Radio Transcript

Broadcast Date – October 14, 2001 on KCXY (Y95) - 95.3 FM

Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome, ruled the Roman Empire from A.D. 54-68. His personal life was filled with tragedy. Nero’s mother, Agrippina, and his legal wife, Octavia, were murdered. Many of his advisors were either killed or exiled.

Nero’s public life was troubled as well. His extravagance, coupled with his poor management, brought on heavy taxation, depreciation of the Roman currency, and the confiscation of large landholdings by the state.

Tension became so great that by A.D. 68, after several attempted conspiracies, the Praetorian Guard revolted and Nero was forced to flee Rome. In that same year, at the age of thirty, Nero took his own life.

The year following Paul’s release from prison, probably A.D. 64, a great fire consumed more than half the city of Rome. The fire burned fiercely for six days, then slowly burned for three more days. Although it was never proven for certain, many people believe Nero started the fire, and then placed the blame on Christians.

Nero had been known for his persecution of Christians prior to this time. But it was after this fire that Nero began his most severe persecution against the church of Christ. Nero often had Christians put to death in a way that was made a matter of sport. Christians were sometimes covered with the skins and then placed in arenas to be torn to pieces by dogs. Christians were fastened to crosses and then set on fire to serve as torches at night. Nero offered his gardens as the scene for his violent acts, sometimes mingling with the crowds as he rode in his chariot.

One of the victims of this persecution was the apostle Paul. Paul had been released from prison previously but, after the fire that destroyed large portions of Rome, Paul was imprisoned a second time. Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy while has was in prison, awaiting his death. Listen to Paul’s words in II Timothy 4:6: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand."

Yet, all throughout Paul’s letter there is not the slightest hint that Paul regretted his becoming a Christian. There is no suggestion of any fear in Paul’s mind. In fact, we sense the very opposite, a sense of triumph.

Listen to Paul’s words, recorded in II Timothy 4:7-8: "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."

What enabled Paul to face death with such confidence? First, Paul stated he had fought a good fight. Paul often compared the Christian life to that of a fight. Earlier in Paul’s same letter to Timothy he wrote, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a good soldier (II Timothy 2:3-4).

In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul wrote: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

In I Timothy 6:12, Paul wrote: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

The fact that Paul described the life of a Christian as a fight indicates there is a definite struggle taking place. From Paul’s words in Ephesians the sixth chapter we know it is not a physical struggle, but rather it is a spiritual struggle. It is a struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, righteousness and unrighteousness.

Everyone one of us is in this battle, whether we realize it or not. People who have become a Christian by obeying the gospel of Christ are on the Lord’s side. Those persons who have not become Christians by obeying the gospel of Christ are also in the battle. But these persons are on the side of Satan, opposing all that the cross of Christ represents. By the way friends, that raises the question: "Whose side are you on?"

In order for a Christian to be able to approach the end of his life with the same sentiments expressed by Paul, "I have fought a good fight," he must put forth the necessary effort to develop the characteristics of a fighter. What are some of those characteristics? First, he must devote himself to the preparation that is essential if one is to win the battle. No sensible soldier or boxer would enter into a battle or fight without first undergoing appropriate training.

Unfortunately, many people profess to be Christians yet fail to devote themselves to the training that is so vitally important if they are in fact going to win the battle against Satan. In II Timothy 2:15, Paul wrote, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Friends, did you notice the word Paul used? Study! The common man can understand the Bible. The common man does not need a so-called pastor, reverend, or preacher to interpret it for him. But understanding the Bible does involve study! Understanding the Bible involves putting forth the necessary effort.

In order for a Christian to be able to say, "I have fought a good fight," he must not only adequately prepare himself but he must also display willingness to defend that which is right. Some people are willing to avoid confrontation at all costs, even if it means compromising the plain truths taught within the scriptures. The Bible teaches there is only one church (Ephesians 4:4), yet many people are unwilling to defend this simple truth. The Bible teaches a person cannot be saved from his sins without being baptized (Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21), yet sadly there are many people who are unwilling to accept and defend this plain truth taught within the scriptures. A person who is can say "I have fought a good fight" is a person who has the courage to stand up for what is right, even when it means going against the crowd.

