Why would anyone willingly embrace suffering? The current “Mountain Living Magazine” (Oct., 2006, pp. 26-28) features a cover story on Olympic-hopeful runner Paul Stoneham, who attends FCF. The article chronicles his many years of injuries as a result of his running career. It begins by quoting Paul’s description of his drive and inner resolve with running: “My relationship with Christ has paralleled my running career and I don’t know if next week I will be injured. There is a level of faith required in all these things…. God is sovereign over what happens to me—and I find peace in that.” To reach his goal, Paul puts his body through twice-a-day workouts, racking up 120 miles a week. His commitment to the goal motivates him to endure the hardships.

In our text, the apostle Paul wants Timothy (and us) to join him in suffering hardship for the gospel. That’s a tough sell in our comfort-oriented culture! We recently bought a car off of Ebay. I was talking with the salesman in Florida, who told me that he had visited Sedona, but he left after a few days because he was bored. I asked, “How could you be bored with all of those beautiful hiking trails to explore?” He roared back, “Hiking! I’m 5 foot 9, 285 pounds. The only place I hike is to the parking garage. My idea of a great vacation is an air-conditioned hotel with a big screen TV!” I thought to myself, “Then why leave home?”

But that’s the mentality of the typical American couch potato: Park as close as you can to the store, so you don’t have to walk more than a few yards. Drive a block rather than walk. Sit in your recliner with the remote in hand, watching all of those crazy guys on TV run all over the field. Your exercise for the day is to walk to the kitchen for more chips and drinks. And you want me to embrace hardship for the gospel?

I will warn you in advance, this is a convicting text! How many of us, myself included, willingly embrace hardship for the sake of the gospel? How many of us keep ourselves unentangled from the affairs of everyday life so that we may please our Commander-in-Chief? How many of us discipline ourselves as athletes for the kingdom so that we may win the prize? How many of us toil in the unglamorous task of farming God’s fields so that we may enjoy the crops? These are the illustrations that Paul uses to make the point:

To be a fruitful Christian, you must willingly suffer hardship for the gospel now in view of future rewards.

This text assumes that as a Christian, you desire to be fruitful for Jesus Christ. Is that a valid assumption in your case? If it is, you either are serving Christ in some capacity or are seeking Him about where He wants you to serve. In other words, underlying Paul’s command to suffer hardship (it is a command, not a nice suggestion!) is Jesus’ command (Matt. 6:33), “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” “All these things” refers to the things that unbelievers eagerly seek: food, clothing, a nice place to live, and other material possessions.

Jesus’ command applies to every believer, not just to those in so-called “full time” Christian service. Likewise, Paul’s command certainly applies to pastors and missionaries, but it also applies to every soldier in Christ’s army, which is to say, to every believer.

The convicting word in Jesus’ command is, first. If He had only said, “Seek the kingdom of God,” we could have added that to our list of things to do. That would be somewhat manageable. But to seek it first means that we must bump it up to the top of the list. It has to control everything else! Many Christians view the kingdom of God as a nice slice of life. It makes them feel good to go to church on Sunday and to have a spiritual element in their lives. But God’s kingdom is not at the center. It’s not the driving force of their lives. So they dabble at the kingdom of God, but they don’t seek it first.

This is even a trap for many pastors. It’s easy after a few years to settle into the pastorate as a comfortable career. You put in your time, get a paycheck, and save up for retirement at 65 or sooner if you can afford it. In your off hours, you pursue your hobbies. But you’ve lost that consuming passion of seeking first the kingdom of God. You’re not willingly embracing hardship for the gospel in view of eternity. The ministry is just how you earn a living.

To sell us on this difficult command, Paul uses three illustrations and then he urges us to consider what he says. First, he points us to the soldier, then to the athlete, and then to the farmer. The three analogies are similar in that there is a requirement to receive the reward or reach the goal. The soldier must be focused and avoid entanglement to please his commander. The athlete must be disciplined to compete according to the rules to win the prize. The farmer must work hard to enjoy the first fruits of the harvest. Each endures hardship for the sake of future rewards.

1. To be a fruitful Christian, willingly embrace the hardship of the good soldier: Unentangled commitment (2:3-4).

Early in the 20th century, an ad in a London newspaper read: “Men wanted for hazardous journey: small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, and constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” It was signed by the famous Arctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and thousands of men responded. Commenting on this, Warren Wiersbe (Be Faithful [Victor Books, 1981], p. 13) writes,

If Jesus Christ had advertised for workers, the announcement might have read something like this: “Men and women wanted for difficult task of helping to build My church. You will often be misunderstood, even by those working with you. You will face constant attack from an invisible enemy. You may not see the results of your labor, and your full reward will not come till after all your work is completed. It may cost you your home, your ambitions, even your life.”

Paul was an honest recruiter. I’ve told you about the dishonest recruiter who told a young man that he could water ski and fish off the island where the Coast Guard boot camp was located. That was technically true, but manifestly false! Paul knew that if you decide to follow Christ under the false pretense of a life of ease, you will quickly go AWOL when the battle gets intense. And so he calls us to embrace hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. This requires four things:

A. To be a good soldier of Christ Jesus, recognize that you have been conscripted into Christ’s army to fight the evil forces of darkness.

The imagery of being a soldier shows that Christ is not inviting us to a Sunday School picnic! It’s a battle zone. People are getting wounded and killed. In this case, it’s not a volunteer army. Rather, you were drafted when Jesus Christ laid hold of you. The enemy is the unseen forces of darkness in heavenly places. To avoid being a casualty, you’ve got to put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17).

In boot camp, they train you to endure hardship. They get you up in the middle of the night and make you run laps on the blacktop or do pushups until your arms feel like Jell-O. They teach you to work as a team when you are tired and upset. They teach you to obey orders, even when those orders seem to make no sense. You have to trust that the superior officers know something that you don’t know and that by obeying their crazy orders, you will help achieve the goal of victory in battle.

As a Christian, you must develop the mentality of a good soldier of Christ Jesus. You will not understand all of His orders or why He puts you into some very difficult circumstances. In the case of Job, God permitted Satan to take all of his earthly possession, kill his ten children and their mates, and afflict Job with boils all over his body, just so that God could win an argument! But as the Sovereign of the universe, He has the right to do that!

Pastor John Piper has pointed out that many believers use prayer as an intercom to have the maid bring more refreshments to the living room, when in fact prayer is our walkie-talkie to call in more support to the front lines of the battle. In other words, prayer isn’t to make our lives more comfortable. It is to bring the forces of heaven against the forces of evil in the cosmic battle of which we are infantry soldiers. So as a believer, you’ve got to develop this wartime mentality. Don’t be surprised when the bullets start flying!

B. To be a good soldier of Christ Jesus, willingly embrace the hardship of unentangled commitment.

Just as the soldier in Iraq doesn’t set up a souvenir stand or a fast food business to make a little extra money on the side, so the Christian must not get distracted from seeking first the kingdom of God. This is one of the most difficult commands for each of us to apply consistently.

To apply it does not mean that you must become a monk or a missionary. It doesn’t require you to quit your regular job or to neglect the daily matters that go along with being a functioning member of society. Paul himself made tents to support his ministry. While it is legitimate for some to be fully supported in ministry (1 Timothy 5:17-18), you don’t have to be a career Christian worker to obey this command.

The key here is the word, “entangle.” It’s easy for all of us, including those of us supported by ministry, to get entangled with things that are not wrong in themselves. They’re wrong because they distract us from seeking first the kingdom of God. There is nothing wrong with a limited use of sports or computers or recreation or hobbies, if we use them to refresh us for the battle. But it’s easy for these legitimate things to suck you into the quicksand and before you know it, you’re not seeking first God’s kingdom.

