I HAVE FOUGHT
THE GOOD FIGHT: ton kalon agona egonismai (1SRMI) ton kalon agona:
(1Ti 6:12
Php 1:27,
30)
the good strife I have striven (Young's Literal)
The desperate, straining, agonizing contest marked by its beauty of
technique, I like a wrestler have fought to the finish, and at present
am resting in its victory (Wuest)
I have fought long and hard for my Lord (TLB)
I have combated the good combat (Darby)
The glorious fight that God gave me I have fought (Phillips)
I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight (Amp)
I have striven the good strife
I have wrestled that good wrestling
MacArthur notes that in this verse Paul
is giving us a summary "flashback" of his life in Christ as emphasized
in two ways by the Greek text:
"First, the object of the sentence
comes before the verb: "The good fight I have fought, the course I have
finished, the faith I have kept. " Second, the perfect tense of the
verbs speak of actions completed in the past with results continuing
into the present. Paul looked back on his life without any sense of
regret, sadness, or unfulfillment. Let's learn from his triumphant
epitaph that we might do the same!"
Fought
(75)
(agonizomai
from
agon =
conflict
or the place of assembly for the athletic contests and then a reference
to the contests which were held there)
Agonizomai was a familiar term in writings
of both military and athletic endeavors and was used to emphasize the
concentration, discipline, conviction, and effort needed to win in both
arenas. It pictures a runner straining every nerve to the uttermost
towards the goal.
Agonizomai was used in secular Greek meaning
to contend for the prize on the stage, both of the poet, etc.,
and of the actor.
Agonizomai was used in secular Greek in the
context of public speaking meaning to contend against, as
law-term, to fight a cause to the last and to fight
against a charge of murder.
Agonizomai means to exert oneself, to
fight, to labor fervently, to strive (devote serious effort or
energy = implies great exertion against great difficulty and suggests
persistent effort), to struggle, to contend with an adversary - all of
these actions picturing an intense struggle for victory. When we find
that the gloves of the Greek boxer were fur lined on the inside, but
made on the outside of ox-hide with lead and iron sewed into it, and
that the loser in a wrestling match had his eyes gouged out, we come to
some appreciation of what a Greek athletic contest consisted of and of
the effort such a contest would motivate!
Agonizomai
here in second Timothy 4 is
in the
perfect tense which indicates a past completed action with ongoing
effect and thus pictures the contest as having begun with intensity
(the moment Paul was saved the "bell rang" beginning "round one"!) and which persisted to the end of his life.
The use of this verb implies hindrances in the development of the
Christian life. Paul is
reminding us that faithful Christian ministry is not easy. It takes
courage and expenditure of great effort to run the Christian race successfully, albeit
that effort ultimately being in
the power God supplies (see notes
Philippians 2:12;
2:13;
4:11;
4:12;
4:13;
Hebrews 13:21;
Zech 4:6).
Paul's entire life had been given
fully to the struggle even as Olympic athletes give their body, mind and
spirit full to their specific sport. Paul thus engaged in a ceaseless, strenuous conflict, wrestling
with Satan and his minions, with evil men (See notes
2 Timothy 2:17;
2:18;
3:5;
3:13;
4:14),
with "the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"
(see note
Ephesians 6:12)
and even his own flesh writing that "I buffet my body and
make it my slave" (See note
1Corinthians 9:27)
Should Timothy do any less?
Should we, dearly beloved of God?
Wuest's translation conveys the sense of the perfect tense
I
like a wrestler have fought to the finish and at present am resting in
its victory"
(Comment: This was no small accomplishment, for Paul had
encountered and overcome many obstacles along the way as described in
2Cor 11:23-28).
Agonizomai is used 8 times in
NT in the NT (see below) and is translated: competes in the games, 1;
fight, 1; fighting, 1; fought, 1; laboring earnestly, 1; strive, 2;
striving, 1.
Luke 13:24
Strive
(present
imperative) to
enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and
will not be able.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My
kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My
servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to
the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."
