2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
What will be the concluding sentence of your life? Paul’s conclusion to his life is he FINISHED and finished faithfully to God’s calling, both professionally and personally. You may recall that years earlier he had told the leaders at Ephesus that he was going to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to him there, “except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.” In response he said, “NONE of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) Now to Timothy, Paul writes that he fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. What a finish! What a victorious finish!
You know, he could have easily QUIT. One only has to read 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 to know the difficulties he faced. I place here verses 24-27 to give a glimpse of his life: “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness…”
Yet he never quit. He never quit no matter how tough the fight was. He never quit no matter how hard the race was. He never quit no matter how terrible the persecution was.
Let it be said we fought to the end, we finished our race and we kept the faith. NEVER QUIT.
On your DATE with the Word, how do Paul’s 3 conclusions to his life encourage you?
AN APRIL TO BELIEVE Note
With Easter on April 20, we are reading through the gospel of John. On this April 7th, we encourage you to read/listen to John 7 where Christ is the Heavenly One. The key verse regarding believing is John 7:31. It says, “And many of the people believed in Him, and said, When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” May April be an April to Believe!
Continue Strong,
And remember to DATE The Word