In his book, Your Money Matters ([Bethany Fellowship, 1977], pp. 22-23) Malcolm MacGregor tells of a man who had gone into business for himself, who came to him for counsel. A tremendous opportunity had come along. Once he got this business established, he was going to have a lot of time available to minister at the church and help others.

He had excitedly told his family that he had found an opportunity to be his own boss and have the freedom he wanted. They must understand that for a short period of time, he was going to have to pour a lot of work and time into getting the business started, but after that he would have a lot of extra time. He would be able to help out at church, perhaps coach Little League, and they would do things together as a family.

So, the first thing he did was to resign his position on the church council, because the council met on Saturday and that was the one day he had to be at work. But as soon as he got the business started, he would be back.

Business was going well, but he was not going to the mid-week service any more, because that was the night he had to catch up on paper work. Then he quit teaching Sunday School, because he didn’t have time to prepare his lesson. Next, he stopped coming Sunday evenings. Then a crisis set in and he was not in church on Sunday morning for six, eight, ten weeks. Now, sitting across the desk from MacGregor, his business was destroyed and he was facing bankruptcy. He asked, “Why would God put me into this business just to see it fail?”

Before we sit in judgment on that man, let’s admit that it’s very easy to drift into that kind of situation. But if anything—even your family—comes before seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, it is wrongful entanglement.

C. To be a good soldier of Christ Jesus, live daily to please the Lord who enlisted you.

“The one who enlisted him as a soldier” does not refer to a lowly recruiter, but to the general who raised an army by rallying men to his cause. Jesus Christ is our general, who calls us to His person and His cause.

A good soldier must be loyal to his commander. Commanders are pleased by obedient, dependable soldiers. To please our Commander is the great desire of every blood-bought soldier of the cross (2 Cor. 5:9), so that one day we will hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

Keep in mind who it is that we are trying to please: Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we will try to please people or get upset because people criticize what we’re doing. While we must be sensitive to people, our aim is to please our Commander, Jesus Christ, beginning on the heart (thought) level.

D. To be a good soldier of Christ Jesus, remember that you are enduring hardship together with all of His soldiers.

The Greek word used (2:3) is a compound word meaning, “to suffer hardship with” someone, in this case, with Paul. It shows us that we are never alone in the battle. The enemy tries to make us feel that we’re the only ones going through our trials. Like Elijah when he was running from Jezebel, we think, “I alone am left and they seek my life!” But the Lord always has His 7,000 that have not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:10, 18). Read the lives of the saints who have suffered in the past and be aware of the persecuted church around the world today. It helps put your trials into perspective to realize that you are enduring hardship with all of the Lord’s good soldiers.

2. To be a fruitful Christian, willingly embrace the hardship of the athlete: Discipline within limits (2:5).

Observe three things:

A. You do not become godly by accident.

We’re all suckers for quick and easy remedies for difficult problems. Almost daily I get emails trying to sell me a pill that will take off pounds without the discipline of dieting or exercise. Spiritually, we fall for the same easy-remedy approach: “Get baptized in the Spirit and speak in tongues and you’ll instantly be transported to a higher level where you’ll never struggle with temptation again.” But it doesn’t work.

The athlete metaphor shows that it is only by discipline that the athlete may compete and win. Every athlete knows that occasional jogging won’t prepare you to compete in the Olympics. To compete on a winning level, you must daily discipline your body through exercise, diet, and proper rest.

Paul writes (1 Tim. 4:7), “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” You can wish for godliness, you can try magic remedies for godliness, but you won’t become godly apart from the daily discipline of making the time to spend in the Word and in prayer. There are no shortcuts.

B. You must compete according to the rules of God’s Word.

If an athlete disobeys the rules of his sport, he is instantly disqualified. Yet many Christians, even Christian leaders, think that they have a special exemption that allows them to disobey God’s Word and yet expect His blessing. But it doesn’t work that way! To put it bluntly, men, you can’t engage in mental lust or look at pornography and then pray, “Lord, keep my children morally pure.” You can’t cheat in your business and ask God to bless it.

C. Your aim in competing is to win the prize.

Paul tells us (1 Cor. 9:24) to run in such a way that we might win. In the Christian race, we’re not competing against each other. And, there will be multiple winners. We all can win. But Paul wants us to adopt a mindset that says, “I’m not going to dink around in my Christian life. I’m running to win!”

Charles Simeon, a godly Anglican pastor in the early 19th century, saw many young men under his influence go out into the cause of world missions. One such young man was Henry Martyn, who went to India and Persia, where he died at age 31 of tuberculosis. This was before photography, but someone had painted a portrait of Martyn just before he died and sent it to Simeon. He was shocked when he saw it, at the obvious toll that the hardship of missionary life had taken on his young disciple. Simeon hung the portrait over the mantle in his study, where he looked at it often. He said that it reminded him, “Don’t trifle! Don’t trifle!”

Thus to be a fruitful Christian, willingly embrace the hardship of the soldier and the athlete.

3. To be a fruitful Christian, willingly embrace the hardship of the farmer: Hard, unexciting work with no immediate payback (2:6).

Note three things:

A. Much Christian work is unexciting.

Compared to the lives of the soldier and the athlete, the life of a farmer is rather boring. The soldier lives on the edge of life and death on the battlefield. The athlete has the thrill of the cheering crowd as he runs toward the goal. But the farmer works long and hard, plowing and planting, and goes home tired. About the most exciting thing he can see is, “The corn grew two inches last week!” Whoopee! Why does he do it? He is looking for the harvest.

Spiritually, there are a few who have “exciting” ministries. They’re invited to speak all over the world. They have thousands flocking to hear them or buying their books. Then there are the rest of us, out in the fields waiting for the corn to grow. Every week, I try to sow the seed of God’s Word into hearts, but people don’t usually change over night. Sometimes bad storms or pests destroy the plants before they bear fruit. But you keep sowing, trusting God to bring the increase of the harvest.

B. Christian work is tiring.

The Greek word that Paul uses for “hardworking” means to toil or strive so as to become weary and tired. He uses it to describe pastors who “work hard in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). He commends those in Rome who “worked hard” in the Lord (Rom. 16:6, 12). He often mentions his own labor or toil in the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 6:4; Gal. 4:11; Phil. 2:16; Col. 1:29-2:1; 1 Tim. otionally draining. Even Jesus was so tired that He could fall asleep in a small boat in a fierce storm! Expect to be tired as part of the hardship of serving the Lord.

C. The reward comes at the end of the age, not at the end of the meeting.

The harvest is at the end of the age. Often we will not know what God accomplished through our labors or our prayers or our gifts until we stand before Him. Then we will meet people who are in heaven because we sowed the seed through our words or our gifts or our good deeds. We will enjoy a harvest of eternal joy!

Conclusion

After giving these three illustrations, Paul tells Timothy (2:7), “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” Timothy had to engage his brain to think about the implications of Paul’s words, but if he gained any insight, it came from the Lord, who gives understanding in spiritual matters.

Perhaps we could add this as a fourth illustration—the hardship of the Christian scholar. To gain insight from God’s Word, you must apply yourself by carefully observing and thinking about what the text says. All the while that you’re laboring, you must ask God to give you understanding.

That is especially true in this difficult-to-apply text that we’ve been considering. None of us naturally is inclined to embrace hardship. But Paul directs us to look to the rewards in eternity. Jesus Christ will smile and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That will make all the toil and hardship worth it! He will reward you eternally for your labors. You will enjoy the harvest of righteousness in the presence of the Lord and all His saints. But you must now set aside all distractions and the sin that so easily entangles you. Seek first His kingdom and righteousness as a good soldier, a disciplined athlete, and a hardworking farmer, even though it is difficult!

