Fight the Good Fight
13/14 MARCH 2021 | PRAYER & PRAISE SERVICE
Rev Edmund de Souza
Scripture Passage: 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NIV)
WATCH | SERMON (VIDEO)
READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary | Scriptures tell us that the Christian life is like a battle. We should not be complacent in our walk with God. We are called to fight the good fight, hold on to our faith and good conscience to lead a life pleasing to God.
Our Christian Fight | As we fight the global pandemic, scriptures remind us that there is an even greater fight that’s happening in our Christian lives. All of us are engaged in a Christian fight akin to battling in a war. First, we are fighting against the sinful nature in us (Gal 5:16-17) which can rise up and tempt us to anger, cheat, lie, lust, etc. Second, Scriptures tell us there is a battle with worldly influences and we are not to love the world (1Jn 2:15-16), i.e. worldly values and perspective which are contrary to those/that in Scripture. Third, we are fighting against a spiritual realm (Eph 6:12) working to stir up our fleshly desires and worldly influences to stumble us and lead us astray. God is reminding us to be alert and not be complacent. The Christian life is not a leisurely cruise; it’s a battle, which is why Pauls stirs us to fight the good fight.
Hold on to Faith | In addition, Paul also calls us to hold on to our faith (1 Tim 1:19). When things go wrong in our lives, we may waver in our faith and drift away from God. To prevent this, we must know Scripture. God’s Word gives us the foundation so we are not easily misled. Unfortunately, there are many Christians who are complacent about reading Scriptures, and the reason why we stumble can often be traced back to a lack of understanding of Scriptures. We must therefore spend time reading the Bible so we can be strong in our faith.
Hold On to a Good Conscience | As we read and believe, we must practice God’s Word also, so our conscience is clear. The conscience is the presence of God which pricks us when we do wrong, and gives us peace when we do right. It guides us into the right things which God wants us to do. One danger is when we allow little sins into our lives such that even when our conscience gets pricked, we ignore it. This can lead to a slippery slope of accepting bigger and bigger sins; then our hearts harden and we stop fighting the good fight.
Our Prayer | Lord we thank you that You give your all to us, and invite us to do our best to walk with You. We confess we are often complacent. Forgive us where we have faltered. Help us fight the good fight, and hold on to our faith and good conscience.
(Sermon Notes by Desley Khew)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. We are called to hold on to our faith. Do Christians sometimes have doubts about their faith? What are some of the questions they may wrestle with regards their faith? How can they deal with them?
2. The sermon mentioned that when we keep ignoring our conscience, we can potentially get hardened and end up slipping further. What do you think? What are some reasons we sometimes ignore our conscience?