"The Past: The Course, In Which He was Faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/24/2025 11:05 AM

My Worship Time                              Focus:  "The Past:  The Course, In Which He was Faithful”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  2 Timothy 4:7

Message of the verse:  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;”

            Paul first reflected on the present, which we have been looking at for a few days, and not he will reflect on the past, and Paul after he became a believer has a great past to reflect on, consisting of his life and service to the Lord since he became a believer, which is seen in the 9^th chapter of the book of Acts.  His life was a life in “which he breathed every breath and lived every moment in service of his Lord, a life in which no sacrifice was too great and no commitment to demanding” (MacArthur Commentary).

            MacArthur writes “Perhaps Theodore Roosevelt had that verse in mind when he wrote.

            It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

            Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even through checked by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in a gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.  (From speech on the strenuous life, Hamilton Club, Chicago, April 10, 1899).

            I have read over this quote a couple of times and then posted it on my Facebook page, and I can see why John MacArthur wrote this quotation in his commentary reflecting on the Apostle Paul’s life. 

            As one reads through the New Testament one surely can see that Paul lived his life doing great things in the power of God, and that truly is the key in doing great things, for if one does things on their own people may think that they are doing good, but if not through the power of the Holy Spirit doing what the Lord desires for them to do, then it is not going to last, but one can see that Paul’s life was filled with the Holy Spirit, and then things that he did have lasted.  MacArthur writes “As reflected in the English, have fought, have finished, and have kept (like ‘has come’ at the end of v. 6) translated intensive perfect verbs, indicating completed action that hs continuing results.  Paul had no regret, no sense of unfulfillment or incompleteness. After the Lord took control, he truly had lived life to the fullest.  Everything God had called and enabled him to do, he did.  He left no unfinished symphony.  There can be no greater satisfaction—and certainly no more glorious way to end the Christian life—than to know, as he did, that you have fully accomplished all that the Lord has called you to do.  That is precisely what he was asking Timothy to do: ‘fulfill your ministry’ (v. 5).  Now let me take a moment to say that John MacArthur’s hero in the faith, after of course the Lord Jesus Christ, was Paul as I have listened to hundreds of his sermons, and read many of his commentaries, I know that Paul was his hero in the faith, and as I am studying 2 Timothy, the last letter Paul ever wrote that is in the Bible, I can help but think that John MacArthur’s life had a lot to do with what Paul’s life was about.  He is now with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ awaiting the resurrection that will take place at the rapture.

            “We cannot help wondering how we too can live our lives in that way.  How was Paul able to make such a claim?  What was the motive of his astounding spiritual faithfulness and achievement?  He himself gives the answer in the three short clauses of verse 7.”

            Well we will have to wait unto tomorrow’s SD to get those answers, and perhaps it will take us a couple of days to do so, but Lord willing I will keep writing until we get those answers.

            Spiritual Meaning for My Life Today:  It is my desire to fight the good fight even though I know that Satan many times is tempting me to stop doing what I believe the Lord is calling me to do for the cause of Christ.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.

7/24/2025 11:42 AM