Length: 7 Minutes
Paul said that he “finished his race.” So, doesn’t that imply that there comes a time when we’re supposed to die because our life is finished? Well, it would imply that, if the “race” he was speaking of was referring to his life, but that’s not the way the Bible defines the word “race” at all.
Before we proceed, note that this part in our series needs to be read in correlation with the previous parts, otherwise our broader point will not be conveyed.
Ok, so let’s look at the verse where Paul says that he had “finished his race.”
2 Timothy 4:6-7 (NKJV) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul not only says that he has finished “the race” but he has also fought “the good fight.” What is this race that he has finished? What is this fight that he has fought? If you define this race and this “fight” as his life, then it would seem obvious that he is saying that the time he was allotted on this earth has been finished, as if to say that there’s a time for everyone to die. But in fact, both the “fight” and the “race” that he is referring to, is not referring to his life, but referring to his “faith.”
Don’t get me wrong, in this chapter, Paul was telling Timothy that he was about to die soon (see our previous articles for that), but the “race” and the “fight” that he is referring to, that he had finished, is referring to his faith, which he kept all his life successfully. In fact, he defines it right in this very verse. Let’s look at it one more time:
Verse 7) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The fight that we are to complete is a fight to keep faith in Jesus. The race that we are supposed to finish is to come to a full assurance of faith in Jesus. That is why after referring to this fight and this race, he says, “I have kept the faith.” He defines the fight in the race very clearly as “keeping the faith.” But let’s use some other verses as well.
Let’s see how Paul says to fight the “good fight” elsewhere in scripture:
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV) Fight the good fight of faith…
Do you see? Is the fight referring to Paul’s time on earth? Or is the fight referring to faith? It seems obvious from this verse that the fight that we are supposed to successfully complete is faith in Jesus.
How about the race that Paul is saying that he finished? Let’s look at the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…
How does Hebrews say that we run this race? He says, “Looking onto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Again, the race itself that we are to complete, is faith in Jesus! Looking unto Jesus, in fact, is faith! Of course, he’s not saying that we look at Jesus with our eyes, but that we look at Jesus with our minds. That’s faith (2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7).
Also, for those that understand “the obedience of faith,” and how our obedience to the gospel is “faith” (Romans 16:26), look at this verse below. It describes our faith (our obedience to the Gospel) as “running.”
Galatians 5:7 (NKJV) You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth [referring to faith]?
In addition to all of this, the concepts of fighting and racing are used together again in 1 Corinthians 9. Here, he says that the ONLY way to win the crown of glory at Jesus’s second coming, is to fight this fight and to run this race.
1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (NKJV) …Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
This scripture says that only when you run this race, and fight this fight, will you receive a crown of glory at Christ’s second coming! If the race is merely referring to our life, well, everyone does that. But if the race truly is faith, then that would make sense why only those that run this race will receive a crown of glory at Christ second coming!
Here is the sum of it all: We do not have the privilege to define biblical terms the way that we see fit, according to our assumptions about life. We need to allow the Bible to define its own terms, and nowhere in scripture does it define “the good fight” or “the race” as our time here on earth.
Paul said he had finished the race. If the race is his life, then that would mean he finished his life’s course. But if the race is referring to his faith, then that merely means that he kept the faith.
You may have heard that “this race” was referring to Paul’s life on earth, but that cannot be substantiated scripturally. The Bible clearly defines this “fight” and “race” as faith, which needs to be completed by every man, if he’s going to see salvation.
And so, this concept of, “Paul died because he had finished his time here on earth” is an assumption that cannot be substantiated by this verse anymore. Paul is referring to how he had kept his faith in Jesus and completed that task successfully, not that he had finished his allotted time on earth.
Paul did die, but he didn’t die because God had appointed a time for it. Jesus already died all our death, once for all time at the cross. People die for lack of knowledge of that fact (Romans 8:6). Our appointed time to die was 2,000 years ago, hanging on that tree (Hebrews 9:27). Therefore God is not appointing that to us anymore.
It is so important to know that, because the going theory in the church today, is that God allots people, even His children, only a certain segment of time to live. That is an assumption that people make, in an attempt to explain why people die. And if you’ve thought the same, God is not mad at you, but He does want to show you the truth.
The truth is, death is a curse that was placed upon Adam, which is not God’s will for anyone; which is why Jesus came to die in our place, to remove it. That’s the actual truth. But, when we make assumptions, such as, “God allots only a certain time for people to live, even His children,” that tarnishes the reputation of God. We are teaching people that God has essentially given everyone a death sentence, and after you have run your course, He ends your life.
The reason why I need to state these things so bluntly, is because this is what you’re actually hearing today, but most people will mask it in prettier words. But I’m here to tell you that, God has not allotted a certain segment of time for you or your loved ones to live. God wants you to hear His words, so that He can actually prolong your days! But how long does He want to prolong your days? As long as the days of Heaven (if you weren’t sure, that means forever).
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (NKJV) “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul… that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied… like the days of the heavens above the earth.
God wants to prolong your days forever, but for those that have died, God’s will is that they be raised up again! He just wants people to live, and He gave up the only Son that He loves to make that happen, if you’ll believe it.
What a beautiful God we have! What a beautiful Savior He is to us. There’s no one that has done for us what He has. And when you forsake old, man-made doctrine, and realize the truth of who He is, in Christ, you’ll go from crying out to heaven, “Why?”, to shouting out to God, “Thank you so much for what you’ve done!”
(This article is only addressing a very narrow point, so be sure to read our other articles in this series for the full idea.)
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