It's wonderful to be with you.
I am so thankful to be here, and there isn't a group of people
that I enjoy preaching to more than this group right here. I
esteem you all so highly. I'm so thankful for your prayers,
the cards you sent me, the encouragement. Just delighted to be with you,
and I'm feeling good. Very happy to be here. Would
you turn with me to Second Timothy, Chapter 2. Second Timothy, Chapter 2, I've
entitled this message, For It's. Let's read verses 11 through
13. It is a faithful saying, for
if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will
deny us. If we believe not yet he abided
faithful, he cannot deny himself." Now, this is one of the four
faithful sayings of the Apostle Paul. You read them in 1st and
2nd Timothy. And these sayings were and are
so important and so often used that they had reached the status
of sayings in the early church. They were things that the early
believers were repeating over and over and over again, and
they actually reached the status sayings, things that were often
said by believers. Let's look at them together.
Turn to First Timothy chapter one. This is the first faithful
saying. Verse 15. This is a faithful
saying. And worthy of all acceptation. That Christ Jesus. came into
the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. You know, this is something that
was repeated often in the early church. First Timothy, chapter
four, verse eight. For bodily exercise profiteth
little. But godliness is profitable unto
all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of
that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation. Turn to the book of Titus, chapter
3, verse 5. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. By the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that being justified by his grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
And this is a faithful saying. And these things, what I've just
said, this faithful saying, I will without affirm constantly repeat
over and over again that or in order that they which have believed
in God might be careful to maintain good works. Now, it's through
the constant repetition as the Lord blesses this, that God's
people will be careful to maintain good works by hearing this over
and over and over again. And then there's this passage
that I just read in Second Timothy, chapter two, and this is actually
a hymn. It's a hymn that was sung over
and over again by the early church. I think it's really interesting
to think of them singing this hymn together when they meet
together. This was a hymn that they sang very often. And verse
14 of Second Timothy, chapter two, tells us of the importance
of this. Him, this faithful saying, he says in verse 14 of these
things. Everything he's said up to this
point, but especially this hymn that he just quoted of these
things, put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord.
that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting
of the hearers. It is the repetition of this,
believed in the heart, that will cause God's people to not strive
about words to no profit. Now that gives us some idea of
the importance of this faithful Savior. In this passage of Scripture,
Paul actually uses some logic. If. Then. Now, we don't believe something
because it's logical. We believe something because the Bible teaches,
not because it's logical. Now, I'm happy if something is
logical and makes sense to me, but if something doesn't appear
logical to me, it doesn't matter if the Bible teaches it, I believe
it. Just as God says it, but I also kind of like it when things
are logical, if then, if this takes place, then this will certainly
take place. And in this passage of scripture,
Paul gives us four ifs. If this is, then this will be. Now, let's consider them one
at a time. Verse 11, it is a faithful saying,
2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 11, it is a faithful saying, for
if we be dead, with him, we shall also live with him. The way this is stated tells
us that it is possible to not be dead with him. If we be dead
with him, we shall live with him. And it also tells us that
all who did die with him shall most assuredly live with him."
Now, if we be dead with him, we shall live with him. The Lord Jesus Christ did die
on Calvary Street. He who is life died. Why did he die? Now, there is
only one reason for death, isn't there? And what is it? Sin. The wages of sin is death. The sins of God's elect actually
became His. Let me show you a scripture in
Psalm 40. Would you turn with me there? Every time I look at this passage
of scripture, amazes me. Look in verse six of Psalm 40. Sacrifice and offering, thou
didst not desire. Mine ears hast thou opened. Burnt
offerings and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said
I, Lo, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do thy will, O my God. Yea, thy law is within my
heart." Now, who is speaking? Now, you know these are the words
of the Lord Jesus. This is quoted in Hebrews chapter 10 as the
direct words of Christ. Now, look in verse 11 of Psalm
40. And this is the same one speaking,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Withhold not thou thy tender
mercies from me, O Lord, Let thy loving kindness and thy truth
continually preserve me, for innumerable evils have compassed
me about." Now here's what I want to call your attention to. Mine
iniquities have taken hold upon me. He doesn't say Todd's iniquities
or the elect's He says, My iniquities have taken hold upon me so that
I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs
of my head. Therefore, my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver
me. O Lord, make haste to help me. When Christ died. Why did he
die? Because he was guilty. The sins
of God's people became his, the sins of those who believe became
his, so that he said, my iniquities have taken hold upon me so that
I am not able to look up. You see, our Lord was dying as
a substitute, as a representative. He was dying for somebody. Now
listen to this scripture. In Galatians chapter 2 verse
20, Paul the Apostle makes this statement. He says, I am crucified
with Christ. Now I want to ask you a question.
