The greatest race of our life didn’t begin with the crack of a starter pistol. For many, myself included, the greatest race began with tears and the realization that we were a sinner and stood guilty before a holy God. After accepting Jesus as my personal Savior in 2006, I began to study the Bible with the sole wish to understand what I, as a Christian, was supposed to do. As I began my study, one of my favorite passages is found in the apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy: I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:1-8).
In this short passage, there are several things that Paul is trying to explain to Timothy. Paul had come to an understanding about several things in his life and was ready for the physical death he knew was waiting for him. He understood that he was going to be executed because of his teachings and the stand he took for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew that since he had accepted Jesus as his savior, he had not wasted his life’s time on things that had no eternal value; he did not have the shame of unconfessed sin or wasted time. He knew that the many great works he had done had been out of his obedience to and love of the Lord and for no other reason. And finally, he knew that he had completed the things that he knew that the Lord had set for him to do. I’ve often wondered what allowed Paul to have such confidence to be able to say that he had finished his course? As I began to study the life of Paul, I began to learn things from his life that I could and should apply to mine. I would like, as I am sure you would, like to have the confidence to say I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). I wish with all my heart to hear my Lord and Savior Jesus say Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21b).
Lessons from the life of Paul
Just as every Christian experiences today, Paul also had to grow in his new faith. There were stages of spiritual development that he went through that we can see taught all through the New Testament. Paul had to first, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. He had to dedicate his life to following after the Lord. Paul had to learn – to be discipled in his new Christian faith by other Christians in Jerusalem. He then began to boldly share his newfound faith in Christ with others. When the time came, God placed a burden on the heart of Paul; Paul had to answer God’s call for his life. God had given Paul a set of gifts and abilities – talents – that Paul recognized as coming from the Lord and was able to use those as he strove to fulfill God’s call on his life. He had to go through each of these stages of his life as a Christian to become the man who God had called him to be. He had to go through each stage to learn what it was that God had for him to learn and he had to go through each stage as led by the Holy Spirit. Before Paul even stepped out on his great missionary journeys, he had already decided that he was going to focus on what God had put in front of him and was content in whatever manner the Lord was ready to use him.
The greatest race Paul faced started the same as every Christian’s great race. Recorded by Luke in the book of Acts, And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do (Acts 9:3-6), we see that before Paul could even begin on his travels in the name of the Lord, he had to come to the point where he was willing to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Before Paul accepted the Lord as his personal savior, (before his salvation he was known as Saul) he was unusable by God. His testimony was known by many, Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name (Acts 9:13-14). Before Saul (Paul) could be used by God, he had to be born again.
