Faithful Then, Faithful Now, Faithful Always
2 Timothy 2:11-13
2 Timothy 2:11-13
The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
Ministry is not easy work. Especially Biblically faithful ministry. Dave Harvey in his book “The Clay Pot Conspiracy”, says, “The journey towards ministry maturity and fruitfulness fixes us on a path toward weakness.” Talk to any faithful and seasoned pastor and they’ll tell you about days filled with difficulty and suffering, innumerable days when they wanted to give up. Speaking more broadly, the Christian life as a whole is not easy. As we see in 2 Timothy 3:12, gospel-proclamation promises gospel-persecution. And day after day we all have to wage the war against the world, Satan, and our indwelling sin. Compile all these realities together and we can often feel burdened down by the immense weight of our weaknesses. Compile these realities together and they can seem like a massive rock threatening to crush us on the hill of life. What hope is there? How can the Christian remain faithful in spite of their flaws, failures, and finitude?
In today’s verse Paul encourages Timothy with bedrock truths meant to help the faithful Christian stay afloat in the storms of life. Oh how precious are the pills Scripture offers us for our many sicknesses! Let’s take a look at God’s Word.
Our verses for today read, “The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:11-13). Paul starts these verses referring to a “trustworthy saying”, likely quoting a popular truism, creed, or axiom of the day. In this saying we see three things which we’ll look at today: two promises for the faithful, one warning to the faithless, and one comfort for the flawed.
First, two promises for the faithful. The first promise says, “if we have died with him, we will also live with him.” Some have interpreted this verse to be referring to a spiritual death, similar to what Paul describes in Romans 6:8. Others have interpreted this verse to be referring to a literal death, or martyrdom, when one physically dies for the sake of Christ. Regardless of which interpretation Paul intended to convey, both interpretations give us the assurance that those who join in suffering for the sake of Christ will also join in celebrating with Christ. Whether we die with Christ by daily dying to ourselves and picking up the crosses we have each been called to bear, or whether we literally give up our lives in martyrdom for the sake of Jesus’ name, we can be sure that Christ is with us now (Matt 28:20), and we will be with Him for all eternity (1 Thess 4:17, 5:10). It is the promise to those who endure!
The second promise says, “if we endure, we will also reign with him.” In other words, not only will the faithful take part in Christ’s reward, but they will also take part in Christ’s reign. However there is a condition to the sharing of Christ’s rule and reign, endurance to the end. We must remain faithful to the finish line. Jesus, in Matthew 10:22 says, “and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Acts 14:23b, says that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” So yes, we will encounter difficulty and hardship. Yes, we will be persecuted as we proclaim the gospel. But the road to glory is paved with suffering. However, we may be sure, it is the road to glory. And how much better to suffer on the road to glory then to sing on the road to damnation! On the days when the fire of our trials and troubles feels like it will consume us, we can take hope in the promise that if we endure, we will reign with Christ. So persevere and press on we must!
The road to glory is paved with suffering. However, we may be sure, it is the road to glory. And how much better to suffer on the road to glory then to sing on the road to damnation!
After these two promises to the faithful, we then see one warning to the faithless. The last part of verse 12 says, “if we deny him, he also will deny us”. As sure as the promise of reward and rule it is the faithful, just as sure is the certainty of destruction and denial for the faithless. Matthew 10:32-33 says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” Do you see? For those who refuse now to receive Jesus, Jesus will then later refuse to receive. Ultimate denial of Christ guarantees ultimate denial before Christ. Oh how the faithless must see this warning and repent before it is too late! For if we deny him, He will deny us!
For those who refuse now to receive Jesus, Jesus will then later refuse to receive. Ultimate denial of Christ guarantees ultimate denial before Christ.
Lastly, our verses show us a comfort to the flawed. Verse 13 says, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful– for he cannot deny himself.” Some have interpreted this verse to be a parallel warning to the one discussed at the end of verse 13. However, it is more likely to be a comfort for the momentarily faithless Peter than it is a warning to the ultimately faithless Judas, and for these two reasons. For one, this verse undergoes a tense shift, shifting from future apostasy to present-day faithlessness. The tense shift could likely indicate a change of topic. Secondly, and this reason resonantes most with me, the inclusion of grace for temporary lapses in faithfulness most comprehensively covers and addresses the Christian experience. After all, all may not turn out to be ultimately faithless like Judas, but all of us have been guilty of temporal faithlessness like Peter! To continue the analogy used earlier, how often have we all fallen on our road to glory! And how often do we continue to fall! However, what this verse is comforting and consoling us with is the recurring Biblical truth that the author of our salvation is also the finisher of our salvation. He who leads to green pastures for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3), will also finish the work He began in us for His name’s sake! (Phillipians 1:6). Our ultimately and constantly faithful God will not cast us away in the midst of our failures to be faithful! Our God must be consistent with His own character, which means that the steadiness of His faithfulness, is the surety of our finishing! Because God cannot deny Himself, His glory becomes our good! What a precious and comforting truth this is for the flawed and finite Christian!
Our God must be consistent with His own character, which means that the steadiness of His faithfulness, is the surety of our finishing! Because God cannot deny Himself, His glory becomes our good!
I don’t know about you, but I am grateful for passages like these. As often as possible, my heart needs to hear iterations of these promises for the faithful, warning to the faithless, and comforts for the flawed. I need this because it is so easy to be weighed down with discouragement in our endeavors of everyday faithfulness to Jesus Christ! As mentioned earlier, the war against the world, the devil, and my own sinful flesh can often wear us thin. Yet, passages like today’s and others like it put a kick in my walk with the Lord and inspire me to keep striving for excellent faithfulness day after day.
He who was gracious to call us, will also be faithful to keep us.
Another passage that comforts me in moments of weakness, and one that will serve as a fitting closing is 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. In it Paul says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” I love this! We pray for endurance in our personal processes of sanctification and suffering, for the preservation of purity in our body, soul, and spirit, and we do so full of faith and replete with confidence knowing that He who was gracious to call us, will also be faithful to keep us. Praise God for the way He exhorts us to endure through His Word! May we all endure gladly and joyfully today, trusting wholly in the God who is faithful in our failings. Amen!