The Old Aged Apostle's Counsel And Testimony 51 [2 Tim 4:1-8] / Anne's Faith Column

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The Old Aged Apostle's 

Counsel And Testimony 51

[2 Tim 4:1-8]

 / Anne's Faith Column

 

 

/ By Priscilla

 

 

 

"I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

 

 

 

Now there is in store for me

the crown of righteousness,

which the Lord,

 

 

 

the righteous Judge,

will award to me on that day-

-and not only to me,

 

 

 

but also to all who have

longed for his appearing."

(2Tim 4:7~8)

 

 

 

Through the scriptures

above we can see

the heart of Paul,

an old aged man. 

 

 

 

He had spiritual authority

for Timothy's ministry

and gave correct

counsel to him. 

 

 

 

And also we can see

that he implicitly explained

his religious life that

he had run.

 

 

 

The Apostle Paul intuited

that he had reached old age

and that there was not

much time left until the

end of his life.

 

 

 

His confession is truly

impressing not only to

Timothy but also

to us today.

 

 

 

The kingdom of God

that the Apostle Paul

hoped for with his faith

 after finishing the race!

 

 

 

That is the only place

and hope he had

always longed for.

 

 

 

I hope that the detached

life of Paul, who wanted

to leave the world behind

 

 

 

and take a resolute step

toward the Lord's place,

to taste that reality, will

  be our confession of faith.

 

 

 

So, what is Paul's counsel

to us who are living

in what we have learned

and convinced by faith

today, not only Timothy?

 

 

 

1. We should preach the Word.

 

 

 

"Preach the Word; be prepared

in season and out of season."

(2Tim 4:2)

 

 

 

2. We should correct, rebuke

and encourage--with

great patience and

careful instruction.

 

 

 

The word of God is so sharp

that it penetrates even

to dividing soul and spirit,

joints and marrow.

 

 

 

And the Holy Spirit

sometimes gently

encourages and

admonishes us.

 

 

 

Sometimes,

when we make an

irreversible mistake,

 

 

 

of course, he rebukes 

us but in the end, it is

beneficial to us.

 

 

 

Paul warns that 

when the time comes,

the following trends

will emerge:

(2Tim 4:3-4)

 

 

 

1) People will not put up

with sound doctrine.

 

 

 

2) To suit their own desires,

they will gather around them

a great number of teachers

to say what their itching

ears want to hear.

 

 

 

3) They will turn their ears

away from the truth

and turn aside to myths. 

 

 

 

But above all else,

what the Apostle Paul

urges us to do today

is as follows:

(2Tim 1:7) 

 

 

 

1) We should keep our head

in all situations, and

endure hardship.

 

 

 

2) In season or out of season,

we should diligently do

the work of evangelists.

 

 

 

3) We should discharge

all the duties of our

ministries God has already

given each one of us. 

 

 

 

After meeting the Lord,

Paul himself, a senior

in faith, changed his life

and chose a religious

life of firm faith.

 

 

 

He fought the good fight,

and he never wavered,

 

 

 

and with one heart

and hope, he finished

the race and kept his faith.

 

 

 

In the Scriptures,

he is convinced that

there is in store for him

the crown of righteousness

 

 

 

he will be awarded to

 in the kingdom of God

and tells us living t

oday about it.

 

 

 

In addition, he is

counseling not only himself,

but also us all believers

who long for the

appearance of the Lord,

 

 

 

to live with a living hope

for the Lord, do our best

in the work that Jesus

has asked us to do

without wavering.

 

 

 

His earnest counsel

is truly impressing

to me whenever

I hear it.

 

 

 

Am I living my

life to the fullest?

 

 

 

Sometimes in our

religious life, I wonder

if rather than the

love of Jesus,

 

 

 

we insist on a subjective

opinion based on our

experiences and force

such a frame on others.

 

 

 

Also, we need to check

whether we plan the

right things for the Lord

and do the united

work in Jesus.

 

 

 

At this moment,

I am reminded of the

words of the late

Dr. Hwallan Kim on

her deathbed.

 

 

 

In her last confession

- "I worked hard to live

a life without shame,"

 

 

 

I recall the word

faithfulness.

 

 

 

I will run to the Lord

with all my heart

and do my best!

 

 

 

I hope that the very day

we end our lives will finally

be the day we start

our lives anew.

 

 

 

Therefore, first of all,

we should keep our head

in all situations, and be

grateful for the hardships

that come to us from

time to time.

 

 

 

 

Also, we should not be

ashamed of being

Christian evangelists.

 

 

Prayer

 

Lord!

 

 

 

Please keep us

to become your

attendants

 

 

 

who do our best in the work

entrusted to each one of us

according to your command!

 

 

 

But we cannot handle it

in our own strength.  

 

 

 

Holy Spirit!

Please help us!

 

 

 

Until the day when we finish

the race in life and finally be

embraced by the Lord!!

 

 

Amen

 

 

 

2009/09/30

 

 

/ By Priscilla