Was he really crucified with Christ? Yes. Because of union with Christ. Everything that he did, I did. Where he is, I am. I was crucified with Christ. Now, this is so important for
us to understand. Everybody that he died for must
be saved. We died with him. We shall also
live with him. Now, that teaching that says
that he died for all men, without exception, actually destroys
the only hope that this sinner's talking to you has. My only hope of being accepted
by God, my only hope that he accepts me right now, is because
the Christ Jesus, the Lord, died for me. Now, if you tell me that
He died for those who may end up in hell, you're taking away
the only hope I have. The only hope I have is that
He died for me. He died for His sheep. He died
for His elect, His church, those who believe. Now, if we died
with Him, if we were represented by Him, if He loved me and gave
Himself for me, then I shall live with Him. Would you turn
with me a moment to Romans chapter eight? I love this first scripture. Romans chapter eight, verse 32. He that spared not his own son. But delivered him up for us all. And who is the all he's speaking
of? Well, everybody in the context. Those whom He foreknew, those
whom He predestinated, those whom He called, those whom He
justified. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not? Now, get that. How shall He not? What could
possibly prevent Him from? How could it be just for Him
to do anything but this? How shall He not also with Him
freely? Without a cause, he doesn't have
to find a cause in me or you to do it. How shall he not with
him also freely give us all things? Isn't that wonderful? If we be
dead with him, we also shall live with him. But you know this
verse of scripture means more than that. The only way I can live
is by dying. And this point is just as important
and just as significant as the other one I just made. The only
way I can live is by dying. Would you turn with me for a
moment to Matthew chapter 16. Verse 21, Matthew 16, verse 21, from that time forth, began Jesus to show unto his
disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and tribes and be killed
and be raised again the third day. He tells his disciples of
his death. You know, he did this on numerous occasions. Why weren't
they there waiting at the tomb? They weren't. He told them that
he was telling them of his death. Verse 22, Then Peter took him
and began to rebuke him. saying, Be it far from thee,
Lord. This shall not be unto thee. My margin says, Pity yourself,
Lord. Don't go through death. Don't
let that happen to you. But our Lord answered Peter.
But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. That's what he said to Peter. Thou art an offense. Unto me,
for you savour not the things that be of God, but those things
that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. And whosoever
will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Now, you and
I can only lose our life by death. To come after Christ, I must
deny myself. Self-denial. I must deny self-righteousness,
self-serving, self-seeking self to come after Christ. I must
deny myself, take up my cross. That's the confession of Christ
and the persecution that comes with that. The world never has
loved the gospel, never will. I must deny myself, take up my
cross and follow Him. If I save my life, if I seek
to not die, what does the Lord say? He says, I'll lose it. But
if I lose my life for His sake, He tells me I'll find it. Now,
if we die with Him, if we die with Him. And it's
a blessed thing to die with Him, isn't it? If you're a believer,
that's what you want above all things. I want to die to self. Take up my cross and follow the
Lord Jesus Christ. If we die with Him, we also shall
live with Him. In dying, I live. I go back to
Galatians chapter 2, verse 20. Paul said, I'm crucified with
Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. The life that I now live in the
flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me. In dying with Him, I live. You
know, it's only in dying that we really live, isn't it? Anything
else is just existence. There's only life and dying.
