In the mid-’80s, while teaching at Bear Valley, in one of the Homiletics classes, the assignment was to present a lesson dealing with, “The Assurance Of Your Salvation. “Each of the nine students presented their lessons, and with all the lessons of the years, well most have been forgotten for the most part. But one of the illustrations used has stayed with me these 35 or so years.
One of the students began by saying, “You are in the fight of your life. You are in the ring with George Forman, and to stay alive, you must win. Well, what are the chances,” he said? He went on to say, “I was thinking what chance did I HAVE, NONE.”
Then the Connor man leaned down and said, “the fight is fixed, you can lose, but you must stay in the fight, stay in the ring.”
Then he went on to say, “The Christian life is like that, the moment you put on Christ in baptism you became the eternal winner. But you must stay in the fight. Never give up, never turn back; keep your eyes on the goal.
A few verses that make it clear we are in a Fight.
II Tim. 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
I Tim. 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Eph. 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
James 1:12, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
I am sure you can think of other passages that make it clear we are in a fight. But always remember the fight has been won through Christ. Satan has been defeated.
From Romans 8:31-35, consider this promise, ” What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
So Again, Stay In The Ring,
Dick Brant