WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU TO FINISH WELL

 FINISHING STRONG

STUDY XI

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. I have kept the faith. 2Tim 4:7

When Paul, came to the end of his life and ministry, He says that he has fought a good fight. 

This explains that as long as we are in this world, we are in a battlefield and we have to be fighting until the end. There is not a single moment we must be relaxing. Majority of people backslide after a great victory or after God has used them in a powerful way. They think that now they can relax and at that same time the devil attacks and overcomes them and lead them astray. We must always be on our guard. We must always be watchful and prayerful. We must never give the devil a foothold. Luke 21:36, Mat 26:41, 1Pet 5:8, Eph 4:27.

Paul says that we don't fight with human beings but with principalities and powers and rulers and wicked authorities in the heavenly places. Eph 6:10-18, we must therefore be always put on the whole armour of God.

I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1Cor 9:27-28

Paul explains that the other fight He does is to discipline his own body. We must exercise self discipline, to make our bodies do what they should do and not what they want to do. Unless we are disciplined, we cannot finish well in our life and ministry.

Paul says that He has also finished the race. The Christian life is compared to a race. Paul says that he does not run aimlessly; 1Cor 9:26. He runs with an aim and with a prescribed direction. He doesn't run just for the sake of running. 

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 1Cor 9:25

To run, we must be disciplined.

Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. 2Tim 2:5.

We see also there are rules to be followed in the race. 

We need self discipline and following the rules if we want to finish the race well otherwise we can be disqualified.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:1-2

We are to remove all unnecessary weights and lay aside the sins we easily fall into.

We are to run the race marked out for us.

This means there is a particular path for each person and one must run their own race fixing our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.

In this race we are not allowed to be distracted by others. When your eyes are in a fixed position, you won't see others whether they are running or not. Your eyes are only seeing Jesus. The evidence that your eyes are fixed on Jesus is that you will not be discouraged or give up your Christian faith no matter what comes. Heb 12:3. If at any time you get discouraged or give up the race or cool down, it's because at that very moment, your eyes are not on Jesus. They are looking at others or the circumstances or looking back at what is past; but as long as your eyes are on Jesus, you will never be discouraged and you will never give up.

Paul says I have kept the faith. He didn't allow anything to distract Him. We also must never allow anything to distract us from Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his [ah]master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Mat 24:45-46

Faithfulness in obeying what God tells you to do is the only thing God wants from you.

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Mat 25:21

It's faithfulness the God looks for. 

I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. John 17:4.

It's faithfully doing the work God gave you that God wants.

Not the work men give you, but the assignment that God gave you.

If you set your mind and heart to be faithful and obedient to God's purpose for your life all the days of your life, you will definitely finish well.

You are blessed to be a blessing 

Feel free to share 

@Blessed Mshindi Mambo