2 Timothy - Lesson 2A

• The letter of James opens with a counter-intuitive call for Christians to anticipate and even embrace suffering for the sake of Christ

James 1:2  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
James 1:3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
James 1:4  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

• Any Christian who has contemplated these words has questioned the logic of receiving suffering with joy

  • The two seem mutually exclusive

  • We understand that  “to suffer” is to be without joy, and to know joy is to be without suffering

  • So how can one be compatible with the other, we wonder?

• Nevertheless, this is the Bible’s teaching on suffering in our faith, and James goes on to explain how suffering is, in fact, a source of joy for every believer

  • First, we have to understand that the suffering James speaks about is associated with trials the Lord brings us

  • He’s not speaking about all forms of suffering

  • Often we suffer as a result of our own sinful choices, and this suffering is not a source of joy but hopefully a cause for repentance

• James is referring to suffering for the sake of our testimony, whether by persecutions or other difficulties brought upon us to test our faith

  • These trials are a source of joy, for they are designed by the Lord to bring opportunities

  • James says they test our faith, to know if we are willing to stand firm for Christ and for eternal concerns over earthly concerns

  • In effect, trials are opportunities for us to reaffirm our commitment to our eternal future with Christ over our attachment to this world

• With each new opportunity, we gain spiritual strength, like a muscle growing strong under the strain of exercise

  • This is spiritual endurance, James says

  • And that endurance will lead to a “perfect” result

  • It will leave us complete, lacking in nothing, he says

  • Conversely, a failure to endure well may lead to a loss of something, a lack of completion

• What is this thing we will gain by our endurance?

  • Beyond the spiritual growth and blessings that follow maturity, James is looking forward to eternal blessings of rewards and honor in the kingdom

    • To be perfect, lacking nothing, refers to gaining a full reward 

    • That reward doesn’t turn on a moment or even a season of our lives

  • Our progress is only measured at the end, and our reward is only assigned once we’ve run our race

    • So as we encounter trials, and even if we should stumble at times, nevertheless we still have good incentive to get back up and continue enduring 

    • Because until the end has come, we are still growing

    • And until our race is over, we still have good cause to endure, since we are still marching toward our reward

  • Which is why we have reason to count suffering as a source of joy, because it means our race has not ended and opportunity for reward remains open

    • So if you have successfully withstood trials in the past, then count new trials as opportunities for extra credit

    • But don’t take your past success for granted, since no one is without the need for more spiritual growth

    • Or if you have stumbled in the face of trials in the past, rejoice over new trials as a sign the Lord considers you worthy to prove yourself again 

    • And don’t be discouraged by past mistakes, since no Christian arrives in Heaven with a perfect track record

    • We are all sinners, which is why we all needed grace in the first place

• Every trial is a chance to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing, James says, and today in Chapter 2 Paul picks up this same idea as he encourages Timothy to stay faithful in the face of persecution and trials

  • Last week Paul ended Chapter 1 with a sobering list of men who had failed in this regard

    • Paul told Timothy these men had walked away from him and even the faith, rather than face persecution

    • In one case, Paul said he prayed the Lord would forgive  Onesiphorus in “the day", a reference to the judgment seat of Christ when rewards are handed out

    • This man had done much to support Paul in days past, but apparently he too shrunk back when the going got tough

  • Paul listed these examples to remind and exhort Timothy to do better

    • And earlier in the chapter Paul gave reason for his willingness to suffer for Christ

    • He said he knew that Christ was guarding his reward

    • And therefore, nothing could steal it from Paul 

    • Ironically, the only way Paul’s reward could come into jeopardy was if Paul himself retreated from his service to Christ

  • This was Paul’s concern for his protege, Timothy

    • With so many in Asia making the wrong choice, Paul seems worried Timothy might follow suit

    • So as we move into Chapter 2, Paul continues to reinforce the importance of remaining faithful to his call even in the face of trials

    • And to make his point, Paul uses three analogies that teach different aspects of God’s reward system

• First, Paul offers an introductory encouragement 

2Tim. 2:1  You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Tim. 2:2  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

• Coming on the heels of Paul’s list of faithless men in Chapter 1, we see Paul pivoting back to Timothy with a hope for better things

  • Paul says “you, Timothy” so as to distance Timothy from those others

    • We can’t know how close Timothy was to following their bad example

    • Perhaps Paul didn’t know for sure either

    • But clearly he was concerned, and we can hear him working hard to persuade Timothy not to make the same mistake

  • Paul implores Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus

    • We know grace means “unmerited favor”

    • That is, it’s something God does for us before we even know we need it

    • In the case of salvation, it’s the choice of God to send His Spirit into our hearts leading us in crying out “Abba, Father!”

