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10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. ~ 2 Timothy 2:10-13
We return to Paul's second letter to Timothy. Its theme is "Faithful Til The End." As we come back to 2 Timothy 2, we are reminded of the theme of this chapter which is being made strong in the grace of God. And, God's definition of strength is quite different than ours. This is why we must be defined by Him and not by ourselves or by this fallen world in which we live.
In the first part of v.10, we read, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect."
When we are defined by God's grace, we will be willing to suffer for the sake of others. The Apostle Paul suffered imprisonment wrongly, yet it was the Lord's will for him to be there. And, boy did we benefit for he wrote 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus while there.
The elect are those who are called out by God to believe in Him and to have a personal relationship with Him. These are the ones who have responded to the free offer of salvation through the Lord Jesus.
Notice the last phrase in v.10, "that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory."
Our suffering increases the weight of God's glory or pronounced presence in our lives. As others watch us suffer joyfully for Christ, they are encouraged to draw closer to the Lord and His glory in their lives increases. God's love increases our ability to love Him and others, and others are moved to God because of it.
The Bible comes to us saturated with the blood, sweat, and tears of men and women of the past who were tortured so that we might have the Bible in English. We must never forget that, in a fallen world, there is going to be suffering when the Word of truth is dispensed among people. This just underscores its value.
In v.11 we read, "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him."
It is faith in Jesus Christ that gives us victory. We do not fear the enemies, for the Lord Jesus has already vanquished them. Through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ we now realize the practical nature of His victory. Death leads to life! Suffering leads to glory! It must be from this vantage point that we operate in this world.
In v.12 we read, "if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us."
In this verse Paul contrasts enduring faith and disowning faith. Here, the Apostle speaks about those who, at one point, professed to know and follow Christ but now deny Him. Their denial does not make them lose salvation but only reveals that they never possessed believing faith in the first place.
If we have truly believed in Christ, He will manifest Himself through our willingness hearts. Like Peter, there will be momentary hiccups in our faithfulness, and we are not to draw conclusions on a snapshot of our faith. If we are in personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we will persevere in the faith. If we are not in personal relationship with Him, we will not persevere in the faith. But, we must look at the big picture, not the individual, and temporary setbacks that we all face.
The Lord Jesus tells us in John 3 we learn that people are condemned because they will not believe on the Lord Jesus. You see, we were born into this world condemned. God judged our sin in the body of the Lord Jesus when He hung on that cross. And, He will judge the world's unbelief because He has to; He would not be God if He didn't. Truth would not be truth if He didn't judge our sin.
In v.13 we read, "if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."
Paul wrote these words to keep us from concluding that we could lose something that we can never earn. And, the Lord led Paul to write these words because He knows that all men of faith struggle with doubt. Here, the Apostle makes it clear that even our own doubt cannot change the Lord Jesus' disposition towards us once we are saved. We do not put faith in our faith or in our strength, because they will change and fail. We put our faith in Him. It is not by trying to be faithful, but in looking to the Faithful One, that we win the victory.
