The Book of II Timothy – passages specific to God’s Plan for Man’s – SALVATION
II Timothy 1
v.8 – So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, v.9 – who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, v.10 – but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. v.11 – And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. v.16 – May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because, he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. v.17 – On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. v.18 – May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
II Timothy 2
v.1 – You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. v.2 – And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. v.3 – Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. v.4 – No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer. v.5 – Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. v.6 – The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. v.7 – Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
v. 8 – Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, v.9 – for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. v.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.
v.11 – Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;
v.12 – if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
v.13 – if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
II Timothy 2
v.24 – And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. v.25 – Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, v.26 – and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
II Timothy 3
v.1 – But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. v.2 – People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, v.3 – without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, v.4 – treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – v.5 – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. v.6 – They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, v.7 – always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. v.8 – Just as James and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth – men of depraved minds, who as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. v.9 – But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
II Timothy 3
v.14 – But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, v.15 – and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. v.16 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, v.17 – so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
II Timothy 4
v.6 – For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. v.7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. v.8 – Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
II Timothy 4
v.18 – The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
February 08 2010 | New Testament - Salvation | No Comments »
I suppose – to one degree or another – most everyone is – at one time or another - ”running from something” or “running toward something”. For me, I have seen too many - children running away - from pain in their little lives – and adults and parents, too – running – this way and that – sometimes chasing and sometimes retreating – sometimes escaping and sometimes pursuing – sometimes lashing out and other times withdrawing for refuge. But all of them – too many of them – running.
Having run away from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – Sarah having turned her heart back toward the evil, reduced to a mound of salt – Lot and his girls found themselves, very much afraid and feeling rather desperate - retreating, escaping, withdrawing for refuge, in a mountainous cave, – perhaps feeling like they had barely escaped with their lives – I suppose – unaware, to one degree or another, that they were comfortably within the protection of the Father God.
Death and destruction of everything and everyone they had known - was just there – behind them – in the ruins of the valley below - and now alone, up in the mountains – desperation and fear about what was to become of their future – - – hopeless and afraid - it seemed, I expect – they felt as if, there was no place left to run.
So, that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again. v.33
It seems that fear and desperation, of one sort or another - pushed Lot’s daughters, not knowing where else to run, to get their father drunk and trick him into getting them pregnant. ”… that we may preserve our family line through our father,” they said.
I have a bit of difficulty with the “reasoning” of Lot’s girls – I suppose you might, too. As well, I have some difficulty with Lot himself – that he might allow himself to be in such a position with his daughters. What’s more troubling to my understanding of this story - is that, frankly, if it weren’t for the apostle Peter - I might never have known – that this “pathetic fella”, Lot – was a “true believer”!!! Hello!?!? 
- – - I know, but Peter describes, that God rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men – and that he was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. 2 Peter 2 I find myself thankful for Peter and his gospel – because I might not have quite understood Lot – and his running – and his bad choices …. quite the same as I do, knowing – that – - - Lot with all his faults – was considered by God – a “righteous man”!?!?!
The story went that Lot - chose, “life in the city” – while Abraham chose – life as a sojourner. Lot also chose to take the best lands for himself and left what might remain, to Abraham in the countryside. I suppose, even then – Lot was “running” from something – perhaps from a weak opinion of himself, or worse. He seized opportunities that seem to have been motivated by a desire to create a destiny - made of his own hands, rather than God’s - a destiny to create for himself – something more than who he actually was. What we know is that he and his family ultimately, found themselves living among sin – so great - that God became aware of the crys of those souls suffering from its consequences – while at the same time caloused by prolonged exposure - – - all of them, I suppose – too many of them – running about, while unable to determine “where they were running to.” I can easily imagine – cities of people, running about – this way and that – chasing this and that, retreating, escaping, pursuing, lashing out, withdrawing for refuge – and I imagine – Abraham, the sojourner – from some high hill – in the countryside – looking down on the cities pain – and weeping, as it were – for his family. I imagine, too – Lot and his girls – - – having ultimately “run away” from it all – - – a “way out” provided by the Lord, urged by Abraham, and still – - – not knowing – - – just how or why or even – where, they were running to.
I suppose – to one degree or another – most everyone is, at one time or another – “running from something” or “running toward something”. For me, I have seen too many sad results of abuse – of all kinds – often the result of folks “running” from something – unsure of where they might ought to be running – while running all the same - and often smack in - to alcohol or drugs or illicit behaviors, of one sort or another – running, knowing that they must run – but not knowing where to run, at all. Once, kind parents – becoming harsh with their children - – or harsh with their spouses - many having run in to, too much “wine” - of one sort or another – like Lot and his girls found themselves running, too – not knowing where to run, but running all the same. Exceptional teens and adults - failing in life – because of dependence on one drug or another – broken pieces of hearts and thirsty souls – running about – not knowing where they are running to. Folks addicted to pain medicines and other mood-altering prescriptions. The list of things we run to – for escape – is endless. Running away – it seems – running in general - is all too common, among us.
In the Walk of Faith – when we often find ourselves running – away from something – perhaps from dangers we dared to get too close to – - – I suppose - knowing when to run – is very important! – while – knowing where to run to – is rather important, too!!!!
… Perhaps, having found ourselves – “on the run” – stumbling across a place to rest – after catching our breath – when we look around us, we might find that – now in a strange place – we begin to feel overwhelmed and desperate, all over again. Too often - it is desperation that causes us to make decisions that we later, regret. It seems that, Knowing where to run to, becomes rather important, now!
Consider that Peter, about Lot, said that … if the Lord “condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from their trials”
In your daily walk – you may find yourself running - - – In The Running – RUN – TO THE LORD!
February 03 2010 | Fathering Moments - The Daily Walk and Living in the Word | No Comments »