[0:00] Let's read the second verse. The testimony of all the impossible to Timothy.
[0:12] I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.
[0:24] Really, verses 6, 7 and 8 go together. And I have some recollection speaking to you about those three verses sometime or another.
[0:37] But this all to do, I want to do a second verse alert. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course.
[0:50] I have kept the faith. Though the Apostle uses that great little word, I, three times in this verse, none of us will interpret it as if you are most far from it.
[1:13] He is delivering a personal testimony, what he has actually felt and knows to be true. And he's on the birth of death, the place and the time, for no boasting.
[1:30] When God gave the church the Apostle Paul that we know him, he gave to the church one of the greatest blessings that could ever be given.
[1:44] Probably you've not thought much about it. My name is to think about it. You see, our Lord Jesus had finished his own work and gone back to glory.
[1:59] And the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, had not yet been written. They were lying about by the memories of people, by oral traditions, and yet in the prominence of God not yet collected, into the whole as we have them.
[2:24] And then just about that time, this sword tosses, and we would look at him then, headlong beheld, riding on his horse back to Damascus to arrest men and women, whoever they were in this way of life, putting them in prison, but God stops them.
[2:49] By our truth is the appointed time, Ronald Paul has paid not to propose, but to call by grace. God knew what he was doing, and he knew what the church was wanting.
[3:01] So down comes Saul and the charters, and by the grace of God was made, the apostle of the Gentiles.
[3:13] He always himself looked upon it as a stupendous act of the grace of God, when it pleased God to call me by his grace.
[3:25] By the grace of God, I am what I am. You always made it first in grace. Well, God called him to preach as well.
[3:41] And what a beautiful beginning he had. As he tells in the Galatians epistle, the gospel that I am to you, I received it not from men, I received it from God.
[3:56] And if the gospel all about one person, Christ, Paul's true faith priest was Christ in the synagogue, that he was the son of God.
[4:09] And wherever he went, that was the one theme, the person and the work of Christ. He didn't stew to the trivialities that are now often introduced into the preachings so-turned.
[4:28] He could leave all politics and worldly things where they should be left, outside of the full faith, and outside of his epistles too.
[4:41] His heart was so exiled and so, rightly so too, your mind would be if we see in Christ like he saw it. Make no mistake about that.
[4:53] We wouldn't want to hear anything else after that. The beauty, the massive attraction of the Lord Jesus for Paul, well, he could never get away from.
[5:06] The longer he lived on earth, the more he loved him. Now, he gathers together the teaching of the four evangelists and he writes them in these varied letters of his, some 13 or 14 of them that bear his name, in which he has consolidated the substance of the whole gospel record.
[5:35] everything is put in, I wouldn't say exactly the theological form, but it's put in sound doctrinal form, and nearly all his epistles are divided into two parts.
[5:52] First, you get the doctrinal part of the epistle, then you get the practical part. and so he consolidated the teaching that has gone before and which now we have in this sacred book under the name of the apostles for our confirmation and development in the faith of God.
[6:18] It's a priceless gift for the church. I remember as I speak of it now that Dr. Thomas Goodwin said that the apostle Paul was next to the man Christ Jesus.
[6:34] I am disposed to think there's a lot of truth in that. Not in the least wise was Goodwin detracting from the glory of Christ far otherwise.
[6:47] But he did set forth where the grace of God was in. The great exponent of the gospel truth and the great martyr for the same.
[7:01] Here we have him not an old man as we would reckon old today. He called himself such a one as Paul the ages when he was about 60 years of age.
