<description>&lt;p class=""&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;5&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;But you&amp;nbsp;must stay focused, self-controlled and&amp;nbsp;be alert at all times. Tolerate suffering&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;[1]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;. Accomplish the&amp;nbsp;good&amp;nbsp;work of an evangelist, and complete the ministry to which you have been called.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;6&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;For I am already being poured out,&amp;nbsp;and the last drops&amp;nbsp;of this drink offering&amp;nbsp;are all that remain; it’s almost time for me to leave&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;[2]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=""&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;7&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;I have fought the good&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;[3]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;fight, I have&amp;nbsp;stayed on course and&amp;nbsp;finished the race, and&amp;nbsp;through it all,&amp;nbsp;I have kept the faith.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;[4]&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;8&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness that the Lord—the always right&amp;nbsp;and just&amp;nbsp;judge—will give me that day (but it is not only for me, but for all those who have loved/have longed for&amp;nbsp;His appearing). (2 Timothy 4:5-8)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;Paul must have had a sense this day was coming. He had written years earlier:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p class=""&gt;&lt;em&gt;“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering&amp;nbsp;on the sacrifice&amp;nbsp;and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” (Philippians 2:17)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;p class=""&gt;“Even if” has become “am already.” Paul sees&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;his blood as the libation which had already started being poured on the sacrificial offering.[5]&amp;nbsp;Libations were one of the final acts of a sacrifice, with the worshiper pouring (usually) wine on the altar after the burnt offering was mostly consumed. Paul was under a death sentence; it appears the cruelty had already begin. Paul’s blood is about to finish off his life of sacrifice, a spiritual commitment that had now become a physical reality.&amp;nbsp; And then here comes his classic ‘legacy’ statement:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p class=""&gt;“&lt;em&gt;I have fought the good fight, I have&amp;nbsp;stayed on course and&amp;nbsp;finished the race, and&amp;nbsp;through it all,&amp;nbsp;I have kept the faith.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;</description>

Church of the Living God - Traverse City, MI

Church of the Living God

Fight The Good Fight (2 Timothy 4:5-8)

JAN 31, 2021-1 MIN
Church of the Living God - Traverse City, MI

Fight The Good Fight (2 Timothy 4:5-8)

JAN 31, 2021-1 MIN

Description

<p class=""><strong><em>5&nbsp;</em></strong><em>But you&nbsp;must stay focused, self-controlled and&nbsp;be alert at all times. Tolerate suffering</em><strong><em>[1]</em></strong><em>. Accomplish the&nbsp;good&nbsp;work of an evangelist, and complete the ministry to which you have been called.</em><strong><em>6&nbsp;</em></strong><em>For I am already being poured out,&nbsp;and the last drops&nbsp;of this drink offering&nbsp;are all that remain; it’s almost time for me to leave</em><strong><em>[2]</em></strong><em>.&nbsp;</em></p><p class=""><em>&nbsp;</em><strong><em>7&nbsp;</em></strong><em>I have fought the good</em><strong><em>[3]</em></strong><em>&nbsp;fight, I have&nbsp;stayed on course and&nbsp;finished the race, and&nbsp;through it all,&nbsp;I have kept the faith.</em><strong><em>[4]</em></strong><em>&nbsp;</em><strong><em>8&nbsp;</em></strong><em>I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness that the Lord—the always right&nbsp;and just&nbsp;judge—will give me that day (but it is not only for me, but for all those who have loved/have longed for&nbsp;His appearing). (2 Timothy 4:5-8)</em></p><p class="">&nbsp;Paul must have had a sense this day was coming. He had written years earlier:</p><blockquote><p class=""><em>“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering&nbsp;on the sacrifice&nbsp;and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” (Philippians 2:17)</em></p></blockquote><p class="">“Even if” has become “am already.” Paul sees<strong><em>&nbsp;</em></strong>his blood as the libation which had already started being poured on the sacrificial offering.[5]&nbsp;Libations were one of the final acts of a sacrifice, with the worshiper pouring (usually) wine on the altar after the burnt offering was mostly consumed. Paul was under a death sentence; it appears the cruelty had already begin. Paul’s blood is about to finish off his life of sacrifice, a spiritual commitment that had now become a physical reality.&nbsp; And then here comes his classic ‘legacy’ statement:</p><blockquote><p class="">“<em>I have fought the good fight, I have&nbsp;stayed on course and&nbsp;finished the race, and&nbsp;through it all,&nbsp;I have kept the faith.”</em></p></blockquote>