  • And in the case of facing trials of one kind or another, Paul says there is yet another form of grace given us in Christ Jesus 

    • This form of grace comes “in” Christ for it is only available to those who are Christ’s by faith

    • This grace enables the believer to stand strong against the temptation to be unfaithful

    • This form of God’s grace is an enabling power, but it does not guarantee a positive outcome, as men like Onesiphorus demonstrate

• Therefore, we must conclude that believers possess a God-given power to stand firm against temptations to flee persecution in unfaithful ways

  • Yet we must avail ourselves of this grace to benefit from it

    • As a matter of faith itself, we must first decide to remain faithful rather than shrinking back

    • And then by the grace of God, we will be strengthened in our decision to stand 

  • That’s what Paul means when he calls upon Timothy to be strong

    • He’s calling Timothy to use the strength God has made available by His grace

    • But even the decision to be strong depends on something else

    • For what explains why one believer stands when another doesn’t?

  • The Bible’s answer is that believers must renew their minds

    • We must take up a process of obtaining the mind of Christ so that we will make different decisions in moments of crisis

    • In the past, the old self made decisions based on earthly values and fleshly desires

    • Now our new self is called to make decisions based on the mind of Christ and the leading of His Spirit living in us

• We must train our mind to think like Christ so that we might live like Him

  • The Bible calls this training process the renewing of our mind

    • Making it new, changing it from the depraved ways we knew before faith and into likeness with Christ

    • For example, Paul says in Romans:

Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

• Paul says our walk must be transformed by a renewing of our mind

  • That renewing comes only through a study of God’s Word

  • By knowing Christ’s Word, we move away from conforming to the world and toward the likeness of Christ

  • By this transformation, Paul says we will live out the will of God

  • We will show the world by our new thinking and new behaviors what is good and acceptable and perfect to God

• Secondly, Paul says this is a daily renewal in our inner person which leads us to eternal glory

2Cor. 4:16  Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
2Cor. 4:17  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

• Our outer, sinful nature is decaying and fading even as we are renewing our inner person day by day

  • Notice again that this renewing of the inner person will be tested by momentary, light affliction

  • Testing gives opportunity for our new self to be made visible as we live it out before the world

  • And as we endure that affliction, we gain the benefit of eternal, weighty glory far beyond comparison

• And now we see how transforming our mind brings us to the point where we can count all suffering as joy

  • By the counsel of scripture we gain the mind of Christ so we come to see our trials the way Jesus saw His trials

  • We come to understand that our afflictions for the sake of Christ are the fertile ground where God plants seeds of opportunity 

  • The opportunity to respond in faith, sacrificing earthly things to the glory of Christ and for the potential of heavenly reward

  • The grace of Christ working in us gives us the power to stand in the moment

• That’s why Paul emphasizes that Timothy must ensure that the teaching Paul left with him in Ephesus be shared widely by trustworthy men

  • Notice in v.2 Paul places this demand on Timothy

    • If the church in Ephesus was to withstand the coming persecution successfully, then it must be prepared with proper teaching

    • Renewing their minds was the necessary prerequisite to making the right choices

    • But if the church made the choice to remain faithful as Paul did, then the grace of God would give them the strength to follow through

• Then Paul moves to teaching Timothy on the very point of suffering, using three analogies to drive home the logic for why suffering in trials is worthwhile for a believer

2Tim. 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2Tim. 2:4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
2Tim. 2:5 Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.
2Tim. 2:6 The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.
2Tim. 2:7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

• For the second time in as many chapters, Paul calls Timothy to suffer hardship as Paul did

  • And to explain the sensibility of such a call, Paul draws upon three analogies

    • First, Paul says that suffering hardship for the sake of the Gospel is like a soldier called for duty

    • I have some qualification to speak on this analogy

    • I spent 9 years in the US Air Force, not counting the four years I spent as a cadet at the Air Force Academy

    • This gives me a first-hand sense of what Paul means when he compares serving Christ to military service

    • Although my Army brothers and sisters might argue that serving in the Air Force doesn’t qualify as being a soldier

  • As it turns out, life in the military is great preparation for life in ministry

