Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)
I remember vividly in Sabbath School when I was a young boy – maybe 8-9 years old. The teacher was telling us all the amazing things we would experience once we got to heaven. We could play with lions and tigers. We would be able to fly to far away galaxies and explore different worlds. We would never get sick, and no one would ever die. Everyone would be like our best friend and would treat others with kindness, respect, and love. It all sounded so amazing! Then she added something like this: “So, you better be good. Because if you aren’t good, Jesus won’t like you. And, if Jesus doesn’t like you, He won’t take you to heaven.”
I was determined to be good. I really wanted to go to heaven with Jesus. I really wanted all the things the teacher described. However, as time went on, I discovered that the harder I tried to be good, the more I seemed to fail. Was I good enough? I began to question. It wasn’t until later in life that I discovered that what she had taught us was not only contrary to the Bible, but downright sinful. I pray that her understanding of Jesus has matured and she fully understands the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness of our Savior.
The Apostle Paul, writing to a young pastor named Timothy, understood that there will be those that distort the gospel (the good news about Jesus Christ). So, His charge to Timothy, and us today is, “Fight the good fight for the TRUE Faith.” [emphasis mine] In other words, when we preach and teach others the good news of Jesus, we must stay true to it, not adding our own opinions or outside interpretations. It’s simple: God loves. We sin. Jesus died. The price for our sin (death) was paid. Jesus rose from the dead, conquering the grave. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior we join Him in eternal life. This is what is worth fighting for.
It also means that when we hear or see others twist the gospel (as that Sabbath School teacher did), we aren’t to stand idly by and do nothing. We must fight for the truth of the gospel. Too long Christians have fought over everything but the sanctity of the gospel.
Today, and every day, we must fight for the True Faith. Don’t get distracted by side arguments. Fight for the truth about Jesus Christ.
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