Application Questions

1. Since it is so easy to drift into an easy, comfortable Christian life, how can we avoid it? What warning signs are there?
2. What other practical ramifications do the metaphors of soldier, athlete, and farmer bring to mind?
3. Some equate discipline with legalism. Is it? Can it become legalistic? How can we avoid this?
4. Since we often can’t see visible results in ministry, how can we evaluate whether or not we’re being effective?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2006, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

The Christian life is not a 100-yard dash; it’s a marathon. It’s easy to begin a marathon well and it’s not too difficult to run a few miles. The test comes over the long haul. Will you endure to the finish? In the Christian race, will you be faithful through all of the hardships, even unto death?

Every Christian wants to be able to say with the apostle Paul, as he thought about his own death (2 Tim. 4:7), “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” While God promises that He will keep all that He saves, the process is not automatic. We must endure hardship as good soldiers, disciplined athletes, and hard working farmers (2:3-7).

Paul is exhorting Timothy to embrace hardship for the sake of the gospel (1:8; 2:3). Timothy was under pressure to compromise the gospel. His timid personality shied away from conflict and controversy. Many were turning against the imprisoned apostle and at the same time, abandoning the gospel that he preached (1:15; 2:17-18). So Paul is exhorting Timothy to persevere. He is showing him how to endure when he feels tempted to drop out.

In our text, he adds three more illustrations of how suffering hardship for the gospel now results in eternal glory. Jesus Christ died, but He is risen forever (2:8). Paul himself is imprisoned and facing death, but he endures for the sake of God’s elect, so that they may obtain salvation and eternal glory (2:9-10). Third, Paul cites a hymn from the early church (2:11-13), which makes the point that faithfulness now results in future glory with Jesus Christ, because God’s promises are trustworthy. In these verses, Paul reveals four strategies for enduring to the end of the marathon:

To endure hardship, remember:
Jesus Christ the risen Savior;
that His Word is powerful;
that God’s sovereign purpose in saving His elect will succeed;
and that His promises are trustworthy.

1. To endure hardship, remember Jesus Christ, our risen Savior (2:8).

It seems odd for the apostle to write to his younger pastor friend (2:8): “Remember Jesus Christ….” Was Timothy in danger of forgetting Him? This sounds like something you might write to a new believer, but not to a man who has some years under his belt as a pastor! Why would Paul say this to Timothy?

Keep in mind Paul’s counsel in 2:7, “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” We have to think about these matters, leaning on the Lord for understanding. Verse 8 gives us some clues as to why Paul tells Timothy to remember Jesus Christ.

First, notice the word order, Jesus Christ. So far, Paul has referred to the Lord as Christ Jesus six times (1:1, 2, 9, 13; 2:1, 3). He will go on to refer to Him as Christ Jesus four more times (2:10; 3:12, 15; 4:1). But in 2:8 alone, he reverses it to Jesus Christ. Surely there must be a reason. I believe that he is calling attention to the humanity of our Lord, born as the man Jesus, who suffered and died on the cross for our sins. As Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36), “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

So Paul is making the point that because Jesus in His humanity suffered shame and death on a cross for our sins, God highly exalted Him (Phil. 2:8-11). His point is the same as Hebrews 12:3, “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

A second clue that helps us understand why Paul tells Timothy to remember Jesus Christ is, “risen from the dead.” The verb tense means, “He was raised from the dead in the past and He continues now as the risen One.” Jesus’ resurrection is the main support of the gospel. Paul says that if Christ is not risen, our faith is worthless (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). Everything hangs on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As the risen Savior, He also promises to give us the victory over the grave. So even if we suffer and die for the sake of the gospel, “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,” is the grounds for our hope. Be steadfast!

A third clue is, “descendant of David.” Why does Paul use this unusual phrase here (used elsewhere only in Rom. 1:3)? This validates Jesus historically as the Messiah or Christ, who was promised to be of the seed of David. And it shows that He will return as the conquering King who will reign on David’s throne, ruling the nations with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9). So the application for Timothy and us is, when you go through suffering now as a Christian, remember Jesus Christ, descendant of David in fulfillment of God’s promise, who is coming back to reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Endure hardship for the gospel now so that you will be on His side when He returns.

The final clue is in the last phrase, “according to my gospel.” That does not mean that Paul invented the gospel, but rather that the gospel was revealed directly to Paul from the risen Lord Jesus and entrusted to him as the treasure (“good deposit,” 1:14), which he had to guard. The crucified, risen Lord Jesus Christ is at the heart of the gospel. Note also that Paul viewed the gospel as his personal treasure. He was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor (1 Tim. 1:13), but God in His great mercy laid hold of Paul through the good news that “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Tim. 1:15).

If you want to endure to the end of the marathon, to stand firm for the truth through hardship and even persecution, you must be able to say with Paul, “my gospel.” God saved me from my sins by His abundant grace. To endure hardship, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel” (2:8).

2. To endure hardship, remember that God’s Word is powerful (2:9).

Paul’s gospel was the reason that he suffered “hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal.” Then he adds the triumphant note, “But the word of God is not imprisoned.” The word “criminal” is used elsewhere only of the two thieves on the cross (Luke 23:32, 33). Paul didn’t deserve to be treated that way. He had been arrested on trumped up charges, made no doubt by enemies of the gospel. He was being held in a filthy dungeon, chained to a guard day and night. It wasn’t fair. But, rather than complain, Paul rejoiced in the fact that no one can imprison the power of God’s Word. With Luther, Paul could have sung, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.”

Often God puts us in difficult trials for the very reason that He wants the power of the gospel to shine through our joy in Him in circumstances where the world can only complain. Maybe you are imprisoned in a hospital or in a body that is sick and dying. If you grumble and complain, you’re missing the opportunity for the power of the gospel to shine through your life. But if, through the pain and the tears, the joy of the Lord shines forth, the same powerful gospel that saved you may transform others. So to endure hardship, remember the power of God’s word!

3. To endure hardship, remember that God’s sovereign purpose in saving His elect will surely succeed (2:10).

Paul explains (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.” Paul means that through his sufferings in preaching the gospel, God’s elect would come to salvation and inherit the eternal glory that is in Christ Jesus.

Many Christians get nervous when they hear the word “elect” and try to minimize or explain away its plain meaning. If you do that, you will miss a key truth in understanding your salvation and a key component that you need to endure hardship for the sake of the gospel. Don’t dodge the doctrine of election by saying, “That’s just Calvinism!” What you need to ask is, “Is it taught in the Bible?” Paul easily could have said here, “I do all things for the sake of those who will believe,” but he did not. If you believe that the very words of Scripture are inspired, you’ve got to grapple with why he said “the elect.” As believers, we have to submit to what Scripture says. Let’s look at just a few texts (there are many more):

John 3:27: “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.’”

John is asserting what all Scripture teaches, that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:14; see also, Matt. 13:11). God grants spiritual understanding to some and He withholds it from others. That is His sovereign right.

John 6:37, 39: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out…. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

Jesus says that there are some whom the Father has given to Him (He elsewhere calls these “the elect,” Matt. 24:22, 31). Clearly, the Father does not give all to the Son, because all do not come to Jesus. Jesus says that everyone the Father gives to Him will in fact come to Him and He will not lose any of those. Their eternal destiny is secure.

John 6:44, 65: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day…. For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

Jesus repeats the truth that no one is able of his own ability or “free will” to come to Christ, unless the Father has granted it.

John 8:43: “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My Word.”