[7:18] Well we reckon a man's getting in his prime when he's somewhere about 60. not an old man by any means as reckoning go today for Paul and Aaron life in shipwrecks off nakedness cold hunger hurt he had to roll and stripes as well as the Jewish rocks put upon him in prison locked in death locked and these things leave their mark even though the grace of God dwelt richly in the dear man yet he was but a man and his frail tabernacle showed emphatic marks of wear and tear for the time he was 60 making look old well approximately 60 years of age and here he is where is he well two remarks first even the prison at row and the old prison at row where Paul was had some fearful dungeons some deeper than others one that will always be handed down in history was known as a manapine prison he was there the deepest the dampest the dampest of them all the devil doesn't know what to do better than for God's service and God's people does he put them into hell if he could get them there but he can't do that however
[9:00] God allowed them so to inflict this from Paul that's where he is physically but where is he spiritually where my text tells me I have formed a good part I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence for very soon now a matter of few days or weeks at the most from the writing of this which by the volume is last letter from the writing of this till he's taken out of this fearful dungeon and had his head set up from his shoulders by the Roman soldiers but he says I can see something henceforth there's a crown and a crown laid out for me not for me only not not narrow-minded not fictitious not for me only but for all them that love our
[10:05] Lord Jesus at his appearing in a way let me just point out to you in the passing he had a threefold look first he's looking backwards I have thought a good life well that's nice when a man can say that since the time he's been called by grace I mean especially the minister if he can say I've covered no man's silver gold or apparel I haven't gone about the country pretending to be poor in order to get people to give me money or similar things when I have more than I want in stock nothing of that hypocrisy about this man nothing whatever here he says look at these colossities on my hand look you know that these hands are minister to my detestes brave man he was a man every inch of it some gentlemen of the cloth they think it is braved to be found with a shovel or a fork in their hands or even the jacket shoulder and the shirt sleeves rolled up poor didn't he could make tents and he did make tents we're told that being a tent maker he worked with his own hands rather than sponge of the people oh I think it's horrible for a man calling himself a stone of God to sponge to arrive to the minister to the ministry as God said he ordained that they that preach the gospel should live with it that's another matter but for a man to sponge on people where his downright hypocrisy
[12:07] I had for a good fight then take a look downward the time of my departure it has happened do you take a look at the grave it's before you and before me have a good look at it how do you like the look of it cremations seem to be all that go nowadays which came from Babylon they used to burn their death generations and generations ago an old Babylonian habit and I wouldn't be surprised it becomes law as time passes in our own country leaving them birth or buried we go to our native elements in earth there's no avoiding it of all the learning of men that they have advanced with grace strife in mental signs and surgical ability we give honor to whom honor is new readily for they can't prolong life one moment over the appointed time then your body and mind will go to the grave then shall the dust return to the dust and the spirit return unto God who gave he could look so to speak into the open grave where he knew his body would soon be placed and he could say
[14:00] I'm ready I'm now ready nothing want I lack nothing there is no fear no cause this is great isn't it what a religion dear friend what a religion you and I must confess this man has got something that we don't see very conspicuous today in those who profess religion ready to be asked the secret of it is this with the apostle what he preached he knew and he preached Christ the alone the altogether sufficient Savior and Paul was looking there not in his heart that's the secret looking unto
[15:01] Jesus he had written in his epistle to the Hebrews some years before this epistle looking unto Jesus now that's a very peculiar word unto it means away from everything else and you can't focus your eye only on one subject or one person at a time you can have a view so to speak of this chapter just one glass but you can't focus on it you focus on a given point so you may take by the greatest help of God in your mind a kind of bird's eye view of the whole gospel that says Paul one thing one thing only look often everything to him looking unto
[16:03] Jesus that of his grand secret he was taught by the holy ghost years before he preached he enjoyed and now he dies in the full comfort and blessed is heart and I am sure what cases one has personally witnessed as well as what I read in this book of course what we read here comes first but it's nice to have seen it demonstrate in other people's experiences that the more you've known people professing godliness living in the fact that Christ Christ served in my own not Christ something but Christ and Christ alone the more they've been able to live in that while here not resending their other troubles they've had them but that being the focus of their art the art of the soul the more joy and freedom they have been part in this world
[17:19] I might tell you what one case out of others one letter one surpassed my witness I may have told you before hope I have in the way but if I have it's juicy it's nice to have such cases there was a man in supper that I went to see from London when we get there on his darling bed shall never forget how can you forget such a season and you know the house where it happened as one passes it well the very house seemed alright to it it seemed different everybody else's house such a sudden thing happened there it was this when I walked on to his bedroom he greeted me from his bed and waited till he shook hands he began because he was so full and he said my friend since
