Indeed, since I learned to know Him in my youth, the love and fear of God have grown in me, and up to now, with the Lord's help, I have kept the faith.
Patrick, Confession (British, 5th century)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7

Legacies for the Lord
Both Paul and Patrick, near the end of their lives, declared that they had kept the faith. They had not faltered in belief; they had not been disobedient to their callings; they had not strayed from the path of righteousness; they had not failed to bear bold and consistent witness for Jesus Christ; they had made disciples.

Each of them left a legacy of dramatically changed lives, people they had won to Christ and nurtured in Him who were likewise devoted to keeping the faith. Paul and Patrick each spawned movements of God’s Spirit which led to revival, renewal, and awakening lasting hundreds of years. Each man prepared to depart this life with peace and joy, not knowing what would ensue from his labors, but satisfied in the Lord that, through the course of his life, he had run a good race, he had kept the faith.

How satisfying that must have been for each of them to be able to say that! Can we say this? Looking back on the year just ending, can we say that, in everything we’ve done, every area of our lives, we have kept the faith? What kind of legacy are we building for the future? One of faith issuing in revival? Or one of mere busyness and distraction?

Keeping the faith
Keeping the faith involves more than just holding on to the promise of forgiveness and the hope of eternal life throughout our earthly sojourn. Keeping the faith costs those who truly keep it.

It costs time: many hours devoted to seeking the Lord, meeting with Him in prayer and in His Word, making the best use of all of our time for the progress of Christ’s Kingdom.

It costs sacrifices: forsaking certain temporal pleasures and diversions in order to devote all our available time and strength to seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Giving selflessly to meet the needs of others, boldly in witness for Christ, and generously with our resources and wealth.

It costs a certain amount of risk: reaching out to lost friends and co-workers with the Good News of God’s grace. Defending the Gospel and the Christian worldview against those who deny or make light of it. Living as a flesh-and-blood witness to the fact that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. Nurturing others in their walk with the Lord.

Keeping the faith requires forethought and preparation. We must plan to use our time according to the wisdom of the Lord (Ps. 90:12) and to make ourselves open to whatever work He may have for us in the next moment (Ps. 90:16, 17). We must prepare ourselves spiritually, relationally, with the necessary perspectives and skills, and according to the demands and opportunities presented by those we are called to serve. We need to be alert to and ready for each moment of keeping the faith that comes to us, day-in and day-out, in every situation and circumstance of our lives.

And we must maintain a continuous self-watch, lest we veer from the path of seeking the Kingdom and become ensnared in the distractions and diversions of a narcissistic and pragmatic age (Prov. 4:20-27; 1 Tim. 4:16).

One moment, one day, one year
We can only keep the faith one day at a time, one situation, one task, one open door of opportunity at a time, making the most of every situation for the knowledge of Christ and His glory. If we truly fear and love the Lord, as Patrick and Paul did, we will keep the faith, and grow in it daily.

Today, the next moment, the coming year – this is the only time available for keeping the faith. The year ahead will see us investing in the progress of Christ’s Kingdom, or living as dead weight or even obstacles to that realm’s glorious advance. Our secular age will tolerate us practicing our faith, as long as we keep the faith within a certain niche of space and time, and according to protocols and procedures agreeable to our unbelieving age.

But keeping the faith according to any agenda other than Christ’s is not keeping the faith at all – except to keep it from fuller and more abundant flourishing in and through our lives. The secular world says to us, “Fine, keep your faith. But keep it to yourself, will you?” But we must graciously explain that, like Paul and Patrick, we cannot comply.

Let us keep the faith in the year ahead, but let us not keep it to ourselves. Let us not keep our faith under a bushel. Let us not keep the Spirit from doing exceeding abundantly above all that He’s ever done in us before. Let us not keep ourselves from a more compelling vision, a more consistent experience, and more faithful obedience to the risen and reigning Lord and King, Jesus Christ. And let us not keep that faith from the people around us, either.

Rather, let us keep the faith with a big, expectant vision of how the Lord might use us to make Him known to others, that we might become part of a movement of God’s Spirit to expand the realm of righteousness, peace, and joy in ways and places we’ve never before dared to ask or think (Rom. 14:17, 18; Eph. 3:20).

In other words, keep the faith like Paul and Patrick.

The year now ending is over; we cannot go back and keep the faith any better than we already have.

But we can resolve, pray, prepare, and seek the help of faithful believing friends, so that we might keep the faith more consistently, and with greater effects, in the year to come.

Next steps

What will you plan to do differently in the coming year to grow in your faith, to help others consider Jesus, and to help your church become the light of the world for Christ? Have you prepared a growth and ministry plan for the year to come? Take the time to do so, then find a faithful Christian friend to share your plan with and to serve as prayer partner for you during the coming year. For more insight to this topic, order the book, Time Peace, by Ellen Santilli Vaughn, from our online store. And be sure to read the article, “The Time of Your Life,” by T. M. Moore.

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