Let me go ahead and get started
2nd Timothy chapter 2 2nd Timothy chapter 2 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and I want
to read verses 14 through 19 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.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane
and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness. and their word will eat as doth
a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning
the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past
already, and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord know them
that are his, and let every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity. We have here instruction, and
this instruction specifically is to Timothy, but it is for
all of God's people because it says, put them in remembrance. So this instruction is for all
of God's people. It tells us not to strive, that
is to be argumentative over words, but not just words. There are
some words it is okay to strive over. just do not strive over
words to no profit. Because as it says here, it will
just be to the subverting or the throwing of the hearers of
those words. We are to study, not to make
ourselves approved, but to show ourselves approved and not unto
men. We are to study to show ourselves
approved unto God, it says. How was this manifested, if you
will? You rightly divide the truth.
We have read where Christ says to his apostles that he gives
the people parables so that they should not understand. It is
only to those who it is given to know these things who will
actually know them. And that applies to all of scripture,
not just parables. But God's word is like that.
Hear a little, bear a little. Rightly divide, but you could
really also say this, you could say, give the sense thereof. That does not mean to interpret.
God's word does not need interpreting, it needs declaring. Giving the
sense thereof means to say what God's word says plainly and clearly. We are to avoid, that is shun,
profane, or that is wicked and empty babblings, because those
kinds of words will just lead to ungodliness. No reason to
even go into an argument with someone over such things, because
it will not end well. Then we are given two men who
did use profane and vain babblings, Hymenaeus and Philetus. What
was it that was profane and vain that they were talking about?
This is not the only profane and vain talk, but just one example. They said the resurrection was
already passed. They were teaching that this
is all there is, basically. This could have involved several
things, but one thing that comes to my mind is they taught that
Jesus Christ had already returned and this is all there is to it.
This, as Paul tells us here, is a deadly teaching. because
these kind of words overthrows the faith of some. Now some of
the commentators say this is unbelievers. The ones who have
their faith overthrown. But I do not believe that's what
this is saying. It says their faith is overthrown,
not lost. I believe this is talking to
believers and it is talking about believers. There's nothing good
that will come from that kind of talk, that kind of discussion,
those kind of words. Talking about those things that
are not in scripture. God is clear in his word to us.
We can know these things in his word and by his spirit. But these
kinds of words are bloody words. They are murderous words. They
will eat as doth a canker or an ulcer. People have bled to
death having an ulcer, and they did not even know it was happening.
But then we have that word that Joe likes so much, and so do
I. Nevertheless. It says not this
foundation stand sure, but the foundation of God stand sure. Then it says there is a stamp,
a signet that seals it. The Lord knows them that are
his. His knowledge is the signet.
That is what I want to talk about today. The foundation of God,
the Lord knows them that are His. We see here in our text passage
that we're instructed, it says, where we started, put them in
remembrance of these things. If you look at what Paul said,
he was telling us of what Jesus Christ the Lord has done, and
he also talks about the result of holding forth these things.
You hold forth the foundation of God, you will endure hardships. Paul is speaking here to Timothy
in particular, but if anyone holds forth the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, that is they preach the gospel, or they support
this gospel, or they hear this gospel, you will endure hardship. It comes with it. But as you
know, this is a letter and all that Paul has said up to this
point is part of this context. He said, put them in remembrance
of these things. When he says of these things,
put them in remembrance, he is talking about everything he has
said starting at the beginning of the letter. Paul has spoken
of some of his hardships and mentioned some people, some in
a negative light, some in a positive light, if you will. But his main
subject of focus is the grace of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So we can learn from this what
Paul is talking about when he says the foundation of God. Paul starts out the epistle telling
us that he is what He is what he is because of God's
will and not his own will. We know what the scripture says
concerning Paul or Saul. Yet, breathing out threatenings
and slaughter against the disciples of God. While he was yet trying
to kill God's people, God came to him, showing him what he is,
that is, God's will was for him. This Paul has come to love. It
is because of God's will we are what we are, we are where we
are, and we have what we have. Then Paul mentions these afflictions
that are sure to come if he has given it to you not to be ashamed
of his gospel. I know they are sure to come
because it says in verse 8 of 2 Timothy 1, according to the
power of God. So these afflictions come from
God. There is a reason why they come.
Pride. God brings these things to us
for the loving purpose of causing us to look to him for everything. Else pride would fill us up,
causing us to think we have done something. But we have not gotten to the
foundation of God yet. Verse nine we read in 2 Timothy
1, we read, who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Salvation comes to us because
God calls us out, and it has nothing to do with our works.