    • A soldier must be 100% committed to the mission and to his or her role 

    • Because the mission is too important to tolerate a half-hearted effort

    • Paul says we must be a “good” soldier, and the Greek word for good means wise

  • In the context of soldiering, being wise means setting the right priorities in life

    • And specifically, a soldier must set aside pursuit of the world at least to some degree

    • What passes as normal life for a civilian can’t hold for a soldier

    • Military service is an all-consuming lifestyle in most cases, especially in times of war

  • Therefore, Paul says a good soldier can’t concern himself with the affairs of everyday life 

    • Instead, the only desire of a soldier is pleasing the one who enlisted him

    • Pleasing his sergeant, pleasing his commander, ultimately pleasing the nation he serves

    • Military life has no place for token contributions

• Paul says Christians are to serve in battle in a similar way

  • Christ has called us to duty as His soldiers

    • We have a new mission in life, one that’s eternally important

    • It’s a battle against the enemy and the world and even our own flesh

  • Imagine if soldiers routinely ran from the battlefield at the first signs of conflict declaring they weren’t prepared for such trials?

    • That’s the situation when a Christian run from trials or abandons their testimony altogether

    • It means they weren’t educated in the realities of serving Christ

  • You are soldiers, which means you are preparing for battle

    • Therefore when the fight comes, you can’t shrink back 

    • You must remain in place to serve and glorify the One Who enlisted you 

    • So Paul’s first example emphasizes our outlook and preparation for service as Christians

    • We must understand our role and mission will eventually bring us into conflict with an enemy

    • Therefore, be ready to take up the fight

• Secondly, in v.5 Paul uses the example of an athlete running in a race

  • Now, Paul has moved from how we prepare for service to how we pursue our service 

    • An athlete must compete well to receive a prize, Paul says

    • The Greek word compete can also be translated strive

    • The emphasis here is in the striving, a constant expending of effort toward a goal

    • For who competes without a desire for the reward?

  • Today it’s fashionable, especially with young children, to assign everyone an award at the end of a competition

    • There can be no losers or winners

    • We all know this isn’t real life

    • And I suspect most children aren’t fooled by this charade either

    • We may not be keeping score at the game, but you can bet they are

    • Because winning is a primal motivation for striving

    • And the incentive for striving in any competition is the prospect of a prize at the end for those who compete well

  • But as Paul says, if we want that prize, we must follow the rules

    • We must compete according to the way the race requires

    • If the rules require we stay inside our lane, then we can’t stray

    • And if the rules require we cross the finish line, then we can’t stop running before we reach that point

    • In other words, if we don't give our best, we cannot succeed which is the whole point in competing in the first place

• In the same way, Paul says every disciple of Christ has entered a race of sorts

  • The race began the moment we became a believer in Jesus Christ

    • It continues until we die and enter the Lord’s presence

    • During this time, we are competing for rewards, eternal rewards

  • Only in this particular race, we don’t compete against other athletes

    • Instead, we’re competing against ourselves

    • Against our fleshly desires and selfish nature, against our fears and the temptations offered by the world to draw us astray

  • Our challenge is to compete according to the rules

    • And the rules of this race are simple

    • Stay inside your lane and finish the race

    • The world, the enemy and our flesh are always attempting to draw us outside the lines God set for us

    • Whether by sins of one kind or another, or distractions of earthly gain or pleasure, we are presented with opportunities every day to leave our lane

  • And sometimes the enemy, or our flesh or the world, places hurdles in our path

    • And as we come upon these trials, the challenge makes us consider giving up or going another way

    • To become like Onesiphorus, establishing a track record of running well only to stray off the track and forfeit the prize

  • Likewise, we must bring an eternal outlook to our walk as Christians

    • We must commit to running well, according to the rules, so that we may receive a reward 

    • We must give our best to Christ, in whatever form our service to Him may take

    • We must guard our own lives to ensure we stay in our lanes, so to speak

    • So the second example of an athlete reminds us that serving Christ requires a missional mind, one that isn’t easily distracted

• Finally, Paul compares our life of Christian service to that of a farmer

  • And in this example, Paul emphasizes that the farmer is hard-working

    • The word for hard-working in Greek literally means weary

    • So our farmer is a weary sort

  • The life of a farmer is certainly filled with long days of back-breaking work

    • A farmer prepares the field, sows seed to produce a harvest

    • Paul says only after the harvest arrives, only then does the farmer receive his payment

