[Pastor Ralph]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

[iam4-1god]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

To me, all of this culminates into one thought-persever to the end. Paul never deviated one iota from his goal. He had a job to do for the Lord, and he did it! To the very end of his days here on Earth, He was about his Father's business! That is how I want to be-about my Father's business. Staying the course-rooted and grounded! Gloray!

[JanMary]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"?
It means that to the best of my ability to follow (in spite of some detours), I've persevered with Him and by His grace will continue on to the completion of fulfilling His destiny for me. I've followed the course laid out for me in advance, and can say "I may be beat up and battered, but I've kept running with Him as He has supplied the strength, the motivation, and the faith...and now the crown of life awaits, stored up for me in Heaven.

What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you?
"We are God's handiwork, born again that we may do those good works which God predestined and planned beforehand for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live." Eph.2:10

In order to finish the race/course He has designed for me, I must yield to His Lordship and the leading of the Holy Spirit to seek His Will for me each day, to surrender to His plan and purposes, rather than what I might want to do or what others want me to do. I must stay in the Word where His will is revealed, and in prayer, both seeking and listening for His direction, and to boldly obey, whether or not it leads to persecution, hardship or even death. Part of my race has been to learn to praise and worship in the midst of pain, loss and humiliation.

What does it mean to "keep the faith"?
For me it means that I've kept clinging to Him no matter what has been thrown at me. When His promises have been delayed for years at a time, (when I thought they would be fulfilled immediately), He has kept me in a place of faith and trust, through His encouragement and His faithfulness, so that I can say I have kept the faith. When I've wanted to give up, He has held onto me. When I've been confused or disappointed, He has comforted until clarity came. So when I might say, "I have kept the faith", and I think Paul would agree, the Lord receives the glory for anything of value my life has produced. My contribution has been to surrender to Him and to allow Him to work through my life....He is the Hand, while I am just the glove.

[Stan]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

It means that at the end of our life we have kept faith in Christ and done what He ask in spreading His Gospel. To finish the race is to continue in faith always trusting in God for all our needs giving Him our efforts to live and so His will through the act of loving our neighbor as Christ loved us. To keep the faith is always trusting in God and giving Him the praise and Glory for all the blessing of live along with the struggles that we go through.

[masika]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

The Christian life is often represented as a conflict, or warfare. That noble conflict with sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil, when one over comes in all these then you have fought the good fight.

Christians have a race to run, a race of service and a race of sufferings, a course of active and passive obedience. We are to finish the race that God Has given us.

Keep the faith means that when one steadfastly maintains the faith of the gospel; or, have lived a life of fidelity to Our God. Probably the expression means that one had kept his plighted faith to the Redeemer, or had spent a life in faithfully endeavouring to serve his Lord:

[kenny]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

All of these terms relate to the manner in which we have conducted ourselves in the work of the Lord.Throughout our walk with Him we will come across opposition from Satan , How do we handle this do we back down and admit defeat or do we stand up and defend the faith?In running the race often the hurdles seem too high or too close together what do we do,stop running or train harder?Then just when the finish-line is in sight more stumbling blocks occur,now what do we do stump our toes and continue the race or throw in the towel?

Lets take Paul's example, he faced all of these challenges and came out tops by keeping the faith.

The morale of the story is don't take a stick to a gun fight (When taking on Satan always wear the full amour of God,know your enemies and your allies in other words know your scriptures)When running the race make sure you don't neglect your training and make sure God is in your training camp.And when that finishing line is in sight turning back is not an option.

Our faith is not blind and we entrust it to a living and most awesome God (Amen)

[hanks]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7)
What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"?
Here Paul is speaking not about a life of chance, but about a planned race which he had run; and that this life of his, had been ruled by a personal faith which by God's grace he had kept to the very end. It had been a fight against Satan, against the law of sin and death operating within his own heart. But triumphantly Paul is able to say, “I have fought the good fight”; and “I have run the good race”.
What does it take to "finish the race (course)" God has designed for you?
To stay focussed until the end, with the help of the Holy Spirit and by God’s grace, on the goal of becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to "keep the faith"?
To retained my personal trust in God, and my confidence in all His promises.

[charisbarak]

thank you for your prayers jm!

fight/race--intimates that the christian life is hard work!

we need to put to use all the spiritual gifts and spiritual armour available to us and walk with god every step of the way.

trust god totally every step of the way--never falter from the truth.

[sahala p.s.]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

To have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race" means to have undertaken and finished well the ministry, or service that has been entrusted by God or put into one’s heart by God to do

To "finish the race (course)" God has designed for you, takes the efforts as stated in Hebrews 12:1, that is, throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and running with perseverance

To "keep the faith" means to hold firmly the truths of the faith that come from the gospel of Christ and continue in spite of sufferings or temptations of this world

[Snaps]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"?

