“Remembering Our Faithful Savior”
(2 Timothy 2:8-13)
Series: Faithful to the Finish Line (2 Timothy)
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy, chapter 2 (page 801; YouVersion).
We are studying through Paul’s second letter to Timothy, 2 Timothy. Our series is entitled, “Faithful to the Finish Line.” That’s what God wants for every one of us as followers of Jesus—that just as God has been faithful to us, we would be faithful to Him—and faithful to the very end of our lives, faithful to the finish line.
Last week we began chapter 2 of this letter and Paul we read where Paul teaches us to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And we talked about powering on, and passing on—passing on Gospel truths to others, and then pressing on, pressing forward in faithfulness like a good soldier, a trained athlete, and a hard-working farmer. And we left off at verse 7 where Paul challenges us to “consider” what he had said, to really think about it—to pause and allow Bible truth to get down deep in us.
So there’s this recurring theme of faithfulness. Paul, writing from a Roman prison, awaiting execution in a dungeon prison, writes about our being faithful to the Lord who has been faithful to us. And now he turns his thoughts to the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus. He challenges us to look to Christ and remember our faithful Savior. Listen for that as I read the Word and invite you to follow along.
Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Pray.
There are times when we may become so challenged and pressed by difficulties and hardships and stress and worry, that our whole bodies seem out of whack. We feel the pressure physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And sometimes difficulties can cause us to be rattled in our own thinking.
I remember a woman once relaying to me a story that I may have shared with some of you before. When she was going through a very painful divorce there was this day when she was so upset and unnerved that it disturbed her in a way she never could have imagined. She had gone to the elementary school to check out her daughter from school. And the divorce proceedings weighed on her like a sack of bricks. The lady at the front office there at the school asked for her daughter’s name and the woman told her. And then the lady asked her, “And what is your name?” And this woman said she just kind of froze, and she could not remember her name. I recall her saying how she stood there for a moment or two and then stepped out of the office out of embarrassment. Gathering her senses she went back in and told the lady my her daughter’s name and apologized for her memory lapse.
Can you imagine being so rattled by stress that you couldn’t remember your own name? Maybe something similar has happened to some of you. It’s easy to forget things when we’re under immense pressure and feel the strain of worldly challenges and sorrows.
In this letter, Paul has been encouraging Timothy to remember some things. We’ve read through this in the first chapter. Paul is like, “Hey Timothy, remember these things: remember our friendship (4), remember the faith of your family (5), remember to stir up, or fan into flame, your spiritual gift (6-7).” And now Paul says, “Here is the most important thing for you to remember—Remember our Faithful Savior. Never forget who Jesus is and what He has done through the power of the Gospel.
That’s why our message today is entitled, “Remembering our Faithful Savior.” It’s the first word of the text, verse 8: Remember.
There’s a lot of encouragement in these six verses, verses 8 through 13. I’ve arranged my thinking of the passage this way. Number one, Paul says:
Be Encouraged by the Gospel of our Lord [8-10]
When you feel the stress and strain of worldly challenges and difficulties and you know you’re supposed to press on like a good soldier, a trained athlete, and a hard-working farmer, but you just feel like you can’t take another step—be encouraged by the Gospel of our Lord. Remember Jesus—who He is and what He has done. Verse 8:
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
Paul reminds us that Jesus is both man and God. He is “of the seed of David,” born of the royal lineage of the great King David. And He “was raised from the dead.” So He is both man—of the seed of David, and God—raised from the dead. He is raised in royal majesty and He is the rightful heir of the kingly throne. Empty tomb, occupied throne!
Remember your faithful Savior. Don’t be like unbelieving Israel in the wilderness. When the going got tough, what did they do? The psalmist puts it this way in Psalm 106:21, “They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt.”
Don’t forget your Savior who has done great things for you through the power of the Gospel. Be encouraged by the Gospel of our Lord. Remember Jesus Christ. Raised from the dead, Paul says, “according to my gospel.”
