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“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”- 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul realized an awesome truth that we must all come to grips with that death is promised. Paul understanding that his persecution was near and his time of death at hand had a sense of relief in speaking to his young disciple Timothy. Paul explained to Timothy that he had fought a good fight, finished his course, and he kept the faith. Living life the way God intended us to live gives us a peace about passing from this world unto the next. Paul was comforted in the fact that a crown of righteousness would be given unto him in that day of his departure and the same crown would be given to all that love the appearing of Jesus Christ. Today we are all uncertain of one truth in our lives that we know we will die but we are not sure if today will be the day. Let us follow the word of God that one day we may be able to say in peace that we too have a crown of righteousness that the Lord shall give us on the day of our departure.
The first important fact to notice is that we are living in a world that is in rebellion to Jesus Christ and we must fight a good fight. Humans are against Jesus Christ and even nature itself is not operating the way God first created it to operate. We must understand as believers we are public enemy number 1. We are constantly fighting against our own flesh for control of our very bodies and we must fight this fight the way Christ intended us to fight. We must use his war tactics prayer, fellowship, love, studying his word, and living according to his word. We must use his armor on the battlefield found in Ephesians 6:11-18 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Please don’t forget that obedience and self control is critical so that you are not infected with sin. Sin is death and even though we all will sin until the day we die we don’t have to live in sin daily. We don’t have to be plagued with presumptuous sins and addictions because Christ has set us free from those. Sin will hinder your victory and will deceive you. Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 “so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” We have a real enemy and we must fight him in Jesus Christ. We must abide in Christ and if sin sets us apart from Christ then we are only shadowboxing and not really striking our enemy when we live in sin. Keep your body under subjection the key to being a disciple is discipline.
In addition to fighting the good fight it is important that we stay the course. Staying the course reminds me of an experience I had one day. I was driving on the freeway headed east and the rain began to pour down and suddenly I had an unction to get off the freeway and take the streets. I was only 15 minutes away from my destination so I exited the freeway and began driving. I thought I was driving southbound but soon I realized that I had been driving north. Now instead of being 15 minutes away from my destination I was 30 minutes away from my destination. I decided to get back on the freeway headed eastbound then I decided to make a pit stop at my father’s house before I got to my destination. After all I had already driven of course and he was in the area I was now lost in. 20 minutes later I realized that I entered the freeway at the wrong entrance and instead of going eastward I was traveling west headed back to where I began my journey and away from my original goal. Then the Lord showed me how easy it is for us to get off of track. In life we began to take detours and believe we are going the right direction and we end up off course. In the end taking shortcuts and drifting off of course will lead us back to the same place we started from. This is the life of the backslider according to Proverbs 14:14 “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.” On this journey to the crown there is only one way to travel and that is the narrow road and there are no detours and shortcuts we must stay the course and never go backwards. In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul writes “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We shouldn’t even remember the way back to the world but we should definitely press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
This leads to the third and final point of this passage which is keeping the faith. When we press towards the mark pressing is something that is very agonizing and confrontational. It is forcing your way through life in order to obtain a goal. We must press through this world and everything it has against us. Our very own flesh is our most vicious enemy it offers sickness, weariness, hunger, shelter, and many other needs that will distract us from this course. The flesh can bring emotions from the soul depression and sadness. Then we have other people who are not in Christ but outside of Christ who are acting as free agents for spirits to work through. These demonic forces use people to attack us but we must continue to pray for their salvation and that Jesus will make them free. In all cases we must keep our lives committed to Christ because he is our redeemer and he is the way to the father. Life can get us down, emotions can trouble us, and it is almost certain that distraction will settle in. Jesus Christ said this in John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” In conclusion, let us follow God and the path that he has set before us. Let us be encouraged by the words in Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Let us stay the course and lay aside all hindrances as we are encouraged to in Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let us take the warnings of God very serious in Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Let us be able to fight the good fight, finish our course, and keep the faith as our brothers before have done and remember the words of John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In life we are uncertain of this one truth we know that Jesus is coming back but we are not sure when that day will come. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.-2 Peter 3:3-14

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And I say Amen to that! God loves us more than we love ourselves.

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