight at all. Too often it’s just too much trouble. Passivity has been a problem in my family for a VERY long time. It goes back to my first father Adam failing to put up his dukes when a talking snake started whispering sweet nothings to his wife (Gen 3:1-7).
Too many times I follow in Adam’s footsteps and fail to fight for what’s right. Fight to pray with my wife. Fight to tell my kids about Jesus. Fight to spend quality time with those I love. Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. For Pete’s sake, at least the Beastie Boys fight for their right to party. I must be intentional and get off my blessed assurance to fight for what has eternal value.
Fight. Don’t just fight any fight. Fight the right fight. Fight the good fight. Fight to the final bell.
Go the distance.
Kicking to the Finish Line
The second punch in Paul’s furious final combination actually takes us out of the squared circle and onto the track. “I have finished the race” (v7). Picture highlights from SportsCenter. It’s the end of the Olympic marathon. The winner lays it all out in one final and unrestrained race to the tape. Paul’s words are NOT describing some runner who’s barely broken a sweat who’s high stepping to victory. Not in the least. We’re talking crossing the finish line and immediately collapsing.
Once again, the apostle pulls an image from the sports world. He uses the word “race” (Gr. δρομοις/dromos), which can specifically mean a race course, a running track, or generally describe a mission or any activity that involves continual and serious effort.
When Paul and his team rolled into what we know now as Turkey for the first time, he told folks there that just before John the Baptizer “was finishing his course (Gr. δρομοις/dromos),” the prophet made it clear that he was NOT the Hero God has promised (Acts 13:25).
Years later, the apostle hustles together a quick meet-up with the Ephesian church leaders. He makes it clear that he’ll give it everything he’s got to keep spreading the Good News. “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course (Gr. δρομοις/dromos) and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
Running the Obstacle Course
Life is much more like a marathon than a sprint. It’s the ultimate endurance race. Sure, there will be times to pick up the pace, but this race is all about stamina. Think of those extreme obstacle courses with all sorts of hurdles and barriers. You have to run through water, slog through mud pits, climb ropes, and crawl under barbed wire.
That pretty much describes life for most of us. It’s an endless series of obstacles. There are the little bumps like sick kids, car repair, and broken water heater. There are those massive mud pits like job loss, bankruptcy, disease, and death of a loved one. American Ninja Warrior looks like a little kid’s Slip-n-Slide compared to the obstacle course called life.
Life Comes at You Fast
There’s one huge difference between these extreme tracks and our time here on the planet. You really can’t quit life. Oh, you might give up and sit down between the barbed wire and rope climb. But that doesn’t push pause on existence. Whether you’re moving or not, the folks at Nationwide nailed it. Life comes at you fast. Very fast.
Paul is a great example of just how quickly life moves. One minute he’s on a black ops mission to snuff out Jesus’ followers in Damascus. The next he’s on mission as one of them. From that point on, he put his head down and took on every obstacle life through his way. He may be locked up on Death Row at the end of his life, but he’s sprinting to the finish.
Jesus’ Finish Line
With the checkered flag in sight, the apostle knows his race and finish is actually based on the one run by his Savior. It’s interesting that Paul uses the very same word for
“finished” (Gr. τελεω/teleo) that Jesus shouted from the cross at Calvary. “It is finished (Gr. τελεω/teleo)!” (Jn 19:30). For you grammar nerds out there (yeah, I know who you are!) both of them are in the perfect tense. It’s the second person perfect active τετελεκα/teteleka in 2 Timothy. Meanwhile over in John, we see the third person perfect passive of τετελεσται/tetelestai.
In the ultimate act of love, Jesus successfully breaks the tape of performance in our behalf. He perfectly fulfills every one of His Father’s commands that we failed to follow. Christ defeats the obstacle course of obedience that kicked our tails. If that’s not enough, He paid the full brunt of our punishment for that disobedience. The cross was more than a place of Roman execution. It was also Jesus’ finish line.
Go the distance.
