I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
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. 2
Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV
Something
I remember from when I was very young was just how excited my father would get
on the weekends getting ready to watch “Saturday Night Fights” on the
television. I think at the time I
wondered a bit as to why watching two people fight was something to look
forward to, but as I got older I began to realize that it was a sporting event,
and not a disagreement between two people.
I eventually even became a fan of boxing, and followed the sport
closely. One thing which always
impressed me, however, was the size and enthusiasm of the crowds which gathered
to watch a championship fight between two contenders for the heavyweight crown.
When
I read this passage from Paul, the reference to a “fight” couldn’t help but
catch my attention so I decided to look closer at the language to better
understand what Paul might be trying to say.
Imagine my surprise to find that the Greek word for fight used here is “agon” which when translated not only
means a fight, but any struggle or contest.
Interestingly, it was also was used to refer to an assembly or gathering,
especially one to witness the fight. We
know from history that the Greek culture was the origin of our Olympic Games,
and this word would be used at that time to refer to not only those national
games, but the place of assembly to watch them.
Obviously
from the context, we understand that Paul is talking about his life as a
believer, and the struggles he has endured as he tried to share the gospel on
his many journeys. He chooses to
describe his life in terms that anyone at that time would understand, but also
makes the point that the believer also receives a crown as a reward just as the
participants of the Greek games did.
Life as a believer is a struggle against the powers of Satan, and all
the clever ways he knows to deceive, manipulate, and lead us away from the path
we have chosen.
For we
do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts
of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
The
race Paul is referring to is of course the Christian life, which is lived much
like a race in that just as when running we take steps towards a goal, life
itself is a series of steps which eventually lead to the finish. The question is, or the fight that we have,
is do we take those steps in the power of the Spirit, our new life, or do we
stumble along in the flesh, trying to live according to our old ways of
thinking? One thing that I believe Paul
is telling us here which may often be overlooked is that by his choice to use
the word “agon”, he is also letting
us know our struggle is very public and we are being watched just as runners in
a race are watched.
Notice
too, that Paul wants to make the point that he has finished the race and
arrived at the finish line. When I first
began competing in long distance races, I was surprised at how many
participants begin the race, but for one reason or another drop out and fail to
finish. I began to understand that
although everyone begins the race full of energy and strength, as the race
progresses some find that their strength begins to fail them. I have never seen anyone drop out at the
start of a race, but it’s only as the race gets long and difficult that people
begin to fail. Since Paul makes the point that it is important to finish the
race, where do we as believers get the strength to carry on when we begin to
tire?
Then He
spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, Luke 18:1 NKJV
The
word uses here for the phrase “losing heart” is “ekkakeo” which means “to be
wearied out, exhausted, or spiritless”. What
Jesus is telling His listeners is that by praying we can avoid being weary,
exhausted, and lose our spirit for serving Him as we run the race. The older I get, the more I find myself using
the rest stops along the way whenever I travel a long distance over a long
period of time. Unfortunately, I can
also remember a time when I was young and those stops were not necessary. As I see it, Jesus is telling us here that by
continual prayer we can always be
refreshed with what we need to continue our race without becoming tired and
discouraged.
“Because
you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of
trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the
earth. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may
take your crown. Revelation 3:10-11 NKJV
These
words from Jesus to the church at Philadelphia contain the promise we all are
looking for, especially at this time in this world’s history and that is the
promise of the rapture of the Church. As
the events leading up to this event, and especially the time after begin to
unfold before our eyes, how easy is it to begin to get weary and discouraged
just before the end of our race. This is
the time that all of us as believers should be taking Paul’s advice and be
praying continually for the strength we need to finish the race and obtain the
prize He has set before us. When Paul
talks about the crown he will receive, I believe He is talking about the crown
of righteousness that Jesus will award to all those who have longed for His
appearing.
There
is no doubt in my mind that what we are seeing today can best be described as
our finish line. As we struggle to
arrive there, the attacks we must endure will grow stronger and probably more
frequent. The possibility of
discouragement will probably never be greater, so the question is, are you
going to give up with the finish line in sight, or will you pray continually
for the strength you need to finish the race and obtain the crown? Jesus is coming quickly, don’t give up.
Keep
watching.
