Second Timothy 4 places Paul at the end of his road, chained up and looking straight at death. Paul knows there is a chopping block with his name on it, but Paul is not fretting. Paul has already settled the matter: to depart and be with Christ is better, yet staying had been needful for the churches. Now the time of his departure has come.
Hebrews 9:27 puts the same truth in front of every soul: it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment. Death should not shock people like it does, because departure is already scheduled. The question is not whether death is coming, but whether a person is ready now. “Now is the accepted time,” because many have dropped off into hell intending to get saved tomorrow.
The call to finish well is pressed through Paul’s words: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” The good fight is not with hands or weapons. Ephesians 6 says the fight is against the world, the flesh, and the devil, against dark powers and demonic things. A Christian life that only wants “easy peasy” living is not thinking rightly about the battle.
The race set before each believer is not a sprint. The race has zigzags, hills, hard stretches, and lonely places. Paul could say he finished, but Demas could not. The race takes fortitude and stamina, because people are dropping off by the wayside all the time.
Keeping the faith means staying true in character and doctrine. First Timothy 3 puts guardrails around ministers, and one mess-up can wreck a life, a family, and a church. Doctrine also needs guardrails. The faith cannot be wobbly, dodgy, or softened just to get along, because keeping the faith cost Paul his head.
The crown of righteousness is laid up for those who love Christ’s appearing. Christ came the first time in the flesh to die as the substitute for his people, and Christ will come again visibly and bodily. That day is imminent. The believer is called to live as if death could come today and as if Jesus could come today.
Demas stands as the warning at the end. Demas walked away because he loved this present world. Homes, cars, stocks, money, pleasures, and schemes all get left behind the moment death comes. The world is facade and veneer, and there ain’t nothing in it worth trading Christ for.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Departure is already scheduled Death is not an interruption to God’s calendar. Paul could say his departure had come, but most people do not get that kind of heads up. Readiness cannot be pushed into tomorrow, because tomorrow has never been promised to any soul. [39:03]
- 2. The good fight is spiritual Paul’s fight was not fists, weapons, or flesh and blood. The battle is against the world, the flesh, the devil, and the dark powers that press against faithful obedience. A life built around ease will not have the muscle to stand when the fight gets heavy. [46:05]
- 3. The race takes real stamina Paul’s race was set before him, and every believer’s race has its own turns, hills, and hard miles. The race is long, not a sprint, and people fall off by the wayside when discipline gives way to comfort. Finishing well means staying on the path when no crowd is cheering. [49:13]
- 4. Doctrine needs sturdy guardrails Keeping the faith means more than having religious energy. Character can be ruined by one fall, and doctrine can be ruined by wobbling with every wind. Faithfulness stays straight down the line when compromise looks easier and more popular. [58:36]
- 5. The world is only veneer Demas did not walk away because Christ failed him, but because he loved this present world. The world can look good, but its pleasures and possessions cannot be carried past death. A loose hand on earthly things is wisdom, because nothing down here is worth losing the soul over. [65:42]
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