2 Timothy 1:8-10 ESV
“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, 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, 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.”
The Gospel Message
Now these are Paul’s words written to Timothy, but we can
still learn from them, for the message here is repeated for all of us in other
passages of Scripture. None of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ should be
ashamed of our Lord and of his gospel, for if we are, Jesus said, then he will
be ashamed of us when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of
the holy angels (Luke 9:26; cf. Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 4:16).
But we are to share in suffering for the gospel by the power
of God. So, what is the gospel? It is that Jesus Christ, who is the only
begotten Son of God, and is God, left his throne in heaven, emptied himself and
took on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And when he
was around the age of 30 he ministered to the people on the earth and he
preached the gospel of our salvation. But he was hated and so those who hated
him had him put to death on a cross when he was around age 33.
But it was the will of God that Jesus Christ should suffer
and die on that cross, for when he did, he who knew no sin became sin for us
that we might become the righteousness of God. For he died that we might die
with him to sin and live to his righteousness. He died that we might live for
him and no longer for ourselves. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to
buy us back for God out of our lives of sin (to redeem us) so that we might now
honor God with our lives.
For, by God-given faith in Jesus Christ, we are crucified
with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of
life in him, not like our old lives, but free from slavery to sin and in walks
of holiness and righteousness, in obedience to our Lord Jesus. Therefore, we
are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions.
For if sin is what we obey, and if obedience to our Lord is not what we obey,
it will lead to death, not to life eternal with our Lord.
[Philippians 2:5-11; Isaiah 53:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21;
1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans
8:1-14]
Suffering for The Gospel
For Jesus Christ taught us that if anyone would come after
him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (daily die to sin) and
follow (obey) him. For, if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for
self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we die with
him to sin that we might live to him and to his righteousness, then we have the
hope of eternal life with God. But if we are ashamed of him and of his words,
then he will be ashamed of us when he returns to gather up his bride (Luke
9:23-26).
So, how and why will we suffer for the gospel by the power
of God? Because we are living holy lives, separate (unlike, different) from the
world, because God is conforming us to the likeness of Christ. And because we
are sharing the truth of the gospel, and not the lies, and we are calling
people to repentance (to turn from their sin) and to follow the Lord Jesus in
obedience. And also because we are teaching what Jesus and his New Testament apostles
taught regarding the conditions for our salvation, the same ones that Jesus
taught (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; John 6:35-58).
Hated and
Persecuted, Jesus’ words: [Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu
6:22-23; Lu 21:12-17; Jn 15:18-21]
Called to a Holy Calling
For Jesus Christ did not save us from our sins so that we
could continue living in sin guilt free. He saved us and called us to a holy
calling. And to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world
because we are being made to be like Jesus in character and in deed. And so we
no longer live in sin like we did before we believed in Jesus Christ, but now
we walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and no longer
according to the flesh. For if we live according to the flesh, we will die in
our sins.
Now, this was not a result of our own fleshly works. For we
can do nothing in and of ourselves to be acceptable to God. We can do nothing
in ourselves to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Our own fleshly works
will not secure for us salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. For even
the faith to believe in Jesus Christ comes from God and is gifted to us by God,
and we can’t even come to faith in Christ unless God the Father first persuades
us as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need
to repent of our sins and to walk in obedience to him (Ephesians 2:8-10;
Hebrews 12:1-2; John 6:44; Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 4:17-24).
But this doesn’t mean that our faith or our salvation are
absent of works. It is just that the works which are now required of us are the
works of God which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. And it
is his design and purpose for our lives that we should always be abounding in
the work of the Lord. And we are also going to be judged by God by our works,
as well, for if we do not obey him, we do not have eternal life in him.
Works Required of
Us:
[Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co
15:58; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim.
2:21; Tit 2:11-14; Jn 15:1-11; Tit 3:8; Jas 2:17]
Full Release
An Original Work / April 15, 2012
Walking daily with
my Savior
brings me joy.
Loving Father;
precious Jesus;
He’s my Savior and
my Lord.
Gently leads me;
follow Him.
I’ve invited Him
within.
Now abiding in His
presence,
oh, what peace.
From my self-life
He has brought me,
By His mercy, full
release.
Hope and comfort,
peace and safety
Jesus brings
When I daily bow
before Him;
Obey freely; do His
will.
Follow Him where’er
He leads.
Listen to Him; His words
heed.
Now obeying his
words fully,
oh, what love
That He gives me
through salvation,
By His Spirit, from
above.
Loving Father;
precious Jesus,
He’s my friend.
With my Savior, by
His Spirit,
I will endure to the
end.
Share the gospel,
tell what’s true.
Witness daily; His
will do.
Tell the world of
how their Savior
bled and died.
On a cruel cross He
suffered
So that we might be
alive.
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