MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

“They said with a loud voice:

The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”  (Revelation 5:12 HCSB)

Mary had a little Lamb,

To make us white as snow;

We must give our heart to Him,

If to heaven we would go.

As helpless as a little lamb, Mary placed the newborn King in a cradle of straw, his soft flesh bound up in swaddling cloths to ward of the chill of the night.  He came as a Lamb—One to be the perfect Passover, examined, proven to be without blemish and worthy of sacrificing Himself as a substitute for our sins.

The blood in the veins of that little Lamb was pure—real human blood, but untainted by sin—the result of a supernatural conception by the Spirit of God’s work and implanted in the virgin’s womb.  Fully God and fully man—subjected to the hostile environment of this world and yet not contaminated by it.  This was the Almighty Creator in the form of a nursing infant living on His mother’s milk.  He was just a little Lamb.

Just a Lamb?  Just a Lamb and what a Lamb!   After He grew to manhood, his cousin, John the Baptist, would stop his preaching and point to Him and shout, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:29b) 

The Lamb identified Himself with those sinners He came to save.  From standing in line with them to be baptized in the Jordan, to dining with them at a wedding feast, to walking among the throngs of hurting humanity—jostled by the crowds, even the demonized and defiled, loathsome lepers and scarlet women.  That is not to mention the self-righteous sinners who needed Him as much as others, but were revolted at being around a Lamb who would love the unlovely.

But, it was for sinners He came as a Lamb, and it was for sinners that He died as a Lamb—His blood streaming down as He prays, “Father, forgive them.”  That prayer was meant for even His enemies—He died for all!

John saw that Lamb risen from the dead.  He testified to the life that He died to give—and that eternal life is assured for Christ has conquered death.  Then John saw Him rise into the sky, the Lamb heavenward bound.  The years passed, and the Apostle aged and was imprisoned on that hunk of rock in the Mediterranean Sea, called Patmos.  But, it was there He was graced to see the Lamb once more!

John had to wipe away his tears to see Him.  The scroll—the title deed to the universe—fastened shut by seven seals, had been presented with the condition it could only be possessed by someone worthy enough to own it and open the seals.  A search was made throughout the universe, and none were qualified.  John hung his head in despair, as tears flowed like rivers in the furrows that time had carved into his face.  Then He was told, “Look up, brush away the tears, someone has been found!”  That One is the Lamb of God.

He takes the scroll—for He alone is worthy!  All the redeemed, symbolized by the 24 elders bow before Him in worship.  A song fills the celestial sphere—a new song, a song of triumph and thanksgiving:

“And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed [people] for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.”  (Rev.5:9-10)

When Mary had her little Lamb, the angels lifted up their voices with a message of the Savior who had come.  It echoed across the Judean hills and compelled shepherds to leave their lambs to go see that special Lamb.  Now, John hears those same angels, along with all the heavenly host joining in the chorus:

“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.  They said with a loud voice:

The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say:

Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”  (Rev.5:11-14)

He is still the Lamb—the same Lamb that Mary had—the same Jesus—and yet, not the same Jesus.  Born in weakness, He now stands in power.  Sleeping in a stable then, sitting on a throne today—and He shall reign forever and ever!

Amen!  Let us bow down and worship the Lamb of glory!  If we shed tears, let them be the overflow of a heart brimful of joy and gratitude!  Merry Christmas indeed!

THE GREATEST GIFT

[This is a message I shared yesterday which God used to touch hearts, so I send it out to you today as a Christmas card on this Christmas Eve.]

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”  (1 John 4:9)

Is your Christmas shopping done?  If not, you better do it—NOW!  Honestly, I’m not that keen on the shopping part of it, but I don’t mind the giving—in fact, I enjoy it.  I realize it is possible to over-do it—that the commercialization of Christmas is a problem.  But, the concept of giving is what Christmas is all about, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  God took the greatest gift, wrapped Him in love and sent His Son to earth to pay the greatest price to meet our greatest need. 

