By Steve Sering

The Reverend Billy Graham was perhaps the greatest evangelist of the modern era and reached millions upon millions of people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. One lesser known fact about Graham was his dogged pursuit of being “above reproach” in his ministry. He would have hotel rooms searched by an accountability group and would turn off the cable, with one time yanking the cable out of the wall! Furthermore, he adopted what would later be known as the “Billy Graham Rule,” which required that he never be alone with a women other than his wife. Many thought of this as extreme but Billy knew that Satan was just waiting to pounce on his revolutionary ministry. By God’s grace he never once had a moral failure or scandal during his six decades long ministry. This is amazing (https://jdgreear.com/billy-grahams-ministry-in-four-words/)!

The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2 lays the groundwork for usefulness in ministry, employing such extreme measures. To start, Paul writes that servants of God must not get entangled by useless quarrels. It only “ruins the hearers” (v. 14). Every Christian, not just pastors, are to present himself or herself as one approved, unashamed and one who rightly handles God’s Word of truth (v. 15). We are to avoid useless debates about secondary issues and keep the focus on the main thing, the gospel. Paul mentions two men who were leading astray the churches and “upsetting the faith of some” with false doctrine (v. 18.)

Next, the Apostle shares a very encouraging and convicting verse: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (v. 19). To know Jesus is to live forJesus. Every believer has times when he or she backslides into sin. I have certainly been there before. The difference between a false believer (a lost person) and a true believer is the trajectory of his or her life. Every believer crashes in sin at times, but then recovers to pursue holiness until reaching heaven. This is the process of sanctification. As the passage states, the Lord knows intimately those who are his. In fact, he has planned their salvation from all eternity! This is the doctrine of election and it is one of the greatest comforts in holy Scripture. Furthermore, the ones chosen by God live for the glory of God and consequently flee from sin.

Finally, Paul gives a real life example to illustrate his point in verses 20-21. During that time, some earthly vessels like pots were made with clay and others with gold and silver. The Bible says that God is the Master Potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). This means that he is in charge of our lives. If we are living consistently sinful, rebellious, lustful, pride-infested lives, will God use us to advance his kingdom? In one sense, we are all cracked, broken, hole-laced vessels. However, we should always pursue purity and holiness in order that God will use us most fully in the furthering of his kingdom. Just like Billy Graham, we should seek holiness at the greatest cost!

Reflection Questions:

1. Are you living your life to be used by God must fully to further his kingdom? What areas of your life can improve so that you can be a better witness for Christ?
2. How can you help members of your church be better vessels in the hands of the Lord and be “above reproach”?

You have heard the adage, “You can kill the messenger, but you cannot kill the message.” The truth of 2 Timothy 2:8-13 says something similar: You can imprison and bound the messenger but you cannot bound the message. In this passage, the Apostle Paul shares he is suffering. His context is he in chains, bound in prison for preaching the gospel. And how does he describe the gospel? He describes it as a call to remember Jesus Christ, His person and work. He is the Son of David who came to live the sinless life, die a sacrificial death, and rise from the dead. The command Paul gives here reminds us even today that nothing can stop the Word of God. What is clear from the message of the gospel in the Word of God is its power and promise. Because of the gospel’s power, we can endure in sharing the gospel in the face of suffering. We endure because we know the gospel saves those who trust in Christ through repentance of sin and faith in His person and work. We can be sure of this gospel because it is based on the promises of God. The Apostle Paul gives believers promises to encourage them to endure (with a warning too):

-“salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (v. 10)

-“if we have died with him, we will also live with him” (v. 11)

-“if we endure, we will also reign with him” (v. 12a)

-“if we deny him, he will also deny us” (v. 12b)

-“if we are faithless, he remains faithful” (v. 13)

What encouragement is it that when we are faithless at times to trust these promises, God is still faithful to His promises! A faithful God with an unbound Word.

Reflection Questions:

1. How does the power of the gospel encourage you do endure in sharing the gospel?
2. Which promise listed in verses 10-13 do you find most encouraging right now?

My wife and I were recently watching a movie which was a sequel. One of the comments we made as we were observing the scenes was how we were resonating more with the older people in the movie. The group we may have once considered the coming generation was now a group of people that were training the next generation in their field. As we continued to watch the movie, I was reminded how that is the call of the Christian life, and in particular, for Christian leaders. The idea is not to do it yourself but to pass the baton. That is what the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 2 when he says, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 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” (verses 1-2). From the outset, it is clear the only way any of this can happen is through the strength that comes from the grace in Christ Jesus. Just like Timothy, we need to be empowered by the grace that gives us the strength to live and lead in a God-honoring way. When we do, then we see Christian leadership is not about platforming but about passing the baton onto others. Within verse 2 there are four generations of Christian leadership, from Paul to Timothy, then from Timothy to faithful men, and finally from faithful men who will teach others. What is to be entrusted to these faithful men who will teach others also? Most certainly, the Scriptures. Yet, to be more specific, we find directives in verses 3-7. What the Apostle Paul has taught and Timothy has been entrusted with is the call to share in suffering. This is not merely for suffering’s sake but to recognize who we are. We are good soldiers of Christ Jesus. With that in mind, we do not get involved in worldly pursuits that take us away from what God has called us to do, but to make it our aim to please Him in all we do. This means living according to God’s Word just as “an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (verse 5). We have God’s Word that reveals to us how to fight the good fight and how to run the race faithfully. When we not only hear God’s Word but heed it as well, we will see the fruit that has been borne (verse 6). The things the Apostle Paul has said to Timothy are words we need to hear and need to understand. We need the Lord for it!

Reflection Questions:

1. How can live and lead in such a way where you are living out what 2 Timothy 2:1-7 is calling us to do?
2. Which word picture (soldier, athlete, farmer) resonates with you the most? Why?