Page 90 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

[The Word must be preached because Christ Jesus is coming to judge everyone and to establish His
kingdom].

Becoming a Christian is relatively easy: acknowledge to God that you are a sinner and
receive by faith the free gift of eternal life that Christ provided by His shed blood. You
cannot work for salvation nor do anything to qualify for it. God gives it freely to all that
recognize their need and trust in Christ alone.
But then comes the hard part – staying strong as a Christian in a world that is hostile
towards God and His people. The world constantly dangles in front of us all that it has
to offer in opposition to the things of God. From within, the flesh tempts us to forsake
Christ and enjoy our sinful desires. The enemy hits us with one temptation after
another.
The real test of our faith is, will we endure? Will we remain faithful to the end?

Genuine faith in Christ perseveres to the end.
James 1:12. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial
because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life
that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Galatians 6:9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the
proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Hebrews 10:36. You need to persevere so that when you have
done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

The Christian life is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. Since finishing a marathon well is not easy, when
we see someone who sprints across the finish line, you ought to try to find out their secret.

To finish well, keep in mind Paul’s view of the present, the past, and the future.
Paul was not a Lone Ranger. These verses are filled with the names of Paul’s fellow-workers in the
work of Christ.
He was committed to the cause of Christ with many others, and they labored together. All of us need
to learn from Paul’s example. We can face the bitter battles of “winter” better, if we are working with
others and not alone.
I read a story about a pastor named Pastor Charles McCoy. He was a Baptist
pastor whose denomination insisted that he retire at age 72. He was a single
man, tall (6’ 4”), with white hair. He dreaded the thought of retirement, thinking
that surely there was more that he could do for Christ. About that time, a
missionary from India invited him to come there and preach. Pastor McCoy had
never traveled, even in the U.S., let alone overseas. But the missionary
explained that in India they would respect his age.

He tried to put the idea out of his mind, and he gave the Lord all of his excuses.
He didn’t have any money. But he felt that the Lord wanted him to go, so he
decided to sell his car and go. People in his church thought he was losing his mind. The church
chairman asked, “What if you should die there?” Pastor McCoy said, “It’s just as close to heaven from
there as it is from here.”

So, he went. Along the way, he lost all his belongings, including his wallet and passport. His missionary
friend who invited him was not there, so he didn’t know anyone. But God opened door after door for
him to share the gospel with significant groups of people in the government and military. He started a
Chinese church in Calcutta. He ended up having a ministry that lasted for 16 years, until he was 88! He
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