“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8 ESV)
This was the apostle Paul speaking. And before he became the apostle Paul, when he was called Saul, he was a persecutor of the church, of those who put their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives. For he was convinced that they were a false sect which was opposed to Judaism and to God and that they needed to be stopped. But he was wrong, and Jesus (in a vision) one day met him on the road to Damascus where he was headed to persecute even more Christians, and the rest is history.
The man who had once been a persecutor of Christians was now a firm believer in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and who worshipped the one and only true God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. Now he was among the persecuted for his faith in the Lord Jesus. For now he was a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, called of God to take the full message of the gospel of our salvation to the Jews and to the Gentiles. And this was his calling of God given him through the words of Jesus Christ:
“But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Acts 26:16-18 ESV)
And to turn from darkness to light is to turn away from our sins to now follow Jesus Christ, who is the Light, and to walk in the light of his righteousness and of his gospel message, in obedience to his commands. And to turn from the power of Satan to God is to be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin. So we are not to let sin reign anymore in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if we obey obedience to God, its end is eternal life with God.
[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 4:17-24]
But, when Saul became the apostle Paul, and he began teaching the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people, he then became the enemy of many who opposed his message, just as he had once opposed that message, too. And so he was hated, persecuted, chastised, beaten, falsely accused of wrong, and falsely imprisoned, although not for any wrong that he had done, but only because he was sharing with the people the message of Jesus Christ and of his gospel of salvation.
But he did not let that stop him, even when others who had once supported him abandoned him and turned against him, and when those who once followed him were being led astray by false teachers, and so many of them were beginning to doubt his words and to believe the lies. In all of this, in all the beatings and persecutions and false accusations against his character, he remained faithful to the Lord in serving the Lord and in continuing to share the true message of the gospel of our salvation.
But at this point in his ministry, he was convinced that he did not have much longer to live. He knew that his enemies were plotting his demise, and so he gave his parting words to Timothy, his brother in Christ and his fellow servant and laborer in the teaching of the true gospel of our salvation. But so strong was his faith that he could say that he had “fought the good fight,” and that he had “finished the race,” and he had “kept the faith.” And now what awaited him was the “crown of righteousness” given him by the Lord.
But this wasn’t for Paul alone. This treasure in heaven awaits all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, who have been crucified with him in death to sin, and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves of God and of his righteousness. This is what awaits all of us who are walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, and who are no longer walking in sin. This is our hope of eternal life with God in heaven for all who, in truth, love and long for his appearing.
But sadly, not everyone who professes the name of Jesus Christ belongs to Christ. Not all who say, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father, which is expressed for us in his written word, the Scriptures. For all who continue walking in sin, and not in righteousness and holiness, and not in faithful walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, they do not know God. They are not in fellowship with God, and they do not have eternal life with God.
So, please take this time, if you have not already, to examine your own hearts before the Lord Jesus and to ask him if your lives are surrendered to him as Lord, and if you are walking in his ways, in his truth, in his righteousness, and in obedience to his commands, in practice. Are your daily lives committed to him and to his will for your lives, or are you still living for the sinful pleasures of the flesh and for what you want out of life? Can you honestly say with Paul that you have fought the good fight, and finished the race, and kept the faith? Or are you still living for your own pleasure?
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70
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