John writes about this great gift of love when he speaks of THE ESSENCE OF LOVE.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”  (1 John 4:7-8) 

God is the very essence of what love is all about, and love is the essence of who God is for “love is from God” and “God is love.”  Those were shocking concepts to John’s readers.  This was something new to the ancient world.  Pagan gods were cruel and self-centered, filled with lust, anger and envy.  Today the god of Islam, Allah, is a deity to cringe before in terror, but not a god to love.  Only the Gospel presents the true God and that He is someone who loves us! 

Those who respond to that love and receive Christ are born again, and we become the children of God.  Since our Heavenly Father is love, His children will resemble Him and they will love also.  We can profess to be children of God, but only those who love prove it.

 

God the Father is THE ESSENCE OF LOVE and God the Son is THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE.

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  (1 John 4:9-10) 

What does love mean?  We have to ask, because it is used in America in such a wide range of ways.  I can say I love ice cream and I love my wife, and I love to eat ice cream with my wife—is that the same thing?  Or we say I love to fish or I love my grandchildren, and I love taking my grandchildren fishing—that doesn’t mean the same thing, does it? 

There are ideas that are abstract which demand an illustration to enable us to explain them well.  It is hard to define freedom with words alone, but just watch someone who has immigrated to this land of liberty from an oppressive regime or harsh deprivation, and watch them as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance as new citizens—you will understand freedom.  It isn’t easy to verbalize beauty, but point to a mountain landscape covered in snow and you get the picture.  What is joy?  Observe children on Christmas morning—eyes sparkling, reflecting the light on the tree and hear them as they squeal with delight, tearing through the gift wrap to the treasure inside—and we witness joy. 

What about love?  I will do more than express with words what love is all about—I will point to a living example—Jesus Christ!  This is how “God’s love was revealed,” John states.  God loves you—and all you have to do is look in a manger of straw, and observe a cross of wood.  Lying there is the gift of love in a stable—the newborn Baby.  Hanging there is the gift of love on a cross—the man Jesus. 

He was born to die—that was His mission and it was motivated by love.  The cross is the real Christmas tree.  Those chubby little hands, so smooth and soft, that reached as an infant for Mary would some three decades later be pierced with cruel spikes as He would be nailed to a tree.  He did it for you; He did it for me.

Knowing God as THE ESSENCE OF LOVE and experiencing Jesus as THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE enables is to encounter THE EFFECTS OF LOVE.

“Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.  No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us.

This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given [assurance] to us from His Spirit.  And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world’s Savior.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God.  And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world.  There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.  So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.  We love because He first loved us.

If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen.  And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:11-21) 

John tells us that no on can see God—except as they see Him in us.  Is the word love the identifying mark the world would use to describe Christians today? 

Jerry Vines once shared a story, how years ago, a missionary to the Navajo Indians came upon a sick woman who had been abandoned by the tribe.  Tenderly, the missionary nursed her back to health.  The old woman wanted to now why she had done that.  That’s when the missionary told her about God’s love and asked her if she wanted to trust in Jesus as her Lord and Savior.  She answered, “If Jesus is anything like you, I can trust Him forever!” 

Could that be said about you or me? 

You may think—there are some people that I just don’t think I can love.  “You don’t know how they hurt me.”  The natural thing to do is to retaliate—if not aggressively by counterattack, at least passively, by shunning them.   But, the child of God is no longer to be directed by the old nature.  God has given us a new nature—the very nature of Christ!  It is the Holy Spirit who generates this heavenly love, (v.13).  The result is that we want others to know that God loves them and they too can be saved (v.14-16). 

Experiencing, embracing and expressing this love is transformational—a blessing to others, but to ourselves as well.  The more we understand the love of God, the more we trust Him—and fear finds no space (v.17-18).  It chases it away—fear supplanted by faith as we know nothing can separate us from the love of God and that being the case what can harm us?

“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?

Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies.  Who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, [hostile] powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”  (Rom.8:31-39)

God’s love speaks louder than words (v.19-21).  Love originated with God and if we love the Father, we will love His children.  It will be spoken to be sure, but must also be shown—otherwise our speech is a sham.

The nature of a gift is that it is free to you because someone else has paid the price.  The gift of eternal life cost Jesus His life, and so it is offered to us freely.  Still I must reach out a hand of faith and take it.  Have you?  If not, will you?

