2 Timothy 1:8-18

2 Timothy 1:8-18

Paul, having called Timothy to a courageous standard, now gives him the application of that standard. He calls Timothy to join with him in suffering for the gospel. Unlike so much of American Christianity, the focus of Paul was not on man, man's needs, man's potential, or man's wants. For Paul, the focus was on God and His eternal plan of grace. The gospel is revealed in the person and the work of Christ, who abolished or literally “made to no effect” death and brought or revealed eternal life in the gospel. For Paul, the cost of suffering is unspeakably small when compared to the life that Christ brings. Paul is so convinced of this that he is giving his all for the gospel. Paul has placed everything in the hands of God for safekeeping. Jesus said the one who “loses his life for the kingdom will keep it.” That is what Paul has done and what he urges Timothy and us to do as well. The word “guard” in Greek is the word from which we get “phalanx,” the foundational military combat formation. The picture is that God is fighting to protect what we have given to Him. Everything we give to God, He will keep safely until the day we meet Him, and then He'll return it to us with no loss.

Two questions come to mind. First: “How do we give our all to Him? Second: “Do we believe this enough to fully trust and act on that conviction?” The answer to the first is we do this by keeping the pattern or standard of the Gospel message: that we hope in Christ alone and the grace for the salvation of man for God's glory. Everything we give to the cause of Christ is not gone; it is in the care of God to be returned to us. As for the second question, do we really believe? That is answered in our daily life. Paul uses both positive and negative examples. There were those who did not truly believe and turned away, and there is an example of those who did partner with him in the ministry of the Gospel. The real test of our being committed to God is seeing how we live out our lives for the advancement of the gospel and the kingdom.

“Lord, help me give to You may all, trusting you to keep it till the day. AMEN