FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Introduction

Steve Goodier, in a post from Life Support www.lifesupportsystem.com relates a story of one who was a fighter, not a boxer type fighter, not a street fighter, but a hard fighter for life's values.

VICTIMS AND FIGHTERS from Steve Goodier


Gretchen Alexander is sightless. But she refuses to allow her blindness to limit her life activities. She enjoys archery, golf, softball, sailing and water skiing, as well as a number of other activities that those of us who are sighted have yet to learn.

She also speaks to groups about living life fully. When speaking to a group of high school students, she was once asked if there was anything she wouldn't try.

"I've decided to never sky dive," she answered. "It would scare the heck out of my dog."
Steve Goodier then adds:

Why do some people rise above their problems and live life fully, while others become defeated? Merle Shain explains it this way: "There are only two ways to approach life," Shain says, "as a victim or as a gallant fighter. And you must decide if you want to act or to react...."

When discouraged, a victim reacts, perhaps in pain or self-pity. But a fighter will act. A fighter will make a decision to change that set of circumstances that left her or him discouraged. Or a fighter will decide to accept those circumstances with grace and move ahead anyway. A fighter will decide to act with courage. A fighter will take responsibility for his or her happiness. No matter how afraid, a fighter will refuse to give in to the most defeating of all human emotions -- helplessness. A victim reacts. A fighter acts.

© 2001 Steve Goodier


We can see that we are talking about an attitude of mind and heart. Some people it seems are born fighters. That is they do not let the things of this life get them down - they always fight back. Does one have to be a "born fighter" to be a fighter for those things that are important? I don't think so. Of course we are not talking about physical fighting, but rather mental determination put into action for good. In II Timothy 4:7, the apostle Paul says he fought the good fight. In his first letter to Timothy, chapter 6 verse 12, he writes:

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life
I believe we need to be fighters, just as Paul and Timothy were fighters. Such a spirit generally can help our situation in this life but more importantly, it can be a benefit to our service to God in such areas as our Bible studies, faithfulness, abilities, and strength.

Love of truth

Jim Sasser, in one of his posted sermons for Bible Matters, relates the following about Socrates:

 
This young man came to Socrates, the great man of knowledge, and said,
"I want knowledge, I want knowledge."
Socrates led the young man down to a pool of water, he took him by the hand and led him out into the water, up to his knees, up to his waist, up to his shoulders, then suddenly Socrates put his hand upon the young man's head and pushed his head down under the water and held it there for quite some time. Finally he let the struggling youth up. The young man came up out of the water sputtering and gasping.
Then the wise old man said,
"Son, what did you desire most of all while you were under the water?"
The young man gasped out quickly,
"Air!"
At that the old man said,
"Son, when you want knowledge as much as you wanted air when you were beneath the water, then you shall have knowledge."


It is important to walk in truth

In the Scripture heading our web site we have Psalms 25:5 which says:

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation;
In I John 1:6-7 we can see the association between light and truth.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

This passage is pretty plain. If we practice truth, we walk in the light. If we do not practice truth we walk in darkness.

Jesus in a discussion with Nicodemus recorded in John 3:19-21 says:
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

This was in a time when it really made a difference in one's general standing in the community and worship. Following Truth could mean you would lose your life and sometimes did. The sanctification of which Jesus spoke, "Sanctify them by Your truth," did not come without price.

In III John 4, John records that he has no greater joy than to hear that his children walk in truth. In this passage, John is possibly speaking of those he had taught, perhaps to a group of people for whom he was a shepherd. His opening remarks are: (verses 1-3)
To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.

So we see that our soul prospers when we walk in truth. Physical health was good to have. John prayed for that for Gaius, but he rejoiced that Gaius walked in truth.

Because of these and other important things concerning truth, It is worth fighting to know, keep and defend truth.

Eternal Life

Laying hold of eternal is part of the good fight. In that admonition to Timothy Paul said,
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life."

In the first century before Jerusalem was destroyed, the Jews were especially deceitful and mean. Their love of themselves and love of their own way coupled with their self-righteousness allowed them to be deceived by those who they thought would deliver what they wanted - earthly power and dominion. This extended to the Jews everywhere and in their opposition to Christians the deceivers influenced the Jews of every nation. Paul addresses this situation to the Thessalonians in II Thessalonians chapter 2. He says in verses 9 and 10:

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

In Romans 2:5-9 Paul warns the Romans:

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness -- indignation and wrath.

Patient continuance in doing good is part of the fight. It's end is eternal life.