Now the second thing in our text, back to 2 Timothy chapter 2. He says in verse 12, if we suffer,
we shall reign with him. Now if we don't suffer, we will
not reign with him. But if we do suffer, we shall
reign with him. Now this is not talking about
any old kind of suffering. You know that. Everybody that's born into this
world is going to suffer of some kind. A man that's born of a
woman, the scripture says, is born to trouble as the sparks
fly upward. It's not talking about any old
kind of suffering. Let me show you exactly what this is talking
about. Would you turn with me to Matthew chapter 10? Matthew chapter 10, verse 21. And brother shall deliver up
brother to death. And the father, the child and
the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them
to be put to death. Now that that's what's going
to happen as a result of a faithful witness of Christ. Look what
he says next in verse 22. And you shall be hated of all
men for my namesake. That's a promise. But. He that endureth to the end. Shall be saved, that word right
there, he that endures to the end, it's the same word that's
translated suffer in our text. What this suffering refers to
when our Lord says, if we suffer, we shall reign with him. This
is talking about. Our confession of Christ, it's
going to bring on the hatred of the world and it will. the
persecution, or you found that to be true. But it's only that
person who doesn't quit. You remember the stoning ground
here, how the scripture says he received the word at first
with joy. He joyfully received it, but
afterwards, because of the persecution that came because of the word,
he was offended and he left. He didn't endure. If we endure
all the way to the end, we shall reign with him. Let me read you
a couple of scriptures. Be not weary, Paul said, in well-doing,
believing the gospel, our confession of Christ. Be not weary in well-doing,
for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Hebrews chapter
3, verse 14 says, For we are made partakers of Christ. And
that's what I'm interested in, aren't you? I want to be a partaker
with Him. We are made partakers of Christ
if we hold The beginning of our confidence. Steadfast to the
end. If we suffer, if we endure to
the end, we shall most assuredly reign within. And you know the
gospel we believe. I know you believe. Our gospel
is a gospel worth dying for. We really believe that, don't
we? It's a gospel worth dying for. Third, It says in verse 12, 2 Timothy
chapter 3 verse 12, if we deny him, he also will deny us. Now that's the bottom line. He
says, if we deny him, he will deny us. Now that's a passage
of scripture that I've always looked at and it's kind of scary.
If we deny him, He also will deny us, but what's it mean?
How does one go about denying the Lord? Well, turn with me
to Matthew chapter 10. Once again, Matthew chapter 10,
verse 32. Matthew chapter 10, verse 32,
whosoever therefore shall confess me before men Him will I confess
also before my Father, which is in heaven. But whosoever shall
deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father,
which is in heaven. Now, what does it mean to deny
Christ before men? It's a failure to confess Christ
before men. Now, what does it mean to confess
Christ before men? Well, what we confess is what
we really believe. With the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. If thou shalt believe, if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in
thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. This has something to do with salvation, doesn't it? With the
mouth confession is made to salvation. If I refuse to confess him, I'm
not saved. What does it mean to confess
Christ? How do we confess it? Like I said, this is what you
really believe. It's what you confess publicly. It's what you plead guilty to.
Somebody once made this statement. If they arrested people for being
Christians, would they have enough evidence to convict you? That's
quite a thought, isn't it? What do I confess? Well, what
does it mean to confess Christ before men? Well, first, I confess
him by baptism. Mark chapter 1 verse 15 says
they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing
their sins. Now, does that mean that they
stood in front of everybody and confessed all the bad things
that they'd done and then they were allowed to be baptized?
Well, you know better than that. Don't ever do anything like that.
That's foolishness. getting up and trying to tell
everybody what you've done. For one thing, you wouldn't be honest
if you did, would you? When he's saying they were baptized of
him confessing their sins, that act of baptism was the act of
confession. And here's what I'm confessing
when I'm baptized. I'm confessing that I'm so sinful
in and of myself. I can't be saved by myself. And
the only way I can be saved is by the life, the death, the burial
and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's my confession. I confess this before men in
baptism. How do we confess Christ? We
confess Christ by our mouth. With the mouth, confession is
made unto salvation. I love what Paul said in Acts
24, verse 14. He said, This I confess to thee. When he was brought before that
Sanhedrin, he said, This I confess to thee, that after the way which
they call heresy, So worship I, the God of my fathers. He didn't say that's how I believe,
did he? No, he said that's how I worship. After the way which
they call heresy, what they deny, so worship I, the God of our
fathers, believing all things which are written in the law
and in the prophets. That's our confession of him.
