“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him,
we will
also live with him; if we
endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless,
he remains
faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.” 2
Timothy 2:11-13
Paul’s two letters to Timothy were written to
encourage, urge and command him as a trusted brother in the faith to remain
faithful to his calling and endure in the face of any hardship. Timothy had accompanied Paul on his second
and third missionary trips and was left in Ephesus as the apostle’s
representative.
Here Paul lays out for Timothy the crux of his mission. It needs to resonate with us as well for it
remains true to this very day. If we
join in Christ’s death by confessing our need for God’s forgiveness, we will
live for all eternity with Him. If we
endure any and all hardships for His sake we will reign with Him forever. We are cautioned that if we fall victim to
apostasy1, God too will disown us and lastly, even if our faith fails us God will remain
faithful. This last statement is a
testimony to the unchanging character of God.
He is the one true constant in a sea of inconsistency.
The hardships spoken of above are not financial or physical
hardships in and of themselves, but rather hardships suffered for the sake of
Christ. God will never abandon us
regardless of what state of commitment we are in. Our faith tends to ebb and flow as we grow in
the grace and knowledge of Christ. It’s
as we learn to trust Him more that our faith becomes stronger. Each life event gives us an opportunity to
utilize our faith in a bigger way. Will
we trust God to work things out for His ultimate glory or will we shrink away
from each challenge, having our spiritual growth become stunted. We mustn’t
allow this to take place. It’s our
choice. Until next time, walk with the
King and be a blessing!
1 Abandonment of one's religious faith, a
political party, one's principles, or a
cause.