It is not the will of man to do this. It is by his own purpose
and grace. He purposed to do all that we
read in the scriptures and all things that we see going on around
us. Because if he had not purposed
it, it would not happen. But then we have this next statement,
and this involves the grace of God. It says, which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. We read here of
a foundation being established in Zion. This foundation is a
stone, not sand. It is an immovable stone. If anything is built on this
foundation, it is sure to stand, because this foundation is established. It is a sure foundation. We read
of this foundation in Isaiah, Isaiah 28, 16. Therefore, thus
saith the Lord God, behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone,
a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth
shall not make haste. He is the sure foundation because
he is in absolute sovereign control. He says he laid the foundation
of the earth. We have men and women who will
not believe that, yet they will believe a pile of dust that looks
like relatives of Yoda. They believe that holds the key
to it all. They stand every day on an earth
that this sovereign God has made, and yet they do not believe.
Isaiah 48, 13 says, my hand also hath laid the foundation of the
earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. When I call
unto them, they stand up together. He in fact created them. those that won't believe. And
He created us. He created all things. He holds
us all in His hands and we live or we die by His sovereign will. But this foundation, this cornerstone
is a foundation that will never go away. It will never cease. This world will cease as we know
it. It will cease. There will be
a new heaven and a new earth. But this cornerstone foundation
will stand. This is the foundation of which
Paul spoke. This foundation is and it is
built on and established by the works of Jesus Christ the Lord,
the creator of all things. And I have to move on to my next
point because this is all tied together. The Lord knows them
that are his. This foundation includes him
knowing those for whom this work was done. So it is his knowledge
of them that is the seal of it all. Them that are his. He knows them because he loves
them. We know this here because I've
said it several other times before, but I'll keep saying it. I'll
say it many more times if it needs to be said. He manifested
his love towards his people. This, knowing his people by dying
on that tree. The ones he did this for are
the ones he knows. What do we read in Romans 8?
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. There are those whom God knows. He knows them in a way that he
does not know others. He knows them intimately. The
Lord Jesus Christ loves his people and it can be seen in what he
did for his people. All of this being done from before
the foundation of the world because he is the lamb slain from before
the foundation of the world. So this foundation, the cornerstone,
is the foundation of the earth, is before the foundation of the
earth, sorry. He is the cornerstone, the shore
foundation. Some he does not know in this
way. We heard it before and it bears
repeating. There are some who will come to him in that day
and they will speak of their many wonderful works. He will
say to them, I never knew you. Did he not know of their existence?
Absolutely he did. He did, but he did not love them,
and he did not die for them. He did not know them intimately. Why did he die for these others,
those he knows intimately? Because it pleased him to do
so. No other reason than God wanted
to know them in this way. The foundation of God stands
short. There is but one foundation,
1 Corinthians 3 11 we read, for other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. You try to lay some other
foundation, you are trifling with God. God will not have it. There is but one who is the foundation,
and there is but one who is the seal, the signet to this. He knows his people, and that
is a sure thing. Whether we forget him or not,
he knows them that are his. We may in fact forget who God
is. We may forget who we are altogether. But the foundation of God standeth
sure. The seal of it is this, that
he knows them that are his. If our faith is overthrown, He
knows us. I mean, if He knows us, then
we are known. We can count on being with Him.
The resurrection is not past. John 17, 24, we read, Father,
I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given
me. for thou lovest me before the
foundation of the world. If we are his, he has done the
works to ensure that it is possible that we be with him where he
is. Ephesians 1.4 it says, according
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. There is a name given to all
those he has loved, all those he knows. They are called the
church. The church, church's one foundation
is who? Jesus Christ, her Lord. They
are the called out ones. Again, back in 1 Timothy 1 verse
9, who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. The church are those who God
calls out. This he does with a holy calling. It is not a general call. It
is a specific call. And this call is to call them
to his one foundation, which is Jesus Christ, her Lord. This calling bids them come to
Him, to which they willingly do, putting God's people in remembrance
of this foundation constantly so that they will not be looking
anywhere else. If we are constantly reminded
of these words, we will not want to, or we will recognize words
that are profane and vain. But rest assured, The foundation
of God stands sure. The sovereign Lord of grace and
mercy knows them that are His, and they shall not be lost from
Him. Amen. Dear Lord God. Help us, dear Lord. Cause us
to always see you, dear Lord. This flesh just, it just loves
itself, dear Lord. It loves to do this, it loves
to do that, dear Lord. Cause us just to see you daily,
hourly, by the second, dear Lord. We can only do things by your
power, dear Lord. May it be that you continue with
us. All these things we ask in Christ's
name. Amen.