I t refers to a lifetime of preparation, focus on the task at hand, and constant, consistent, faithful application of the principles of Christ to achieving "the baptism we are baptised with" This is a quote from Jesus, who was baptised within a very specific purpose - to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That was not what Paul was baptised for, but he saw to it that he accomplished all God had planned for him, whatever the cost or difficulty, the pain or the joy. He did not let up one iota until the moment of his death, and he continued to exhort others to do likewise. He knew his life's work was to take the gospel to the world outside Israel, and that is what he never ceased for a moment to be engaged in vigorously. I believe each Christian has a potential talk to complete, a role to play withing God's family that only s/he can do. We each have a race to run, unique to our being. This we are to complete to the last day.

What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you?

To finish the course, means exactly what it says. A marathon runner will achieve nothing if he does not complete his course. Even his team will be disappointed with him. I remember the anger of a women's olympic rowing team because one of their members was unable to complete the race and caused their engagement in it to be completely undone. It takes practice, sweat, tears, pain, persistence, vision, goals, fitness, training, encouragement, a commitment to the rest of the team and to the goals, self sacrifice for the benefit of the others, obedience to the coach, and the giving up of many of the other little pleasures in life so that the goals can be achieved. It takes some finishing!

In order to finish the race God has designed for me, I first have to be close enough to God to know what my race consists of. My race is one no-one else can achieve. Then I have to undertake the training which is tough to say the least. Then I commit to it, leaving the lesser things aside in order to concentrate on the race making sure that it is a product of my love, and that my whole heart is in it. Less that that is blasphemy.

What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

To keep the faith means to be faithful to it whatever is happening around you. People may be deflected from it in many little ways, especially in these days when so much entertains us. People may have their own agendas and try to persuade us to join them, so we have to be able to see this, see right through it, discern the real issue, and remain faithful to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This can be lonely. I think Paul was feeling this as he mentioned how many of his disciples had left him. He spent a lot of energy teaching Timothy about being faithful and sticking to the truth. Like the early churches of Revelation, our Christian families can easily be led off track, and it can be a thankless task trying to haul them back again. For example there is so much available to demolish the sabbath day - shops, sports, etc. Two hours of church seems to be all anyone wants to do. But it was designed as a day of fellowship and relating to God. It was part of the ten commandments, and Jews were forbidden to buy and sell on that day. I don't think it's legalistic to see that as the ideal way to treat the sabbath. The rest of the week is for business. Another thing that is going up the spout these days is modesty in dress. No-one seems to want to preach it, and current fashions are pretty revealing. Yes, I know that when someone enters church for the first time you don't race up and correct their dress. But those who know the scriptures should be aware of the beauty of modesty, and a gentle and gracious spirit. In western society, the need to stand out individually and draw attention to oneself like a film star at the awards night requires outlandish fashions at times. We need to be measured (even by our brothers and sisters in the faith) by what's in our hearts, not by what we wear.

[Elwood C O'Dell]

Paul was engaged in the grand race of life and now knows that he is coming to the end of it. His departure is at hand and he has been faithful in the race and now if going to hand it over to others to carry it on.

[spazzo47]

Whe I read those statements I think about the work that goes into running. In particular I think of marathon runners, who I have so much resepct for. In a couple minutes I'll be running about 2 miles in 25 minutes and at the end of it I'll feel completely exhausted and wondering how I'm going to ever walk again. A marathon runner will go 26+ miles. I can't even comprehend that race. For me, running doesn't mean the cheers of the crowd at the finish line, it means being able to say that I did it. I ran it and i hit the finish line. Becasue I hit the finish line wihtout stopping, it was a good run. That's what I think Paul is saying, he's finishing and finishing strong, the finish line is coming and he's proud of the work he did getting to it.

For us, finishing the race means living the Christian life consistently. You don't have to be a minister to be a Christian. For those not in professional ministry it means living out your ideals without backing down from them. It means following CHrist and what He says to do.

Keep the faith means that you just keep going, knowing that God has a plan for you. Keep living your witness and be ready.

[Soomee]

I see that as a race that poses endurance – A marathon. It throws lot of challenges. There will be people (on the sideline) along the race watching us and we can categorise them as either cheerers or jeerers. Some will encourage us and others will discourage us. So we need to ignore those try to pull us down. For that we need to have the gift of discernment.
The other thing is that we need to be running on the correct track. If we do nut run according to the rules even if we reach the final line we will be disqualified. So we need to constantly checking whether we are within the right tracks. If we wander into the wrong track then how sad we will be at the finishing line.
We are not left alone to achieve this. There are plenty of help in the form of saints who had gone before us. Their life is an encouragement. Above all we have the Holy Spirit strengthening us every moment if we are yielding to the Holy Spirit.
What is our finishing line? That is the pre-destination: becoming like Christ. We need to have the right attitude to become like Christ. We can only achieve that if we lead a life open to the Spirit’s guidance then we can keep.

[Jen]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

1) We are fighting in a battle where the stakes are the highest of any battle. Paul did what God asked of him.

2) Perseverance in the midst of adversity or the daily humdrum through the reading of the Word, prayer, and time with the Lord we love.

3) Habakkuk 3:17, 18 "For the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat: the sheep shall be cut off from the fold , and there shall be no bullock in the stalls. But I will rejoice in the Lord: I will joy in the God of my salvation." says it all to me.

God Bless!
Jen
Numbers 6:24-26

[servant for Christ]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

To fight a good fight and to keep the faith is to finish going through the battles of sin, trials, difficulties, discouragement, and afflication, and temptations and remain faithful to the Lord throughout all this. It is never compromising the truth of the gospel. For me to finish the course and to keep the faith is to totally depend on God. Stay in his word, stay true to him, and let the Holy Spirit lead my life.

[Sasquatch]

1. What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"?

Like an athlete, Paul has endured the hardship and suffering of training for the gospel. He has “run the good race” or lived his life for God and for the gospel. He has persevered in good and bad conditions and held to his beliefs despite resistence and opposition and nearly death (stoning in Lystra).

2. What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you?

In my opinion, God uniquely designed me for a specific purpose. With all the corruption in this world, this gives me the greatest motivation to get up every day and charge out into the world with the highest mentor guiding me. In my professional work and in my involvement in church finance and growth committees, I feel God’s guidance and I pray for it daily.

To finish the race for me means to pray, study, and finish my work all to please God, constantly listening for His guidance. To finish the race is to serve God when and where He leads me.

3. What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

Grab hold and hang on with all you have. With all the negative influences such as the media, the news, ***********, legal abortion, people losing jobs, temptation and corruption in government, my faith is what saves me.

In reality, it is easy to fall or fall short as a Christian in so many ways! We all sin because we are “dust”; we are human. But, I know God is a God of 2nd, 3rd, 10th, and even 100th chances for me and all sinners to get back on track and press on. As Pastor Ralph described it in Lesson 10, “Thank God for grace that “covers my sin”.

To “keep the faith” means we cannot let the catastrophes of life derail our train. The Ten Commandments are the guiding railroad tracks that lead our train (us) to live life and live it more abundantly. God never gives up on us. We simply must never give up!

“I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me.”

[McCollum]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

To persever through struggles, and serve God until the end, and be temperate in all things. However the crown of life is the reward for endurance and suffering for the cause of Christ striving to do the will of God until He calls me home and this earth walk has been finished.

[Delivered]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"?
Paul was a faithful servant unto God, he kept the faith to the end. He was looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God, and his savior Jesus.
Paul was a peculiar people, he was zealous of good works, he was zealous that the Gentiles would come to know the Messiah, it was God's calling upon him, and he was faithful, fought the good fight to the end.

What does it take to "finish the race (course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?
I think Paul is the example of what it means to finish the race, and what it means to keep the faith”.

Paul never denied God the Father or the Messiah. Paul understood, because God is holy, we too must be holy, for we have received garments of righteousness from the Son, we have power from the Holy Spirit. Paul persevered daily, doing the work God called him to do, keeping the faith even when things looked dark and dim, for he knew what reward lay ahead, he was looking forward to hearing the words spoken, "Well done my faithful servant"”

This is what it means to me to finish the race - Perseverance, be ready when it is inconvenient and when it is convenient, living as if the Lord would come today.

[nerraw20]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

To fight the good fight is to speak the truth to the end in the midst of many lies, temptations, and persecutions from false teachers.

It takes daily communion through prayer and meditation of His word. Continually humbling ourselves before His throne.

To keep the faith means to trust completely in Gods grace to the end.

[Mrstoler]

Q1. (2 Timothy 4:6-7) What does it mean to have "fought the good fight" or "run the good race"? What does it take to "finish the race(course)" God has designed for you? What does it mean to "keep the faith"?

It means to give God your very best in your ministry unto him. You don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of what you do for God. You are focused on the task ahead and you don’t turn back. Your mind is stayed on Jesus Christ. To finish the race you need the word of God to keep you on the right track. The word of God keeps you from making a wrong turn in life and it will keep you traveling on to the goal that God has set before you. You can’t finish a race on a road that is unclear because you may not know which way to go so you must focus on the directions that God give you and that is by faith. It may be times when God may say go this way and you can’t see your way, but because He is God you close your natural eye and just follow God where ever He goes. God created the way and He sure knows His way around so it will do good to have faith in the creator of the road.