2 Timothy 2:17-19

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17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”  ~ 2 Timothy 2:17-19

As we have been considering, it is God's grace that empowers us to fight the most important battles of guarding the truth and loving people enough to tell them the truth. Given our failed attempts to love God, His grace abounds so that we are perfect in His eyes through the cross of Christ.

In v.17-18, we read, "17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some."

When we totally depart from the truth, corruption will take over. The Apostle uses gangrene which is an infection of the bloodstream that spreads rapidly throughout the body, creating the foulest of smells, to describe what happens when truth is totally rejected. Similar to false teaching, gangrene spreads, infects, and kills other tissue. It spreads and infects the body of believers, the church. This infection must be exposed and removed. Only sound biblical teaching can keep a group of believers healthy and growing.

Hymenaeus was first introduced to us in Paul's first letter to Timothy. Paul wrote of him, "whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme," (1 Timothy 1:20). Evidently, being turned over had not done Hymenaeus any good, because he is still spreading his false doctrine throughout the church, teaching that the resurrection had already happened.

Hymenaeus taught that we experienced spiritual resurrection when we were born again and that is all the resurrection there is going to be. There was a Greek philosophy which was prevalent in Ephesus at that time, which said that the body was evil, so it was unthinkable that God would ever be concerned with resurrecting bodies.

In his teaching, Hymenaeus took only partial truth from the revelation of the Scriptures. This, by the way, is how heresy starts. Hymenaeus ignored the Lord's own words when he predicted that the day was coming when "all who are in the grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth, some to a resurrection of condemnation and some to a resurrection of redemption," (John 5:28b-29).

In v.19 we read, "Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

This verse begins with one of the most important words in all of Scripture, "Nevertheless". Even though false teachers fool some, the truth of God will triumph in the end. Comforting is the thought that the Lord knows those who are really His and nothing can remove us out of His family. This is so, due to the fact that His life is in us, and His presence will not let us be taken from Him. His presence also causes us to persevere in the faith, so we will not compromise with evil so much that we are banished from His presence forever. 

According to Philippians 1:6, we are those who having had a good work begun in us, that work will be performed until the day of Jesus Christ. We are those who can never be separated from the love of God in Christ. We are those of whom the Lord Jesus said, “All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and I have lost none of them, but shall raise them up at the last day.” 

Paul reminds us that we are sealed. This seal denotes God's ownership of us. The Greek word for "sealed" means marked out as the possession of its owner. And, having believed on His Son for our salvation, He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit. The reason we continue in the faith is because He inhabits us and we are His for eternity.

2 Timothy 2:14-16

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14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. ~ 2 Timothy 2:14-16

We return to Paul's description of what it looks like to be defined by God's grace. Living in a world that is under the control of the one called "the god of this world" is dangerous, but when we are defined by the God of the Bible, we will know His peace.

This is why in v.14 we read, "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers."

In the church at Ephesus, there were those who were minutely disputing certain words in the Bible which created factions and division. This is why the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy and tells him to remind everyone to be loyal, faithful, and consistent to the Word of God. We are not to be engaged in debates that get so intense and so hot that we forget that the Lord has sent us to teach others about His culture. 

The words "to the ruin of the hearers" literally means "catastrophe." Church arguments can lead to catastrophic results among the people of God. And, the worst is that the name of the Lord is defamed in the community and people turn away from Him.

The believer is to avoid the kind of debate that pits divine truth against human philosophy and makes the Bible answerable to man instead of man to God. We must stand on the Word of God and we must never subject the Bible to an argument that is steeped in the rejection of its authority. 

It is good to discuss the Bible, to debate certain interpretations of a biblical text, to use various passages of Scripture, but what is to be avoided is placing the Word of God under human philosophy.

In v.15 we read, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The emphasis in this verse is that the worker needs to be diligent in his labors so that he will not be ashamed when his work is inspected. This word "diligent" gives the idea of hastening oneself to "rightly dividing" or correctly understanding the Word of God which is the treasure that we must guard. Those who use the Word correctly will be on the frontline of what God is doing in this world.

An approved worker diligently studies the Word and seeks to  discern the false by knowing the truth. As we study the Scriptures, we will grow in our ability to recognize and understand the usage of each word in the Scripture. As we drink of His word, our investigative powers will increase and our ability to recognize the false will be heightened. 

In order to "rightly divide the word of truth" we must begin with the understanding that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and that there is a clear distinction between the Church and Israel in the Bible. 

When we study the Scriptures to understand them, we must be sure to study it verse by verse in its context. Then, we set out to understand the words that are used in that context with other passages in the Scriptures that deal with the same subject. Then, we will be able to understand the subject in the whole context of the Bible. Confidently, we will have a good working knowledge of the Scriptures and we will be that one who does not need to be ashamed.

Paul is dealing here with a very important principle in understanding the truth of Scripture: all Scripture must be understood in the light of the rest of Scripture. We really have not ever understood any single passage until we have carefully tried to fit it with all that the Scriptures say about it. One of the most frequent ways in which error begins is when one group takes a single passage, or a single book, of Scripture and zeros in on a single text, or a few chosen texts, and builds its entire doctrine on that one passage.

In v.16 we read, "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness."

The word for "shun" is also translated, "walk around." In other words, "Stay away from it; do not get involved in it, walk away from it, because it will give safe haven to more unwholesomeness."

The Bible clearly affirms God is truth, He speaks truth, and He does not lie. The Bible also affirms Satan is a liar and the father of lies and goes around deceiving people. God reveals Himself as truth, and Satan therefore is revealed as the antithesis to God – Satan is the liar. That particular dichotomy descends from the conflict of God and Satan to pervade every area in the universe. There is conflict between the holy angels and the unholy demons, and there is conflict on the earth between the truth and the lies of Satan.

The people of God have always been plagued with false doctrine. The invasion of the false has been something which the people of God have endured since time began. Satan attempts to distort the truth with lies. He attempts to confuse the world so that they cannot perceive the truth of God by drowning them in a sea of deceit. It was his evil intentions and clever misrepresentation of truth to Eve that plunged the whole of the human race into sin.

This is why we must be diligent to study the Word of God. The souls of people are at stake. Time is short, my friends, and we must be careful to expose the darkness by using the light of His Word. We live in a fallen from the truth world and because of this, many question God's love. They look at 'all the suffering' especially of the innocent, and they cannot see that God can possibly be loving. In Jesus Christ the love of God was clearly demonstrated for all to see. Many either have not heard the Gospel or they have a distorted understanding of it. We are here on this earth now to pull back the curtain of confusion and to bring light to the souls of men and women and boys and girls. Will you today share His love with those He brings into your life?

2 Timothy 2:10-13

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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.

2 Timothy 2:8-9

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8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ~ 2 Timothy 2:8-9

We come back to Paul's instructions to Timothy regarding what it takes to be faithful til the end. The cross meant death. This is where our motivation for our obedience comes from, the choice He made to lay down His life so that we could become children of God. When we lose sight of the greatest display of love mankind has ever known, we lose the motivation to follow Him in everyday life. This is why the Apostle admonishes us to "Remember Jesus Christ" in v.8.

We must never lose sight of the cross of the Lord Jesus for it is the cross hairs through which we come to understand all things. From the teachings of the Lord Jesus, it is apparent that following Him involves sacrifice. For some it involves the sacrifice of their life in death. For others it involves the sacrifice of their life in life, saying no to their ambitions and desires and self-will and all of the things that might be on their own agenda for the sake of the will of Christ.

After reminding us to "Remember Jesus Christ," Paul reminds us that He was "raised from the dead." When we remember that we have a source of strength that nothing in this world can defeat, we can endure anything because we know this is not the totality of reality. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is what gives us hope when others see the situation as utterly hopeless. We hang on when everybody else quits, because we see the resurrected Lord at work in and through our lives on a daily basis.

When we consider the resurrection, we see God ripping off the shackles of death from the willing. The resurrection of Christ was God the Father's response to His sacrifice made on our behalf. The resurrection was the amen of God to the blessing made by the Son.

In v.8 Paul continues with, "descended from David." The Lord Jesus descended from King David. Right out of the very loins of David came the Lord Jesus. It speaks of Christ's humanity. But, this also speaks of Christ's deity, because He is the fulfillment of the promise to David that One is coming who will sit on the throne of David forever.

The Lord Jesus was the fulfillment to the Old Testament promises of the Savior. He is God's long promised Savior. He is Son of God and He is the Son of Man at the same time. He is the rightful heir to David’s throne, and He is now set down at the right hand of the Father on high. He is living, and He is reigning. This means He is our High Priest and He is the sovereign who controls everything.

In v.9 we read, “for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.” 

Even though the Apostle was chained, “the Word of God was not.” Paul was locked up, but he still preached to the Roman guards and the members of Caesar’s household. The more the enemies of God try to stop the word of God, the more it is used of God to change lives.

In 1971 a Vietnamese man named Hien Pham was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against the Christian faith. He was tempted to no longer believe in the God of the Bible. It was then that he decided that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or think of his faith.

The next morning, he was assigned the dreaded chore of cleaning the prison toilets. As he cleaned out a tin can overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what seemed to be English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly grabbed it, washed it, and after his roommates had retired that night, he retrieved the paper and read the words of Romans 8:38-39 which reads, "38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

After reading these words from what he knew to be the Bible, Hien wept. Hien knew that there was not a more relevant passage for one on the verge of surrender. He cried out to God, asking forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day that he would not pray. God had other plans. What his tormentors were using for refuse, the Scriptures, could not have become more treasured to Hien.

2 Timothy 2:6-7

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6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. ~ 2 Timothy 2:6-7

The overall theme in 2 Timothy 2 is growing stronger in God's grace, for it is when we are being trained by grace that we will embrace the economy of God the best. Having consider the first three steps in the process of growing in His grace in this section of this letter, the Apostle Paul provides yet another analogy to convey to us elements of spiritual strength that is the product of growing strong in God's grace. 

The hardworking farmer metaphor pictures a man who works to the point of total exhaustion. His all is invested because this is his livelihood. Unlike the teacher, the soldier, and the athlete who fairly quickly enjoy the results of their hard work, the farmer waits and is unsure of the results while he waits.

Farming is backbreaking, dirty, detailed work, and, most of all, it is risky. There aren’t any guarantees in farming. The farmer looks at his failed crop as a tangible reminder that the harvest inevitably belongs to the Lord. The farmer must be faithful to lay the groundwork for the harvest, but the harvest cannot be forced; it can only happen through the Lord’s providence.

In the same way that God made the farmer to care for His creation and provide food for humanity, He trains us by His grace to patiently share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus with the lost and to provide nourishment for them spiritually. 

The Greek participle "hardworking" is descriptive. It informs us that we are involved in a never-ending investment this side of heaven. The verb means on-going labor, recurring trouble, incessant difficulty and persistent fatigue to the point of exhaustion. 

Being trained in grace results in the farmer being able to taste of His fruit, and the fruit is the sinner entering into a personal relationship with God. And, we somehow factored in on the fruitfulness of one being turned from hell to heaven.

When we are being trained by grace, we will gain God's heart increasingly. When this happens, we will be more proficient at giving His truth away, we will be more proficient at enduring hardships in the battle, we will be more proficient in learning endurance and in practicing patience as we work with those who God has seen fit for us to help. 

This analogy of the farmer informs us that our walk with Christ is mostly made up of daily faithfulness and everyday dependent obedience, often pursuing the mundane responsibilities of life. This analogy reminds us that we do not stop doing the basics, including the study of God's Word, prayer and sharing the gospel.