Jesus again makes the same point, that the natural man is incapable of understanding spiritual truth.

John 10:26-28: “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

Jesus’ sheep are identical with those whom the Father gave to the Son or, the elect. If someone is not of that group, he does not believe. If someone is of that group, Jesus gives them eternal life.

John 17:2, 9: “even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life…. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours.”

Jesus claims to have authority to give eternal life to all whom the Father has given Him. The emphasis is not that He gives eternal life to all who will believe of their own free will, but rather that He gives eternal life to all whom the Father has given Him. He prays on their behalf, not on behalf of the whole world.

If we had time, we could go to many other texts that clearly spell out the same truth, that before the foundation of the world, apart from anything that God foresaw in us, by His grace alone, He chose to give a people to His Son (Eph. 1:4-5). If He had not done so, none of us would have believed. You must believe in Christ to be saved. But, no one can believe unless God first opens their blind eyes (2 Cor. 4:4). The reason that you believed in Jesus Christ is that God first chose you for salvation. That way He gets all the glory (1 Cor. 1:26-31).

People react against this by saying, “If God has already chosen everyone who will be saved, then why witness? If they’re ordained to be saved, then they be saved apart from anything that we can do.” Not so! God, who ordained the salvation of His elect, also ordained that they would be saved through the preaching of the gospel. Paul had to suffer hardship and preach so that the elect would obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.

Paul was in Corinth and was afraid that he was going to be harmed. Jesus appeared to him and said (Acts 18:9-10), “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Paul didn’t know yet who God’s people in that city were, but God knew. Paul was to go on preaching so that those in that city whom the Father had given to the Son would come to salvation. That is exactly what Paul is saying in 2 Timothy 2:10.

Our only hope that our efforts to evangelize will result in the salvation of any is that Jesus has purchased with His blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). He did not purchase every person in the whole world, but some from every people. None that He purchased will be lost. All whom God predestined to salvation will be glorified (Rom. 8:30): “and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” In other words, those whom God saves, He keeps. They persevere unto eternal glory.

If you have not embraced this great biblical truth, you are missing the basis for assurance of your own salvation. Salvation rests in God’s sovereign purpose and might, not in your feeble, fallen will or efforts. And, you are missing the main motivation to proclaim the gospel in the face of hardship and rejection, namely, that God will save His chosen ones through the gospel.

To endure hardship, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead; that God’s Word is powerful; and, that God’s sovereign purpose in saving His elect will surely succeed. Finally,

4. To endure hardship, remember that God’s promises are trustworthy (2:11-13).

Paul cites the words of a familiar hymn to remind Timothy that God’s promises are trustworthy and will not fail. He introduces it as a trustworthy statement (there are four others in the Pastoral Epistles: 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8). He probably breaks into the middle of the hymn, so that the opening word (“for”) refers back to earlier words that we do not know. It consists of four “if” clauses, followed by their consequences. The first two refer to those who are faithful. They attain to life and reigning with Christ. The last two refer to those who deny Christ or are faithless, and the consequences. The overall point reinforces what Paul has been saying, that if we endure hardship with Christ now, we will experience glory with Him in eternity.

There are a couple of interpretive difficulties in the hymn. Some take “if we died with Him, we also will live with Him” to refer to the truth of our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, as Paul sets forth in Romans 6. The language is similar, but it seems foreign to the context. The verb (Greek aorist) may also be translated, “if we die with Him,” meaning, “if we die a martyr’s death, we will also live with Him eternally.” If that is the meaning, the hymn would have been an encouragement to those who were suffering persecution for the gospel.

The other interpretive problem is in the last line. Some understand verses 12 & 13 to be parallel, thus taking verse 13 to mean, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful to His threat to punish all unbelief.” In favor of that view is the parallelism and the present tense of the verb, “are faithless.” But, it seems to me to go against the concept of God’s faithfulness. His faithfulness is always mentioned to give encouragement to discouraged saints, not to warn unbelievers of His judgments.

Thus I prefer to understand the first line of the hymn to be connected by way of contrast to the third line, and the second line to contrast with the fourth line. The first and third lines then mean, “If we hold fast our confession faithfully unto death, we will live eternally in heaven with Him, but if we deny Him, He will deny us before the Father” (as Jesus warned, Matt. 10:33). The second and fourth lines contrast to mean, “If we endure hardship with Him now, we will be rewarded by reigning with Him in heaven. But if we are faithless by not enduring hardship, we will lose rewards, but because of His faithfulness to His covenant, we will still be saved, for He cannot deny Himself.”

Thus I would fit Judas Iscariot under line 3, as one who finally denied Christ and was lost. I would fit Peter under line 4, as one of God’s elect who momentarily was faithless, but he repented and was restored. So when we fail, we should confess our sins, knowing that He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our salvation ultimately rests on God’s faithfulness and grace, not on our perfect record.

Conclusion

Several years ago, Bible translators Bruce and Jan Benson and their 14-year-old son were driving down a mountainside in the Peruvian Andes. As they came around a switchback, they came bumper to bumper with a truckload of terrorist rebels known as The Shining Path. Men jumped out of the truck brandishing automatic rifles, surrounded the Benson’s car, and ordered them to get out. Jan thought, “This is it! This is the end of our lives.”

The terrorists took them to a nearby town. On the way, fearful and bewildered, Jan felt the need to pray and then to sing. She said, “It began as a trickle, a presence that said, ‘The Lord inhabits the praises of His people.’” She protested, “But Lord, I don’t know how to praise You right now.” “Sing,” came the answer. “At least you can sing.” So she began to sing, “You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You.” Other songs also flowed.

Suddenly, she felt as though she was the only person alive on earth, just her and God. She felt His all-encompassing love and His assurance that He was in control. Nothing, not even death, could remove her from His presence.

That night the rebels unexpectedly released the Bensons, but they confiscated their car, their portable projection equipment and film reels of the “New Media Bible” from Luke, the same film material that makes up the Jesus film.

One year later, the Bensons were living in the capital for safety. Jan received a phone call. One of their captors had become a Christian and wanted to meet with them. When they met, he told them that he was an experienced killer and that he and the others had planned to kill them that night. But, for some reason they just could not do it and released them instead. Then, the rebels set up the projector and watched the film, eventually many times. At one viewing, several hundred rebels were watching and listening to God’s Word in their own language. Many were so moved that they wanted to lay down their weapons right there and leave The Shining Path. Standing before them as a fellow believer, their former enemy said to them, “Please forgive me for my part in what we did to you that day.” The Bensons were able to go back to that village and finish the translation of the New Testament into that language.

God’s witnesses may be imprisoned, but His Word cannot be imprisoned. The gospel “is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). To endure hardship, remember Jesus Christ, the risen Savior. Remember that His Word is powerful, that His sovereign purpose in saving His elect will succeed, and that His promises are trustworthy.

Application Questions

1. Why does the entire gospel hang on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? How does this apply to witnessing?
2. Why does God allow His faithful servants to be imprisoned and suffer hardship and even death?
3. Why do so many Christians have difficulty with the doctrine of election? How can these difficulties be overcome?
4. How would you interpret verse 13? Why?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2006, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

I have read that when people are asked to rank their greatest fears, the fear of death ranks second after the fear of speaking in public! I don’t know where the fear of confronting someone who is in sin would rank, but I suspect that it would be somewhere near the top of the list.

Many pastors are afraid to deal with sinning church members. I heard of a pastor who was a gifted Bible expositor. But he refused to confront a woman who often sang solos in that church, even though she was divorcing her husband for unbiblical reasons. He said that he didn’t want to touch that one for fear of stirring up a hornet’s nest!