    • His payment is a portion of what has been harvested, the fruit of his field

  • His provision is entirely dependent on producing a successful harvest 

    • The farmer can’t give up before the harvest arrives

    • If he does, he would be left with nothing to show for his efforts

    • But if he perseveres, then he knows he will be the first to profit

    • A farmer’s reward comes at the end, which leads him to be patient in the long hours of the work and willing to suffer hardship

    • Giving up early means gaining nothing in the end

  • Likewise, Christians cannot lose sight of our goal in serving the Lord

    • Our service will be difficult at times

    • There will be many days when we waver in the face of suffering

    • Perhaps the trials will be intensely personal, as the Lord works to uncover our weaknesses so we can be strengthened for greater service

    • And sometimes our trials will come as public suffering for Christ under persecution

• We may feel like quitting, we may wonder if it’s all worth it

  • But if we think like a farmer, we understand the fruit of our labors won’t be revealed until the final harvest

    • If a farmer can show patience for a few months in pursuit of a crop of grain

    • Certainly, we can endure a lifetime of serving Christ for the glories to be found in the kingdom

  • How can we tell Jesus that He’s asking too much of us when so often we willingly sacrifice much more, for lessor worldly goals

    • How many years will we invest in education or training for a sport or some profession

    • How many hours, how much money has been invested in meaningless things that perish with us?

    • Is seeking the pleasure of your Lord worthy of less sacrifice and effort?

  • Can we see Paul’s point? Farmers understand that their work will be hard

    • But they also understand the reward is worth the investment

    • And they know if they give up early, they profit nothing

    • We need to think of our walk in service to Christ in the same way

  • So the first example emphasized the preparation for service

    • The second example illustrated the proper pursuit of service

    • And the final example reminds us of the need for persistence in our service even as we may grow weary

    • Simply put, if you know God to be good – and certainly He is 

    • Then you can be sure that when all is said and done, we will all agree that our sacrifices were worth it

    • Trust Him in that even now, and serve Him well

• Now Paul offers one more example, the chief example for all Christians – Christ Himself

2Tim. 2:8   Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,
2Tim. 2:9   for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.
2Tim. 2:10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

• There can be no better example, of course, than Jesus Himself

  • Paul alludes to Jesus’ example in all three of these qualities

    • First, Paul refers to Christ rising from the dead

    • This statement immediately draws our attention to Jesus’ suffering and death

    • No follower of Jesus Christ will ever be able to say they suffered more in serving Christ than He did in serving us

  • He is our ultimate example of suffering in obedience to the call of God

    • Jesus willingly suffered in obedience to the Father

    • And He did so to serve God in an eternal mission

  • Secondly, Jesus was resurrected from the dead

    • So His service in suffering brought glory to Him in the end

    • But His suffering had to proceed His glory

    • He had to persevere and finish the race set before Him

• Then Paul adds Jesus was the descendant of David

  • Paul is alluding to the Davidic Covenant, which established that David’s descendant would rule over Israel and all nations

    • That promise was directed at Jesus of course

    • In a day to come in the Kingdom, Jesus will receive the rule that the Father promised to Him

Psa. 8:5  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, 
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
Psa. 8:6  You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; 
You have put all things under his feet,

• In fact, Jesus has yet to receive this reward since it’s waiting for the arrival of the Kingdom

• The point is that Christ Himself is still waiting for His reward

  • Like us, He is still showing patience since what He died to receive hasn’t yet been awarded to Him by the Father

  • He hasn’t received His Bride in full and He hasn’t inherited the Kingdom

  • So if Christ suffered willingly for eternal glory, and if He persevered even to the point of death, and if He is showing patience for His reward…

  • How can we not be willing to do the same?

• Finally, Paul offers himself as one more example to Timothy

  • Paul willingly suffered hardship for Christ, he says

    • To include imprisonment as a criminal 

    • He knew what he was asking of Timothy

    • He understood the risks, but he wasn’t asking more of Timothy than he was willing to do himself

  • But then Paul adds that his imprisonment wasn’t at the expense of the mission, for no one can imprison the word of God

    • Paul means that even as persecution comes against leaders in His church, it has no bearing on God’s ability to deliver the Gospel

    • Ironically, Paul says in v.10 that he endured these things for the sake of the chosen, that is those who may obtain salvation in Christ

    • Far from lessening his effectiveness in the mission, he endured persecution in order to accomplish the mission

