2 Timothy 3
June Memory Verse: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
Read: 2 Timothy 3
Today we are continuing in 2 Timothy. It is a very personal, heartfelt letter. As we pick up in chapter 3 today, Paul continues to charge Timothy to live a strong, bold life for Jesus & the gospel. If you look back to 2 Timothy 1:14 I believe you see the main thing Paul is charging Timothy (and us) to do…
“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
Paul is talking about guarding the sacred truth of the gospel… guarding the treasure that he was entrusted with (just like we are - 2 Corinthians 4:5-7). The rest of 2 Timothy is an outworking of practical teaching on HOW to guard the deposit that we have been ENTRUSTED.
In chapter 3 Paul speaks to two main things… (1) Where the world is headed & (2) How to remain steadfast in the Lord.
REMAIN STEADFAST IN THE MIDST OF GODLESSNESS BY CLINGING TO GODLY EXAMPLES WE HAVE & BY CLINGING TO THE WORD OF GOD.
THE FIRST THING PAUL DID WAS DESCRIBE THE GODLESSNESS OF WHERE THE WORLD IS HEADED… (V.1-9)
As I read this section of verses two words came to my mind: heartbreaking & accurate. This section of verses not only described the landscape that Timothy was going to experience as a minister of the gospel but what we experience as well. Just to highlight a few:
It is heartbreaking to read. This truly is an accurate description of how our world looks and it is only going to get worse as we continue toward the return of Jesus Christ.
It is hard to guard the deposit… to be a minister of the gospel in that kind of environment. It was hard for Timothy & it is hard for us. But we can’t forget… we have been entrusted by God.
God trusts us.
God is equipping us.
God will sustain us.
Then Paul shows Timothy the secret of remaining steadfast while being surrounded by the world.
REMAIN STEADFAST BY CLINGING TO EXAMPLES WE HAVE & BY CLINGING TO THE WORD OF GOD (V. 10-17)
… By Clinging to Godly Examples We Have (v.10-13)
Look what Paul reminds Timothy of… You have my example to follow - my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my response to suffering.
We all need godly examples of how to remain steadfast. They remind us of the gospel & they remind us of the truth of following Jesus (v.12)
How would someone describe those aspects of you? What kind of example do you set? Maybe a better way to ask is… If someone followed you for 20 years, where would you lead them?
Who do you cling to in your life as examples to look at and follow? Who do you run to, other than God & Scripture, to guide you back?
… By Clinging to the Word of God (v.14-17)
Paul goes on to exhort us to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” … to continue in the “sacred writings” which keep you rooted in the Truth of God.
Paul goes on to describe WHY the Bible has this power. It is not merely another book. It is the authoritative, infallible, comprehensive, inerrant Word of God. God inspired it. He wrote it. And it is PROFITABLE to us for:
It completes us. It speaks deeply to our hearts. It equips us. It sustains us.
As you go out this week into a dark world, remember that you are a light. You have been entrusted with a treasure more valuable than gold. You have been entrusted with the life changing truth of the gospel. Guard it. Proclaim it. Cling to godly examples. Cling to God’s Word.
How did God move in your life today?
By: Nick Parsons
Read: 2 Timothy 3
Today we are continuing in 2 Timothy. It is a very personal, heartfelt letter. As we pick up in chapter 3 today, Paul continues to charge Timothy to live a strong, bold life for Jesus & the gospel. If you look back to 2 Timothy 1:14 I believe you see the main thing Paul is charging Timothy (and us) to do…
“By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
Paul is talking about guarding the sacred truth of the gospel… guarding the treasure that he was entrusted with (just like we are - 2 Corinthians 4:5-7). The rest of 2 Timothy is an outworking of practical teaching on HOW to guard the deposit that we have been ENTRUSTED.
In chapter 3 Paul speaks to two main things… (1) Where the world is headed & (2) How to remain steadfast in the Lord.
REMAIN STEADFAST IN THE MIDST OF GODLESSNESS BY CLINGING TO GODLY EXAMPLES WE HAVE & BY CLINGING TO THE WORD OF GOD.
