Fight the Good Fight

Introduction

I am so glad you picked up this book—and I’m so excited about the ways the Holy Spirit might use it in your life to help you know Jesus better. That’s my purpose in putting together these 75 devotions: I pray that you will come to know Jesus—or know Him better—as we look at the life and ministry of Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ and the writer of many of the faith-building and life-giving New Testament epistles.

When we meet this first-century Jew, he is a prime candidate for Jerusalem’s “Most Likely to Never Follow Jesus” award. In the Bible’s initial mention of him, we see the then-called Saul witnessing and approving the stoning of Stephen, a man devoted to Jesus, whom he believed to be the long-awaited Messiah. We also read that “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3 esv).

Yet this is the man whom God used to establish churches, disciple fellow believers, share the gospel with the Gentiles, set forth theological truth, and offer real-life encouragement to honor and glorify God in all we do. How did this transformation from murderer to evangelist happen? And can that kind of transformation from persecutor to a person on fire for the Lord happen to you?

The book you hold in your hands will not only answer that first question one day at a time, but it can also serve as a tool to help you yourself experience the Saul-to-Paul transformation from merely knowing about Jesus to knowing Jesus more intimately than you do now. Facilitating that transformation is the Challenge that comes at the end of each devotion. I encourage you to take a few minutes to, in response to that prompt, apply or wrestle with or celebrate the truth that the day’s passage and devotion set forth.

As you get to know your Lord more intimately through this study of His Word, you’ll begin to speak, think, and act more like Him. As you yield to His power, the Holy Spirit will transform you into a winsome witness for Jesus.

May Fight the Good Fight: 75 Days of Growing Closer to Jesus also reassure you of Jesus’ deep love for you. He who died on the cross for your sin longs for you to know Him more intimately. You can be confident that He is walking this journey through Acts and Paul’s New Testament epistles with you. Don’t hesitate to slow down along the way to listen for His voice of love. After all, it is the love of Jesus that will empower you to fight the good fight, living with the eternal prize of heaven in your sights and walking in the grace and strength of your Savior and Lord (see 1 Timothy 6:11–12).

God bless your travels toward a richer relationship­ with­ Jesus.

Day 1: Knowing About vs. Knowing

I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Philippians 3:8)

Do you know Jesus?

Or do you just know about Jesus?

Consider the vast difference between the two options. The first implies relationship and heart connection; the second, merely head knowledge. The first option—actually knowing Jesus—means a richer, more significant life here on earth as well as eternal life. Knowing about Jesus may help you move toward that life-giving relational knowledge, but if it doesn’t, that knowledge is no more useful than acknowledging with a “So what?” shrug of the shoulders that exercise is good for you but remaining a couch potato.

So when I say, “Do you know Jesus?” I’m asking if you’ve entered into a relationship with Him. Do you spend time with Jesus? Are you committed to loving Him, obeying Him, and honoring Him with your life? Do you seek greater intimacy with Him? Are you fighting “the good fight of the faith,” fleeing ungodliness and pursuing “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11–12)?

A Jewish man named Saul couldn’t have answered yes to these questions. Oh, Saul knew about Jesus—and hated Him. Saul hated everything about Jesus, including His followers, those Christians who knew Jesus intimately and walked through life with Him.

Where do you stand? Are you a Saul, a person who knows about Jesus, but doesn’t love Him and isn’t concerned about obeying Him? Perhaps, like Saul, you are a persecutor of Christians, snubbing them, mocking them, belittling them, discriminating against them, slandering them, gossiping about them, or lying about them? Or have you rejected Jesus Himself, throwing up your hands before Him and saying, “I don’t want anything to do with You!” Or maybe, prompted by discouragement rather than anger, you’ve just given up on God?

If you want to know Jesus rather than just know about Him, you can be sure that He very much wants you to know Him. For more details about getting to know Jesus as Savior and Lord—the way Saul did—turn to “The Romans Road to Salvation” at the back of this book.

Challenge: What might you do this week to walk more closely with the Lord? Go to church? Open your Bible every morning? Make time to pray?

KEYNOTE

Fight the Good Fight demonstrates the apostle Paul’s transformation from persecutor to evangelist through a relationship with his resurrected Savior. Jesus can also transform you.

KEYWORDS

Apostle Paul; Relationship with Jesus; Transformation; Faith; Christian Living;

Fight the Good Fight; Spiritual Growth