  • Persecution accomplishes far more in God’s economy than concession and compromise ever could

    • When the church stands firm in the face of persecution, it leads to growth of the best kind

    • It draws attention to the love of God’s people, putting it in stark relief against the hatred and sin of those who oppress believers

    • Just as Abel’s godliness was amplified by his brother Cain’s persecution and hatred

    • So will the message of the Gospel be amplified by the world’s hatred of us

    • As someone once said, the blood of the martyrs waters the seeds of faith

  • Regrettably, the church has sometimes sought to avoid persecution by compromising with their oppressors

    • When this happens, the excuse is often that we must make some concessions to the demands of our enemies to ensure the Gospel survives

    • Paul’s testimony (and the history of the church) proves this to be wrong

  • Moreover, it’s hubris to think that God needs us to bring His word to the world

    • The world was made by God’s word

    • So clearly the world cannot restrain the word of God in any way

    • Timothy couldn’t use that excuse to avoid the persecutions and trials God may bring, and neither can we 

• This brings Paul back to summarize his central point with a memorable expression

2Tim. 2:11  It is a trustworthy statement: 
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
2Tim. 2:12  If we endure, we will also reign with Him; 
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
2Tim. 2:13  If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

• Paul summarizes the relationship between faith, service and reward by coining a saying or memorable expression

  • Paul starts with the assurance this is a trustworthy statement, something that you can take to the bank

    • In Greek, the word Paul used for trustworthy is pistos, which means “this is something we can place faith in”

    • And the first part of the saying holds that if we died with Christ, then we will also live with him

• This is a concise expression of the Gospel message itself

  • Essentially, the Gospel is a matter of believing in two things

    • First, that Jesus is the perfect, sinless sacrifice Who died in our place on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins

    • Secondly, that Jesus was resurrected from grace never to die again

    • These two parts are neatly summed up in Romans:

Rom. 10:9  that  if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and  believe in your heart that  God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 

• When a person places faith in Christ in this way, the Bible says that person has died with Christ

  • In other words, God assigns Christ’s death in place of the believer’s own death for sin

  • And in that sense, all believers have died with Christ through their faith in His payment on the cross in their place

  • So Paul describes saving faith as having died with Christ 

• Then he goes on to finish the thought saying if we have died with Him, then we can be sure we will live again with Him eternally

  • Our faith in Christ assures us that the death of our body is not the end of us

  • We will receive a new body

  • We will walk the earth again with Christ

  • And we will never die again

• So in v.11 we find a simple summary of the promise of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

  • Notice the Gospel does not rest on your good works, for human works have no value to the Lord

    • We cannot work our way out of our debt of sin

    • We cannot earn the righteousness that comes by faith alone

    • Only God could pay our debt for us, through His Son on the cross

  • But since we know that we cannot earn our salvation through works, we may be tempted to think that our works are of no value whatsoever

    • This must be the thinking of any Christian who shrinks back in the face of trial or persecution

    • Or they fail to appreciate what’s on the line in eternity

    • So they think that having saving faith is the end of the story…but it’s just the beginning

• In v.12 Paul says if we endure with Christ, we will also reign with Him

  • The Greek word translated as endure carries the sense of persevering in the face of difficulty, to have patience at a work

    • Much like the farmer, Paul says if we work patiently serving Christ then we will reign with Him

    • We know that Paul is no longer addressing the topic of salvation, since he has introduced the necessity of a human work

  • Instead, Paul has moved to the next step of the Christian walk

    • Following salvation through faith, we now begin to serve the Lord as His disciple in our walk of faith

    • As a disciple we’re called to serve faithfully, enduring trials and waiting patiently for a reward

    • Like a soldier or athlete or farmer

  • Paul says  if we endure in our work, we will reign with Christ, which is a reference to our eternal reward

    • Scripture teaches that all believers are promised both an inheritance in the kingdom

    • And we will have the opportunity to reign with Christ in governing the coming Kingdom on Earth

Rev. 20:6  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the  second death has no power, but they will be  priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. 

• In the Gospels, Jesus explains that our opportunities to reign are determined by our faithfulness to serve Him now

  • Some believers will receive a greater reward than others

  • Jesus says that our present time serving Him on Earth is the test of our endurance and faithfulness

  • And by this test, the Lord will discover who is deserving of greater responsibility in the coming Kingdom

• Jesus used a parable to explain how He will assign us responsibility to share in His reign in the Kingdom

  • In the key statement in the parable, Jesus declares:

Matt. 25:21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and  faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will  put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your  master.’

