II Timothy 2:1-4
I. Grace is the Source of the Christian Life is Christ Jesus
A. It is a life whose strength is derived from the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,”
B. It is a life that is to be shared with many others who will share Christ Jesus.
2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful
men who will be able to teach others also.”
C. It will be a life with its fair share of suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
D. It is a life that is single-minded; its one pursuit is to please Christ.
4 “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who
enlisted him.”
It is the grace that is in Christ Jesus that empowers a Christian to be all that he is capable of being for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul wrote it another way in I Corinthians 15:10,
10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me”.
II. Suffering is Part of our Service to Christ Jesus
A. As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, we are to suffer.
3 “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2Ti 2:3 ESV).
B. To receive a grant of suffering from Christ is a high honor, indeed.
29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Phi 1:29 ESV)”
C. Knowing that it is God’s will for his soldier to suffer at times only increases the soldier’s faith in this Captain in knowing what is best for His men.
19 “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1Pe 4:19 ESV).
III. A Life of Service is a Life of Standing in the Grace of Christ
A. With the full armor of God on, we can stand against the schemes of the devil.
11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph 6:11 ESV).
B. Our stand is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil.
12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12 ESV).
C. Having all the full armor of God on, not only will we be able to withstand, but also to stand firm in the evil day.
13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Eph 6:13 ESV).
Friday, September 11, 2009
Who Will You Depend Upon?
There is a great battle going on in the world relative to the question: “Who can you believe: the Lord Jesus Christ or man?” Whether you are a Christian or a pagan, the question is relevant. It does matter. There are some who may disagree with the statement “…the question is relevant;” nevertheless, it is a true statement. Just for a moment, I would like for you to consider what hangs on the truthfulness of God’s Word:
I. The heavens and earth will be destroyed, but the truthfulness of God’s Word will stand: Matthew 24:35 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
II. According to His Holy WORD , the heavens and the earth are being kept until the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly:
2 Peter 3:7 “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
III. According to God’s promises made to His people, new heavens and a new earth will be made in which all of God’s people will dwell for all eternity: 2 Peter 3:11-13: 11 ¶ “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
You have a choice, Pilgrim. You can either choose to trust God at His Word and live your life for Jesus while on this earth, or you can choose to reject Jesus and His Word and live your life for yourself while on this earth. What you must understand is this: the choice you make on this earth has eternal consequences. Those people, who choose to live their lives by the Word of God, will live in a state of anticipation and holy resolve. They know lives of holiness and godliness do make a difference to God. They know this because God’s Word states it so: v.11 “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.”
On the other hand, you can live your life for yourself. Do you really want to base your future on yourself or on what man says? You don’t know what is going to happen in the next five minutes of your life – nor do you know whether you will be here on this earth, or standing before the judgment seat of God. Does it make sense to depend upon the changing values of mankind, which change from generation to generation? Or does it not make sense to depend upon the Word of God, whose character and integrity comes from the God Who spoke the very Word of God?!
Concerning your soul and your destiny, who will you depend upon: God or man?
I. The heavens and earth will be destroyed, but the truthfulness of God’s Word will stand: Matthew 24:35 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
II. According to His Holy WORD , the heavens and the earth are being kept until the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly:
2 Peter 3:7 “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
III. According to God’s promises made to His people, new heavens and a new earth will be made in which all of God’s people will dwell for all eternity: 2 Peter 3:11-13: 11 ¶ “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
You have a choice, Pilgrim. You can either choose to trust God at His Word and live your life for Jesus while on this earth, or you can choose to reject Jesus and His Word and live your life for yourself while on this earth. What you must understand is this: the choice you make on this earth has eternal consequences. Those people, who choose to live their lives by the Word of God, will live in a state of anticipation and holy resolve. They know lives of holiness and godliness do make a difference to God. They know this because God’s Word states it so: v.11 “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.”
On the other hand, you can live your life for yourself. Do you really want to base your future on yourself or on what man says? You don’t know what is going to happen in the next five minutes of your life – nor do you know whether you will be here on this earth, or standing before the judgment seat of God. Does it make sense to depend upon the changing values of mankind, which change from generation to generation? Or does it not make sense to depend upon the Word of God, whose character and integrity comes from the God Who spoke the very Word of God?!
Concerning your soul and your destiny, who will you depend upon: God or man?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)