“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Dear Ones:
From the moment that Paul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, that which was “eternal” dominated him. He was confronted with that which applied to time and space, but went infinitely beyond the limits of this life, existence, and this world. What was the effect of such a confrontation, not only with Christ, but specifically with the dominating reality of the eternal? It was a consciousness, and realization, that time had a limit, that the God-given opportunity that had been given to Paul came with a purpose and means for its realization. The purpose was to obtain “the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,”…”that I may win HIM.” (Phil. 3:8) The only thing greater than the grasp of that which is eternal, would be the knowing of the Eternal One, the Creator, Redeemer, the Lover of our souls. There was in that grasp of the great purpose, an understanding of the GREAT MEANS to obtain, or to realize the purpose. Paul, in writing his first letter to Timothy, gave him a charge “…in the sight of God.” And with that declaration, he added, “…(God) who QUICKENS (or makes alive) all things.” (1 Tim. 6:13) This is a reiteration of the truth that Paul proclaims, and expounds upon, throughout his writings. “The Spirit is life.” (Rom. 8:10) Also, the One who raised up the Lord Jesus form the dead, by virtue of Him dwelling in the heart, “…shall also QUICKEN (give life) to your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.” (v.11) It is BY the Spirit, the quickening of the Spirit of life, His leading and enabling , that the objective of knowing Christ can be realized. If the time of our soujourn on this earth has a limit, and if we want our lives to truly count for eternity, what are we to do?
The first thing is to have a clearly defined objective. Without that object upon which we need to focus we shall never realize our expectations. The great passion, desire, and will, of Moses, David, and Paul was the same…to KNOW God, and to make Him known, testifying by the life and by word of mouth, of the Person of Christ, and the blessedness of knowing Him. Did not the Lord Jesus say that this was eternal life, to “…KNOW Thee, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent?” (Jn. 17:3)
The second thing is to determine what are the means by which this purpose can be realized. We have already established that the basic “means” is Christ by His Spirit. But HOW is this life to be lived by the Spirit in a practical way? There are two things that God will always honor, and bless. The first is what we are upon our knees, in submission to Him. The second is the pursuit of Him in His word. On the one hand we are called to “…humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord,” honestly and in faith. Secondly, we are to let the word of God dwell RICHLY in our hearts. This means that we earnestly pursue God in His word, believing Him to reveal Himself to our hearts.
Like the Apostle Paul, Peter realized that his time on this earth had limits. He wrote, “…knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as the Lord showed me.” (2 Peter 1:14) What do we find him doing, just waiting to his course, or is he running, fighting, living fully to Christ? We see him seeking to exhort, and stir up, all believers everywhere to remember what has been taught them, adhering to and abiding in Christ, according to His word. Here is a man, again like Paul, who is RUNNING, even though they are old. They are using well, and to the maximum, the time of their stay on this earth, to bring the eternal to those who sometimes loose heart, or are distracted. Paul’s great desire was to see Christ formed in the believers. Peter’s great desire is that all believers should truly be, in an ever increasing manner, those who are “…partakers of the Divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4)
Dear Father, give us this zeal by the Spirit to pursue the Lord Jesus. Strengthen us to believe Thee to quicken us increasingly, then we shall be enabled to RUN well, for Thy glory. We praise and thank Thee for the knowledge of the highest objective, and the provision of the Spirit, for its realization. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad