Fight the Good Fight

“Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

“Once saved, always saved.” Have you heard that expression? There are some Christians who teach that once a person has true faith in Jesus, it is impossible for them to fall away from their faith. In other words, once you have faith, you can never lose your faith. Is that true?

Unfortunately, no. In these verses, Paul describes two men who at one time were believers in Jesus, but later “suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.” Hymenaeus and Alexander had faith for a while, but then they rejected Jesus and fell away from faith. Was that a good thing? Of course not! This was very serious. Those men had turned from Jesus to Satan.

But that didn’t have to be the case for Timothy. As Paul warned Timothy against following the example of those ungodly men, he reminded Timothy that God’s Word and promises are true and powerful. At some point in Timothy’s life, there had even been prophecies made about him, perhaps on his ordination day when he became a pastor. Paul encouraged him to fight the good fight of faith.

It’s a sad thing when Christians—especially Christian leaders—fall away from Christ. When they shipwreck their faith, churches suffer and God’s name is blasphemed.

Yet, the Christian Church and your faith don’t depend on any pastor or church leader. They depend on Jesus Christ and his trustworthy promises. Don’t be surprised when life is a battle. Don’t be surprised that there are many temptations to fall. Yet, hold on to your faith in Jesus. Fight the good fight!

And trust that you are never fighting alone. The Holy Spirit lives inside you. He strengthens your faith every time you hear God’s Word. Jesus has already died for you. When you do sin, his forgiveness and grace cleanse your guilty conscience. Your brothers and sisters in Christ in your congregation stand beside you.

So, with God’s strength, fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience!

Dear Jesus, it’s heart-breaking with Christians—especially Christian leaders—fall away from you. Use your promises to strengthen my faith in you, and give me courage to fight the good fight of faith. Amen.

Pastor Nathan