Now I think that is really cool that Paul refers to the gospel as, “my gospel.” This is what he taught, lived, breathed, and you could say, “owned.” My gospel. I hope you think of the gospel as “your gospel.” You believe the gospel not on the authority of your mother or your father, but you can say, “Man, this is my gospel! I mean, I own it! I live it! I breathe it!”
Every Christian must own his or her faith. Every one of us must reach a point on our Christian journey where we can say, “I believe this. I mean, I learned it back when, but I believe it. This is not just the gospel; it is my gospel.” You own your faith, you will live your faith. You will fight for your faith. You will live and die for your faith.
In fact, you will be able to suffer and endure hardships for your faith. Referring to the Gospel, Paul goes on to say that it is because of this Gospel—verse 9—“I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains;” Paul is like, “Look at me: chained! Like an “evildoer!” But Paul didn’t mind this so much. He was always encouraged by what God was doing through the power of the Gospel. And by remembering, he could always be encouraged by the Gospel.
So he says—and I think this is almost tongue-in-cheek when he refers to himself as an “evildoer.” He says, “I suffer trouble as an evildoer,” chained, shackled like a common criminal. But while the messenger can be chained and shackled, the Word of God cannot be chained.
The Word can’t be Shackled (9)
See that in verse 9? “…I suffer…even to the point of chains; but the Word of God is not chained.” The Word can’t be shackled.
People thought they could end Christianity by killing Jesus. He arose. You can’t bind Him. And His Word is not bound. People thought they could end Christianity by killing the disciples. But God’s Word is not bound. Paul is awaiting execution at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero, but while they have chained the preacher of the Word, the Word is not chained. It is never chained. It is never bound. It is God’s Word, alive and powerful!
This is why we “Cherish the Word” here at Henderson’s First Baptist. We spend a great deal of time teaching the Word and encouraging every Christian to read the Word every day. Why? Because there is power in the Word. It can’t be stopped. It can’t be chained. It is alive and powerful. It will do its work if we take time to read it and listen to God speak to us through it.
The Word! It teaches us how to live. What to value. How to order our days. The Word! It gives us life. It prepares us for death. The Word.
Do you read the Word, the Bible? Read it every day. Like a favorite shirt or pair of shoes, put it on every day and wear it out!! Some said, “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” Read the Word. The Word cannot be shackled and, here’s another sub-point:
The Word must be Shared (10)
We share the Word with others that they may be saved by it just as we have been saved by trusting the Word of God. Paul writes in verse 10:
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Paul says, “I really don’t mind these chains if it means others will be saved.” Verse 10, “Therefore I endure all things,” I suffer, I endure hardship including imprisonment, including even death, I endure all things, “for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain…salvation.”
Paul is all about sharing the Word of the Gospel so others may be saved. And he refers to those who will be saved as “the elect” there in verse 10. The elect. Who are the elect? They are the ones who will be saved. They are the ones God has elected, or God has called or chosen to salvation. We don’t know who they are until they trust Christ. And they trust Christ by faith. They make a willing choice to believe. It’s a mystery to be sure. God chooses in a way that mysteriously works in harmony with our freedom of choice. And some will repent and believe the Gospel. That’s why the Word must be shared.
See, it’s not our business to try to figure out who the elect are! Nobody knows but God. If you are saved it is because God came looking for you through the preaching of the Gospel. You can thank God every day of your life for the rest of your life that He enabled you to understand the Gospel and empowered you to say “yes’ to Jesus. Election brings us to our knees in humility and gratitude. We could never earn our salvation. We were spiritually dead and God made us alive in Christ.
So a proper understanding, a biblical understanding of the doctrine of election fuels our evangelism and missional work. If I know that God has chosen some to be saved, then I am excited about the fact that He will use me as his messenger this week. God has some who will be saved in Henderson this week. Not all will believe, but some will.
