Somewhere down the Appian Way, just outside the city of Rome, some two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ. Shortly before his death, he had written to Timothy, his young protégé in the gospel, stating that he had fought a good fight, he had finished his race, and he had kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) Early this morning, Ravi Zacharias, another great soldier of the cross, breathed his last and was ushered into the presence of God. Like Paul, he too had fought, run, and guarded well the faith “once for all delivered to the saints.”

In the early days of his Christian life in India, Ravi had begun teaching a Youth for Christ Bible study on the book of Romans. One night he and a friend were walking through the neighborhood past a garbage dump when they spied a book on top of a mound of refuse. It was a commentary on the book of Romans by the great English theologian W.H. Griffith Thomas. Not knowing a single Christian in that community, they were perplexed as to how it came to be there. That volume became very precious to Ravi and one he always kept on the desk of his study.

It was W.H. Griffith Thomas who said, “Faith affects the whole of man’s nature. It commences with the conviction of the mind based on adequate evidence; it continues in the confidence of the heart or emotions based on the above conviction and it is crowned in the consent of the will, by means of which the conviction and confidence are expressed in conduct.”

This statement beautifully describes Ravi’s life and ministry. Despairing of any meaning in life, he found himself on a bed of attempted suicide at seventeen. While recovering in the hospital, an unknown preacher brought him a Bible. He described hearing Jesus’ statement in John 14:19, “because I live, you shall live also,” as like a lightning bolt out of a pitch-black sky. He vowed this: “Jesus, if you are who you claim to be, I want that life that I do not have. And I promise if you will take me out of this hospital bed, I will leave no stone unturned in my pursuit of truth.”

We can all be thankful for that promise being kept. Throughout his life, Ravi embodied faith as it was defined by W.H. Griffith Thomas. First, his brilliant mind was gripped with the conviction of truth based on reason and sound evidence. Second, he articulated that truth with convincing clarity. His love for Christ and compassion for people were evident whenever he spoke. Whether it was a hostile, unbelieving crowd, or a congregation of believers, he exuded tenderness and kindness to his audience. Third, he authentically lived out his faith and persevered in ministering the gospel till he was forced by cancer to cease.

The poem by Bob Jones comes to mind when I think about Ravi Zacharias.

A fight well fought, a race well run,

A faith well kept; a crown well won.