Paul's Last Letter
Many men start well in ministry. Finishing well takes a lifetime of grace. Near the end of his life, in a Roman prison, Paul wrote the sentences every pastor hopes to be able to say.
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”2 TIMOTHY 4:6–8 · KJV
Paul did not look like a success. He was in chains (2 Timothy 1:16). all they which are in Asia be turned away from me, he wrote (2 Timothy 1:15). Demas had left him (2 Timothy 4:10), and at his trial no man stood with me (2 Timothy 4:16). Yet he could say three things: he had fought, he had finished, and he had kept the faith. None of those is a word about numbers. The pastor of a small country church can say them. The pastor of a famous one can fail to.
Continuing in faith, obedience, and love for Christ to the end of life and ministry, by God's grace, and handing the work on in good order.
We must be clear about what is at stake. A pastor's salvation does not depend on his finish. Christ keeps His own (Eternal Security), and Paul was persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him (2 Timothy 1:12). What is at stake is a man's testimony, the good of his church, and his reward at the judgment seat of Christ. Finishing well does not happen by accident. It takes a focused head and heart.
This study is written for you, not against you. If you are tired as you read it, you are in the company of Moses, Elijah, and Paul. Nothing here is meant to add to your load.
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For Deeper Study
- Lectures to My StudentsAmazon C. H. SpurgeonIncludes “The Minister's Fainting Fits.” Spurgeon was a Baptist and a Calvinist, where we differ.
- Spurgeon's SorrowsAmazon Zack EswineA tender book on depression, drawn from Spurgeon's life and words. Eswine writes from a Reformed background, and we differ there.
- Zeal Without BurnoutAmazon Christopher AshA short, practical book on sustainable ministry. Ash is an Anglican minister, and we differ on baptism and church order.
- Finishing Our Course with JoyAmazon J. I. PackerA brief reflection on aging faithfully. Packer was an Anglican and a Calvinist, where we differ.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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Finishing Well: Rewards and the Judgment Seat
Every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, not to learn whether he is saved but to have his life tested for reward, so we run with endurance, build on Christ alone, and live to hear His “Well done.”
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