[18:22] I've come here to nigh here the devil has never been allowed to come through that door that was his quaint way of putting it I knew what he meant so did you and he was simply as full as I ever seen a man could be full not a darkness doubt fears bondage quizzing and questioning this that or the other but transparent full of the joy of the Lord I had known the other way down yes there's two sides you know most of the genuine I had known on the black on the dark style I can tell you one day when we lived in that region I heard of his being in some distress and I went out to see and he was flying with two horses in a field none of a tract in those days and
[19:24] I looked up the field after him he greeted me most morosely he could be very morose funny thing some of God people are as teaching a thing if you know what that is you can guess they are really some awful customers and you want a lot of patience to deal with them whether you know the town I speak I walk with him struck down the truck that they caught in supper up and down trying to cheer him not I he was all wrong everything was wrong and everybody was wrong with him he was at the very death not of despair but of darkness and I saw him literally tear the palms of his hands with grief and anguish over his son trouble thing you don't see much after that he put that was him one side of the question for when dear old
[20:28] Arthur came to the journey and here he was looking full into the grave with transparent joy he I would have buried if I could with pleasure I know some sad feelings that would have been one idea of smile rejoicing for it's better to die than to live with such occasion as that so looking backward fought a good fight looking downward ready and looking upward there's there's a crowd now let's look just a moment of this good fight he was divinely enlisted in this army you know sometimes you'll read in magazines and you might hear some people talking that
[21:31] Paul was converted by an exercise of his own will that he gave himself to the Lord and that sort of thing well dear friend you read the ninth of the Acts of the Apostles and you know very well that was not so a clear page it doesn't have been to many arms here he is full of the madness of the devil yet God stops him God stops him well from that moment he was divinely enlisted in this army to fight this good fight for when God enlisted him by his grace you know he gave him a blessed duty form if ever a man knew how he came by his regimentals the apostle called him listen to this great scripture that he was fond of using he made him to be seen for us who do you know to see that we might be made of righteousness of
[22:42] God in him how are you made righteous where do you get this fine coat for God gave it me his son made it he brought me out for me his perfect everlasting righteousness he gave it me when John Bunyan another poor line man when John Bunyan under the figure of Christian was asked about what made his eyes weak for he said he suffered from a hard earth not the only one no but he said sometimes when I look at the cross that will do it that will do it when he stood at the cross at the first you know he said that the eyes the water came to his eyes as his burn rolled on his back he didn't know whether the tears came because of some mere emotionalism before it was really out of his heart we can say where it came from his heart so he said when I look at the cross that will do it or he said when I look at the coat that I have on that will do it
[24:09] I think he had Christian in the house of the interpreter that will do it when I look at this coat ah ever you see God has robed you with his righteousness the sight of it will soften the heart melt the snow stumps would to God we see more of it when God divinely elicited him he gave him an armory that was quite right for the job you have it in the six of these regions you know God has no people of his without that armour above all the shield of faith above all that was over and above all that surrounded all without that the other parts of the armour wouldn't be much good to fight a good fight above all as if it held all together the shield of faith is where you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the devil your act of believing never quench the fiery darts of the devil and never will do do believe from the time you were born again conscious you may not be of it but it's there true faith in this subjective sense of it lives and labors under love though damn it never dies but you and
[26:23] I have had many a dart from the devil hit us but the shield of faith look at it rightly that which Christ has done let the shadowless spot should on my soul be bound he took the role the saviour wrote and cast it all around no devil starts and get through that he can come and say look at this look at that that you and I have done and he very clever at that but you and I can tell him you are too late you are too late that has been met where in the person and word of Christ let the shield of faith and in this armory keep forth a good life not with car and weapons you never find Paul doing that no he could have done he could have traveled some of them his traducers but he wouldn't he wouldn't lower himself to use their weapons the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual
[27:43] I have finished my course what we read just now after the exodus of the apostles he spoke to the elders of the church of Ephesus he sent for them from my leaders and they came there very little depth that we already went to now he said I know that bonds and afflictions abide me to the end he wasn't living in a fool's paradise he knew what was coming trouble galore but he said none of these things moved neither count I my life fear unto myself that I might finish my course with joy he now comes and he is ending his course with joy as the runner in a race he had been through the long course of his ministry up against many of difficulty now you know his foe well he resisted them but you know he resisted his friends when he was people and that's a harder job to do and you can tell a man that you know is your enemy straight up you can kick his crocker as we call it not always wise to do it far better to leave it alone kick his crop in your own heart of your life and let it stop there but when it comes to a friend and that friend does what he shouldn't and for you to be faithful to him that's the test that's where many a one falls down and dishonor the
[29:38] Lord Paul didn't fall down on it there's Peter and he loved dear old Peter and he were good friends indeed and Peter said after what I'm going to tell you about after it happened Peter didn't bear in any own passage or in the world Peter said our beloved brother Paul told told told told him about well Peter jeopardized the whole gospel there were Jews meeting and Gentiles meeting and Peter wanted to appear friendly both sides ah beware beware you can't walk both sides of the road at once you've got to be one side or the other now when Peter did that
[30:39] Paul says in the epistle of the Galatians I withstood him to his face not the anted that to his face because he was to be blamed and he tells you the deed that in jeopardizing the doctrine of justification by grace yes he didn't leave the end from his course for foe nor for bread so he finished with joy and then I'm briefly coming to an end and then he says I kept the faith the thought of a steward he speaks of a steward ministers of God as being stewards of a mystery and he was a steward and it's required of a steward that he be found faithful a steward must squander his masters property and money and a minister of the
[31:45] God fully is not to squander the word of God not to murder it not to cut it all in places to make it a bit more comfortable to suit men and women who make a big profession and got nothing no that's not to be done he used to be thankful for all the sundry and he was back and now not because he had fought a good fight not because he had finished his course with joy nor because he had been a faithful steward but because of the grace of God where is he now well he is enjoying that righteous crown that the Lord is the righteous judge think of that won't you not as the righteous savior he is the savior but as the righteous judge forgive me wonderful you know wonderful that
[32:53] Christ can give a man an entrance in glory righteous that he can perform the function of the judge he is the criminal at the bar now the judge can pronounce him to a term of imprisonment or he can tell him that he goes out of the court without a blemish on his character if the evidence were better well God in the version of his son can deal with a criminal like we have been before him and he can say now all these crimes of yours are not only forgiven that's part not only so but I declare you as a judge justified acquitted from all the charges that you've admitted and which are true that's justification justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
[34:04] Jesus and so the crown is given not on the word of the individual but on the grace of the Lord as saviour and as judge and now a word to angels and not to me only because we might look at him and think well we can see the marks of great in dear Paul we love him well he's a companion of those who really fear God in his writings they've bound to love him but then so myself can't see where I'm loving him well Paul said not to me only but also for them who love his appearing and that appearing look first that love is appearing in the heart if he smiles there we love it if he look there we love it one word there from him and we love it his greatest appearing while we are here we love it do we then we shall love the other and moreover we've got the evidence of being there we do love his appearing in grace we shall love it in glory amen what can they do they can call it old fashioned antiquated ridiculous eagulous
[35:33] I don't care what they call it there's no lie so good for you and me as to know that I'm a lost man and that none but Christ can save me now how did this good man finish that's the point where was he when he came to exchange earth for eternity well you can listen to him when he writes that last letter of his the second Timothy his son in the faith he said I have four to good five I have kept the babe because the babe kept him of course now he said the time of my departure is at hand and I'm not sorry about it says he implicitly I'm not sorry about it why why for henceforth there is laid up for me not because he preached it not because he suffered for it no but henceforth it laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the
[36:43] Lord the righteous judge should give me give me to give no matter how long a minister preaches nor how much he suffers that won't take him to heaven but a free gift from God will it's all a free gift so that he a man is brought out of his cell of the Malatine prison led along the Achean road just outside the city of Rome and there his head goes at the command of the captain of the God but they don't cut his spiritual head off no fear his physical head rolls in the dust but his immortal spirit has gone to be with his eternal head where he is now and so with every child in the family of God we haven't got poor them nor his gifts nor his praise but we've got the same gospel and we love the same gospel
[37:49] I'm speaking of all the people of God now they love him and the same end that he had is not a martyr's death I speak of the spiritual end be the same no bondage no darkness no condemnation a clear light showing his soul he saw the road he saw where he was going and rejoiced a miracle of grace well that's what grace can still do oh the delight of it God bless you in the and with it may we live in it and may we die Amen