2 Timothy Series - Be Strong in Christ’s Grace and Endure

 

Be Strong in Christ’s Grace and Endure 

2 Timothy 2:1-13

Before we begin the lesson, please let us pray unceasingly for all the people of Israel, Palestinian Christians, and all the military. May God go before them in every way. Amen

God’s command to all believers, from Joshua on, was ““Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Jos. 1:9) and in the midst of this command is the exhortation to endure the hardships for Jesus told us that he would never leave us nor forsake us. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us, for in this is the strength in the grace of Jesus. So let’s look at the first portion of the text, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”

Timothy had seen the fire of spiritual warfare and the resulting calamity and chaos of the enemy’s carnage. He also experienced the victory through Christ’s grace in overcoming the devil and the world. Paul’s exhortation to be strong is reminiscent of the word’s of God to Joshua as he was being prepared to lead the people of Israel. For God’s grace, His unmerited favor was upon him. So too, Timothy was to be strengthened by this very same grace for the leading of God’s people in Ephesus. Paul had instructed Timothy on all that God had given him and had entrusted the gospel message to be guard with his life, heart, and mind. Timothy was not alone. First and foremost, Jesus was with him in the presence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. And Paul had other men and women trained as well with the gospel and Who were qualified to teach others. Paul’s words of encouragement of the grace that is in Christ Jesus were there as a comforting salve for impending suffering with Paul in the proclamation of the gospel.

Paul now gives Timothy three examples of people who plan and need the strength of Christ’s grace for the upcoming future. First, being a soldier. A soldier's life isn’t his own, he is given over to the commander, not to the civilian affairs. He is focused on the battle and the commanded position he is to uphold. He knows that all those who are with him in battle are depending on him to fulfill his duties in faithfulness and loyalty, for this pleases the commanding officer. Second, the conditioning of an athlete is never easy, for he is always pushing himself to be the best, and to stay mentally focused on the game and all the nuances of the rules in order to receive the victory and the crown. He knows that strenuous endurance will be needed. Third, the hardworking farmer always takes an inventory of tools and their maintenance, and the seeds, fertilizer, and the preparedness and receptivity of the soil for the coming planting, watering, and harvest. This preparedness ensures the development and outcome of the harvest.

Paul knew Timothy needed the same skill sets as these three occupations. The discipline of a soldier to follow orders, the stamina and conditioning of a champion athlete in sports, and the tenacity, awareness, and patience of the master gardener. God had prepared Timothy for the work of the ministry as it would be as intense as these three vocations. Paul wanted Timothy to reflect on these and let Jesus give him these insights for the ministry in Ephesus.

Application - In any endeavor we are called to do in Christ Jesus, it begins with the strength we have in the grace of Christ Jesus. The strength we get from grace is to trust God implicitly in everything. For our life in Christ came from God’s grace, his bearing the deepest darkness of our sins and defeating the Devil on the cross. It is this life, eternal life in trusting in God’s goodness, love, Word, and promises that strengthens us to persevere to victory. 

It is also in this strengthening grace that we are able to know God, to teach others, and spread the Good News of the plan of God in Christ. We become the reliable servants and disciples who like the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer are endowed with faithfulness and loyalty, who are conditioned in the Word of God and prayer in order to run the race of salvation and faith with endurance and fortitude to the end, and the preparedness, knowing we have been equipped with the strength, wisdom, insight, and patience to work till the harvest is in.

Like Paul, I call us to reflect on these qualities, given to us through the strength of Christ’s grace and to ask God daily for an increase of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to live victorious in Christ. 

Now, Paul was no stranger to conflict before or after his conversion. So let’s read the last portion of the text, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

Paul knew the Jewish mindset, for they had rejected and denied the King of Glory and the establishment of His earthly kingdom reigned by the only One who descended from the line of David (God’s covenant with Israel). They crucified him as foretold and described in the prophecies and the Father’s will. Now the Savior, the Lord of Glory, our Great High Priest sits at the right hand of the Father awaiting the appointed time of the Father to fulfill the covenant promise to Israel and us, His Church.

 Paul knew that suffering was apportioned to all who would believe and live a godly life in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12) 

For Paul had persecuted and imprisoned believers for their faith in his old life and now he too was persecuted and imprisoned for the preaching and the sake of the gospel way in his new life. One thing he learned that he passed on to Timothy is that the gospel is never chained, even if it is criminalized by the world. Paul knew that God had foreknew and predestined all the elect who would come and receive salvation through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For all who believed would receive God’s grace and his eternal glory. 

Last, Paul offers Timothy another trustworthy saying from his various teachings,“If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (Rom. 6:2-11, 8:17, Rom. 3:3; Lk. 12:9; 1 Pet. 4:13; Num. 23:19)

Application - Paul understood the kingdom of God, for their is the eternal kingdom where our God and Father dwells in the highest heavens with our Lord Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, awaiting His appointed day to return to earth and establish His theocracy, His earthly kingdom upon the earth. For He is the only One, from the line of David who can fulfill the will and covenantal promise of God. And we, his church, are not the kingdom but the bride, his chosen and beloved ones who have believed in Him for salvation and await our being gathered to Him by being caught up to His Father’s eternal kingdom in heaven to our home He has prepared for us. Yes, there will be suffering, trials and testings in this life as we live and do His will of sharing the gospel with a lost sin riddled world, but we will not have to endure the wrath of God and of the Lamb that will come upon those who reject God, His Son, and His plan of salvation.  “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”  (1 Thes. 5:9-11; John 3:16-19)

Death was not the end, but the beginning of new life and that eternal in Christ Jesus “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life… Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Rom. 6:4b,8) 

Second, if we endure the suffering, the trials and testing in this world and the sifting by demonic attacks, we will also reign with Jesus in the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 20 and 21). 

Last God is faithful, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.“ “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (Num. 23:19; 1 Thes. 5:24; 2 Thes. 3:3) Even when we are faithless, God is faithful and His promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor. 1:20-22)

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis