Blog Archives
Rejection
“You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” –2 Timothy 1:15
“Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth….They are upsetting the faith of some.” –2 Timothy 2:17-18
“For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” –2 Timothy 4:9
“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.” –2 Timothy 4:14-15
Paul had quite a list of enemies. He mentioned more of them by name in this book than anywhere else. Some of these were from outside the church, such as Alexander, while others rose from within the church. Most painful of all was Demas’ betrayal — the desertion by someone who was close to Paul.
Christianity is not meant for those who want to be friends with everyone. We will face rejection from without and within if we really believe the truth of the gospel in all its glory and offense.
Entitlement, suffering, and unconditional election
In 2 Timothy, Paul repeatedly charges Timothy with the ministry of the Word, urging him to suffer for the sake of the gospel. As I’ve been reading this book for the past couple of weeks, that charge has stood in sharp relief to my own life and to the life of those around me. Why in America are we so consumed with our own comfort? Why does it seem that anything is more important to us than the gospel?
Paul points out that our willingness to suffer is drawn directly from our theology — specifically, the doctrine of unconditional election.
2 Timothy 1:8-12
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do.
This is a doctrine that I used to hate because it stood opposed to my self-made concepts of who God was and how he should behave. I was shocked by the idea that God would choose some and not others for salvation. In an attempt to sidestep the clear scriptural teaching on this matter, I resorted to a common response: before the creation of the world, God looked down the tunnel of time and foresaw who would respond to his grace with repentance and belief; then, he chose the ones who would respond favorably.
This was nothing more than speculation, and it already stood on shaky ground because it has no scriptural support. It’s an invention of a desperate human mind. Moreover, it is contradicted by v. 9 above, which says that God did not call us to salvation “because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace.” Our election was not due to some action on our part. It was due entirely to God’s purpose, for God has a purpose in choosing some for salvation and not others.
If we really believed this, we would not have such a strong sense of entitlement in our churches. Deep down, we believe that in some way, we deserved to be saved. There was just something about me — maybe it’s because I was smarter than other people; maybe I was just more righteous than them. How lucky God is to have such a fine, intelligent man in his kingdom!
Appropriately, Charles Spurgeon mocked such a man-centered view of election with his “Arminian Prayer”:
Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved. Lord, I know thou dost not make us willing if we are not willing ourselves. Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not thy grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not — that is the difference between me and them.
Rightly did Spurgeon call that “a prayer for the devil.” No one would be bold enough to say those things — instead, we imagine ourselves safe when we merely think them. Led by a high view of ourselves, we take our salvation for granted, abandoning it to pursue other trifles that are nothing but a vapor.
If there is something about me that brought about my salvation, then I am in some sense entitled to it. And if I am entitled to “life and immortality” (v. 10), then there is no reason to suffer for it. I’ll leave the suffering up to the other poor fools who aren’t as good as I am.
May God have mercy on us. We have neglected this doctrine for the sake of our own comfort. I pray that this teaching may soak into me, that this word may penetrate me to the core of my being, that I would always remember that I am saved apart from my own merit, ability, or wisdom. I pray that I may reject this entitlement mentality. I pray that I may gladly sacrifice and suffer for the God who has chosen me and loves me. O Lord, may you alone receive the praise for your great work of salvation!
In the light of this precious doctrine, let’s rejoice in the gospel of the power of God!
A paradox of preservation
2 Timothy 1:10-14
10 [God's own purpose and grace] now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
The tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is a paradox we see throughout scripture. By a paradox, I simply mean something that appears self-contradictory, absurd, and false, but is in fact true. When we approach this passage with the question, “Who will guard what God has entrusted to us?” — then we arrive at a paradox. For we see that Jesus Christ, the one “who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (v. 10) holds all the power necessary to guard this deposit. We trust that he will protect and preserve the ministry to which each of us has been appointed (v. 11). Paul had confidence that the churches he planted would continue strong even after his death. He knew that they were under the care of Jesus Christ, who knows best how to care for his own.
Yet we ourselves are responsible to guard this deposit (v. 14). We can’t simply “let go and let God.” This requires effort on our part — effort drawing on the strength of “the Holy Spirit who dwells within us” (v. 14). How do we guard our ministries? We “follow the pattern of the sound words” (v. 13) that we have been taught. We are not called to be doctrinal innovators but rather doctrinal preservers. By guarding the truth of Jesus Christ, we guard the source of our life. We are called to do this “in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (v. 13). We guard not with fierce words, impatience, and scorn, but in faith that Christ will preserve his own and in the love that he has for them.
It is critical to protect other believers from false teaching. The apostle James wrote, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). How thrilled we should be to stand on guard for one another’s soul! May God grant us this love and an unshakable trust that he will never forsake his children!
Entangled
2 Timothy 2:4
No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
A nice short verse to think about, but it’s been bouncing around in my head for the last few days. As believers, we’ve got to stay “on mission,” and we do a pretty poor job of it. One of the biggest challenges we face in Salt and Light is students who fill up their schedules with school, sports, work, and other “busyness” without setting aside time for prayer, the Word, discipleship, etc. In that respect, we’re no different from the rest of the church.
Why bother calling yourself a Christian if your actions show you don’t give a crap about Christ, his kingdom, and his church?
And it troubles me, too. The whole book of 2 Timothy paints a picture of a life of fearlessness and sacrifice, which lies in absurd contrast to my own. I think this is good in that it is developing in me a fear of entanglement — a fear that I may indulge myself in pursuits that lead me away from the straight and narrow, that blur the glory of our heavenward call, that pull my gaze away from Jesus Christ.
“Ever, only, all for Thee” — that’s how I need to live. I think it starts on a small level…not indulging myself during work by wasting time on the Internet, or other trifles. It’s a good place to begin. I’ve also been meaning to become a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters…to invest the love of Christ in the life of someone who has never received it before.
To all who have loved his appearing
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Will we love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ? That future event is something only Christians can look forward to with eagerness. For the unbelieving world, it is not good news but bad news, as we read in the book of Revelation. When Christ comes, he will reward those who have been justified by his blood and sanctified by the Spirit. On that day, we will receive “the crown of righteousness” (v. 8). I wonder what that means. What is this crown? All we can know is that it is a treasure and prize of worth beyond what this world can offer. Paul devoted his life to the cause of the kingdom, and he eagerly awaited his reward.
May our eyes be fixed on the reward waiting for us! Above all, let us yearn for the day when Jesus will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)! How beautiful are those words!