MAYAN MISTAKE

“But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that [day] the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.” (2 Peter 3:10 HCSB)

It is December 22, 2012—and we are still here.  I should not be writing these words today, because the world ought to have come to an end yesterday—according to the Mayan calendar.  Although many of us suspected that is all this hubbub would turn out as hooey, it has now been confirmed.  The Mayans were mistaken.  But, a lot of people foolishly bought into this.  Some behaved irrationally—like one man in China who took all his life-savings—nearly $200,000—and built an ark.

It may not even be that the Mayans were mistaken, but those who interpreted their calendar were.  Leading up to this “Doomsday” scenario, experts in Mayan culture said that the calendar was being misinterpreted.

No matter who was mistaken, this doomsday became a dud.  The world did not end—yet.

But, this present world, and all that is in it, will some day come to an end.  I believe it may be near, but I will not fall into the error of setting dates.  The Bible tells us the end is coming, but assures us that we don’t know when.

Jesus said, “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows — neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son — except the Father only.” (Matt.24:36)

What part of that don’t we understand?

Jesus is coming, judgment will fall, the end of this present evil age will happen and a new order will be established—that is certain as well.  There are numerous things which the Bible reveals about the last days, but also some elements shrouded in mystery.  One mistake Christians can make is they get consumed about watching for the signs and neglect working for the Savior!  Biblical prophecy was never meant to satisfy our curiosity, but to stimulate our activity—much more about filling our hearts with expectation, than filling our heads with information.

Now, there is nothing commendable about ignorance.  What the Bible teaches concerning the return of Christ needs to be studied, taught and believed.  But, real faith never stops with intellectual assimilation, but leads to practical application.  James warns us of the self-deception of being hearers of the Word and not doers of it.

So, how are we to respond to the reality of the Lord’s return?  How should we live in light of eternity?  Peter tells us in the final chapter of his second epistle.

The first response of the Christian to the reality of Christ’s return is to BE PATIENT (2 Pet.3:1-9).

“Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.  The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”  (v.8-9)

The nuttiness associated with the Mayan calendar, the Harold Camping rapture predictions of a few months back, the calculations laid out in books like, “88 Reasons Jesus Will Return in 1988” from a couple of decades ago, the error that led to the founding of the Seventh Day Adventist movement in the 1800’s, the prophecies of Nostradamus centuries ago, and such, only give the skeptics reasons to scorn the whole idea that the world will come to an end.

But, in so doing, they are actually fulfilling the very prophecy they deny.

Peter warned, “First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to their own desires, saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.’” (v.3-4)

Just because it hasn’t happened yet, does not mean it won’t.  So, after all the sermons on the return of Christ and the passing of two thousand years of church history, why hasn’t Jesus come back?

The answer is given: the perspective of the Lord and the patience of His love (v.8-9). 

God’s view of time as an eternal Being is vastly different from our perspective as mortals.  Those who typically live less than a century on earth think of a thousand years as a long time, but to God it would be like a day.  At my age, do you know how long a day is?  Why, it’s like a blink of an eye, and it has zipped by!  How long has it been since Jesus ascended with the promise that He would come again?  Like a couple of those days!

God’s love for souls is immeasurable and therefore His patience is incredible.  When the end comes, it will mean condemnation to all who reject Christ.  “But by the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (v.7)  Jesus didn’t come into this world for the purpose of bringing condemnation, but salvation (see John 3:17).  Though His patience is long, it is not limitless.  There is a line that will be crossed—and wrath will be outpoured.  It will then be too late for repentance.  That day has not arrived, but it will.

So, we wait patiently, and work persistently, while we witness passionately.  Peter uses the example of Noah and the flood to underscore this (v.5-7).  Noah hammered together the ark, every blow echoing the call to repent.  He begged his scoffing neighbors to come into the ark.  They mocked him—for years.  But, then came the day Noah was summoned to enter the ark with his family and the animals.  God shut the door—opportunity ended and judgment fell from the skies.

How do we live in light of the Lord’s return?  Be patient, for God is.  The second response is BE PREPARED.