We confess with the mouth. We confess by identification
with his people. Thirdly, you know, you're confessing
Christ. by being here right now. You're
identifying with his people. Birds of a feather flock together,
don't they? Paul said to Timothy, Be not
thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of
me, his prisoner. You know who I want to be identified
with? The Lord knows whether I'm telling the truth. I hope
I'm telling the truth. I believe I am. I want to be
identified with that person who stands for the gospel. That's
who I want to cast my lot in. Whatever happens to them, I want
to be right there with them. We confess Christ by identification
with his people. And I fourthly confess Christ
by my life. Listen to this scripture. Titus
chapter 1 verse 16. Paul said they profess that they
know him, but in works they deny him. Being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate, I confess Christ by my life." A disobedient life is a denial
of the gospel. And if I fail to confess Him,
this passage of Scripture says, if I deny Him, He also will deny
me. Now, let's look at verse 13 of
our text, Second Timothy, chapter two, verse 13, because this is
the scripture that that really hit me. That. Felt like I understood
it more clearly than I have in the past. It says in verse 13,
here's the four if the first one is, if we'd be dead with
him, we'll live with him. Second, if we suffer, we'll also reign
with him. Third, if we deny him, he also will deny us. Verse 13,
if we. Believe not. Yet. He abided faithful. He cannot
deny. Himself. I read the different commentators
that I have in my study on this passage of Scripture, and most
commentators believe that this means that the unbelief of man
does not nullify the truth and the purpose of God. And you know,
that's true. Let God be true and every man
a liar is what Paul said. Man's unbelief cannot nullify
the truth or purpose of God. That's true. But that's not what
this passage of scripture is teaching. There are others who
have taken this passage of scripture, if we believe not, He abides
faithful. He cannot deny himself. And they
say, well, that means a man can be saved even if he doesn't believe
the gospel. It says if we believe not, he
abides faithful. If we're one of the elect, even
if we don't believe, perhaps we'll end up being saved. We'll
end up being saved. Now, did not the Lord say, he
that believeth not shall be what? Damned. That's what the Lord
said. So you know that's not what it
means. Well, what does it mean? Turn
with me, Mark, Chapter nine, and I believe I can show you
exactly what it means. Mark, Chapter nine, let's begin
reading in verse 22, this is that. Father, who has brought his son
to the disciples and they couldn't cast the demon out of his son.
And now they've brought him to the Lord. And he says to the
Lord in verse 22, and of times it had cast him into the fire
and into the waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do anything. Well, that's a bad thing to say, isn't
it? If thou canst do anything. No, that's the wrong thing to
say to the Lord. If thou canst do anything, have
compassion on us and help us. Jesus said unto him, you've got
to turn the tables on him, if thou canst believe. All things
are possible to him that believe, and straightway The father of
the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. Do you understand what that man
is saying? Lord, I do believe. Help thou mine unbelief. Now this person is tormented. He says things like, how can
I be saved and think the thoughts that I think? How can I be saved
and do the things that I do? How can I truly be saved and
desire the things that I desire? I'm so filled with contradictions,
I'm so filled with doubts, I'm so filled with inconsistencies,
I'm so sinful. How can I be saved? Now, I do
believe. I do believe, but I have such
unbelief. This person feels so sinful,
so weak. So isolated, so vulnerable, so
alone. They feel very much like what
David said when he said, I'm ready to halt. And David said
that. I'm ready to plumb, fall away.
I'm ready to just give it all up. I'm ready to halt and my
sorrow is continually before me. That's the person who's being
spoken of if we Believe not that believer who is tortured by his
unbelief, his lack of trust, his lack of rest. And this is
the person Paul speaks of when he says, if we believe not. Now,
what does he say? He says, if we believe not, he
abides faithful. You know, the Lord is faithful.
