THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

I TIMOTHY 6:1

A. "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH, LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE, WHERE UNTO THOU ART CALLED, AND HAS PROFESSED A GOOD CONFESSION BEFORE MANY WITNESSES"
  1. Such was Paul's parting instruction to:
    1. His spiritual son Timothy
    2. And they are most timely to us in this hour of bereavement and sorrow
  2. "Fight the good fight of faith"
    1. The Christian faith is both the reason and the weapon of the fight of a dedicated soldier of Jesus Christ - 2 Tim. 2:3-4
    2. There is much in our opening text to encourage our hearts to continue the good fight of faith our loved one fought so valiantly all the days of his life B. THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH
  3. This present life is:
    1. A conflict from the cradle to the grave
    2. It was even so for the Son of God from the day of His birth to the day of His death - compare Rev. 12:1-4,7 with Matt. 2:7-19; 4:1-11; Luke 23
    3. It is a battle against the infirmities of our human nature all the way - Ps. 1-3:13-14. A few, is any, escape this conflict
  4. Bible Christianity is a conflict:
    1. Writes Paul, "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them that are at Laodicea and for many that have not seen my face" - Col. 2:1
    2. To the Philippians he writes, "Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me" - Phil. 1:30
    3. It is a conflict within - against the sinful inclinations that lust against the things of the Spirit - Rom. 7:9-24. To the believers Paul writes, "Mortify the deeds of the body" - Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5
    4. It is a conflict without - against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" - Eph. 6:10-19
    5. It is the conflict which had its origin in the rebellion of Lucifer in heaven - Rev. 12:7 C. THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH
  5. It is for a worthy cause:
    1. The saving of my soul from the defilement of sin, from hell, and eternal loss! Can we think of a more important conflict
    2. The upholding and defending the great moral truths laid down by God in the Holy Bible; Examples: Joseph fought to uphold the principle of moral chastity - Gen. 39:9; Daniel fought to uphold pious consistency in prayer - Dan. 6:10; the three Hebrews fought to uphold loyalty to the true God - Dan. 3:17-32
    3. It is a fight to preserve a conscience void of offense to what I know to be my duty to God and to men - 2 Tim. 4:8-10; I Cor. 9:25-27; Acts 24:14-16
  6. The Christian Armor:
    1. The weapons of our warfare carnal, we do not use the devices of the flesh to fight the battle of life - 2 Cor. 10:3-6
    2. The Heaven provided armor for the soldier of Jesus Christ - Paul names them in Ephesians 6:11-17; it will pay us to know and use the weapons spoken of by Paul
    3. The Son of God fought the good fight and used two mighty weapons against Satan
  7. the Word of God - Matt. 4:4-11; Luke 4:1-9
  8. He was a man of prayer - all the way - Mark 1:35; Luke 5:3-16; 9:28-29; 22:32
    1. These spiritual weapons are indispensable to the Christian soldiers
  9. Of great comfort to the bereaved is:
    1. Your knowledge that your saintly father was a dedicated soldier of the cross
    2. He was a man of great and child-like faith; you have seen it in action when he was at work, at the family altar and when he transacted his business
    3. He manifested this faith on his bed of affliction; you have never heard a murmur or a complaint
    4. A faint smile in the expression of his face mirrored his confidence that a better day is coming; that God will keep his promise to the faithful
    5. He remembered that Job said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him" - Job 13:15
    6. Is this the picture you have of your loving father and husband


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