Background Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8
James 4:14 records that life is like a vapor that appears for a brief time and then vanishes. In II Timothy 4:2 Paul charges Timothy to, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season…” Reading on to verses 6-8 we find that Paul begins to make reference to his own life and ministry. He succinctly states the summation of his own lifespan.
Past Reflections
He states, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (v.7) Notice that Paul makes no reference to his life before his conversion. To the Philippians Paul had written, “Forgetting those things which are behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal…” (Phil. 3:13-14) It seems that Paul knew first hand the importance of not getting caught in the trap of remembering a shameful past over and over again. For Paul, life really began when he came to know Jesus Christ.
His life was one of spiritual warfare. Paul recollected, ” I have fought a good fight.” He had been a loyal Christian soldier and had fought the good fight against sin, heresy, and legalism. As his life comes near the end, Paul remarks, “I have finished the race.” He was no spiritual drop out. He was committed to the cause of Christ and aggressively engaged in evangelistic missionary work until the end of his life. Paul was an example of steadfastness for he concludes his past reflections by writing, “I have kept the faith.” What a testimony!
Present Readiness
Paul is very aware that the time of his personal death is very close at hand. As he writes to Timothy, he gives assurance of his spiritual condition in vs. 6, “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (KJV)
Paul does not use the word “death” here. He refers to his dying first as an “offering.” He willingly offered himself to God continuously. Daily he faced threats and the possibility of imprisonment, persecution, even martyrdom. But there was no self preservation in Paul’s aspirations. He did not seek protection or comfort.
Paul also referred to his own dying as a departure. In II Corinthians 5:8 Paul writes that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” That is why Paul could say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is again.” (Phil. 1:21)
Paul was not seeking pity or shrinking back from the thought of dying. In the face of death, Paul is a radiant example of the kind of assurance God wants to give every Christian.
Future Reward
Finally, Paul says, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteous, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (vs. 8 )
Paul has much to look forward to! One might say that his reward is “out of this world” because his reward is not of an earthly nature.
The apostle is not vainly boasting at this point. But rather he is assuring both Timothy and us that any investment we may make in the kingdom of heaven will be well rewarded!
Paul had sacrificed much over the course of his life to evangelize the gentile world and establish churches; but Paul expresses no regret. He is confident that he is the one who will be benefited by giving his life to the Master.
In the end, we who love and serve Jesus Christ will certainly receive far more from our heavenly father than we ever could have sacrificed in a hundred lifetimes of Christian service and commitment.
“I’ll live for him
Who died for me.
How happy then
My life shall be!
I’ll live for him
Who died for me.
My savior and my God!-Ralph E. Hudson
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