Finishing Strong

 What is takes and means to finish strong

Study Text: Matthew14vs22-33

Introductory Text: Matthew 3vs13-14

And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. [14] And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.

Something crucial and striking to me as I write and read the scripture above was that it was the person of Christ that was revealed and magnified in the scripture. The writer kept using He and Him, referring to  Jesus. So it became clear to me that the first lesson to learn in the kingdom as a believer immediately one comes into faith is that Christ is all in all. To finish strong is to recognize that Christ is both the beginning and end of my faith. Hebrews 12vs 2 calls Him the Author and Finisher of  our faith.

The introductory scripture says He called those He would to come unto Him. So here I see Him as the Author beckoning on me to come unto Him and I found out that His call was just on the merit of grace alone. So my being called is just because He decided to show me mercy and cause me to find grace in His sight. The choice of who to call is reserved to Him and Him alone and He decides who to call. Indeed being called, chosen ordained first as a disciple and then commissioned ;sent forth is a privilege.

So the first lesson to learn as a believer is that Jesus Christ is the one that calls a man to Himself, not knowing this is the reason why many men have been swayed away from the faith because when they came into the faith, it was a man who who was called but didn’t pass through or complete the ordination process of being cwith the Lord that called them so on coming near it was the man they touched and saw instead of touching and seeing Christ because the one who preached to them hadn’t been with the Lord or had been but he’s no more abiding in Him, therefore the life in Christ Jesus and of Christ Jesus could not be replicated in those who heard the message, so when the boisterous wind of the world; it’s lust, affection and erroneous doctrine came it swept them off their feet.

This brings me back to the opening scripture Matthew14vs 22-33        [22] And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. [23] And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. [24] But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. [25] And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. [26] And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. [27] But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. [28] And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. [29] And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. [31] And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? [32] And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. [33] Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

The account of Matthew when Jesus walked on water and Peter told the Lord to bid him to come epitomizes our Christian journey. Peter, as given to us by the writer of Hebrews in the 12^th chapter and verse 2 had his gaze focused on Jesus, it was the Lord who bid him come and he responded in Fairbanks began the journey in the walk of faith to please the one who called him but at a point he had his gaze shifted for just a moment from the one who is both Author and Finisher of our faith and then he saw the wind boisterous, fear sets in and he began to sink but he realizing that he was sinking quickly looked up to the Lord for help. As believers, though we have yielded to the call of the Lord to come but then in our walk of faith boisterous wind( i.e. Lust of money, lust of women, erroneous doctrines, pride and the likes) sometimes and at all time come to take our gaze away from the Lord for a moment, some of us have obtained mercy of the Lord and have been able like Peter to cry unto the Lord for mercy but others like Judas Iscariot perished in it.

Another thing striking to me was that he was beholding Christ but Christ at that moment had not been formed in him yet so when he look at the boisterous wind and Christ seemed to be far away fear set in and this was part of what Christ finished work brought Hebrews 2vs 14-15.          [14] Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; [15] And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Conclusively, Peter was able to finish strong because though weak in faith and fearful at heart, his absolute dependence was on Jesus and His help. This is a key factor in him and also a lesson for anyone that wants to finish strong that Christ must be our focus.

Now, the boisterous wind could be anything and differs from person to person.

For king Solomon it was the love for strange women who turn his heart away from the Lord that made him not to finish strong. Similarly for Samson, his love for strange women made him break his conservation until the Spirit of the Lord departed from him though he obtained mercy but he died with the enemies.

For Gehazi and Judas Iscariot it was the love for money, lack of contentedness and greediness that made them not to finish strong.

Gleaning from the life of Enoch

Enoch was another man whose life ministered to me in the scripture. He finished so strongly that the account of his life was that he walked with God.

Genesis 5vs 21-24:  [21] And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: [22] And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: [23] And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: [24] And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

This man's summation of life was one that speaks volumes. A man walked so much with God in time that God saw that the world was not worthy of him and He, God had to take him off the Earth to be with Him. Even death couldn’t take him off the Earth because the life of God had so much walked in him that God accounted him worthy not to taste of natural death. He had so much walked with God that the world; it’s lusts, desires, affections had lost grip on him. He walked so much with God that there came a time he had so much being with God and God decided the world was no longer worthy of such a man. His life could no longer be defined in time for he had so much fellowship with eternity. His life was God's life or rather God was his life. All that could be used to define his life was God. God was his life there was no other definition to life for him apart from God .

Something striking to me was that vs 21-22 of Genesis 5 says

This  [21] And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: [22] And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

The above verses of the scripture shows me that no matter how long a man lives on Earth or how successful he is in the world what matters to God is that such man walked with Him. God can never identify with a man in time or in eternity if he never walked with Him. Our life was forged from God, living in time only makes meaning and is defined that a man walked with God. Living apart from God on Earth is existing as Zombies for our source is God. No man is accounted to have lived by the eternal if he had no connection to God in time(Earth) for our source and purpose of living is God when a man knows this and identifies with this that his source and purpose of living is God such a one looks beyond himself and trust his source and purpose for life, strength, vigour, wisdom for daily living, direction on what to do and when to do.

The true definition of finishing strong is not that a man was successful in business, ministry and in all spheres of life as good as all this are, but that he walked with God, made God his first in all and factor God in all.

The true definition of finishing strong is that : Emmanuel walked with God. If the definition of my life is not in that I walked with God in time then my living is vanity. Whatever I might have lived for in time apart from God; my source and purpose is accounted before God has vanities and pursuit in futility. If there is a man that truly lived , a man worthy of honour, who was so focused on Christ fixing his gaze singly without turning to the left or right his name is Enoch. His life is a definition of one who finished strong even in a perverse and corrupt generation who do not put God in their mind he still walked with God, this tells me I have no excuse for not finishing strong because  whatever excuse I might have, these cloud of witnesses will tell me they had greater.

Hebrews 11vs 15-16: [15] And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. [16] But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11 vs 25-26: [25] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; [26] Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

God is not ashamed to be called their God, these men were men of unshaking faith in God.

Hebrews 11 vs 6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

All this men forsook all to seek the Lord.

This brings me back to my study character Enoch, he walked with God in faith having not seen Him but believing that He is and He sought for Him diligently until He got God as his reward. He laid  hold of God because he sought God in faithfully and diligently. So I see some virtues exhibited in this men as Apostle Peter wrote to us in 2Peter 1vs 3-8

[3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here the Holy Spirit is making known to me the place of building, cultivating, giving to and exercising virtues/character in my faith walk if I truly want to finish strong. He is saying through the writer of 2Peter 1that if I will give in, cultivate and exercise this virtues I will never be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ because His knowledge is eternal life according to John 17 vs 3: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

So as I give expression to this life which is God’s kind of life I will never be barren nor unfruitful but rather I will be so productive and blessed which is what it means to finish strong for I am called into fruitfulness that is the purpose of my living.

Geneses 1 vs 26-28: [26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

This tells me that eternal life is given for and to dominion, for it was this Adam lost when sin sets in, sin came in and corrupted this life. This life we have is given for dominion which is expressed in fruitfulness. So fruitlessness/barrenness is anti-Christ and not of God.

This mean finishing strong is in fruitfulness in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus which is eternal life. So a believer who is unfruitful and barren in the knowledge of God is actually not giving expression to this life and if such a one dies without giving expression to this life such one one is accounted to have not finished strong.

Verse 3 of 2Peter1 strikes a cord in my Spirit that His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

This tells me I have been given all that I need to live successfully this faith, all I need do is to give expression to this life. The latter part of the verse says that “hath called us to glory and virtue”. So I know I am not called to shame, contempt and dishonor but rather I have been called into into dominion, fruitfulness therefore, as I give expression to this life and power daily the world; it’s affection, lust, desires and everything that will not allow me to run this race patiently according to Hebrews 12 vs 1 will lose their grip on me, for I am called to glory, power, goodness and virtue.

Romans 6 vs 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

The above scripture tells me I am under a new government called grace (John 1 vs14: And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.) That is, I have been imparted, given a life that is above every other kind of life ( for sin is a life and it is given expression to by those who work it) but as I daily give expression to this life I have been imparted with every other kind of life lose their grip on me. This is what liberty in Christ Jesus truly mean, that I have been given a life that is above every other life (this other kind of life could be immorality, love of money, all kind of wordly and fleshly affections, lusts, desires or even the life that comes from the dark kingdom; idolatry, witchcraft, seductions and the likes).

Life in the knowledge of God and Christ; Eternal life is life above every other. Having this life and giving expression to this life daily is the key to finishing strong.

Prayer Point:

·        Father help me to give expression daily to the eternal life(the life which is only find in you and of you) which you have imparted me and caused me to find in you.

·        Father let the summation of my existence on Earth be that I walked with you in time.

·        Father please reveal Christ in me and through me to my world.

·        Father please help me to seek you diligently and find you and let every other thing that have laid hold on me apart from you vanquish.

·        Father give me the grace to walk with you to the end. Please hold my hand and guide me through your highway of holiness by your Spirit.

·        Father in your mercy and grace help me to finish well and strong.