Be strong in the grace of the Lord and faithful in Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:1-7

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1

The Holy Spirit wants us to know that our strength is in the grace of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that we can do to make ourselves a good person, no one is good but God. There is no amount of humanitarian work or charitable contributions that we can make to win God’s favor. We are and always will be sinners saved by grace, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Our imperfections will always appear in one form or another until we are redeemed in the New Jerusalem, “The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 Our Salvation in Jesus Christ is a gift brought to us by the grace of God, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

Whatever our shortcomings in the flesh are, we are to remain faithful in the Spirit, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 While we are weak in the flesh, we are strong in the grace of God, and this grace is what enables us to continue on in the Gospel of Jesus Christ despite our shortcomings. We are to share the testimony of Jesus to hearts receptive to the Holy Spirit so that they can share the Good News with others. The only good news to share within our sinful human nature is our born-again testimony. That is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart and is witness to Jesus as being the Way, Truth, and Life.

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4

The culture of this world will attack us in the flesh to humiliate, embarrass, and shame us for trying to live for Jesus Christ. They do not understand our testimony of being born-again from walking in the ways of this world to being made alive in the Spirit. They serve the beast that has power over physiology and gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. By what they say and do they make life difficult for Christians.

As born-again people, we do not engage in the affairs of this life, our warfare is in the realm of the spirit, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

The spiritual warfare we are engaged in is against Satan and his beast that sets in the temple of God, our body, as if it is God. The beast does that by giving people what to think, feel, say, and do and is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in that verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin”. God has created us to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

“And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5

The Holy Spirit is saying to us that we can either live by the rules of this atheistic world, which leads to spiritual death and eternal hell or we can live by God’s rules of grace which leads to eternal life. “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey…” Romans 6:15-16

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14

“The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” 2 Timothy 2:6-7

The hardworking farmer is all of us who works to plant the Gospel seed. We are the first to reap the spiritual benefits of the birth of Jesus Christ within others. Those benefits include Christian fellowship as well as the rewards stored up for us in Heaven. The Holy Spirit says to us, Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1