2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2Ti 4:8 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.
One of the profound things we find in the Bible, is that it encourages us to endure and to overcome! Why? Because this is how we get the victory! The Apostle Paul knew that his time was short, so he writes this letter to Timothy and says:
2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2Ti 4:8 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.
Did you hear that? I have fought a good fight! I have finished the race! I have kept the faith! Paul used these words to describe his life in Christ, because he was not only Hebrew, but a Roman citizen, and he saw the gladiators fight to the finish! He saw the races in Rome and applied it to his faith in Christ!
Question? Are you fighting the good fight? Do you intend to win the race? You can only win a fight if you endure every round! You can only win a track race, if you run hard to the finish line!
Many years ago, I ran track in high school (long jump, triple jump, 200 meters, 800 relay) and did a little boxing for a short time in the Navy. I found that in order to win, you must train hard and be focused!
It’s the same in our relationship with Christ. We must study hard, endure and overcome! The LORD tells us in his prophetic end time message concerning the last days:
Mat 24:10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Mat 24:11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
Mat 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Notice that there are a lot of things that will be taking place, but the preaching and teaching of the Gospel must go forth! Which means that there are going to be some trials, tribulations, and troubles, but we must endure to the end.
Today, we see so much division and hate not only in the world, but in the church. We see people giving up on the church, giving up on one another, which is really a deception!
It’s truly sad, but we see scripture coming to pass, but Christ said, “We must endure, and we must overcome!”
Even in the book of Revelation to the churches, the LORD encourages the people of God to overcome!
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
I watched the track and field World Championships the other day and the Americans did well in the sprinting and other events!
But it took hard work and focus to win. So, what can we learn from all of this? I want to encourage you to do the following ten things in order to fight a good fight and finish the race:
1. Keep the faith. Don’t get in doubt, fear or unbelief, and above all, don’ let your faith fail!
2. Stay in the race. Don’t quit. Quitters never win. Winners never quit. You can’t win a race by quitting.
3. Stay in your lane. Know your assignment. Stay in your lane so that you don’t get disqualified.
4. Be confident. You must be confident and have good self-esteem. Be humble, but always be confident!
5. Be focused. People who endure and overcome have an eagle like focus. They are not easily distracted.
6. Be ready. How can you be at your best when you don’t study, train, or have a readiness to succeed or excel?
7. Power through. Don’t be a crybaby. Be strong. Push, be steadfast and always do your best!
8. Overcome. Overcomers succeed in life. If you don’t overcome, you can’t win or get the victory!
9. Finish what you start. Who stops fighting in a boxing match? Who stops running in the middle of a race?
10. Get the victory! Fight to win. Run to win, and no matter what your circumstances are. Always have the mentality of a champion!
People of God, remember there is a reward in Christ when we endure and overcome! Remember the words of the Apostle Paul:
2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2Ti 4:8 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.
God Bless, Pastor Quinn