1Corinthians 9:25 (note)
And everyone who competes
in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Colossians 1:29
(note)
And for this purpose also I labor,
striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. (Click for more notes on agonizomai in this verse)
Colossians 4:12 (note)
Epaphras (Paul's "beloved fellow bond-servant" - see note
Col 1:7),
who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his
greetings, always laboring (present
tense =
continually) earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand
perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for
this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the
living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight
(present
imperative) the
good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were
called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith
Agonizomai was used in secular Greek in
reference to literal fighting with weapons. Jesus alludes to the
military meaning in His answer to Pilate's question about what had Jesus
done,
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My
kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting,
(agonizomai)
that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but
as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. (Jn 18:36)
If His kingdom were from the world, by now His followers would have
assembled an army and fought to release Him. Note that Jesus did not say
that He had no kingdom in this world, or that He would never rule on
earth. He does have a kingdom in this world, for wherever there are
people who have trusted Him and yielded to His sovereignty He is King
and one day He shall return as "King of kings and Lord of lords"
(Rev 19:16)
to establish a righteous kingdom on earth (Da 7:13-28).
This word group is the source of our English words agony and agonize
which means to experience pain so extreme as to cause writhing or
contortions of the body, similar to those made in the athletic contests
in Greece. To agonize also means to strain, to toil, to suffer extreme
pain of body or mind or to suffer violent anguish. We begin to get a
picture of what Paul meant when he said he had fought. Agonizomai
emphasizes Paul’s tireless labor and his struggles against all manner of
setbacks and opposition.
Agonizomai means to contend for a prize in
the public games. Thus Paul reminded the Olympic minded Corinthians
everyone who competes (agonizomai)
in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." (1Corinthians
9:25 note) (Comment:
Holding tightly to liberties and rights that belong to the unregenerate
nature is a sure way to ineffectively compete in the race of
soul–winning)
Agonizomai
was used in reference to the athletes who took part in the 26 mile
marathon, willing to undergo the most self-denying, "agonizing"
discipline to be at their fittest, thereby hoping to win an earthly
crown.
Figuratively,
agonizomai speaks of applying one's faith in perseverance
amid the continual fight against temptations and spiritual opposition.
Paul instructs Timothy to
Fight (agonizomai)
the good fight (agon)
of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and
you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1Ti 6:12).
(Comment: Agonizomai is in the
present tense,
imperative mood
which commands a continuous effort. Paul is telling Timothy he must keep
agonizing like an athlete or soldier, straining and giving his all to
win the prize or win the battle)
Speaking again in the context of prayer, Paul uses a related word
exhorting the Romans
to strive together (sunagonizomai
- Amplified "earnest wrestling") with me in your prayers to God for
me" (see note
Romans 15:30)
Sunagonizomai was used in classical
Greek describing the concerted action of a team of athletes in the Greek
games and meant to contend along with or to share in a contest. What a "model"
for a powerful prayer meeting! Paul asks the Roman saints to
wrestle, fight and contend with him in prayer against the opposition of
the hosts of wickedness, contending with him as athletes would do with
one another, with intensity of purpose and in perfect cooperation.
What a picture of prayer! So much of our praying is calm and
comfortable, and yet Paul is making allusion to one exerting his
spiritual muscles the way a Greek runner would exert himself in the
Olympic Games. This does not mean that our prayers are more effective if
we exert all kinds of fleshly energy. Nor does it mean that we must
“wrestle with God” and wear Him out before He will meet our needs.
Rather by using the picturesque verb agonizomai, Paul is
teaching that our praying must not be a casual experience that has no
heart or earnestness. We should put as much fervor into our praying as a
wrestler does into his wrestling! As someone has well said
If church members today put as much
concern and enthusiasm into their praying as they did into their
baseball games or bowling, we would have revival!
The most dramatic picture of the meaning of agonizomai in
the context of prayer, is found in Jesus' agony in Gethsemane
where the related word agonia (from agon = context, but
giving prominence to the pain and labor of the conflict) is used by Luke
who describes Jesus as
being in agony (agonia)
He was praying very fervently and His sweat became like drops of blood,
falling down upon the ground. (Lu 22:44)
Are you beginning to get a picture of the meaning of agonizomai?