Playing by the Rules
Step back into the ring with Paul during the final round and check out the knockout blow. Here’s the third punch of his Christ-following combination. “I have kept the faith” (v7). The apostle wants Tim to know that he’s played by the book. He’s followed the rules. No low blows. No cheap shots. Don’t mistake his intensity for a willingness to take short cuts or play dirty.
We’ve already seen how the man from Tarsus has placed his trust in who Jesus is and what He has done. Paul writes here that in the last days on this side of eternity, he has complete confidence in Christ. The practical application of that faith trusting in what the Lord tells him to do. As the Lord, He’s the Boss.
Weak Faith in a Strong Object
I express my trust in Him by doing what He tells me to do in the strength that He provides. Will I fail? Will I stumble? Will I fall flat on my face? You betcha. But Jesus gives me the mercy and grace I find nowhere else to keep on keeping on.
We’re able to remain faithful because of our Savior’s unshakable faithfulness. Earlier in this very same little letter, Paul drops the lyrics to a First Century worship tune which goes a little something like this…
“If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful
For He cannot deny Himself” (2Tim 2:11-13).
Building to Code
In other words, it’s not so much about the strength of our faith. It’s ALL about the strength of the object of our faith. There’s better one in whom to place our trust than God. That’s how He earned the nickname of “the Rock of our Salvation” (Ps 89:26; 95:1). Grab hold of that Rock. He’s not going anywhere!
Jesus made a point of saying that doing what He says is the best way to prepare for the storms of life. He compares practical application to the wise dude who built his house into the bedrock. The hurricane hit the home “but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Mt 7:25). You could say that he built it according to code. He played by the rules.
The Buffet at Golden Corral
To often I pick and choose the commands I want to keep. It’s like I think I know better than God. There I go listening to the whispers of the satanic snake just like my first mom did (Gen 3:4). Following Jesus means obeying what He says. It’s not like picking only your favorite from the buffet at Golden Corral. On a related note, do you think there’s a Chocolate Wonderfall in Heaven? But I digress.
Paul has come to realize that God’s commands actually bring joy and blessing instead of stealing it. They’re guard rails on the narrow road. Here at the end of his life, he has played by the rules. He has lived obediently. He has kept the faith. He has kept it to the very end.
Go the distance.
A Life Well Lived
As the apostle looks back, he sees a life well lived. “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” (v7). He fought for the right cause and left it all on the field. He ran the obstacle course God placed in front of him and crossed the finish line. He played by the rules, trusting in the goodness of God in the process.
What about me? Am I fighting the good fight? Will I fight to the last bell?
Am I running the race with everything I have no matter what comes my way? Will I run through the finish line? Am I keeping the faith? Will I continue to trusting in Jesus until I see Him face to face?
Let’s turn Paul’s words into a daily prayer. Lord Jesus, give me the strength today to fight the good fight. Give me the endurance to finish the race whenever that day may come. Give me a willing heart of obedience to love God and love people.
Christ, allow me the privilege to go the distance. Just like Rocky. Just like Paul.
Yo, Adrian!
Confession time. I have a soft spot for “Rocky” movies. Long before the mumbling Philly street fighter morphed into a multi-billion dollar motion picture franchise, Sly Stallone created the original Oscar-winning film about the ultimate underdog.
There’s a pivotal scene in the first flick where Balboa admits to his girlfriend Adrian that he has no chance to beat the champ (as well as any thought of a sequel!). But he holds out one sliver of a dream.
“All I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.”
SPOILER ALERT! (Please tell me you’ve seen the original “Rocky.” For Pete’s sake, it came out in 1976!). The Italian Stallion is still standing at the end of the fight. He may have lost, but he went the distance. Yo, Adrian!
From Assassin to Apostle
There’s another story of someone who went the distance. Someone who you fought hard right to the end. Someone who left nothing in the tank when he crossed the finish line. Someone who kept his eyes on the prize no matter what came his way.
We’re talking about Paul. That’s right, the Apostle Paul. The former Pharisee and one-time enemy of Jesus who’s the subject of one of the greatest turnarounds in history. The resurrected Christ transforms him from assassin into apostle. From murderer into martyr. From trying to kill the followers of the Rabbi/Carpenter into dying for Him too.