In v.7 we read, "Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."

The verb "reflect" is used only here in the New Testament. It denotes perceiving clearly with the mind, of understanding fully, of considering carefully, of pondering and deeply mulling over. It is an imperative, indicating a strong admonition, not mere advice. It challenges us to ponder carefully the importance of our work for the Lord. 

The reward for the farmer is always in sight. There is joy in the harvest, and the greatest satisfaction belongs to the one who carefully cultivated it all along the way. For the hard-working farmer joy results from His long-term faithfulness. He is content in His work and he has learned the secret joy of trusting in God’s providence and experiencing His constant goodness. 

But there is also joy for the farmer in what he cannot see. One tiny seed becomes a huge plant that produces a thousandfold of seeds. The harvest multiplies itself and goes out into the world in a way that he will never see with his own eyes. But because he can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

In our work and in our weariness, let us look to the farmer. Let us keep the deep-root, big picture in mind. If we don’t give up, one day we will enjoy the final harvest and its bountiful rewards. Unlike our farming friends, this harvest, one cultivated by faith, is absolutely guaranteed.

As a result, “The Lord will give us insight into everything.” God has entrusted us with His word, our experience with Him, our gifts, and the Holy Spirit to be engaged in the lives of people in such a way to train them in the grace of God.

2 TIMOTHY 2:5

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"Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules." ~ 2 Timothy 2:5 

We come back to 2 Timothy 2 where the theme of growing stronger in God's grace is found. Having considered the first two steps in the process of growing in His grace, in this section of 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul provides another analogy to convey to us elements of spiritual strength that is the product of growing strong in God's grace. 

Paul wrote, "Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete." 

The word "anyone" clearly shows any believer in Christ can do this. But, we must be well-trained spiritually by the grace of God which is His undeserved favor that equips us to compete, to endure, to persevere. And, the competition that believers in the Lord Jesus are called to is different than any other. This is really a competition against ourselves, fighting off those things that prevent us from investing in others.

The first thing the Apostle points out here in this verse is the idea that the athlete competes. In doing so, he uses the Greek verb athleō for the word translated "competes." This means the athlete gives great effort to be defined by God, and in so doing, he points us back to the Word of God. 

That which separates the winners from the losers is not always talent, but it is always the effort to be defined by God. And not just the effort of being defined at a particular time, itself, but the effort long before the definition was needed. If anyone is going to compete as an athlete, there is a tremendous price to pay in terms of discipline by and preparation in the Word of God. This work is done while meeting with God through His Word.

Just as the athlete competes to win the contest, the believer who is growing stronger in God's grace does not run the race without forging to the finish line. There has to be a goal in mind. The believer who is being trained in this way is a competitor who presses foward to victory. And, if we win, it will be due to the tremendous work ethic and internal passion that is produced by the Word of God as we study Him. The competitive athlete will be the picture of self-denial, self-sacrifice and tremendous effort because this is who the Lord Jesus is, and He is revealing Himself through the yielded believer.

The Greek word the Apostle Paul uses here translated in the English as "the victor's crown" is stephanos. Used eighteen times in the New Testament, "stephanos" is used to describe the reward for the running the race well. This crown does not represent salvation, otherwise we would be teaching that we earn our salvation which we could never do. This crown is used of one who is motivated by God's grace to endure tremendous testing which yields a tremendous testimony in the eyes of others and God.

In the Greek games, there were three prerequisites that every athlete had to fulfill. One, he had to be a true-born Greek. Two, he had to prepare for ten months and stand before a statue of Zeus and swear that he had prepared for ten months. And if he had not, then he gave Zeus the liberty to take his life. Then, he had to stay within the rules of the event. 

Now, if he was found not to be a true-born Greek, if it was found to have not prepared for a full ten months, and if it was found to violated the rules of his event, he was disgraced and instantly disqualified.