• We have each received a degree of responsibility to serve Him now

• We have opportunities to serve Him in our churches or to witness to Christ in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, & communities

• We have been given spiritual gifts for that purpose

• And at our judgment, we will be measured for our endurance according to what we have been given

• Those who make the most of the time on Earth to serve Christ, will be given the greatest opportunity to serve in the Kingdom

  • Scripture alludes to greater honor, greater responsibility, a greater inheritance in some form

  • Having greater things in eternity is much more valuable than having anything in this short life

  • So while our salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone in the death and resurrection of Christ

  • Our endurance in serving Christ as His disciple grants us opportunity to enjoy greater opportunities to serve Christ in the Kingdom

• Paul’s point raises an obvious question…what if a Christian fails to serve Christ faithfully?

  • What if a believer denies the Lord the service He expects?

    • Paul addresses this possibility in the second half of v.12

    • He says if we deny Him, then the Lord will deny us

  • We’re still in the context of enduring and reigning, so now Paul is speaking of the opposite condition, that of failing to endure

    • Paul describes it as a denial of Christ 

    • That is, denying Christ of our service and our endurance as His disciple

    • Onesiphorus denied Christ His endurance when he apparently walked away from Paul in the face of persecution

    • It’s a choice to live for ourself and for this world instead of living for Christ and the Kingdom

  • In such a case, Paul says the Lord will deny us…which is to say, Christ will deny us some portion of our reward

    • He will deny us the opportunity to reign with Him in greater ways

    • Just as when we withheld our obedience to our earthly parents, they denied us privileges and rewards

    • So it will be for any in the Kingdom who deny Christ their endurance

    • The prize is for those who compete well

    • And so God holds out the prize, as motivation for us to serve Him faithfully

  • Remember, the judgment in these matters comes at the end of the race, not in the middle

    • So if you are worried your reward has already been lost, you can take comfort knowing that the race is still under way

    • You need only return to your lane and pick up the pace

    • Everyone stumbles here and there

    • No one will reach the end without a testimony of good days and bad days

    • Don’t let the enemy deceive you into remaining sidelined

• Now, some teachers read Paul’s statement in v.12 and come away misunderstanding what Paul is saying

  • They assume that when Paul says Christ denies us he means that Christ removes salvation, as if a person ceases being saved

    • They conclude that denying means denying the faith, so therefore Christ will deny us before the Father

    • But this is not what Paul is trying to teach us

  • Paul probably wondered if someone might make just such false conclusion at this point

    • So Paul added one more line to his saying to make sure we didn’t jump to the wrong conclusion

    • In v.13 Paul adds that even if we are faithless, He will remain faithful 

  • That is to say, in the case where a believer foolishly walked away from Christ (like Onesiphorus), the Spirit will never leave us nor forsake us

    • The Lord has promised we will be resurrected into eternal life

    • He has promised we will live forever with Christ in the Kingdom

    • And the Lord will remain faithful to those promises

  • Paul added this statement in v.13 to make sure we didn’t go too far with his saying

    • We don’t earn our salvation by our good works, so we cannot lose salvation by “bad” works

    • Nevertheless, if we walk away from serving the Lord, we do place our eternal rewards at great risk

    • We stand to suffer loss in the Kingdom

    • We will come through our judgment moment as through fire, with nothing to show for our time spent in service to Christ

• We must consider carefully our call to be a disciple of the Lord

  • Are we willing to endure hardship? 

    • Do we make the most of each day to please Him?

    • Do we avoid being distracted by the concerns of everyday life like a soldier?

    • Are we running our race with an eye on the prize and competing according to the rules like an athlete?

    • And are we willing to be patient like the farmer, content to receive our rewards in the Kingdom?

  • And when trials and persecution come our way, will we have invested the time necessary to renewing our mind by God’s word

    • So that renewing may prepare us to choose to stand in His power by His grace

    • A successful walk in Christ begins with an understanding that our service to Christ is a test 

    • One that demands commitment, diligence and endurance  

  • So when you get up in the morning, rise to serve Christ’s agenda

    • As you seek to serve, meditate on His word

    • When we become discouraged or struggle with sin or fall into despair, know His grace will grant you the power to stand

    • Provided you choose that course

    • When you confront trial, persecution and even death, take comfort knowing your life is poured out for the One Who died for you