ICS Daily Devotions
A Good Fight Of Faith
2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing…. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
It is important for us to reflect on our lives yearly to keep our lives in check and ultimately finish our race well in Christ. We live life once and it is important that it is well lived out. Sometimes, we only start thinking about our lives when something really serious happens. Life is not very long if we are looking at living till 80 years old.
How we finish the race depends on a great extent on the pace we set along the way. We may not be able to do anything with how our life began, but we have a lot to do with how it ends. We can end the Christian race well, even if we began late, started slow, or faltered along the way. It is not how we start but how we end. The key is to make a decision to stand firmly on our beliefs in God and the calling upon each of our lives.
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Having found Christ in our lives should be a joy and great treasure that we will not give up anything for it because it is priceless.
Will you stand up for your beliefs and all that entails in the Christian walk? Will you be willing to guard what you have in Christ and not compromise or flirt with the world?
The Apostle Paul lived life with a purpose for Christ. He held on to his calling, lived a righteous life, kept his faith, principles and values regardless of the circumstances and persecution that he faced for righteousness and was martyr for the Lord. Paul ran a good race and lived out his faith in God. Paul guarded what he found in Christ so much so that it was worth dying for.
Finishing well is also ensuring our relationship with God is intact, carrying out the responsibilities that He has given us, being faithful in using the gifts that He has given us and walk in His will for us. We should view our lives in Christ as a priceless gift and guard it zealously.
Paul, facing death, did not wallow in self-pity, but looked beyond his circumstances and was fully convinced that the gospel would be preached fully through his suffering. Paul had indeed “fought the good fight” and could look back on his life with a sense of fulfillment. Paul thus engaged in a ceaseless, strenuous conflict, wrestling with Satan, the principalities, power and rulers of the air, with “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” and with evil men.
The faith that Paul has kept is not faith in himself, or in any mere man. It was faith in Christ Jesus. Jesus said we are in the world but not of the world. There are times where we may live among people who have completely different values and principles from us. The fight of faith is real. We have challenges, struggles, persecution, trials and tribulation that constantly challenge our faith in God. These challenges hinder us from finishing the race well.
Let’s keep our faith and run the race with the purpose of finishing it well and receive the crown of righteousness!
Sermon Series: Finishing Well