“But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that [day] the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, [it is clear] what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat.  But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.”  (2 Pet.3:10-13)

 

It is apparent that this is the pivotal point that Peter is making.  The truth of the Lord’s return ought to lead us to transformation in our readiness for that day.

Many years ago, I was a Boy Scout.  I still remember the Scout motto, “Be prepared.” That is a thoroughly Biblical response—you prepare for life in the sweet by and by as you live clean in the soiled now and now.

Our life on earth is a dress-rehearsal for eternity.  If we are gripped by this reality, it will make a difference in every dimension of life on this planet.

We will invest in that which is eternal, rather than temporal.  All that we see, touch, and treasure of this material universe will one day dissolve.  Picture a nuclear bomb dropped on your house—what would be left?  Everything would be vaporized.  That is the force unleashed when an atom is split. What will happen when the elements come unglued?  Right now, they are held together by the Word of God. That very Word will turn to their dissolution one day in a fiery cataclysm, “But by the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”  (v.7)

Have your heard the appeals to invest in gold?  I am not going to tell you what to do with your retirement plan—maybe having some gold will help in the short-term.  But, please, don’t give yourself to hoarding gold as something to trust in, because it is not a wise investment in the long run!  It is going to melt away, like everything else.

Maybe you have heard the story that goes something like this:

A man is facing death and makes one request of God.  “I have always heard about money that you can’t take it with you, but would you just let me pack one suitcase with gold?  I don’t want to take it all—just this little bit.”  God graciously granted the request.  On arriving in heaven, the angels are immediately aware of this unique event—a man headed for the Pearly Gates with a suitcase.  Before he enters, they stop him and say, “We must inspect the contents of this before we allow you to bring it in.”  The fellow says, “Alright, but you must handle this very carefully.  It is extremely valuable to me.  I had to get special permission to bring it.”  The angels open the case, look inside, close it and hand it back over to the man.  When he walks away, one scratches his head, and another says with bewilderment, “Pavement! Why did he bring pavement?”  You see, in heaven that which we prize so highly on earth is the stuff we walk upon up there!

God has given us time, talent and treasure—a specific allotment of each.  Stewardship demands that I take those assets from the Lord which He has distributed to me and that I invest them in such a way that they are of eternal significance. This is how we prepare to meet God.  C.S. Lewis put it this way, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in.  Aim at earth and you get nether.”  Then, in this connection, I also love the quote from Jim Elliot, the martyred missionary, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

The end is coming.  It wasn’t yesterday.  It could be today.  The important thing is to be patient and be prepared.  When this is the case, then we will BE PURE (2 Pet.3:14-18).

Peter has already hit at this, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, [it is clear] what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness” (v.11).  The new heavens and new earth will be a place, “where righteousness will dwell.” (v.13). Now Peter drives this home, “Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found at peace with Him without spot or blemish.” (v.14)

Heaven is a place for the holy.  We must be a holy people to be at peace with a Holy God.  He is ever at war with sin.  If we do not lay down our arms in unconditional surrender in this life, we will find ourselves His enemies forever—to our everlasting regret.

Holiness is rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It comes by faith in Him, where His very righteousness is imputed to us.  We are regenerated, made to be saints when we repent of our sins and receive the Savior.  That Holy Spirit then leads to godly behavior as more and more we take on the image of our Father outwardly which has become ours inwardly as children of God.  The writer of Hebrews echoes this same message, “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness — without it no one will see the Lord.” (12:14) Jesus said, “The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.  The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matt.5:8-9)

If you knew Jesus would return tomorrow, how would it affect the way you live today?  Really, it shouldn’t change a thing, because we ought to be living each day as if it were our last day.  It just might be!

STEWARDS OF SCRIPTURE

“Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:13-14 HCSB)

The Bible we read may have a leather cover, worn with use and the pages yellowing with age.  It might even be a paperback, when new, it was purchased for a few dollars and now, tattered by time, could not even be sold at a second hand store.  But I am telling you that Bible you hold is truly a treasure—the treasure of truth.

 

The Psalmist declared, “Since I love Your commands more than gold, even the purest gold,” (Ps.119:127) and that speaks of Scripture’s inestimable worth. 