Examples of fighting for what was right, good or needed

The Corinthian church

In I Corinthians 5 we find Paul admonishing the brethren to withdraw from an immoral brother. No doubt this took some courage. It sometimes does now. Brethren now want to talk it to death. They want to make sure the brother in wrong is not offended and that a door will be open for him to come back. They want to make sure that they have followed the procedures.

Procedures should be followed. First they must be understood, but they should be followed. But the truth of the matter is that often the lost brother is so lost by the time someone does something, he can never be brought back. He's lost, yet for sometimes 6 months or a year the church leaves him that way, making sure they have done every thing according to procedure. If doing everything right takes a year, so be it. There should be no delay because brethren are too either too self-centered or lack Bible knowledge. The truth is that from such as brother as this, the church must withdraw. The longer a withdrawal takes, the more it looks like something is wrong. That something is a lacking of Bible understanding.

I see an urgency in the passage. Such sexual immorality should not be named it the church. The brother was lost and needed to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. He needed this not next week or next month, certainly not in 6 months or a year, But then at that time, when they came together. If Paul wrote that to this congregation, I would want to do what he said the very next service.

Brethren are afraid to go against tradition. Someone a long time ago came up with formula for withdrawal. Go by yourself, take someone with you, let the church consider it and then if all else fails, withdraw. The first three of these are for when a brother sins against a brother, not for when a brother has sinned with every one knowing about it. Go by yourself, take someone with you and then let the church consider it for a month or two is not discipline for a sin that should not even be named in the church. Paul says in Ephesians 5:3
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints.

It takes courage to go against tradition. "Leading brethren" will be quick to condemn you. Yet to often those who condemn remain lacking in positive efforts to bring back a lost brother.

Peter and the apostles at Jerusalem

In Acts 4 we find the Jewish counsel has arrested Peter and John because they preached Jesus. They had healed a lame man by the power of Jesus and the feat was well known. The let them go but threatened and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. They reported back to the disciples who prayed for them,

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word." (Verse 29).

That is what they did and they were again arrested and this time beaten. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer. They trusted God. They were right. They were bold. They were not afraid.

Paul in his preaching efforts

We will note the passage. I Corinthians 9:14-27

Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Now lets note some things in this passage.

1. Paul as a matter of personal integrity had not accepted money from the Corinthian church. This was a battle because some accused him of not being genuine. He could have taken money, but he didn't. It was a personal challenge to preach without charge.

2. Paul accepted the challenge as is seen in the last few verses where he talks about competing in a race.

He was temperate.

He was servant to all.

He refused to abuse his authority.

He disciplined himself and brought himself into subjection.

He fought with a purpose.

He wanted to win.

It is a personal fight. We sometimes get tired, lazy, demoralized, depressed. But, the fighters keep going.

Joshua and Calab

Perhaps you know this story well. It is found in Numbers 13 and 14. Israel had reached the promised land, the first time and Moses had sent out spies. 12 spies spent 40 days looking over Israel. The report came back. The land was good but it was filled with Giants. 10 spies wanted to go back to Egypt. They said it couldn't be done. 10 out of 12 were not fighters, they were quitters. Joshua and Calab stood their ground even though the people wanted to stone them.

We will note some things about Calab and Joshua.

1. Calab had a different Spirit (Numbers 14:24). It is obvious that he would do right regardless. Not only the battle with the enemy would he fight, but he had to deal with his people - people who should have had the same attitude as he.

2. He trusted the Lord would deliver them into their hand. He knew what the enemy didn't know.

3. He had a higher calling than himself. He saw the power of Israel as God's people even if they didn't.

4. He and Joshua sought the good of the people and not the good for themselves..

Drawing some conclusions

In the battles of history, we repeatedly find where the brave win. We find Generals who know their army can never escape, encouraging their men to fight. We find battered and worn soldiers, outnumbered, hungry, weak from travel, who win battles because their leaders knew more than the enemy. They knew the heart, strength and pride of their troops. They encouraged them and they won. Brave men died valiantly and with honor. They would have died anyway, but in shame and disgrace. Some of the brave survive. This can rarely be said of the cowards who quit in the heat of battle. Soldiers starving for water have wet their clothes and hung them up to dry in the enemies face. They knew more than the enemy.

We have God.

We know more than the enemy.

We know we can trust God.

We know more than the enemy.

We have a higher calling.

We know more than the enemy.

We have courage.

We are not quitters.

We know more than the enemy.

We have integrity.

We have honor.

We know more than the enemy.

If the cause is just, the path righteous, if we see the benefit of service, God will help us win.

In our personal battles, we must work for that higher calling. Did I mention:

We know more than the enemy.

In every situation of life, we have a choice. We can fight or quit. Those who fight are the only ones who can win.

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