Agonizomai also means to take pains, to
wrestle as in an award contest, straining every nerve to the uttermost
towards the goal. Jesus for example when asked to give His thoughts on
the question of how many would be saved, made the matter personal,
addressing not "how many" will be saved but whether or not "you"
will be saved! He went on to instruct them to
Strive
(agonize) (present
imperative) to enter through the narrow door
(Amplified adds "force
yourselves through it"); for many, I tell you, will seek to enter
and will not be able. (Lu 13:24)
Agonizomai
in this context signifies a great struggle against conflict. Don't be
confused because Christ was not suggesting that we should or could work
hard enough to merit heaven by striving for it. Scripture clearly
teaches that salvation is solely by grace, not by works (see note
Ephesians 2:8;
2:9).
Agonizing to enter the narrow door is
a statement which reflects the costliness in terms of human pride, the
sinner’s natural love for sin, and the world system and Satan’s
opposition to the truth of the gospel which alone saves.
Good (2570)
(kalos)
(Click
word study on
kalos
compared to
agathos another word for good) does not refer to that which is superficial or cosmetic
but to what is genuinely and inherently good, organically healthy, fit,
useful, serviceable. Another Greek word,
agathos is used generally for what is
good and useful, especially moral goodness in relation to God who is
perfect. Although kalos can be used as a synonym with agathos,
kalos tends to stress more the aesthetic aspect, and stands for
beautiful, fine, free from defects.
Kalos speaks of the
intrinsically good, beautiful, noble and grand struggle Paul has waged
for a prize of inestimable value (4:8,
Php3:14) There are some
struggles not worth engaging in, but here Paul says this was a
worthwhile, noble fight.
When applied to acts, kalos
means noble, praiseworthy. In secular Greek writings a suitable kalos
was used to refer to a suitable harbour (Homer); a healthy
body (Plato); pure, genuine gold (Theognis) and an
unblemished sacrifice (Xenophon). Kalos came to mean
that which was aesthetically beautiful. Finally the meaning of kalos
broadened to include the sense of morally good.
NIDNTT adds that
"in the course of the history of
Greek thought, the concept kalos achieved an inclusive meaning,
linked with taxis (order) and symmetria (symmetry). In this context
kalos came to mean “the total state of soundness, health, wholeness and
order, whether in external appearance or internal disposition. For the
Greek., then, the term applies particularly to the world of the divine”
(W. Grundmann, kalos TDNT III 537)." (Brown, Colin, editor: New
International Dictionary of NT Theology)
J. C. Ryle, explains why the
fight
is good:
Let us settle it in our minds that the Christian fight is a good fight--really
good, truly good, emphatically good. We see only part of it yet. We see
the struggle, but not the end; we see the campaign, but not the reward;
we see the cross, but not the crown. We see a few humble,
broken-spirited, penitent, praying people, enduring hardships and
despised by the world; but we see not the hand of God over them, the
face of God smiling on them, the kingdom of glory prepared for them.
These things are yet to be revealed. Let us not judge by appearances.
There are more good
things about the Christian warfare than we see
(Holiness
[Evangelical Press, 1989]).
Fight
(
73)
(agon root of English agony, agonize)
is the noun form of the verb (agonizomai) discussed
above and speaks of the conflict or contest for victory in the Olympic
and Pythian games. It refers to strife (bitter sometimes violent
conflict. Exertion or contention for superiority. Struggle for victory),
contention (a violent effort to obtain something; to strive or
vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties), a competition, a
contest, a race, a struggle against opposition.
In secular Greek agon
was used generally, any struggle, trial, or danger, as for example a
"struggle for life and death." Other secular meanings include "a
battle" and "an action at law, trial" (Liddell, H. Abridged
from Liddell and Scott's Greek-English lexicon)
Agon is used 6 times in the NT (see below). It should be noted that the English words used to
translate agon (and agonizomai) give us only a
faint idea of the intensity of purpose and effort that is implied by the
original Greek words.
Here are the six uses of agon...