The second reason Paul was able to face death with confidence was because he had finished his course. This is not the only time Paul compared the Christian life to participating in an athletic event, such as a race. In I Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul wrote, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but on receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it unto subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

Friends, notice how Paul stressed the importance of finishing the race. When comparing the Christian life to a race, it’s not enough to just begin the race, we must finish the race! We must endure to the very end.

Have you ever, while watching a football game, seen your team go into half time with a sizeable lead? You took comfort in the fact that your team was ahead. You were relaxed as the second half began, knowing your team would win if it could just hold on to its lead. But then, as the second half progressed, your team seemed to just give up! It looked like your team just quit playing. It looked like they were no longer giving it their best, as if they were no longer even trying to in! Your team had the lead with victory in sight but then blew it, allowing the other team to win the game. How did you feel? Upset? Angry? Probably so! But friends, it’s sad that we sometimes get more upset over our team giving up and losing the game than we do when we see a Christian give up and lose his soul!

I know many of the preachers you hear will tell you a person who has been saved from his sins cannot sin in such a way that he will be lost. But friends, that’s neither what your Bible nor mine teaches! Remember what I said earlier? You can read the Bible and understand it for yourself. Listen to these words from the book of Hebrews as they warn us against the sin of unbelief: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Did you notice how the writer used the words "departing form the living God"? You can’t depart from somewhere you have never been. This passage is warning us of the sin of unbelief. Of losing our fellowship with God. Of losing our salvation! If a person believes in Christ, becomes a Christian, but later quits believing, is he still saved from his sins? No reasonable person would answer yes! Yet that is exactly what many false teachers would have you believe!

Friends, it’s not enough to just enter the race. We must endure until we have taken our last breath. In Galatians 6:9 Paul wrote: "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Elsewhere we read: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).

The third reason Paul was able to face death with confidence was because he had kept the faith. Notice Paul did not say he kept his faith (although certainly he did). But here Paul is saying the kept the faith. That is, Paul kept the system of the faith, the gospel of Christ and all that is taught therein. There are a number of scriptures that refer to the gospel as the faith. Consider just a few. "And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7).

"By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:" (Romans 1:5).

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong" (I Corinthians 16:13).

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (II Corinthians 13:5).

And numerous other scriptures could be mentioned. In our text, II Timothy 4:7, Paul is stressing that he was loyal to the system of the faith. Paul remained steadfast throughout all his trials, difficulties, and temptations. Paul did not quit defending the faith even during those times when death stared him in the face. Paul kept, guarded, defended, and fought for the gospel of Christ. Paul never corrupted the faith in order to satisfy the views of the Jews or the Gentiles. With courage and persistence Paul kept the faith unto the very end of his life.

Oh if only all men were so determined to keep the faith today. Unfortunately, there are too many among us, yes even among many men you hear who claim to be preaching the gospel of Christ, who are all too eager to compromise the simple truths taught within the Bible. The Bible teaches there is only one church (Ephesians 4:4), yet many are eager to compromise this simple truth because they find it offensive. The Bible teaches no man is saved from his sins outside of Christ’s one church (Ephesians 5:23), yet many are eager to compromise this simple truth because they find it offensive. The Bible teaches the majority of people in the world are lost (Matthew 7:13-14), yet many are eager to compromise this simple truth because they find it offensive. We ought to strive to be able to express the same sentiment as Paul, "I have kept the faith."

Friends, because Paul fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, he knew there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness (II Timothy 4:8). Paul knew this crown was not for him only, but for all those who love his (Christ’s) appearing. Friends, are you living in such a way that there is a crown in heaven waiting for you?

Rod Halliburton