Finishing Strong - Part III

Maintaining the faith was important to the apostle Paul. Being aware that his physical death was not far off, he summed up his life to his spiritual son Timothy in three profound statements - "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7, KJV). Here, as was his custom, Paul alludes to the contests at the Grecian games. As the laws of these games must be diligently observed and kept, so he maintains that he kept the rules of the spiritual combat and race.

It is not important just to win; the rules must be observed if one is not to be disqualified. Here we see Paul, in his reflections, steadfastly maintaining that he had spent his life faithfully serving his Lord. John Darby, in commenting on this verse, notes, "As to the apostle, he had finished his work; if others were unfaithful, he had been faithful. In the good fight of the gospel of God he had fought to the end, and successfully resisted all the attacks of the enemy. He had finished his course: it only remained for him to be crowned. He had kept the faith committed to him."

Bible commentator John Gill posits, "[Paul] means ... the profession of faith, which he had held fast without wavering; and chiefly the doctrine of faith, which was committed to his trust, which he had kept pure and incorrupt against all opposition; ... [he had] been faithful to [his] trust, as a good steward of the mysteries of God; not concealing and keeping back anything that was profitable, but declaring the whole counsel of God."

Matthew Henry, Bible Commentator, observes that the apostle "had the testimony of his conscience that by the grace of God he had in some measure answered the ends of living. As a Christian, as a minister, he had fought a good fight. He had done the service, gone through the difficulties of his warfare, and had been instrumental in carrying on the glorious victories of the exalted Redeemer over the powers of darkness. His life was a course, and he had now finished it; as his warfare was accomplished, so his race was run. 'I have kept the faith. I have kept the doctrines of the gospel, and never betrayed any of them.'"

What outstanding commendations! As we admire the man and his faithfulness to God, let us be reminded that we too are in a fight, we have a course to run, and we have to keep the faith. There are many oppositions and obstacles in our way but if we are to be crowned as victors we must overcome based on the principles in the Word of God. It is not the person with the most money, the most "toys," or the biggest house that wins, but rather the one of whom the Lord can say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

As you contemplate your fight, your course, and the extent to which you are true to the faith that has been entrusted to you, how would you describe it? Could one of your last wishes be that the words from 2 Timothy 4:7 be etched on your tombstone to sum up your life? I am striving for that and I pray that you are too.