In fact, the only way they will be saved is through the Gospel. We must share the Gospel if the elect are to come to Christ! God does His work through His people. So if you and I sit back and say, “Well, God’s just going to save Who He wills,” and we let someone else do the work, we can be sure we’ll give an accounting for that on the Day of Judgment.
Paul says in verse 10, “I endure all things for the elect, so that they may be saved.” I don’t mind enduring hardship. I know God is going to save some. I’m fired up about the fact that He is using me. So I’m just doing the Great Commission. They cut my head off, I know where I’m going. Big deal.”
Be encouraged by the Gospel of our Lord. Secondly:
Be Encouraged by the Goodness of our Lord [11-13]
Verse 11:
11 This is a faithful saying:
Paul is like, “Listen to this. You want to be encouraged? Okay, listen to this.” And then Paul writes in verses 11 to 13 these encouraging words about the Lord’s goodness. And many think Paul is quoting from an early Christian hymn here. Maybe he is.
There is notable symmetry in the verses and that’s why some of you have translations where the verses are sort of indented, like you would see poetry indented. It’s that way in the church Bible there on page 801. So it may be a hymn. In any case, this is the Word of God. God working through Paul’s writing.
Verse 11: “This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.”
Paul underscores God’s goodness to us in salvation. In my notes this week, I wrote down this sub-point:
Though we have Sinned, He grants Forgiveness (11)
“If we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.” If we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then our sins have been put to death in the death of Christ.
How many of you are followers of Jesus Christ? Raise your hand. Me, too. Listen: when we repented from our sin and received Jesus Christ by grace through faith—we died with Him. Our sins have been put to death in the death of Christ. Jesus died for all of our sin—sin past, present, and future. He paid the penalty of death. Our sins have been put to death in the death of Christ. We died with Him.
And just as Christ has been raised from the dead, so we have been raised in Him. Because our sins have been paid for—through His death—we now have life—through His resurrection.
The goodness of our Lord! Though we have sinned, He grants forgiveness. Here’s something else about the Lord’s goodness:
B) Though we Suffer, He gives a Future (12)
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.
Here is a reminder to see the big picture. You may suffer this week, but remember where you’re headed! Endure hardship like a good soldier remembering that the victory is already won! Remember your future: You are headed to the eternal city where you will “reign with Him.”
Paul means to encourage Timothy. “Hey, Timothy. They may come get you and chain you just like me. Endure. Press on. Keep on keepin’ on. Stay faithful. If you endure, you will reign with Him.”
Same is true for you and I. “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” Will you endure? Will you press on? Will you stay committed to the Lord Jesus Christ on this journey of faith?
See, there’s a little warning here embedded in verse 12. Paul writes there in the middle of verse 12: If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
If you are truly saved, you will never deny the Lord. But often we encounter folks or hear about people like this. They had said they were followers of Jesus, but then they denied Him. They turned their backs upon Him and died unbelievers.
Jesus warned about this in Matthew 10:32-33:
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
If we deny Him, He also will deny us. Make sure your faith is genuine. Make sure you are a true believer. Make sure you can say of the Gospel, “This is my Gospel! I own it! I live it, breathe it—I will die for it! I will never give up, nor give in. By God’s grace I will endure! And Paul says, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”
Be encouraged by the goodness of our Lord: though we have sinned, He grants forgiveness; though we suffer, He gives a future. Thirdly:
C) Though we Stumble, He is Faithful (13)
Being a Christian doesn’t mean we are perfect. And everyone said, “Amen!” We’re not perfect. God knows. But He has called us to be faithful. And one of the most amazing truths is, that while we are not always faithful as we should be, He remains faithful in spite of us. Verse 13:
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful;
Paul’s not talking about denying the Lord, turning our backs upon Him in final, unrepentant unbelief. He’s talking about those of us who are genuine followers of Jesus, endeavoring to grow in our love for Him and faithful service to Him.