I know of husbands whose wives are in obvious sin, but they will not offer loving, biblical correction for fear of incurring the wife’s anger or retaliation. I know of Christian wives who never say anything to their professing Christian husbands who are in serious sin. The wives say that they are being submissive to their husbands, but I think that they are not acting in love towards their husbands. I know of Christian parents who refuse to correct rebellious children. They allow them to be unsociable, rude, and impudent in speech and attitude, with no correction. The parents sometimes may lose their tempers and yell at the rebellious child, but they do not correct them biblically.

Whether we like it or not (and we probably should not like it!), we all need to learn how to give biblical correction to those who are in sin or in serious doctrinal error. Without correction, churches and families tend to run into the ditch. In our text, Paul shows Timothy how to carry out the gentle art of correction. It applies especially to church leaders, but it also applies to every Christian, because we all have relationships that require at times, if we truly love others, for us to offer biblical correction. So although it is never a pleasant task, it is a part of biblical love.

There are several reasons that we shy away from correcting others. I’ve already mentioned the fear factor: we’re chicken! One key to overcoming the fear of correcting those in sin or error is to recognize what verse 24 affirms, that if you know Christ, you are the Lord’s bond-servant. As such, He will hold you accountable for being faithful to Him. You need to fear God more than you fear people and recognize that obedience to His command to love others requires correcting them if you see them heading for the cliff.

Another factor that keeps us from correcting others is a misunderstanding of Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” This is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. If you keep reading, in verse 6 Jesus talks about not giving what is holy to dogs and not casting your pearls before swine. Obviously, you must make some pretty harsh judgments to label someone a dog or a swine! You cannot minister to people if you do not make some judgments about their spiritual condition. Jesus meant that we should not condemn others for minor things in their lives while we ignore major sins in our own lives. First take the log out of your eye and then you can help your brother with the speck in his eye.

That leads to another reason that we do not correct others: We are aware of sin in our own lives. We are afraid that if we try to correct someone else, he (or she) will point the finger back at us, and we know that we’re guilty as charged. So we do not bring up the other person’s sin in hopes that he will not bring up our sin! But, Scripture commands us to deal with any known sin in our lives. That’s why Paul’s instruction here on the ministry of correction follows his exhortation on being a cleansed vessel. We do not have to be perfect to practice this ministry (or it would never get done), but we do have to judge our own sins.

Another reason we do not correct others is laziness and procrastination. It is always more of a hassle to correct than to let it go. Always! It takes effort to arrange a time to get together. It is stressful to talk about such matters. You risk a backlash from the other person. But, we are commanded to pursue love (2:22), and that always requires effort and risk.

Another reason we do not correct those in sin is that we have inadvertently bought into the tolerant, relative morality of our culture. We mistakenly think that love means accepting the person, sin and all, with no moral judgments about his behavior. But, God’s Word gives us absolute standards for right and wrong behavior. If we see someone violating biblical standards, he is heading for the cliff. The consequence of sowing to the flesh is corruption, which isn’t pretty (Gal. 6:8)! Love requires attempting to correct.

Another reason we shy away from offering correction is that we do not know whether or not we should do it. Some problems get resolved as we pray without saying anything. And, not all matters warrant correction. We’re all imperfect and in process. God Himself is patient with us, not confronting us all at once for every area where we fall short. So, we wonder whether a particular matter calls for correction, or whether we should just bear with the person. That’s one reason that I have called this the gentle art of correction. It requires waiting on the Lord and applying biblical wisdom to know when it’s right to correct or when to remain silent.

But, even with all of these reasons why we draw back from this ministry, our text is clear:

As the Lord’s servants, in love we must wisely correct those in sin and serious doctrinal error.

As I said, it’s crucial that you see yourself as the Lord’s bond-servant if you want to be obedient in this ministry. Someday you will answer to Him for whether or not you loved the people that He brought into your life. You cannot truly love someone and let him head toward a spiritual cliff without warning him. Paul shows that we should not be argumentative or quarrelsome, but he also says that we should correct those who are in opposition to the Lord. He gives us four guidelines:

1. Correction must be done wisely.

Some issues are not worth dealing with. Paul writes (2:23), “But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.” He is talking about those who were getting into fruitless doctrinal controversies in the church. Perhaps the best commentary on our text is 1 Timothy 1:3-7:

“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

Some doctrinal controversies are clearly important and worth defending vigorously. Paul went to Jerusalem to argue strongly against the Judaizers, who said that circumcision is necessary for salvation (Acts 15). Paul contended against Peter, whose behavior compromised the gospel on this matter (Gal. 2:11-14). Jude 3 appeals to us to contend earnestly for the faith. So Paul does not mean (in our text) that all doctrinal controversy is wrong.

Rather, he is talking about pointless issues that have no bearing on salvation or godly living. “Speculations” infers that these were matters on which the Bible is silent. I might add that while we should not get into these kinds of foolish and ignorant debates, we may need to confront the argumentative spirit of those promoting them. Some people like to argue because it feeds their pride to prove their point and to put down others. But Paul’s point is that it is futile to argue over speculative matters where the Bible either is silent or unclear.

Here are some questions to ask to help determine if an issue is a foolish and ignorant speculation to be avoided or a matter requiring biblical correction:

*Is this person involved in clear disobedience to God’s Word? Maybe he is doing something that I don’t like, but there is no command in the Bible against it. Also, some things fall into a gray zone: they may be inadvisable, but they are not clear sin. Use discernment!

*Is a major doctrinal issue at stake? Some doctrines are essential to the Christian faith. If you deny them, you have left the faith. Other issues may be very important for one’s view of God or man or how to live the Christian life, although they are not essential for salvation. Again, you must know Scripture and exercise discernment in light of how serious the matter is.

*What is your goal in this issue? Do you just want to argue and prove that you’re right, or are you concerned about godliness and love? Quarreling or winning an argument does not lead anyone to Christ nor does it build up your brother in true godliness. If you must correct, your aim should be to help your brother grow in the Lord. Correction must be done wisely.

2. Correction must be done in love.

Paul gives one negative and three positive terms. Together, these qualifications add up to biblical love.

A. Correction must not be quarrelsome.

You can’t effectively correct if you are antagonistic. The most effective correction takes place when the other person knows that you love and care for him. If you go to “set him straight” or “prove that he’s wrong,” but do not show genuine concern for him, he will probably not adopt the viewpoint that you’re arguing for, even if it is biblical.

Also, you must determine before you go to the other person that you will not get into an argument, because often the one in sin will counter by attacking you or your motives. If you allow yourself to be drawn into that kind of quarrel, you cannot be effective in the ministry of correction. You can be firm and unwavering without raising your voice or losing your temper. This applies also to husbands and wives. You can talk with your mate about a problem that concerns his or her behavior without yelling, arguing, name-calling, or attacking. In fact, these things are sin because they do not stem from biblical love.

B. Correction must be kind to all.

The Greek word means “mild” or “gentle.” Paul uses it (1 Thess. 2:7) to refer to his own behavior, comparing himself to a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own child. We often think that to be effective, correction must be stern. But Paul says that we must be kind. Husbands, do you correct your wives with the tenderness of a nursing mother? Parents, do you correct your children with the same kindness you show to a nursing infant?

C. Correction must be patient when wronged.

Often when you try to correct others, they will respond by attacking you. They will falsely accuse you of wrong motives or they will bring up shortcomings in your behavior to try to divert matters away from their own sins. If you are impatient when wronged, you lose the ability to correct effectively.