You know what that means as much as anything else? It means he
can't change. I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed. He abides faithful to his purpose
in saving that person. If we believe not, he abides
faithful. Now catch this. If we believe
not, He abides faithful. He cannot deny what? What? Himself. For him to deny that person would
be for him to deny himself. Now, what this is a reference
to is union with Christ. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11 says,
both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are all
of one. Not two real closely joined together. One. Turn with me for a moment
to John chapter 17. Verse 19. This is the prayer of our Lord
for his people, and he says, and for their sakes, John 17,
verse 90, and for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also
might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their
word, that they all may be one. As thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou
gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as
we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast
sent me, and has loved them as thou hast loved me." Now, can
you get a hold of that? The Lord, God the Father, loves
you the same way He loves His Son? You know, that's hard to
believe, isn't it? If it wasn't in this book, I wouldn't believe
it. I just had such a hard time getting a hold of that. But He
says, Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Now, how's
the only way that's possible if I'm one with Christ? Now,
how real is union with Christ? I'm talking about the believer
in Christ being one. How real is union with the Lord
Jesus Christ? Let me answer it like this. How
real were His sufferings on the cross? Now, how real were they? When he was on the cross, was
it as if he were suffering? No, his sufferings were more
real than anything you and I can ever understand anything about. And just as truly and really
as his sufferings were, my sin became his and he suffered just
as truly and really his righteousness. Now that's how real union with
Christ is. He truly suffered. He was made
sin. And His righteousness, His perfect
obedience, really is mine. Now that's a real union, isn't
it? Let me show you another scripture
that tells us how real this union is, Ephesians 2. And this is where our confidence
comes from. This is where our assurance comes from. This is
what we rejoice in. We just sang that song, blessed
assurance. Jesus is mine. You want me to
tell you why I have this blessed assurance? Because I really believe
I'm born with him. I really believe his righteousness
is my righteousness. That's why I have blessed assurance.
It's not because of something like this good feeling I have.
I'm thankful for good feelings, but that doesn't have anything
to do with my assurance. My assurance is Christ only. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Look in Ephesians chapter 2, beginning in verse 4. Now this,
let's look at this in light of union with Christ. But God, Ephesians
chapter 2 verse 4, but God who is rich in mercy for his great
love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ. When were you made alive? When
Christ was raised from the dead. That's what that says. He quickened
us together with Christ. Let's go on reading. By grace
ye are saved and hath raised us up together with Christ. That's what that's a reference
to. And made us sit together in heavenly places, in Christ
Jesus. Is Christ in heaven right now,
seated at the right hand of the Father? You know who else is
there? Every believer. Literally? While I'm sitting there looking
at you. Literally. Dear, so near to God. Nearer I cannot be. For in the
person of His dear Son, I'm as near to God As he dear, so dear
to God, dear, I cannot be. For in the person of his dear
son, I'm as dear to God as he. Isn't that wonderful? 1 John chapter 4 verse 17 says,
As he is. How is he? He's seated at the right hand
of the Father. He's holy. He's righteous. He's perfect
as He is. So are we in this work. Not in the by and by, but right
now. Union with Christ is so real. It's so vital that for him to
deny me would be for him to deny himself. And you know that ain't gonna
happen. He cannot. He is unable to deny himself. And is this not a faithful saying
that we need to have continually brought before our remembrance?
If we be dead with him, we also shall live with him. If we suffer,
we also shall reign with him. If we deny him, he also will
deny us. If we believe not, yet he abided
faithful. He cannot deny himself. Let's pray together. Our merciful and gracious Heavenly
Father, We truly stand amazed at the
thought of being united to thy son. Lord, we do believe. Help thou
our unbelief. Lord, enable us to rest in the
confidence that if we die with him, we also shall live with
him. Give us the grace to die daily with him. that we may live
with him. Enable us to suffer and reign,
endure to the end that we might reign with him. Lord, deliver
us from denying him. Lord, how thankful we are for
this assurance that if we do believe not, he abides faithful. He cannot deny himself. Bless
this message for your glory and our good. In Christ's blessed
name we pray. Amen. You're dismissed.