I Want to Finish Right

 Temple Baptist Church - 12-28-2025

2 Timothy 4:6-8

 

Introduction:  A Charge Left!  “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

“I (Paul-our predecessors), charge (passing the torch to the next generation), thee (those who remain faithful to God), therefore (because Paul’s race has been run and ours has begun), before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ (A debt owed to God, the Gospel, and the world).”

 

A.  Christmas is over, and a New Year is at hand. 

 

1.  2025 has been a year of uncertainty, along with blessings and challenges that have almost become history. 

 

2.  God was good to us last year; God protected us; God fed us.  God has been SO good to us!

 

B.  The new year is on the horizon now.  We see it quickly approaching, and next week, 2026 will be here, the birth of a new year, a time of future history.  A tale to be written; a tale to be told.

 

1.  Some of us are getting old; all of us are getting older; the time of His appearing or our departure is nearing.  One way or the other, we will be leaving for home soon. 

 

2.  I want to finish right!  Paul finished right through all of life’s toils and snares.  What an example he left for all of us to follow.

 

a)  Every life moves steadily toward an appointed end.

b)  Every journey has a final step.

c)  Every race has a finish line.

 

C.  The question is not whether we will finish, but how will we finish.

 

1.  Second Timothy 4:6–8 brings us to one of the most sacred moments in all of Scripture—the closing testimony of the Apostle Paul. One day, I will stand where Paul stood.  One day, you will stand where Paul stood.

 

2.  These are not hurried words, nor are they spoken in fear. They are measured, deliberate, and Spirit-guided. Paul stands at the edge of eternity, looking back over a life marked by suffering, sacrifice, and service to Christ.

 

3.  He has been beaten, imprisoned, rejected, and misunderstood. Yet now, with death approaching, Paul does not speak of what he has lost—he speaks of what he has kept. He does not mourn what he endured, he rejoices in what he has finished. He does not dread what lies ahead—he anticipates the crown awaiting him.

 

D.  This passage shows us that a faithful Christian life is not defined by comfort, applause, or longevity, but is marked by faithfulness to Christ from his salvation until the end.  Paul was martyred in app. 65 AD.

 

E.  As we near the close of another year—and as each of us draws closer to the close of our own earthly course—these verses call us to sober self-examination. They remind us that the Christian life is not a sprint, but a lifelong race that must be run to completion.

 

F.  Paul finished right.  And by the grace of God, so must we.  In these verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us how a believer can face the end of life:

 

1.  Not with fear, but with confidence,

 

2.  Not with regret, but with assurance.

 

3.  Not with uncertainty, but with hope.

 

G.  Let us now hear the testimony of a man who could say, by God’s grace, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

 

H.  As I read 2 Timothy, chapter 4, I see the end of a great life, a life spent for Christ.  The Apostle Paul was one of the greatest Christians who ever lived.  He fought a good fight; he finished his course; he kept the faith.

 

1.  The apostle Paul writes these words from a Roman prison, knowing that his execution is near. This is not the language of despair, but of settled confidence.

 

2.  Paul looks back without regret, looks within without fear, and looks ahead with assurance. These verses teach us how a believer is to finish well.

 

3.  In an age that emphasizes starting strong, Scripture emphasizes ending faithfully. The Christian life is not measured merely by enthusiasm at conversion, but by endurance unto the end.

 

J.  That is what I desire.  That is what you should desire.  The world’s problems and America’s problems stem from one thing—a rejection of God, His Son, Christ Jesus, and salvation.

 

K.  How to finish right?  I believe that Paul gave us several things in these verses to help us answer that question in the affirmative.

 

1. A Life Willingly Offered – Verse 6.  “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”

 

a.  Paul views his death as an offering. The word carries the idea of a drink offering poured out upon the sacrifice.  Paul illustrates this well in the Philippian Epistle.

 

Philippians 2:16-17  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.  (17)  Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

b.  The Lord compared His life’s end to “drinking the cup.”

 

Matthew 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

 

c.  Libation – Drink Offering poured out for the Lord.  His life has been steadily poured out for Christ, and now the cup is nearly empty. Best illustrated in the Old Testament.

2 Samuel 23:15-16  And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!  (16)  And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 

 

d.  In verse six, we see:

 

1)  Paul’s readiness – “I am now ready.” Paul is not surprised by death, nor afraid of it. A life lived for Christ prepares a man to die in peace.

 

2)  Paul’s resignation — “the time of my departure is at hand.” The word “departure” was used of loosening the moorings of a ship or striking a tent. Death for the believer is not destruction, but transition to the next world which is eternal.

 

3)  Paul’s resolve — Paul does not speak of escape, but of offering. His concern is not self-preservation, but faithfulness. 

 

2. A Battle Faithfully Fought – (Verse 7a) – “I have fought a good fight…”  The Christian life is a conflict. Paul never portrays it as easy, but he does call it good. Paul does not say he fought a famous fight or a successful fight, but a good one — fought according to God’s rules, for God’s cause.

 

a.  It is a necessary fight — against sin, false doctrine, the world, and the flesh.

 

b.  It is a noble fight — fought for truth, righteousness, and the glory of God.

 

c.  It is a personal fight — “I have fought.” Paul did not borrow another man’s convictions.

 

3. A Race Faithfully Finished – (Verse 7b) – “…I have finished my course…”  The Christian life is not only a battle; it is a race. Each believer has a course, a God-appointed path. Many start the race, but Scripture commends those who finish it.

 

a.  The course assigned by God — Paul did not choose his own ministry; he fulfilled the one given to him.

 

b.  The course requires endurance — finishing matters more than starting.

 

c.  The course had an end — and Paul reached it without turning aside.

 

 

4. A Trust Faithfully Kept – (Verse 7c) – “…I have kept the faith.”  This speaks both of personal faithfulness and doctrinal preservation. Keeping the faith requires vigilance, courage, and love for the truth.

 

a.  He guarded the gospel — Paul did not alter the message to suit the times.

 

b.  He persevered in belief — trials did not shake his confidence in Christ.

 

c.  He remained loyal — when others departed, Paul stood firm.

 

5. A Crown Graciously Given – Verse 8) – “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…”  Paul looks ahead, not to Caesar’s sword, but to Christ’s judgment seat.

 

a.  The certainty of the reward — “there is laid up.” It is already reserved.

 

b.  The character of the reward — “a crown of righteousness,” not self-earned merit, but reward consistent with God’s righteous judgment.

 

c.  The giver of the reward — “the Lord, the righteous judge.” Earthly courts failed Paul, but heaven’s court will not.

 

d.  The scope of the reward — “not to me only.” This promise is for all who “love his appearing.”

 

Conclusion:  Paul’s testimony is not the boast of a proud man, but the confidence of a faithful servant. He was offered, he fought, he finished, he kept, and he will be crowned. May God grant us grace to say at the end of our days what Paul said at the end of his:  “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”