After the resurrected Jesus blindsided him at high noon outside Damascus, Paul dedicated his life to telling everyone he met about God’s mind-blowing offer of mercy and grace through His Son. The apostle traveled the known world spreading that very Good News and planting churches.
This mission was anything but pleasure cruise. We’re talking jail, beatings, torture, stoning, shipwrecks, death threats, lack of sleep, hungry, thirsty, hot, and cold. Paul may have been beaten up but not beaten down. He never stopped fighting. He never stopped running. He never lost faith.
Like Rocky, Paul went the distance.
Paul’s Three-Punch Combination
He also wrote important letters of instruction to these new communities of believers which we’ve saved and collected in a little something we like to call the New Testament. In his very last letter, the man from Tarsus writes to a young preacher named Timothy (2Tim 1:1-2). Paul’s on Death Row in Rome (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). He hands the ball of ministry to his protege (2Tim 2:1-4:5) and hopes for one last visit (2Tim 4:9, 21).
That’s the scene as the camera zooms in on Paul. Behind bars once again. He’s pouring out the last drops his life in sacrifice to his Savior (2Tim 4:6). Like a fighter throwing a jab, hook, and uppercut, the apostle then delivers a three-punch combination as he looks back at his life just before the final bell.
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” (v7). Paul’s given it everything. He’s left it all on the field. He’s got nothing left in the tank. He knows that the cause was worth it all. And he’s still standing.
He went the distance.
A literal translation of the apostle’s words from Greek to English sounds more like something from another big time movie franchise. “The good fight I have fought. The race I have finished. The faith I have kept.” Call it the Yoda Intergalactic Translation. You almost expect next thing Paul to say is “Do or do not. There is no try.”
Max Effort
Let’s use the super-slomo and take dissect Paul’s impressive three punches. First he writes, “I have fought the good fight” (v7). In doing so, he doesn’t want there to be any doubt about the effort involved. He uses the verb “fought” (Gr. αγωνιζομαι/agonizomai) which means to participate in a contest in the public arena, contend for a prize, struggle incredibly hard against an opponent, fight the enemy with everything you’ve got.
It seems clear that our man Paul is a First Century sports fan. He uses this very same language when writing to the Corinthian church as he compares following Jesus to the intense preparation of an Olympic athlete. “Everyone who competes in the games (Gr. αγωνιζομαι/agonizomai) goes into strict training” (1Cor 9:25 NIV). We’re talking the same kind fierce focus and devotion to our Savior as folks like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt had to their sport.
Think I’m exaggerating? We get our words “agonize” and “agony” from the term the apostle drops. As a matter of fact, “fight” is actually the very similar word αγων/agon. While it certainly can mean any struggle, contest, game, race, or conflict. But it also paints a picture of a big crowd filling a stadium or arena watching a contest or game, an arena, stadium.
The Athlete in the Arena
In other words, Paul’s agonizing battle has been a very public struggle. The NT is chockfull of times when the apostle’s mission to tell people about Jesus puts him at the center of citywide unrest and riots. Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:44-50). Iconium (Acts 14:2-6). Lystra (Acts 14:19). Philippi (Acts 16:19-24). Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-9). Berea (Acts 17:12). Corinth (Acts 18:12-17). Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41). Even in Jerusalem (Act 21:27-36)!
What a great reminder that while our faith in Jesus is personal, it is anything BUT private. Living for the Lord means living out loud. Like Paul, “agonizing the good agony” means swimming upstream in the swift current of our culture. It’s going to be hard. Much of the time we’re going to look different, sound different, and act very differently from the folks around us. Here’s the deal. Following Jesus will make us look weird to the world at times. There will be spectators as we fight the good fight but this is anything BUT a spectator sport!
Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is all about Paul’s superhuman effort to leave it all on the playing field. Over in a letter to believers in Colossae, he makes it clear that Jesus is the supernatural source of his strength. “For this I toil, struggling (Gr. αγωνιζομαι/agonizomai) with all His energy that He powerfully works in me” (Col 1:29). Oh, the struggle IS real. And our Savior gives us His strength to fight.
