FIGHT WORTH FIGHTING

6/9/91

A FIGHT WORTH FIGHTING
II TIMOTHY 4: 6 - 8
(PAGE 1739 COME ALIVE BIBLE)

JESUS CHRIST exhorted His followers by saying, "If you love Me
keep my commandments..." (John 14:15).
In making this statement He was not just encouraging personal
obedience to His word. He was appealing for His followers to
preserve His instruction. That is, take a public stand for what
He has commanded.
One of the most sinister people of His day, a man who summarily
spoke of himself as "the worst sinner who ever lived," Saul of
Tarsus, became a follower of Christ. From the moment of his
concession to the day of his demise Paul dedicated himself to
"keeping" the commands of Christ. As a result he made a cursory
comment near the conclusion of his life by saying, "I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith."
I want to challenge you, regardless of your age, to think of
what summary you would like to be able to make when your life
draws to a close.
I. PARTICIPATION "I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT"
Like Paul who said, "I have fought..." I want to be able to say,
"I didn't sit on the sideline, I fought..."
Most often when we read this statement we think it is a
reference by Paul to the fact he fought well -- and, indeed,
hedid. However, the expression means "I fought the good fight,"
or literally, "I fought a fight worth fighting." Namely, "It was
the right one for me." "The grand fight I ahve fought." In the
Greek the object comes before the verg, emphasizing it was "the"
noble fight.
"Keeping," that is, preserving Biblical truths, is an ...

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