For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6–8
What does it mean to “keep the faith”? The verb translated “keep” here does not convey the sense of routine maintenance, such as it does in the phrase “keeping house.” Rather, it conveys the sense of guarding or protecting something from harm. How did Paul keep the faith?
Paul kept the faith by obeying it. Paul preached obedience to the faith “among all nations” (Romans 1:5). He had himself been obedient to the faith since the day that he was baptized in obedience to the heavenly vision which he saw on the Damascus road (Acts 26:19). He kept the faith by keeping the commandments of God (1 Corinthians 7:19; 9:24–27).
Paul kept the faith by protecting it from perversion. When we come into the possession of something that is precious, we don’t just hold on to it; we protect it. Paul said that one who was “steadfast in his heart” would do well to “keep his virgin,” (1 Corinthians 7:36–38), that is, his “virgin daughter” (ASV). While it was no sin for a father to give his daughter away in marriage, it was an added burden to her (especially in the situation facing the Corinthians) that her father could help her avoid (v 34). Jesus prayed that the Father would keep (protect) His disciples “from the evil one” (John 17:15). We must also “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). We need to keep ourselves pure (James 1:27), just as Paul labored to keep the faith pure. As each US president takes an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Paul saw it as his responsibility to defend the faith against those who wanted to pervert it with reversions both to paganism and Judaism (Galatians 2:5). There are many who have perverted the faith into various new faiths that have no origin in God’s word; it is our responsibility to be guardians of the true faith.
Paul kept the faith by refusing to let it go. When a Roman guard let a prisoner go free––whether by choice or by neglect––he would often pay for this error with his life (cf. Acts 16:23–27; Matthew 28:11–15). Once Paul found the truth, he wasn’t ever going to give it up––no matter the consequences (Galatians 4:16).
Paul kept the faith by refusing to keep it to himself. We can also “keep” something by holding it back (cf. John 2:10; 12:7). When it came to preaching the faith, Paul didn’t keep anything back. Regarding his preaching of the faith in Ephesus, Paul said, “I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20–21). To keep the faith, we must declare it to everyone and stop short at nothing less than a full disclosure of the gospel message, even when it isn’t popular (2 Timothy 4:1–2).
Keeping the faith involves more than just coming to worship every Sunday. To keep the faith, we must obey it, defend it, and declare it to the world.