Philippians 1:30
(note) experiencing
the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Colossians 2:1 (note)
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your
behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have
not personally seen my face,
1Thessalonians 2:2
(note) but after we had
already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had
the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much
opposition.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good
fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were
called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have
kept the faith;
Hebrews 12:1 (note)
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us
Vine adds that agon
can also describe
the inward conflict of the soul, this inward conflict often the result
of or the accompaniment of outward conflict... and implying a contest
against spiritual foes, as well as human adversaries. (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Agon also described a number of people brought together, a
gathering or an assembly and thus was used to refer to actual place
where the contest took place. The first-century Roman world was
acquainted with these Greek athletic terms, for the Greek stadium was a
familiar sight, and the Greek athletic games were well known in the
large cities of the Empire. Paul seized upon the terms agon
and agonizomai using them to vividly illustrate the
intensity of purpose and activity that should characterize Christian
living and service. Football and soccer matches are a good modern day
picture of the terrific struggle for supremacy in the Greek athletic
games that was commonly seen by the first-century stadium crowds.
Paul used agon to remind the saints at Philippi that they
were not just spectators of this "good
fight" but
that they had "been
granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to
suffer for His sake, experiencing the same
conflict (agon)
which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." (see note
Philippians 1:29-30)
The enemy wanted them to think they were alone in the agonizing struggle
but Paul reminds them of the hostile opposition he and Silas had faced
when they were imprisoned in Philippi (see
Acts16:16-40) and then reminds them
that although he is in Rome, he is going through the same difficulties
as they are. A change in geography seldom solves spiritual struggles,
because human nature is the same wherever we go, and the adversary is
everywhere. However, knowing that our fellow believers are also sharing
in the conflict should be an encouragement for us to keep
fighting the good fight.
Paul wrote to the saints of Thessalonica
that
after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi,
as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel
of God amid much opposition (agon) (see note
1Thessalonians 2:2)
By using agon Paul is referring to the agonizing
life and death spiritual struggle. Beloved, when we were transferred by
God's Spirit from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and of
God's beloved Son, we entered into the agon, the stadium,
to engage the powers of darkness in spiritual warfare. Paul fought
the good fight, and so can we.
In sum, from these many examples one can see that Paul had indeed "fought
the good fight"
and could look back on his life with a sense of fulfillment. Motivated
by Paul's example every believer should engage in this spiritual race
with resolute commitment and maximum effort, fully convinced that eternity
will prove that it was worth the extreme effort.
I HAVE FINISHED THE COURSE: ton dromon teteleka (1SRAI) ton dromon:
(Jn4:34;
Ac13:25;
20:24;
9:24
9:25
9:26
9:27
Php3:13
14
Heb12:1
2)
I have come to the end of my journey (BBE)
My race, I
like a runner have finished, and at present am resting at the goal
(Wuest)
I have run the full distance (TEV)
I have run the race to the finish (NJB)
The course that I was set I have finished (Phillips)
Finished
(5055)
(teleo
from telos = goal, consummation, the
end or final purpose to which all the parts tend and in which they
terminate) means to make
an end of, to accomplish or to complete something. Teleo is in the
perfect tense
emphasizing the permanence of the finish. The finish line has been
crossed and the results would last forever.
The idea Paul is
conveying to Timothy and to all saints is not for us to merely end our
life,
but to bring our life (in Christ) to it's destined goal, bringing to
completion the individually unique and specific "course"
that God has laid for each of His children to run.
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FINISH WELL - In 1981 Bill
Broadhurst entered the Pepsi Challenge 10,000-meter road race in Omaha,
Nebraska. Ten years earlier, surgery for a brain aneurysm left him
paralyzed on his left side. But on a misty July morning, he stood with
1,200 lithe-looking men and women at the starting line. The gun cracked.
The crowd surged ahead. Bill threw his stiff left leg forward and
pivoted on it as his right foot hit the ground. His slow plop-plop-plop
rhythm seemed to mock him as the pack disappeared into the distance.
Sweat rolled down his face, pain pierced his ankle, but he kept going.
Six miles, two hours, and twenty-nine minutes later, Bill reached the
finish line. A man approached from a small group of bystanders. Bill
recognized him from pictures in the newspaper. "Here," the man said.
"You've worked harder for this than I have." With those words, Bill
Rodgers, the famous marathon runner, put his newly won medal around
Broadhurst's neck, proclaiming him a winner.
