The Bible has a lot of things for us to know and remember. Things that require us to make decisions, and to take action. Sometimes we need to stop doing something. Sometimes we need to do some things differently. Sometimes we need to know why we are supposed to do / not do things. Sometimes we need to think of who it is we are serving. Putting the resurrection of Christ in front of our thoughts and actions has many benefits. Let's look at some of the important statements about the resurrection.
Without the resurrection of Christ, there would be no gospel.
There would be no salvation from sin, no salvation from God's future judgment. See I Corinthians 15:1-4, 10-22; John 11:25-26; 14:1-6, 18-20; Acts 2:21-36; 17:30-31; Romans 1:1-4; 4:1-3, 20-25.
Without the resurrection of Christ, there would be no power or purpose in the lives of Christians.
There would also be no power in the work of the gospel. See I Corinthians 15:51-58; Philippians 3:8-10.
Without the resurrection of Christ, Christians would not have a source of hope and joy.
Through the gospel, we not only escape the wrath of God's future judgment, but we have the anticipation of God's future rewards. See I Peter 1:3-8; Luke 14:12-15; John 5:28-29.
Now let's examine our Scripture reading - II Timothy 2:1-10 .
II Timothy 2:1 - Be strong in the grace of Christ.
It is not just about knowledge. Being strong in the grace of Christ is about the work of Christ in our lives - following His example; operating through His Spirit; doing things His way. See John 1:14-17; II Corinthians 8:9; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 13:8-9; II Peter 3:18.
II Timothy 2:2 - Receive gospel ministry into your life (by precept and example) and reproduce it.
Be a good follower of that which is good. Be an example and reflect the light that God has given you. God caused people to invest in your life. Now it's your turn to invest in people. Always work with souls. Souls are the only thing that lasts. See Matthew 5:13-16; I Corinthians 11:1-2; 14:26, 40; 16:14; Galatians 6:1-10; Ephesians 4:1-6; 6:23-24; Philippians 2:14-17; 3:12-19; 4:8-9; Colossians 3:12-17; I Timothy 4:12-16; Hebrews 13:7, 17, 22.
II Timothy 2:3-4 - Be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Cp. Ephesians 6:10-18; Romans 12:1-2; 13:11-14.
- Be battle-ready.
- Keep yourself unentangled with the world, the flesh and the devil.
- Focus on pleasing your Commander-in-Chief - Jesus Christ.
II Timothy 2:5 - Be a disciplined and orderly athlete. Cp. I Corinthians 9:24-27; 14:40; I Timothy 1:3-11.
II Timothy 2:6 - Be a good farmer - a hardworking farmer. Farmers need to eat, too.
- Personal soul-nourishment first. Be fruitful yourself. Then nourish others and have fruitfulness with others. Expect a harvest - a reward for your labors (I Corinthians 3:8-9).
- Avoid hypocrisy and vain confidence by humbly examining yourself and dealing with yourself before the Lord (Galatians 6:1-10; I Timothy 4:12-16).
II Timothy 2:7 - Be considerate and understanding. Cp Ephesians 1:15-23; 5:1-21; II Timothy 3:1-17.
- Not occupied with shallow activity.
- Not "aping" (mimicking) the words and actions of others. Be intimate with the Lord.
II Timothy 2:8 - Be Mindful. Remember / Do not forget…
- That Jesus Christ is of the seed of David. He fulfilled all the gospel qualifications to be our Savior, so that we may know whom we have believed (Romans 1:1-6; Luke 24:36-48 ).
- That He arose from the dead and is alive forever more - leading, feeding, protecting us!
- See Mark 16:19-20; I Corinthians 1:2-9; Colossians 1:9-29; II Timothy 1:7-12; Revelation 1:4-18.
II Timothy 2:9 - Be ready for resistance and persecution. Stay confident with God's Word.
- The gospel attracts persecution and false accusations (Matthew 10:14-42; John 16:1-33).
- God's Word has endless power (Isaiah 55:3-11; Matthew 24:35; I Peter 1:23-25; Romans 1:16).
II Timothy 2:10 - Be determined to preach the gospel. Cp. Romans 1:14-16; 8:18; I Peter 4:10-14.
- The gospel is worth the risk and the trouble (Matthew 16:21-27; Mark 10:28-30; I Peter 5:1, 10).
- The Gospel brings salvation to God's elect (I Thessalonians 1:4-6; 2:12-13; II Thessalonians 2:13).
- The Gospel yields eternal glory (Romans 5:1-5; 15:7; II Corinthians 4:6-18; II Thessalonians 2:14).
Conclusion:
Let us be about our Father's business - laying up treasure in heaven.
- Matthew 6:19-34
- I Corinthians 15:51-58
- Philippians 3:8-21
- Hebrews 6:7-12; 13:20-21.
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