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 On
the ruins of a theater in Ephesus there is a memorial to an
athlete of the 2nd. century A.D. which reads:
“HE FOUGHT THREE FIGHTS,
AND TWICE WAS CROWNED.”
Watch
out for that last step! You see, those “athletes” fought to
the death. A man’s last fight was always fatal.
So,
the crown meant only that one changed opponents; and sooner or
later the last would slay him. What a difference in this crown,
and that of the apostle Paul.
“I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept
the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give
me at that day. .“ Paul did more than fight “unto death”
— he fought unto life, eternal. If his fight of faith cost him
his earthly life, it only meant he was now free to claim the
crown that counted most. (Rev. 2:10 2 Cor. 5:6-f.) How different
from those who die without hope.
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Paul
sought an enduring victory — one that could not be taken from
him. He exhorted Timothy, “Lay hold on eternal life.. .“ (1
Tim. 6:12) This called for training, perseverance, and above
all, self control. (1 Cor. 9:24-27) The athlete trained his body
only to prolong the day when it would fail him; but Paul trained
his that it might the better serve the Lord, and thus serve his
eternal purposes.
We
are all engaged in some sort of battle, and in a very real sense
it is “unto death.” The fatalist, the fool, resigns himself
to shortchange. Though he fights 3,000 times, he can expect but
2,999 temporal crowns, not one of which he can take with him
beyond that last fight. The futility of it all is enough to make
a man throw in the towel.
The
Faith gives purpose to life The Christian fights, hard and
often. But he has submitted himself to God’s will, “strives
lawfully,” (2 Tim. 2:5) and his fight is never in vain. Jesus
Christ has provided for him a crown, and not for him only, “but
unto all them also that love his appearing.”
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