This is the picture the Apostle Paul had in mind as he wrote our text for today. The Greeks were very careful to keep the rules of training, the rules of birth, and the rules of competition. In like manner, the believer who is being trained by God's grace must be related to God as His son through the Lord Jesus Christ. He must have trained in the matters of self-denial, given over himself full-time to spiritual training. And, when those things are in place, he will compete according to God's definition of all things.

Like the competitive athlete, the believer in Christ is one who is learning to be retrained to think like God. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, the believer's mind is being reprogramed by God and His Word. It takes years of time to be trained by the Lord Himself, so be patient with yourself and the Lord as He makes you strong in His grace.

2 Timothy 2:3-4

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3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. ~ 2 Timothy 2:3-4 

Having considered the first step in the process of becoming stronger in the grace of God, being a teacher, today, we come to the second step, being a good soldier. 

In v.3 we read, "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."

It is only as the result of growing stronger in the grace of God that we choose to enter the war. In this section of 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul uses analogies to convey to us elements of spiritual strength that is the product of growing strong in God's grace. Let me remind you, growing strong in God's grace is not an over night thing, so be patient with yourself as He grows you to be stronger by revealing His great grace to you on a daily basis.

The amazing thing is there is a link between suffering and passion. You see, passion finds its root in the Greek word which means “suffering”. There is no testimony without the tests. We can not be passionate about something if we are not willing to suffer for it. Suffering is not a prerequisite for passion, it is the result of passion. As believer's in the Lord Jesus, we are in a war, and we are called to be at the forefront in this war. Since this war is spiritual in nature, we must be careful to do battle with the spiritual weapons that the Lord has given us. Our primary weapons are: the Word of God, the Spirit of God and prayer. And the many battles being waged for the hearts and souls of people.

Now, being a soldier involves “Joining in the suffering.” The best translation of this first part of the verse is: “endure affliction together.” In view of the cross, we are postured to grow in our passion for Him. And, after we have entered into the battle, we must not be surprised by suffering when it comes. As any soldier engaged in battle, we collect wounds as we factor into the war. But, we willingly enter the battles because we have seen our Lord's willingness to do everything He asks His soldiers to do and more. In fact, we are quick to lay down our lives for Him because He laid down His life for us, and we, subsequently, have eternities values in view.

It is odd how all of this works, but as we teach others what God has revealed to us and we suffer while being engaged in the conflict, we grow in the grace of God. You see, as we are put in these positions, we are given a front row seat to how the grace of God works in our lives first. Then, as we share the truths we have garnered in the various battles with those whom we influence, we then are able to help them through our battles.

In v.4 we read, "No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer."

This war only has a frontline, and we’re all in it together. And, the practical stuff of life is of less importance to us than the eternal stakes that are at hand. Since we have a soldier's mindset, we do not not get distracted by the temporary, we are focused on what will last for eternity. Most live for the things of this world, they do not possess an eternal perspective.Those who are strong in the grace of God are motivated to be engaged in the war.

At the end of v.4 we read, "but rather tries to please his commanding officer." 

When we have come to appreciate the grace of God that He has lavished upon us, we will be anxious to do those things that are dear to Him. Of course, we do this not to gain His favor, but to merely say, "I love you" in return. As soldiers in the Lord's army, we live to serve Him. The greatest joy of the soldier is to please the Lord. 

This was particularly true in the Roman army; a commander would gather around him men whom knew him, loved him, trusted him and would follow him anywhere. Those were the ones who won the great battles for Rome. The apostle uses that analogy to drive home the thought: The faithful soldiers serves the One who laid down His life for him. Our one objective is not to get something for ourselves, it is to please Him.

The motive here is love and passion, not duty. The One we are following has laid down His life for us. He has secured our eternity in heaven with Him. And, when this grips our being we will choose to lay down our lives for Him. And, primary on His heart are those who are yet trapped by the wrong passions.