D. Correction must be done with gentleness.

This word is often translated “meekness,” but that conveys weakness, which is wrong. The word is used of Moses (Num. 12:3), Jesus (Matt. 11:29; 21:5), and Paul (2 Cor. 10:1), none of whom were weak, timid men! It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23), and is also used in Galatians 6:1, which talks about the need to restore with gentleness those who are caught in sin. The word was used in secular Greek to refer to a horse that had been broken. It was strong and powerful, but in complete submission to its master. So the biblical word may include behavior or speech that is very strong at times. But the gentle person is sensitive and completely submissive to the Master’s will. He is not acting out of self-will. He is truly “the Lord’s bond-servant.”

Thus, correction must be done wisely and in love.

2. Correction must be based on God’s Word.

Paul says that the Lord’s bond-servant must be “able to teach.” The word “correcting” (2:25) is the word for “child training.” It refers to giving instruction, correction, or discipline to a child. The standard for all such teaching is God’s Word of truth. In other words, we should never attempt to correct by saying, “I think,” or, “in my opinion, you’re wrong.” My opinion carries no weight. God’s opinion what matters!

You must be careful here, because it’s easy to mix up your opinions or your way of doing things with God’s clear commandments. They may not be one and the same. We sometimes inherit certain views from our upbringing or from cultural notions about right and wrong.

For example, I’ve heard people say to children who are rambunctious in a church building, “You shouldn’t behave that way in God’s house!” But, church buildings are not God’s house! God’s people are His house, but the building is just a convenient place where the church gathers. It may be that the children need to behave in a more subdued manner in a group setting, but God’s house has nothing to do with it. To view this building as a sacred place is to confuse a cultural idea with a biblical truth.

The same thing applies to what is appropriate attire at a church service. The Bible commands us to dress modestly, but it never says that we must wear a suit or dressy clothes when we gather with the church. Some argue that if you were going to meet the President, you would dress up, so you should do the same when you come to meet with the Lord. If that is so, then you’d better put on your suit before you have your morning quiet time! I actually heard a lecture in seminary where the professor used Titus 2:10, which urges slaves to “adorn the doctrine of God” in every respect, to argue that as pastors, we should wear a suit even when we went to the local hardware store! He was misusing Scripture to try to support a cultural value! Biblical correction must stem from biblical standards of truth and morality.

When you offer correction, emphasize that obedience to God’s Word is the only path to blessing. I often ask, “You want God’s blessing in your life, don’t you? You can’t ask God to bless your life when you are living in violation of His Word.” Your correction must offer constructive help that shows the other person practically how to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. As the one offering correction, you are subject to the same biblical standards. So you should be able to point to your life as an example and show the one in sin how to apply the Bible in daily life.

Thus correction must be done wisely and in love. It must be based on and in accordance with God’s Word of truth.

3. Correction must be done in the awareness of spiritual warfare.

Paul says that those in error are “in opposition,” that is, in opposition to God and His truth. He adds (2:25-26), “if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

We often see things only from the natural plane, but God’s Word teaches that there is a constant spiritual battle raging on the spiritual plane. We are struggling against “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). At bare minimum, this means that it would be utter foolishness to try to talk to men about God before we first have talked to God about men. Prayer must permeate this whole process of biblical correction.

There are several interpretive matters to consider in these verses. First, is Paul referring to believers or to unbelievers who need this correction? The fact that they need to come “to the knowledge of the truth” would point to unbelievers, since Paul uses that phrase consistently of unbelievers in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim. 2:4; 4:3; 2 Tim. 3:7; see also, Titus 1:1). On the other hand, in 1 Timothy 3:7, Paul says that an elder may fall into the snare of the devil, the same term that he uses here. Also, the verb “held captive” means to capture alive. It’s as if Satan captures believers as POW’s to use them for his purposes. So, it may refer both to believers and to professing believers. The test of the genuineness of their faith is whether or not they respond positively to correction. If someone professes to know Christ, but persists in heretical teaching or godless behavior, his claim may be suspect.

Another issue is the correct translation at the end of verse 26. The Greek pronouns are ambiguous. Some say that it is the servant of the Lord who takes captive the erring one, so that he may do God’s will. Others say that the devil has captured him, but they escape so that they can again do God’s will (NASB, margin). But most scholars understand it to mean that the devil has captured them to do his (the devil’s) will. Probably either the second or third view is correct. The person in serious doctrinal error or disobedience to God’s Word has fallen into Satan’s snare and is being held captive by him. Satan’s evil will is opposed to God’s holy will. Since we are fighting against this powerful evil enemy, we must put on the whole armor of God, which includes prayer (Eph. 6:10-20).

Note also that while we should exhort those in sin to repent, at the same time, God must grant repentance. Scripture is clear that both are true (Acts 2:38; 5:31; 11:18). “If perhaps” shows that we cannot be sure in advance whether God will grant repentance or not. If He grants repentance, He will be glorified by the person’s turning from sin to Christ. If He withholds repentance, He will be glorified by His justice in condemning the person at the judgment because he refused to repent. You’ve got to hold both of these truths in tension.

How do we know if the person truly repents? Paul says that he will come to “the knowledge of the truth.” This means more than mental assent. It points to experiential knowledge, evidenced by a change of thinking and behavior. His life will conform to God’s Word, both in doctrine and practice.

Also, he will “come to [his] senses.” The Greek word means to return to soberness after being in a drunken stupor. Satan drugs his captives so that they do not think clearly. They are spiritually dull. When God grants repentance, they begin to think clearly. They often will say, “I was so deceived!”

Finally, he will “escape from the snare of the devil.” Paul uses this phrase of elders that lack a good reputation with outsiders, thus falling “into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7; see, also, 1 Tim. 6:9 on the snare of the love of money). A snare traps an animal. Sin and false teaching trap people and enslave them. When God grants repentance, they are freed from sin and are able to continue in obedience to His Word, which is the only true freedom (see John 8:31-36).

Conclusion

Probably every one of us who is walking with Christ would not be where we’re at today if other brothers and sisters had not corrected us in love. We all need this ministry from time to time, because we all are prone to get off the path.

If you are a cleansed vessel, fleeing from sin and pursuing godliness (2:20-22), then you are called to practice this gentle art of correction towards those who are flirting with or already have drifted into serious doctrinal error or sin. I want to give you some gentle, but firm correction by saying, “Do it!” Gently correct those you know that are in sin or error. Do it wisely. Do it in love. Do it in accordance with God’s Word. Do it prayerfully, being aware of spiritual warfare. But do it! Do it because you love God more than anything and you love your brother or sister as you love yourself.

Application Questions

1. Which aspect of giving biblical correction is the most difficult for you? Why?
2. Where is the proper balance between being kind toward those in error or sin, and yet being forceful enough to make your point felt?
3. How do you fit the railing rebukes that Jesus and Paul gave (Matt. 16:23; 17:17; 23:1-36; Acts 13:9-11) with kindness and gentleness? Should we ever imitate these rebukes?
4. How can you know when to correct someone and when to let his (or her) fault go? What are some biblical guidelines?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2006, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Robert Porteous and his wife were missionaries in China who were imprisoned when the communists took over that country. Many times the order to execute them was given, but never carried out. One night, they were marched up a hill after dark. The executioner led the way, with his sword gleaming in the moonlight. When they reached the top, the Chinese prisoners were wailing with fear and writhing on the ground.

But Pastor Porteous and his wife started thinking that in just a few minutes, they would enter the presence of their Savior. As the man with the sword came up behind them, they looked up to the starry night and began to sing, “Face to face I shall behold Him, far beyond the starry sky. Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.”

The guards turned to the Chinese prisoners and scolded them, “The missionaries are not afraid to die.” Then they turned to Pastor Porteous and his wife and asked them to sing for them in Chinese. “All we know are Christian songs,” he replied. So they began to sing in Chinese, “The gate of heaven is open wide for me.” When they finished, the guards didn’t execute them.

