“I Have Kept the Faith”

by Mitchell Tan
March 08, 2018

IT IS NOT HOW WELL WE START … IT IS HOW WELL WE END

The apostle Paul understood what it meant to finish his race of life well. He knew that it was not how well a person started a race that mattered. It was how well he ended it. These were the culminating words written by Paul concerning his ministry.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7

He had fought the good fight of faith exemplarily. He had finished the race of life victoriously. He had faithfully kept the faith. Paul determined that he was not going to let go of his faith at any time.

EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO DID NOT KEEP THE FAITH / TRUTH

While Paul chose to hold fast to his faith and the truth of God’s word, there were those who did not.

1. REJECTION OF FAITH

“Which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwrecked, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander”
1 Timothy 1:19-20

Hymenaeus and Alexander rejected having a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus and a good conscience. They set aside their faith and thus their life became shipwrecked. They did not keep the faith.

2. REJECTION OF TRUTH

“And their message will spread like cancer, Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.”
2 Timothy 2:17-18

Hymenaeus was again mentioned together with Philetus. They had blatantly rejected the truth of God’s word and sought to spread falsehood, whose message spread like cancer. It was most deadly. They even preached that the resurrection was something that already occurred within them. Such teaching caused the faith of others to be overturned.

PAUL WAS FAITHFUL TO THE END

1. CERTAINTY OF FAITH

“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”
2 Timothy 1:12

Paul was very clear about whom he believed in and the ministry he was called to do. There was absolute faith in the person of the Lord Jesus and the gospel. His depth of knowledge of the Lord had a continuing and profound effect on him. He was fully certain that what the Lord had promised in the gospel would stand true. Paul was willing to suffer anything for the sake of Christ and to labour hard for Him because there was a deep sense of hope in His second coming. The Lord would remember what he had done for Him and he would receive his crown of life. This drove him on to keep his faith.

2. CULMINATION OF FAITH

“I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7

The apostle Paul remained focused on being faithful to the Lord. There was the culmination of his faith as he reached the end of his journey of life. He held fast to it while others did not do so. His faith in the Lord was most precious. He would not give it up for anything else in this world. There was a deep sense of triumph in holding fast to one’s faith to the end. It is truly worth it all. The challenge is for us to hold fast to our faith in the Lord to the end. Let’s keep the faith as Paul did.

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