We don’t always do as we wish. We sometimes stumble and sin. We disappoint Him. As a Christian, ever feel like you’ve disappointed the Lord? Ever feel faithless?
See this is so encouraging to me! If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot be unfaithful. It’s against His very nature. Think of it! God cannot be unfaithful. Paul ends the verse this way with the words:
He cannot deny Himself.
It’s impossible. Philip Ryken put it this way, he said: “He would have to un-God himself to be unfaithful.”
Our Lord would have to “un-God Himself to be unfaithful.” It’s jut not possible. Hey, aren’t you glad that, thought you may be faithless, that He remains faithful?!
Earlier Jacob read the words: “God’s love is greater than our greatest sins.” John wrote in 1 John 3:20, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts.” If we are faithless, He remains faithful.”
I am often faithless. I stumble and sin. I disappoint God by failing Him. Yet, He remains faithful. Jesus is my intercessor. He stands before the throne of the Father, standing there for me! He is forever applying His perfect work on my behalf, forever applying the cross to me. So God the Father forever sees me in and through Jesus Christ.
Though I am faithless, He remains faithful. God accepts me—and God accepts you—not on the basis of our good efforts or our religious service or performance, not even our faithfulness. God accepts us based upon the infinitely perfect righteousness and faithfulness of our intercessor, His Son Jesus Christ!!
For our Lord to do anything less, would be for Him to somehow “un-God Himself.” Impossible!
So be encouraged by the goodness of our Lord: though we have sinned, He grants forgiveness; though we suffer, He gives a future; though we stumble, He is faithful.
A couple weeks ago we noted that this month marks 15 years since the Twin Towers in New York City crumbled after those horrible terrorist strikes. And I was thinking about some of the stirrers that surface from the rubble of that tragedy.
I remember reading how a few days after the towers fell there was a taxi cab driver who was having a really hard time making his way around the city. It was unusual because he was an experienced cab driver, but he kept getting disoriented. And the reason he was having a hard time was because he was used to seeing those two tall buildings, the Twin Towers, and had been using them as a reference point to remind him of where he was. But the two buildings were gone now so when he looked up he did not see them like he had before. With his reference point gone, he just kept getting lost and confused.
Listen: Jesus is our reference point. We look to Him. We arrange our lives around Him. He is our faithful Savior to whom we look and remember throughout the day.
And unlike those tall buildings that collapsed, Jesus will never fall nor let you down! He will always be there for you. He is faithful. So when you start getting a little disoriented and confused, and so rattled you can’t even remember your name, remember Jesus! Look to Him. Look to Jesus and trust in Him. On Christ, the solid rock we stand.
Would you bow your heads for prayer?
We’re moving into our time of response. This is God’s invitation to respond. God is inviting everyone of us to respond to His Word.
Be encouraged by the Gospel of our Lord. Are you saved? Have you received the Good News of the Gospel? You may wish to say this to the Lord right now:
“Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment, being my intercessor and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sin and receive you as Savior.”
His Word—which can’t be shackled and must be shared. Let me ask you, “Are you regularly reading the Bible, reading the Word?” Every day? Take a moment right now to thank God for His Word. Just silently in prayer, “Thank You God, for the Bible, Your very Word to me. Thank You that Your word is sufficient to save me, guide me, and warn me. Help me to grow in my study and understanding of Your Word.”
Share His Word with someone today. There are people God knows, people who will be saved this week through your sharing of the Word. “God, grant us the opportunity to share your Word and when the opportunity comes, help us be faithful to share.”
So be encouraged by the goodness of our Lord: though we have sinned, He grants forgiveness; though we suffer, He gives a future; though we stumble, He is faithful.
Jesus is our solid rock. He will not fall. He will not tumble down. He will stand forever as our faithful intercessor at the right hand of God.
“Lord Jesus, thank you for being faithful. May we be faithful to you as we live our lives and as we sing these words, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Let’s sing this song of response to our Solid Rock.
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