As the apostle Paul was approaching the end of life, he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul was a man of conviction and had a definite goal in life. He boldly proclaimed his goal, when he said, "Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:8-11). The goal Paul chose is one that Jesus said would only be achieved by a few (Matthew 7:13-14), and thus Paul understood it required discipline (1 Corinthians 9:27). A discipline he achieved and was thus able to say he had fought the fight, and he had finished the course. What a marvelous way to end one’s life. How would you like to be able to say that, at the end of your days?

There are two aspects of Paul’s life that will help us achieve the same goal. The first of which is, "If I want to die like Paul died, I must live like Paul lived." Paul affirmed this truth, when he said, "Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample" (Philippians 3:17). Paul further affirmed the necessity of obedience, when he said, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). We can go through life, do what we want, and live as we wish, but if we want to stand at death’s door with the same hope as Paul, then we must live as he lived. The second aspect affirms that, "If I want to live like Paul lived, I must die like Paul died." One of the reasons Paul had confidence in his preparedness is because his life was not his own. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20). Every aspect of Paul’s being was devoted to God, in Christ. Paul said, "Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8). The concept of dying in this life so we can live, is one that Paul repeatedly expressed. To the Colossians, he said, "If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." To Timothy, he said, "For if we died with him, we shall also live with him" (2 Timothy 2:11), and to the Romans, he said, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:1-14). If we fail to die as Paul died, we cannot hope to live as he lived. If we fail to live as he lived, then we will not be prepared to die as he died.

Jesus once said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23). This admonition definitely emphasizes the requirements of obedience. Many attempt to remove the necessity of obedience by saying, all that’s necessary to salvation is faith. But they fail to heed the words of James, which says, "Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own self…But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing" (James 1:21-22, 25). And again, James says, "Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect" (James 2:18-22). Warnings are too numerous for a successful contradiction of these facts. If we hope to "die the death of the righteous" (Numbers 23:10), and our "last end be like his!" we must "Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; ⁶for which things’ sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience" (Colossians 3:5-6), and "walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called" (Ephesians 4:1).

Have you died like Paul died, that you might live as Paul lived? If not, you are encouraged to heed the words of the Holy Spirit and be "buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin…Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:4-7, 12-13).