The man who related this story met Pastor Porteous when he was in his mid-nineties, sporting a white goatee and carrying his zither. He would ride the bus to a retirement home where he would sing to the residents, “to cheer them up.” Most of the residents were younger than he was! He finally went to meet His Lord in 1976. His church dedicated Psalm 34:1 to his memory, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Related by Stan Jeter, in Luis Palau “Briefing,” Fall, 1982.)

All of us that know Christ would say, “I want to be as faithful unto death as Pastor Porteous was! Whether I die a martyr’s death or live to a ripe old age, I want to be faithful to my Lord and Savior, who gave Himself for me.” But, as we know, spiritual faithfulness is not an automatic process. When I see Christian leaders fall into terrible sins, bringing disgrace to the name of Christ, I realize that I am not invincible and pray, “Lord, give me the grace to remain faithful to You, especially when there are strong temptations to compromise, whether in doctrine or morals.”

After describing the false teachers who hold to a form of religion, but deny its power (3:1-9), in our text Paul again exhorts Timothy to remain faithful, even through persecution. He reminds Timothy of his own example, which Timothy has observed for many years now. Paul was not boasting in himself, but rather was saying, “Timothy, my life is open to you. You know my life and my teaching. You’ve seen me under persecution of the worst sort, including being stoned and left for dead in your home town of Lystra. You’ve seen me go through imprisonment, beatings, shipwreck, and other hardships. You know that my life backs up my message, the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. So after I’m gone, remember my example and continue in it yourself.” His message in 3:10-15 may be summed up:

Spiritual faithfulness is not automatic, but requires recognizing and following godly examples who follow the Scriptures.

1. Spiritual faithfulness in the past is not an automatic guarantee of faithfulness in the future.

These verses fall into two sections, marked out in the Greek text by two identical phrases (3:10, 14) that should be translated identically, “But you,” or, “You, however….” In 3:10, Paul draws a contrast between the character of the evil men in 3:1-9 and Timothy’s faithfulness up to this point. In 3:14, the contrast is between the evil men and impostors in 3:13 and Timothy’s needed faithfulness in the future.

Even though Timothy had followed Paul’s teaching and example thus far, Paul felt it necessary to exhort him to continue doing so in the future, especially when he encountered persecution, as he surely would (3:12). In other words, past faithfulness does not automatically guarantee future faithfulness. The lives of these evil men that Paul has been describing (3:1-9, 13) serve as a warning. They were not atheists or outwardly opposed to religion. Rather, they made a profession of faith. They had been leaders in the church. They held to a form of godliness, but now their lives denied its power. They were impostors, or charlatans. “Proceed” (3:13) means to make progress. So Paul is sarcastically saying, “They will make progress all right, from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

Whenever the Bible warns about deception, be careful, because deception is always tricky. It picks your pocket when you think everything is okay. In the context here, the warning is, just because you have been a faithful church member for years or you have served faithfully for years, or you’ve been faithful in your marriage for years, none of these things guarantee future faithfulness. Long term spiritual faithfulness does not happen by accident. You must be deliberate about it.

So, recognizing the danger, how can we remain faithful to the Lord in the face of temptation and trials?

2. Spiritual faithfulness in the future requires recognizing and following godly examples who follow the Scriptures.

We all need examples to follow, which is why the Bible gives us the stories of so many faithful witnesses. Although we see many that fall into sin, thankfully there are many others, such as Paul and Timothy, who finish well. Our text shows us both how to recognize and follow godly examples.

A. To be spiritually faithful, learn how to recognize godly examples.

Timothy had Paul as his example, but not as his only example. The word “whom” (3:14) is a plural (in the best manuscripts). Beyond Paul were Timothy’s mother and grandmother, who taught him the Scriptures from infancy (1:5; 3:15). It is not clear whether they led Timothy to salvation, or whether their teaching him the Scriptures prepared him to respond to the gospel when he first heard Paul preach (Paul calls him, “my true child in the faith,” 1 Tim. 1:2; also, 2 Tim. 1:2). There were also probably many other godly examples in Timothy’s life.

There is an important lesson here, namely, that we all need to be exposed to a number of godly examples. Also, we should pray that our children would come under the influence of many godly examples. I have known parents that have tried to keep their children exclusively under parental influence, not allowing church youth leaders or anyone else to get close to their children. Their motive, no doubt, is to protect their children from harmful influence, which is always a risk. But it seems to me that it is to our children’s advantage to be exposed to a number of godly adults besides that of us as parents. We needed all the help that we could get in rearing our children, and if another godly adult could have an impact in their lives, I thanked God for it.

The same is true of pastors. Some pastors are afraid of having their people listen to other pastors, perhaps out of fear that the other pastor will say something that undermines what the local pastor is saying. But I don’t have a corner on God’s truth! I encourage you to benefit from other godly pastors who are faithful to Scripture. I personally benefit from the ministries of men like John Piper, John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul, and others.

But, how do you discern whether or not a man is a godly example? Let’s face it, there are a lot of religious charlatans out there! Paul gives us three solid guidelines:

(1). A godly example is known for his teaching (3:10).

Paul writes (3:10), “But you followed my teaching….” In 4:2, he will give Timothy a strong charge to preach the Word. Paul put a premium on sound doctrine, which is a frequent theme in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim. 1:3-5, 10; 3:3, 15; 4:6, 13, 16; 5:17; 6:1, 3, 20-21; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:2, 15; 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1, 10).

So listen to what a man teaches. It won’t take you long to discern whether he is teaching the Bible or whether he is merely using the Bible as an inspirational springboard to launch off into his own ideas. Some preachers use the Bible like the Reader’s Digest: It has some good quotes that support or illustrate their points, but they don’t teach it as God’s authoritative Word that we must understand and submit to. When you listen to a sermon, ask yourself, “Did he explain and apply the text of Scripture so that I come away understanding what it means and how it applies to my life?” Also, a godly Bible teacher does not skip the difficult sections and doctrines. He teaches the whole purpose of God.

Note also (3:15) that a godly teacher uses the Scriptures to lead people “to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Timothy’s mother and grandmother had taught him the “sacred writings” (a Jewish term for the Old Testament) from infancy (the literal Greek word). God’s Word is able to give even a child the wisdom that leads to salvation, which means, salvation from God’s righteous judgment on our sins. That salvation does not come by keeping the moral precepts of the Bible, or even by believing the Bible. Rather, salvation comes through faith in Christ Jesus alone.

As parents, pray for your children’s salvation and use the Bible to explain to them their need for the Savior and how to trust in Him to forgive their sins. The popular idea of having your child “ask Jesus to come into his heart” is probably not the clearest way to present the gospel. A child needs to come under conviction for his sins, so that he sees that he is guilty and deserves God’s judgment. He also needs to know that on the cross Jesus paid the penalty that he deserves, if he will trust in Christ. There should be evident signs of new life if a child truly has been born of God. Whether with children or adults, use the Bible as the main tool in leading people to salvation.

(2). A godly example is known for his character (3:10).