The sight of Jesus hanging "helpless" on a cross looked like a tragic
defeat. But three little words from His lips amounted to a victory
shout: "It is finished!" Three days later the truth of His words would
be known. The empty tomb confirmed His claim. He had finished His work
by defeating death and atoning for sin.
The Christian life is not a race to see who comes in first, but an
endurance run to see who finishes faithfully. Remaining faithful to the
finish makes us true winners. —D J De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
We are judged by what we finish, not by what we start.
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Haddon W. Robinson writes the following devotional on finishing well
- It's easy to live a long life, at
least in America. Look at the statistics: Out of every 100,000 persons,
88,361 reach 50 years of age, more than 70,000 people make it to 70, and
almost 17,000 get to 85 or more. Staying around a long time, however,
should not be our primary goal. Rather, we should be concerned with
giving significance and value to all our years and not letting them end
in shame and disgrace.
How we finish the race depends to a great extent on the pace we set
along the way. Joseph Wittig remarked that when we write people's
biographies we should start with their death, not their birth. After
all, we have nothing to do with the way our life began, but we have a
lot to do with the way it ends.
When Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he was in a Roman dungeon awaiting execution.
He said, "I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the
time of my departure is at hand" (4:6). At that moment he could testify,
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith" (v. 7).
We too can end the Christian race well, even if we began late, started
slow, or faltered along the way. The secret is to stay true to Christ to
the last moment.
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Just live your life before your Lord,
Rise to that higher, nobler plane--
With single eye His glory seek,
And you shall His approval gain.
He who puts God first will have
happiness that lasts.
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Dennis DeHaan writes - In 1981 Bill Broadhurst entered the
Pepsi Challenge 10,000-meter road race in Omaha, Nebraska. Ten years
earlier, surgery for a brain aneurysm left him paralyzed on his left
side. But on a misty July morning, he stood with 1,200 lithe-looking men
and women at the starting line. The gun cracked. The crowd surged ahead.
Bill threw his stiff left leg forward and pivoted on it as his right
foot hit the ground. His slow plop-plop-plop rhythm seemed to mock him
as the pack disappeared into the distance. Sweat rolled down his face,
pain pierced his ankle, but he kept going. Six miles, two hours, and
twenty-nine minutes later, Bill reached the finish line. A man
approached from a small group of bystanders. Bill recognized him from
pictures in the newspaper. "Here," the man said. "You've worked harder
for this than I have." With those words, Bill Rodgers, the famous
marathon runner, put his newly won medal around Broadhurst's neck,
proclaiming him a winner.
The sight of Jesus hanging "helpless" on a cross looked like a tragic
defeat. But three little words from His lips amounted to a victory
shout: "It is finished!" Three days later the truth of His words would
be known. The empty tomb confirmed His claim. He had finished His work
by defeating death and atoning for sin.
The Christian life is not a race to see who comes in first, but an
endurance run to see who finishes faithfully. Remaining faithful to the
finish makes us true winners. —D.J. De Haan
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
We are judged by what we finish,
not by what we start.
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The
course (1408) (dromos from dramein, the aorist infinitive form of trecho = to run)
Dromos refers to
the course that one follows in a race, the racecourse or the place of
running and
figuratively refers to one's purpose in life and obligations in relation
to it.
Dromos is used only two other times, the first describing John
the Baptist -- "while John was completing his
course...(here
figuratively speaking of his life's purpose... which
ultimately resulted in his beheading!)" (Acts 13:25).
The other use of dromos
is found in Paul's affirmation of his determination to finish his course,
declaring to the Ephesian elders
I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself,
so that I may finish (verb teleioo = complete, accomplish or bring to an end, to the
intended goal)
my course (dromos)
and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify
solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."(Acts 20:24)
What had been Paul's
determined resolve in
Acts 20:24
was now a definite reality - he had finished his course.
Our lives are represented as a
course, or race that is to be run. The question we all need to ask
ourselves is
Am I running
well?
