Chapter 2 is my chapter for today, but Chapter 1 has nuggets that are significant as well, and I would be remiss to skip past them without at least briefly mentioning them: (7) God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control; (12b) ...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; and (10-11) the message of the good news of Jesus Christ in a nutshell: Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
It is all the more compelling to me that Paul declares these words as his final words, and even though he didn't know they were his final words they are the final legacy that he left.
With that in mind, I read the words of Chapter 2, and Paul's words pluck the strings of my heart. The words he spoke were specifically written to Timothy, but they have application for all who serve the Lord. Knowing that he wrote the following words while he was in chains for his faith is all the more compelling:
Be strenghtened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David.
Nugget after nugget. Reminders of focus, directives that compel us to stand faithfully for the Truth, and affirmation that the Lord knows those who are His.
2 Timothy 2:11b - 13 is a quote familiar to Timothy that Paul includes as a reminder:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful -
for he cannot deny himself.
Another of my favorite verses in 2 Timothy 2 is verse 15: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
It is my prayer to faithfully be that worker!
Paul's instructions for Christian living found in 2 Timothy 2 include the admonition to: flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart...(be) kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently endure evil, correct opponents with gentleness.
What a lot packed into one small chapter. It will give me food for thought for more than just today!
We are set apart as holy! The righteousness we seek is 'right living by God's standard' and, though it is impossible to attain on our own, it is the path we are on, for once we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, He lives in us, works in us to conform us more and more to His image, and we are seen by the Father through the filter of His Son. The blood of Jesus Christ who cleanses us from sin is our covering - and God sees us as already perfected....even though we have a long way to go. The reality is, we will never be perfect until we reach heaven's shore. We are all a work in progress!
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