The value of something is determined primarily by two things: what someone is willing to pay for it and what is received from it.  We often take our Bibles for granted, not considering the suffering and blood that many have gone through to make this Book available. Its message has been written in the crimson ink of martyrs’ blood—and still people die for it today.  This Book is of infinite worth for it contains eternal wealth—the message of salvation!  “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it.  For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?”  (Mark 8:35-36)  

Paul is reminding Timothy of this.  The text we focus on today is from the final letter of the Apostle Paul, who will soon die for his faithfulness to the truth.  He will testify, “I have kept the faith.” (4:7)  He had been entrusted with a sacred stewardship of Scripture and now will challenge another—his young protégé, Timothy—to be faithful to the Word of God, also. Timothy was being handed the torch of truth, which has been passed from runner to runner across the centuries, and now has been thrust into our hands.  Will we carry that light, and then as we complete our leg of the race, relay it to the next generation?

If we are to do so, then there are several elements of this stewardship that we must understand and apply.  The first one concerns GROUNDING IN THE TRUTH as underscored in 2 Timothy 1:1-5.

“clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.” (v.5)

Paul can identify Timothy’s faith as genuine because it rests upon the solid ground of truth.

Observe that it is UNFAILING IN ITS TRUSTWORTHINESS.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the promise of life in Christ Jesus:

To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (v.1-2) 

We stand upon the promises of God.  Paul speaks specifically of “the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” God cannot lie.  He never deceives.  He is never mistaken.  He always delivers, for there are no unforeseen circumstances that would prevent Him from keeping His word.

The dearness of Paul’s love for Timothy expressed here was rooted in the depth of God’s love for Timothy.  This is an incredible fact taught in the Word of God: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” 

Flowing from that fountain of love are rivers of grace, mercy and peace.  These are provided in salvation.

The ground of truth is solid, for it is not only unfailing in its trustworthiness, it is UNCHANGING IN ITS TRANSMISSION.

“I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.  Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy, clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.” (v.3-5) 

The revelation of God had been given to the nation of Israel.  Paul speaks of the heritage of faith that had been transmitted down to him from his ancestors (v.3) That truth had been manifested to him in the revelation of Christ at his conversion—all that the Old Testament prophets had proclaimed was fulfilled in Christ.  Once Paul understood this, he committed himself to join the other Apostles in transmitting that truth in what we now call the New Testament.  As a consequence of this, the same truth was transmitted to Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, who passed it on to Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and at last to him—from one generation to the next. 

Our stewardship of truth requires its unchanging transmission to our youth!  If we fail here, we fail completely! If someone comes into the Trauma Unit of the ER, bleeding to death, everything else becomes a secondary priority.  This is an evangelical emergency!  We are hemorrhaging young people in church life today.  The problem starts in the home, for God has given the parents the responsibility to transmit the truth to their children as Lois and Eunice did, but that is not helped by the church’s failure to train parents and support them!  Then, what about those who come through our doors from broken homes or unbelieving parents?  Our ministry requires a passion to reach the next generation as Paul evidenced here.

Go to many a Baptist church today and you will find the patient is dying.  All you see are a small number of white-headed people, their numbers declining with diminishing health and advancing age, where there are dramatically more funerals than baby dedication services.  That is a failure in stewardship of Scripture.  We have not grounded young disciples in the truth.

When there is grounding in the truth, it should lead to GROWING BY THE TRUTH as described in 1:6-12.

“Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (v.6)

The fire had been ignited in Timothy’s soul, and now needed to be stoked into a blaze.  To change the metaphor, once the seed of truth has taken root in the soil of our soul, we must cultivate that truth so we grow and become fruitful. 

Paul was an example of this.  He was converted, then called and then committed to the task—eventually consumed by it.  Timothy is to follow that same model.  There are four components listed here.

The first is to have A PASSION FOR GROWTH, “keep ablaze the gift” (v.6). Passion fuels our growth.  There is always a danger that the fire will go out.  Tend the fire of your devotion!  It is what we literally do on a cold winter day as the fire begins to diminish in the fireplace.  We take a poker and stab and stir up the logs so that they flame up again.