Fight the RIGHT Fight
Notice that the apostle has “fought THE GOOD fight” (v7 emphasis added). It’s not just any fight. Not “a” fight. He’s not simply walking around with a hair trigger looking to throw down at a moment’s notice. This is THE fight. It is the GOOD fight. It is the RIGHT fight.
In other words, Paul has wasted his time and energy on stuff that doesn’t matter. I wish I could say the same. Too often I get distracted by things that have no eternal value. I allow myself to get sucked into silly and meaningless skirmishes that steal my strength from what God calls me to do.
How about you? Do fight stupid little battles that pull you away from the real war? Do you major in the minors? Just a reminder of the mission Jesus has given us. Love God. Love others. The Lord said so much Himself (Mt 22:37-40; Mk 12:29-31). As a matter of fact, He says our love for each other lets the world know exactly Whom we follow (Jn 13:34-35). Just before He headed home to Heaven, Christ commanded us to make sure we tell everyone we meet all about His message of grace and goodness (Mt 28:19-20).
Failing to Fight
Then there’s my little problem of failing to fight at all. Too often it’s just too much trouble. Passivity has been a problem in my family for a VERY long time. It goes back to my first father Adam failing to put up his dukes when a talking snake started whispering sweet nothings to his wife (Gen 3:1-7).
Too many times I follow in Adam’s footsteps and fail to fight for what’s right. Fight to pray with my wife. Fight to tell my kids about Jesus. Fight to spend quality time with those I love. Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. For Pete’s sake, at least the Beastie Boys fight for their right to party. I must be intentional and get off my blessed assurance to fight for what has eternal value.
Fight. Don’t just fight any fight. Fight the right fight. Fight the good fight. Fight to the final bell.
Go the distance.
Kicking to the Finish Line
The second punch in Paul’s furious final combination actually takes us out of the squared circle and onto the track. “I have finished the race” (v7). Picture highlights from SportsCenter. It’s the end of the Olympic marathon. The winner lays it all out in one final and unrestrained race to the tape. Paul’s words are NOT describing some runner who’s barely broken a sweat who’s high stepping to victory. Not in the least. We’re talking crossing the finish line and immediately collapsing.
Once again, the apostle pulls an image from the sports world. He uses the word “race” (Gr. δρομοις/dromos), which can specifically mean a race course, a running track, or generally describe a mission or any activity that involves continual and serious effort.
When Paul and his team rolled into what we know now as Turkey for the first time, he told folks there that just before John the Baptizer “was finishing his course (Gr. δρομοις/dromos),” the prophet made it clear that he was NOT the Hero God has promised (Acts 13:25).
Years later, the apostle hustles together a quick meet-up with the Ephesian church leaders. He makes it clear that he’ll give it everything he’s got to keep spreading the Good News. “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course (Gr. δρομοις/dromos) and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
Running the Obstacle Course
Life is much more like a marathon than a sprint. It’s the ultimate endurance race. Sure, there will be times to pick up the pace, but this race is all about stamina. Think of those extreme obstacle courses with all sorts of hurdles and barriers. You have to run through water, slog through mud pits, climb ropes, and crawl under barbed wire.
That pretty much describes life for most of us. It’s an endless series of obstacles. There are the little bumps like sick kids, car repair, and broken water heater. There are those massive mud pits like job loss, bankruptcy, disease, and death of a loved one. American Ninja Warrior looks like a little kid’s Slip-n-Slide compared to the obstacle course called life.
Life Comes at You Fast
There’s one huge difference between these extreme tracks and our time here on the planet. You really can’t quit life. Oh, you might give up and sit down between the barbed wire and rope climb. But that doesn’t push pause on existence. Whether you’re moving or not, the folks at Nationwide nailed it. Life comes at you fast. Very fast.
Paul is a great example of just how quickly life moves. One minute he’s on a black ops mission to snuff out Jesus’ followers in Damascus. The next he’s on mission as one of them. From that point on, he put his head down and took on every obstacle life through his way. He may be locked up on Death Row at the end of his life, but he’s sprinting to the finish.