"Have I laid "aside every encumbrance (unnecessary
weight or baggage = anything that impedes disciplining myself for
godliness
1Ti4:7,8),
and the sin which so easily entangles" me so that I might be able
to "run with endurance the race that is set before" me? (see
note
Hebrews 12:1)
Many believers start out on the right course,
but with time are diverted from the track God originally set them on.
When we are born into God's kingdom our race begins and our course
is set and one day when we enter God's presence our race ends. The
interval of our brief sojourn on earth is the time we each have to
complete our set spiritual
course.
If we stray from our course
we lose valuable time. The only way to complete our course within the
allotted time is to stay on course! Don't be like the Galatians of whom
Paul said
You were running well; who hindered (NIV "cut in on") you from obeying
the truth? (Gal 5:7)
Since Christ is the perfect
example of One who stayed on course, we are to fix "our eyes on
Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith" (see note
Hebrews 12:2).
We need to heed the words of the track coach who said
If you have anything left ten yards past the finish line, you didn't
give your all.
Each of our lives are "like flowering grass" and will soon "pass
away" (Js 1:10)
which should motivate us like Paul to give no less than our best to the
Lord.
Vance Havner
wrote that...
It was said of the great racehorse
Man o' War: "Some horses led him at the first turn, some led him at the
backstretch, a few led him at the far turn, but no horse ever led him in
the homestretch." Some Christians run nobly at the start of the race,
some do well halfway, but blessed is the man who makes a good finish.
Paul's batting average was good to the end of the season: "I have
finished my course" (2 Ti 4:7).
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Our Daily Bread draws an
illustration from the famous Tour de France writing that - One of the most grueling of all
bicycle races is the Tour De France. A contestant in that event, Gilbert
Duclos-Lassalle, describes it in a National Geographic article titled,
“An Annual Madness.” The race covers about 2000 miles, including some
of France’s most difficult, mountainous terrain. Eating and drinking is
done on the run. And there are extremes of heat and cold. To train for
the event, Lassalle rides his bicycle 22,000 miles a year. What kind of
prize makes people endure so much hardship and pain! $10,000? $100,000?
No. It’s just a special winner’s jersey. What then motivates the
contestants? Lassalle sums it up: “Why, to sweep through the Arc de
Triomphe on the last day. To be able to say you finished the Tour de
France.” What a tragedy to see this same motive lead to doping
scandals in so many of the top tour riders (cf the Tour 2007 when the
yellow jersey leader was actually removed from the race because of
suspicious behavior. So beloved, don't bring about a scandal but instead
finish well like Paul! Your reward is will far surpass -- in degree and
in time -- the satisfaction and transient glory these top athletes
receive for finishing a grueling bicycle race in Paris! No you won't
sweep through the Arc de Triomphe on the last day, but you will stand at
the
bema or Judgment Seat of Christ and
be appropriately recompensed for what you have done during your earthly
race, whether it is good or "bad" [bad is phaulos which means useless or
worthless and does not refer to sin which some falsely teach - see 2 Cor
5:10 ])
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Your Biography -
When D. L. Moody was moving into old age, he was asked to grant
permission for his biography. Moody refused, saying, “A man’s life
should never be written while he is living. What is important is how a
man ends, not how he begins.”
For better or worse, I have failed to follow that dictum. My biography
has been published. Yet I agree with Moody that the way our lives end is
the crucial test of authentic discipleship. Only if we remain in a
steadfast relationship with the Savior can we be confident not merely of
entering heaven, but of obtaining the victor’s crown (1 Corinthians 9:25
- see notes
1Cor 9:24-27).
Paul was concerned about the possibility of being disapproved by his
Lord (v.27). He was a redeemed believer who was serving the Lord, yet he
feared that his service might prove to be wood, hay, and straw rather
than gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).
What will be the Lord’s appraisal of our lives? Will someone evaluating
us be able to say honestly that we continued to bear fruit in old age?
(Psalm 92:14 - see
Spurgeon's note).
Whatever vocation we pursue, with the help of the Holy Spirit we may be
“steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1
Corinthians 15:58). —Vernon C Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Oh, may
all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way;
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey. —Mohr
© 1987 by Jonathan Mark Music and Birdwing Music (ASCAP)
For the ignorant, old age is as winter;
for the learned, it is a harvest. —Jewish proverb