THE FIRST THING PAUL DID WAS DESCRIBE THE GODLESSNESS OF WHERE THE WORLD IS HEADED… (V.1-9)
As I read this section of verses two words came to my mind: heartbreaking & accurate. This section of verses not only described the landscape that Timothy was going to experience as a minister of the gospel but what we experience as well. Just to highlight a few:
- Lovers of self & money.
- Proud & arrogant.
- Ungrateful.
- Heartless.
- Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
- Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
- Always learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
It is heartbreaking to read. This truly is an accurate description of how our world looks and it is only going to get worse as we continue toward the return of Jesus Christ.
It is hard to guard the deposit… to be a minister of the gospel in that kind of environment. It was hard for Timothy & it is hard for us. But we can’t forget… we have been entrusted by God.
God trusts us.
God is equipping us.
God will sustain us.
Then Paul shows Timothy the secret of remaining steadfast while being surrounded by the world.
REMAIN STEADFAST BY CLINGING TO EXAMPLES WE HAVE & BY CLINGING TO THE WORD OF GOD (V. 10-17)
… By Clinging to Godly Examples We Have (v.10-13)
Look what Paul reminds Timothy of… You have my example to follow - my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my response to suffering.
We all need godly examples of how to remain steadfast. They remind us of the gospel & they remind us of the truth of following Jesus (v.12)
How would someone describe those aspects of you? What kind of example do you set? Maybe a better way to ask is… If someone followed you for 20 years, where would you lead them?
Who do you cling to in your life as examples to look at and follow? Who do you run to, other than God & Scripture, to guide you back?
… By Clinging to the Word of God (v.14-17)
Paul goes on to exhort us to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” … to continue in the “sacred writings” which keep you rooted in the Truth of God.
Paul goes on to describe WHY the Bible has this power. It is not merely another book. It is the authoritative, infallible, comprehensive, inerrant Word of God. God inspired it. He wrote it. And it is PROFITABLE to us for:
- Teaching.
- Reproof.
- Correction.
- Training in Righteousness.
It completes us. It speaks deeply to our hearts. It equips us. It sustains us.
As you go out this week into a dark world, remember that you are a light. You have been entrusted with a treasure more valuable than gold. You have been entrusted with the life changing truth of the gospel. Guard it. Proclaim it. Cling to godly examples. Cling to God’s Word.
How did God move in your life today?
By: Nick Parsons
4 Comments
Good word Nick. Chapter 3 is one of my favorites in all of scripture. Sadly, it reminds us of the evil days we are seeing now and those yet to come.
v12) everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
This is a hard verse but we must embrace its truth. Persecution is a fact of life for many of our brothers & sisters in Christ around the world and it is increasing in the United States. Is the American church ready to stand strong when things get really tough? Many will fall away just as they did in Timothy's day. Verse 16 tells us that God's word is the foundation for everything we know and believe about God, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit and our source of salvation. As our culture drifts further away from truth, we must stay anchored in The Word and keep living for Jesus. I'm glad to serve and worship at CPC where truth is proclaimed and the word is consistently preached.
Good word Nick! This passage really hit me this morning when I think about the world we live in. I read those first five verses and see a mirror image of what is going on today. I truly think that's why we have to now more than ever be examples for this dark world. The biggest way I see it is we have to be "consistent" in our walk. How do we do that? Joshua 1:8 " Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." We have to be those examples, we can assume and accept that someone else is going to do it for us. Jesus has called us to be that "light" as his return approaches soon.
Good word, and encouraging! We may have difficulties, but God called us to the lives we live because He trusts us to live well in His strength. He simultaneously calls us to endure hardship as good soldiers (ch. 2), and gives us whatever equipping we need for enduring that hardship & being good soldiers. Because He's a good Commander-in-Chief, and He knows what He's doing. Life may SEEM too hard at times, but God never gives assignments without entrusting us with the necessary equipment to execute those assignments.
"...always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." This seems so relevant today because conventional knowledge and wisdom is not grounded in God, but in the pride of man. Today more than ever, man is using his knowledge to try and be a god. As a result, he simply makes a terrible mess of things.
I am so humbly grateful for the drawing of the Holy Spirit, and for His promise to keep me through what is happening now and to come.