Paul tells Timothy to do this.

Has the fire of your passion for the Word of God grown cold?  Do you find the Word of God as delightful and desirable as ever?  David said it was sweeter than honey out of the comb.  May God keep us passionate in pursuing truth!  I have been called of God to jab you with the poker through preaching—I pray it is working!

Then we find there will be A POWER FOR GROWTH.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.  So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.” (v.7-8) 

Timothy had a struggle with timidity.  Truth would stiffen his spine and stabilize his steps.  It would drive away fear and supplant it with faith.  It would produce the fruit of power, love and sound judgment.  This would lead to reckless abandon to Christ.  Paul set this pattern.  He was writing from a prison cell, on death row, for the testimony of truth.  He underlines how he was able to stand, “relying on the power of God.”  That same power is available to us.  It sustained Paul and it would sustain Timothy and we will discover it will sustain us.

There is also A PURPOSE IN GROWTH.

“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

For this [gospel] I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher” (v.9-11). 

Did you notice the word “purpose,” conveying that God had a purpose in saving Paul?  We are told that purpose in verse eleven, “appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher.” Paul was saved to serve.  He speaks of it as being designed in eternity “before time began,” yet manifested in history. 

You are not an accident—God has a purpose for your life—and I would suggest it is to bear witness Christ for one thing.  We grow in Him in to go for Him.

Further, we find A PERSISTENCE IN GROWTH, “and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.” (v.12) 

We can persistently be faithful to God because He is persistently faithful to us!  Our commitment is connected to His commitment.  We entrust our souls to Him and He then will entrust a stewardship to us. 

How long must we be faithful?  When is the work done? Not, “until that day”—the day we stand before Him at the end of time and give account.  Then our labor is ended and we rest.  Our growing has reached its goal, for we will be made like Christ whom we then see face to face.  It is then we hear those precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Grounding in the truth and growing by the truth calls us to stewardship and the GUARDING OF THE TRUTH as demanded in 1:13-15.

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” (v.14)

Someone will always try to steal your treasure.  Riches must be guarded.  The devil is a thief.  Cry out, “Stop thief!”

So, we have TRUTH TO HOLD FAST.

“Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.  This you know: All those in Asia have turned away from me,including Phygelus and Hermogenes.” (v.13-15)

Greek scholar, Kenneth Wuest, has commented: “Particular words are to be retained and used so that the doctrinal statements of the truth may remain accurate and a norm for future teachers and preachers.”  This is “the pattern of sound teaching.” 

We would call this systematic theology and doctrinal confession. Don’t let it slip!  Engrave it on your heart and educate the young— both those who are young in age and in faith.

The truth is a TREASURE TO KEEP SAFE, ““Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” (v.14) The Spirit of truth will help us preserve the truth.  He is its source of the truth and He safeguards the truth.  He functions as a kind of spiritual radar within the child of God sounding an alarm when error is detected. 

John describes this ministry of the Spirit as a sacred anointing, “I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.  The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him.” (1 John 2:26-27)

When the alarm goes off in our heart, we must loudly sound it with our lips.  There are those who are not trained in detecting error so easily due to their immaturity.  “But solid food is for the mature — for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.” (Heb.5:14)

If we aren’t faithful to guard this treasure, we will answer to God!  It is His truth and we are accountable for how we handle it.

This means also that there is TREACHERY TO BOLDLY CONFRONT, “This you know: All those in Asia have turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.” (v.15)  

These false teachers were called out.  We shy away from that today—to our shame.  In our society where syncretism flourishes and the great doctrine of political correctness is the one creed, the church has lost her voice in speaking out against heresy.

No one likes to have the sharp scalpel of truth to cut away at them.  They will howl, but heresy is a cancer that kills churches.  It is a malignancy that never gets better, and must be excised.  This is our stewardship of Scripture.  It is our duty to safeguard the treasure of truth.

God has promised to preserve His Word.  He will do so.  Even in the darkest hours of apostasy in church history, there has always been a remnant that held to sound doctrine.  These will be rewarded in “that day.”  May we be in that number and not as those who, “turned away.”