“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6).
TEXT — 2 Timothy 4:6-8
Message
What should be the state of mind of a faithful Christian on the threshold of death, either by natural causes or through persecution? As personal as this poser may be, the Scriptures and contemporary history show a rare serenity that such people possess, and which only heaven can give. Unperturbed and without any shiver or agitation, such a believer envisions only the unspeakable joy and reward awaiting him on the other side of eternity.
After serving the Lord for many years, Apostle Paul was about to pay the supreme price for his unwavering and selfless loyalty to Christ. The Holy Spirit bore witness in him that he had “fought a good fight (and)…kept the faith.” He must now step forward for the prized crown promised by the Lord to all who served Him faithfully.
What Paul tells Timothy, a younger companion in the faith, is also meant for all saved believers. It is a reiteration of the Lord’s oft-stated charge that only those who run the race to the end will be saved. Heaven’s laurels will not be for those who fall by the wayside or for those who buckle under sin when grave challenges surfaced during life pilgrimage. The princely garlands are for those who work tirelessly for Christ and His church, and “love His appearing.”
Paul’s testimony before his translation to glory as he faced his Roman executioners is the virtue expected of true followers of the Lord. We must always remember that the faithful Lord has said He will neither leave nor forsake us if we remain devoted to Him. We must, therefore, not cease to ask for His grace to continue to the end, regardless of the trials and tribulations the world throws at us on the way.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