Jesus’ Finish Line
With the checkered flag in sight, the apostle knows his race and finish is actually based on the one run by his Savior. It’s interesting that Paul uses the very same word for
“finished” (Gr. τελεω/teleo) that Jesus shouted from the cross at Calvary. “It is finished (Gr. τελεω/teleo)!” (Jn 19:30). For you grammar nerds out there (yeah, I know who you are!) both of them are in the perfect tense. It’s the second person perfect active τετελεκα/teteleka in 2 Timothy. Meanwhile over in John, we see the third person perfect passive of τετελεσται/tetelestai.
In the ultimate act of love, Jesus successfully breaks the tape of performance in our behalf. He perfectly fulfills every one of His Father’s commands that we failed to follow. Christ defeats the obstacle course of obedience that kicked our tails. If that’s not enough, He paid the full brunt of our punishment for that disobedience. The cross was more than a place of Roman execution. It was also Jesus’ finish line.
Go the distance.
Playing by the Rules
Step back into the ring with Paul during the final round and check out the knockout blow. Here’s the third punch of his Christ-following combination. “I have kept the faith” (v7). The apostle wants Tim to know that he’s played by the book. He’s followed the rules. No low blows. No cheap shots. Don’t mistake his intensity for a willingness to take short cuts or play dirty.
We’ve already seen how the man from Tarsus has placed his trust in who Jesus is and what He has done. Paul writes here that in the last days on this side of eternity, he has complete confidence in Christ. The practical application of that faith trusting in what the Lord tells him to do. As the Lord, He’s the Boss.
Weak Faith in a Strong Object
I express my trust in Him by doing what He tells me to do in the strength that He provides. Will I fail? Will I stumble? Will I fall flat on my face? You betcha. But Jesus gives me the mercy and grace I find nowhere else to keep on keeping on.
We’re able to remain faithful because of our Savior’s unshakable faithfulness. Earlier in this very same little letter, Paul drops the lyrics to a First Century worship tune which goes a little something like this…
“If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful
For He cannot deny Himself” (2Tim 2:11-13).
Building to Code
In other words, it’s not so much about the strength of our faith. It’s ALL about the strength of the object of our faith. There’s better one in whom to place our trust than God. That’s how He earned the nickname of “the Rock of our Salvation” (Ps 89:26; 95:1). Grab hold of that Rock. He’s not going anywhere!
Jesus made a point of saying that doing what He says is the best way to prepare for the storms of life. He compares practical application to the wise dude who built his house into the bedrock. The hurricane hit the home “but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Mt 7:25). You could say that he built it according to code. He played by the rules.
The Buffet at Golden Corral
To often I pick and choose the commands I want to keep. It’s like I think I know better than God. There I go listening to the whispers of the satanic snake just like my first mom did (Gen 3:4). Following Jesus means obeying what He says. It’s not like picking only your favorite from the buffet at Golden Corral. On a related note, do you think there’s a Chocolate Wonderfall in Heaven? But I digress.
Paul has come to realize that God’s commands actually bring joy and blessing instead of stealing it. They’re guard rails on the narrow road. Here at the end of his life, he has played by the rules. He has lived obediently. He has kept the faith. He has kept it to the very end.
Go the distance.
A Life Well Lived
As the apostle looks back, he sees a life well lived. “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” (v7). He fought for the right cause and left it all on the field. He ran the obstacle course God placed in front of him and crossed the finish line. He played by the rules, trusting in the goodness of God in the process.
What about me? Am I fighting the good fight? Will I fight to the last bell?
Am I running the race with everything I have no matter what comes my way? Will I run through the finish line? Am I keeping the faith? Will I continue to trusting in Jesus until I see Him face to face?
Let’s turn Paul’s words into a daily prayer. Lord Jesus, give me the strength today to fight the good fight. Give me the endurance to finish the race whenever that day may come. Give me a willing heart of obedience to love God and love people.
Christ, allow me the privilege to go the distance. Just like Rocky. Just like Paul.
Amen!
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