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  • Suffering for the Savior (2 Timothy 3:10-13)

    by Steve Sering

    On April 20th, 1999 two young men entered into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, the school where they attended, and opened fire. 13 people were killed (12 students, 1 teacher), with many more injured. The first one killed in the devastation was Rachel Joy Scott, a 17 year old junior. It has been said that she was targeted for her Christian faith. Her journals which documented her authentic faith in Jesus have been published and have inspired millions to show compassion towards one another. When I was in high school, a man came to speak to the student body, with an organization called Rachel’s Challenge. He shared Rachel’s story and it changed my life forever. Ever since that talk I have tried to show compassion towards others. One quote from Rachel’s journals has stuck with me all these years:

    “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

    Rachel’s bold faith and tender heart have impacted millions for Christ. The Apostle Paul’s life has had a similar effect. With the end in mind, he wanted to share the truth with Timothy. In verse 12 he shared, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Just as Rachel was gunned down for her faith and just as the Apostle Paul was beheaded for his, we must be ready to lay it all down for Christ. Jesus himself said in Luke 9:23-24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”To be a Christian is to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. We must be willing to lay down our lives for Christ no matter the cost.

    Paul urged Timothy and the churches to follow his example, his teaching and way of life and not that of ungodly, wicked false teachers (v. 10). Recounting his persecutions, the apostle remembered God’s faithfulness saying, “yet from them all the Lord rescued me” (v. 11). Again, verse 12 is worth mentioning. It is a promise that all who genuinely follow the Lord will be persecuted. Sound encouraging? Maybe not from an earthly perspective, but from a heavenly perspective it is. There is a reward for those who suffer for Christ (James 1:12). The contagious beauty and immeasurable glory of heaven will make every trial worth enduring! Wrapping our arms around our Savior will melt away every tear and remedy every ache we had to endure on earth. Even when evildoers go on and seem to win the day, our God has a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28-29). Afterall, Christ is the cornerstone that can never be moved by the evils of man!

    Reflection Questions:

    1. What is your response when you are challenged for your faith? Does suffering produce fear or faith in your heart?
    2. Who can you encourage and pray for in the midst of persecution? What missionaries need your prayer and support?

  • Warning from the Word (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

    As a driver, I am thankful for the “Stop Ahead” sign. It lets me know I am approaching a STOP sign. It is not meant to keep me from something good, but it alerts me so that I will not respond wrongly. God’s Word does that with us on a grander scale. In 2 Timothy 3, we are given a warning but what happens when the last days come. As Christ’s return approaches, we are told there will be times of difficulty. These are not merely times of personal trials but people of rebellion. Verses 2-4 say, “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. Before we point the finger, we must examine our hearts to see how we are heeding the warning. We don’t want to be deceived during these times of difficulty, and verse 5 highlights this, “having the appearance of godliness,  but denying its power”. However, as we examine ourselves, if we are sound in the faith, the next command we are given is to avoid the people of rebellion. If we do not, we will not only be deceived by them but it will lead to a destruction that culminates in “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (verse 7). While we can expect a heighten sense of this closer to Christ’s return, in another sense this is not anything new because it occurred in Moses’ day too (verses 8-9). Yet, we know the fate of their folly and that the Lord is faithful to His people. His warnings are not to keep us from something good but to alert us from heading into something bad. Let’s heed the warning from the Word.

    Reflection Questions:

    1. Why is it important to examine our hearts before we consider the command to avoid?
    2. How does seeing evidence of these times of difficulty encourage you to trust in God?

  • Pursue Purity (2 Timothy 2:22-26)

    Recently, I have been teaching middle school boys through the book of Proverbs. While dealing with some of their immaturity, I have been convicted how I can respond to situations in my life as a Christian that could be considered juvenile. I can grumble when things do not go my way. I can respond in fear when life is uncertain. I can seek to compete with another brother rather than consider how I may serve him. That is what makes 2 Timothy 2:22-26 so hard hitting. It shows us how to grow in maturity by pursuing purtiy. We do that by first admitting we do not do it. That is why verse 22 features the warning of a command, “So flee youthful passions”. Unless we first confess to God our sinful passions, that is passions that are against God’s Word or are strong enough we pursue it over our relationship with God, we will not be prepared to turn from what we should flee from in orfer to pursue what we need to turn to. If we rightly respond with fleeing such youthful and foolish passions, then we are ready to receive the next step in the Lord’s instruction: “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace”. God’s Word shows us how to live right, and we can have a right relationship with God only through the righteousness of Christ. God’s Word points us to place our faith in Jesus Christ and trust the Lord, not leaning in our own understanding and giving way to fear (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s Word empowers us to be compelled and controlled by the love of Christ to love God and others and to live peacably with them as Jesus has given us peace with God through the cross. But the only way to experience and live out the truth of God’s Word in these ways is by calling on the Lord from a pure heart. This is how we can have this right relationship with God. There is no amount of fleeing from and turning to these qualities that will save us. It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ who lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and rose again that we can be saved. Those who call upon Him are those who respond from a pure heart by the way of repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Only then will they have the power of the Holy Spirit to pursue the qualities Paul lists. In pursuing those things in purity, things will become clearer: they will not engage in foolish, ignorant controversies that distract and demean gospel testimony (verse 23), they will not be argumentative and harsh in their manner of life but patient in the face of evil but not without correction in gentleness (verse 24). This pursuit of purity is not only for the good of that individual Christian; it is good for the unbelievers around them so that they may themselves see the witness and respond in repentance that leads to a knowledge of the truth (verse 25), fleeing from the snare of the devil and turning to life with God.

    Reflection Questions:

    1. What specific sins do you need to confess to God as you seek to flee from them?
    2. What is one step you can take this week to pursue purity in your life?