"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 2 Tim 4:7 (KJV)
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful."
2 Tim 4:7 (NLT)
Watching London 2012 Olympics has been quite intriguing as I have seen athletes and sports personalities celebrate their wins, some coming first, second and third. I have seen the mixed emotions of those who completed their race but did not win, I have seen those who started well and flopped at the end without a medal.
With that in mind I can just picture the Apostle Paul on the last leg of his race. He knows he is about to die and he appraises his walk of faith.
He appraised himself on three levels:
1. He had fought a good fight!
2. He had completed the race!
3. He had kept the faith!
Paul had fought both spiritual and natural battles, he had been misunderstood by many, he had been accused falsely. In 2 Corinthians 11:23 the Apostle Paul gives us an insight into what he had gone through to fulfil the call of God on his life.
"Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches." - 2 Cor 11:23-28 (ASV)
Here in the words of Paul we see a man who despite his suffering and anguish was fully committed to the call of Him who had appointed him to this race.
I personally believe that as Christians these are the three levels of appraisal that awaits us, before we can obtain that crown.
Paul makes it clear that the prize was not just for him but for all those who eagerly wait for the appearing of the King.
Many have given up because they have waited, they have cried and it seem as though God has not heard them and so have left the faith.
Many have become so embittered and disappointed and have left the faith.
Many have fallen on the way.
Yet with all that Paul went through, we can hear him say to his protégé,
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
In spite of the severe testing, discouragement, betrayal, sufferings and pain, Paul did not compromise his faith, he did not deny His saviour. Rather than deny His saviour he followed God’s game plan and did not give up.
"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." - Phil 3:14 (NLT)
We all have been called to this race, and there is a crown that awaits each and every one who eagerly awaits his appearing.
I implore you, finish the race, never give up! If you fall, He is waiting to pick you up, so don’t give up the fight, don’t quit the race.