He practices what he preaches. His life backs up his teaching. Paul mentions six areas of character:

·         Conduct—

The word (used only here) means, “way of life.” You should be able to look at a person’s way of life and tell whether he or she is a godly example worth following. This would include how he spends his time, how he manages money and possessions, what kind of entertainment he enjoys, and how he relates to his family, friends, fellow workers, and even to strangers. Is he rude or sensitive? Is he oblivious to the needs of others or kind and caring? Christianity is a way of life that affects all of life. A godly example lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

·         Purpose—

Paul was a man of purpose. His purpose was to help bring about God’s purpose (Eph. 3:9-11). He did everything for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). He related every aspect of his life to the supreme purpose of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord (Phil. 3:8-10) and making Him known to others (1 Cor. 9:23; 10:33). He disciplined himself for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). He made it his ambition to be pleasing to Christ (2 Cor. 5:9). He told the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:24), “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” Godly examples will always be men and women who live daily in light of God’s purpose.

·         Faith—

The word may mean “faithfulness,” which is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Paul was certainly a faithful man (1 Cor. 4:1). But it also may refer to trusting God to do what is humanly impossible, so that He gets the glory. Referring to how God delivered him from the brink of death, Paul said (2 Cor. 1:9), “indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” A man or woman of faith lives in light of eternity, trusting that God will keep His promises beyond the grave (2 Tim. 4:8). Look for examples that live by faith.

·         Patience—

This also is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It comes from two Greek words that literally mean to be long before passion or anger. The patient man doesn’t have a short fuse. He can bear with difficult people without exploding in anger. He doesn’t snap at his wife or children with angry words. The supreme test of patience had not been invented when Paul wrote, but a truly patient man is patient when he drives!

·         Love—

This leads the list of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Love, above all other virtues, should mark believers in Jesus Christ (John 13:34-35; 1 Cor. 13). My definition is, “biblical love is a self-sacrificing, caring commitment that shows itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved.” Sometimes the highest good requires confronting someone in sin and holding him accountable. The aim is to bring him under the lordship of Jesus Christ, so that his life brings glory to God. Such love should govern everything that we do.

·         Perseverance—

This word has the nuance of enduring difficult circumstances over the long haul. It means trusting God when things aren’t the way you want them to be and there is no immediate solution in sight. Many Christians either imply or directly tell you that if you have enough faith, God will instantly deliver you from your problems, whether it is a serious health problem or a difficult relational situation or whatever. “Just name it and claim it by faith,” they say.

Many years ago, I was wondering what was wrong with my faith, because I wasn’t experiencing many instant, miraculous answers to my prayers. Then I came across Colossians 1:11, where Paul prays that we may be “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might.” I thought, “Yeah, that’s what I want. Give me that glorious, mighty power of God!” Keep reading (1:11b-12): “for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” “Steadfastness and patience” are the same Greek words as “perseverance and patience” in our text.

I thought, “Wait a minute! If God’s mighty power delivers us instantly from our trials, why would we need steadfastness and patience, with joy?” The only reason we need steadfastness and patience with joy is that God has not yet delivered us from our trials. It takes His mighty power to give us joy in the midst of unanswered prayers and ongoing trials. That leads to the third mark of a godly example. A godly example is known for his teaching and his character. Also,

(3). A godly example is known for his godly demeanor under trials (3:11-12).

How does a man respond when trials hit? Does he rail at God or submit to God? Does he drift into the world or draw near to the Lord? A godly example trusts God and grows through trials.

Paul mentions the trials that he encountered at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra (Timothy’s city), three cities in the Galatian region of Asia Minor. During the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas were driven from Antioch because of intense persecution (Acts 13:50). At their next stop in Iconium, they had to flee to avoid being stoned (Acts 14:5-6). In Lystra, Paul actually was stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead. He was probably unconscious, but God miraculously raised him up (Acts 14:19-20). Rather than let such awful persecution deter him, Paul went right on preaching the gospel in that region (Acts 14:21-22). Timothy had witnessed Paul’s courage and joy in the face of these terrible trials. When Paul says that the Lord rescued him out of them, he means that God brought him through them. God did not always keep Paul from trials, although at times He did (Acts 18:9-10).

Don’t miss verse 12—it’s a promise for you to claim! “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” While the type and intensity of the persecution will vary from ridicule or rejection to physical violence or even death, every true Christian who lives a godly life in this evil world will experience persecution. If you are honest at work, your honesty will convict those who cheat, and they will try to get you. If you speak out about injustice or evil, you will be ridiculed and attacked. Calvin (Calvin’s Commentaries [Baker], on 2 Tim. 3:12, p. 244) put it plainly: “they who wish to be exempt from persecutions must necessarily renounce Christ.”

Thus spiritual faithfulness requires recognizing and following godly examples who follow the Scriptures. You can recognize them by their teaching, their character, and their godly demeanor under trials. But, once you recognize them, you need to follow them.

B. To be spiritually faithful, learn how to follow godly examples.

Three things are involved here:

(1). Follow closely so as to understand and embrace.

That’s the meaning of the Greek word, “followed” (NASB, 3:10; NIV, “know all about”). It means to follow closely in somebody’s footsteps. Luke (1:3) uses the word when he tells Theophilus that he has investigated everything carefully. He means that he has traced out the history and carefully checked his sources. In our text, Paul means that Timothy was thoroughly familiar with Paul’s teaching and his life because he had spent so much time with him, watching how he lived.

The implication is that we need examples whose lives are open and transparent. They are not afraid to let us see how they relate to their families and to share areas where they struggle. It implies getting to know someone well enough that you can tell whether he walks with Christ or is faking it. If he’s the real deal, then follow his example.

(2). Follow by learning so as to develop strong convictions.

Paul says (3:14) that Timothy has learned these things and become convinced of them. Christianity involves learning certain doctrinal truths and developing convictions about them. Some doctrines are not essential to the faith, and godly men may differ on them. We need to hold our views on these matters with tolerance towards those who differ. But on core matters, we should not compromise at all. It requires maturity to discern where you should draw these lines.

(3). Follow by continuing in your convictions, even when under fire.

Timothy had learned these things and was convinced of them, but Paul tells him to continue in them. The context makes it clear that he must continue in them even if it means persecution. With Martin Luther, we must say, even under intense pressure to yield, “Here I stand!” Besides reading about Luther and Calvin, who risked their lives to stand for the gospel against Rome, read the lives of others who stood for the truth under fire.

Iain Murray’s, The Forgotten Spurgeon [Banner of Truth], tells about some of the difficult controversies that Spurgeon endured, especially the painful “Downgrade Controversy.” I read it in 1990, and wrote in the flyleaf, “This is a provocative study that motivates me to go deeper theologically and to hold unswervingly to the Word even if I am the only voice. Spurgeon stood strong and true, even when others were accommodating.” I could say the same thing about many others whose examples have encouraged me to stand firm.

Conclusion

I conclude by asking you two questions. First, who are the examples that you follow? To be spiritually faithful, you need godly models who follow the Scriptures. As I said, if you can’t know them personally, read about their lives in the Bible and in Christian biographies. I have been strengthened greatly by reading the lives of the godly men who went before me. Although I do not know them personally, contemporaries like John MacArthur, John Piper, and others who stand for God’s truth encourage me to do the same.

Second, to whom are you an example? If you are growing in Christ as you should be, then you should pray that God will use your teaching, your conduct, and your godly demeanor under trials to impact the lives of younger believers. While none of us may ever be well-known or as strong an example as Paul was, we all should be faithful enough that our lives are worth imitating.

Application Questions

1. Where is the balance between God’s promises to keep us from stumbling (Jude 24) and our responsibility to be faithful?
2. Should a man who has committed a serious moral sin ever be reinstated in a leadership role in the church? Why/why not?
3. Why is the “name it and claim it” heresy so damaging? What are the implications of Col. 1:11-12 and other exhortations to perseverance under trial (1 Pet. 5:7-11)?
4. How can you know whether a matter should be one of strong conviction or whether it is one where you should be tolerant of differing views? What guidelines apply?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2006, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation