At the very gate of death, but with the judgment seat of Christ in view, the Apostle Paul wrote:
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown." 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.
Fellow-Christian, would you be thus prepared to face the judgment seat of Christ, or would you delete or neutralize one or more elements in Paul's departing declaration?
Are you among those who in these evil times say, "This is a time to show love; we should not fight"? Do you feel that it is no longer necessary to "put on the whole armor of God" and to "take the sword of the Spirit" in a stand for God and His truth? Do you think that Satan has somehow gone to sleep and that it is no longer necessary to "stand against the wiles" of this master strategist? Do you equate love with compromise, with allowing apostasy to rise like a flood while you do little or nothing about it?
Have you dropped out of the race, no longer putting much energy into your service and testimony for Christ? Are you one of those who are so glad you are saved and have come to see the riches of God's grace, but will bet unable to say at the close of life, "I have finished my course"? Do you feel that the time has passed when we should "keep the faith," that we should no longer be concerned about departures from the faith, since the Scriptures have predicted them anyway?
If your answers to these questions are wrong, then you will not receive the Lord's approval and reward "at that day." Why not read Paul's words again and ask yourself whether there needs to be some change in your thinking.