When you read 2 Timothy, remember
you're reading Paul's last words. At the very time he wrote this,
he was sitting alone. Chapter 4, he said, at my first
answer, his answer is defense before Nero, that wicked emperor. He said, all men forsook me.
Nobody wanted to be identified with me. So he's sitting alone
in the dark. in a Roman prison. And again
in chapter 4 he says that he knows his executioner is even
then at the door. He says, I'm ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at
hand. My departure is at hand. Paul
knew that. And most likely Paul was already
absent from the body and present with the Lord by the time Timothy
received this letter. When Timothy opened this letter
and began to read it, Paul had probably already been executed. His head, being a Roman citizen,
he couldn't be lawfully crucified, but likely was beheaded. At the
time Timothy opened the letter and began to read, he knew that
Paul, his beloved teacher, instructor, example, preacher of the gospel,
apostle. This faithful man was even then
beholding the king in his beauty. When you read Paul's words, it's
saturated with the language of grace, is it not? Grace as is
true of all his epistles. Paul speaks of God's grace in
Christ Jesus as always reigning, always triumphant. Paul, even
here, found, as he always did no matter what his circumstances
might be, that God's grace was always sufficient, no matter
what. Our circumstances, aren't you
glad this is so? Our circumstances do not determine
the power or the success of God's grace. No, on the contrary, our
weakness, God's grace, rather, is more manifest by our weakness. His grace is always sufficient. That's what he taught Paul concerning
the thorn in the flesh. Paul, I'll not remove the thorn,
but this, no, my grace is sufficient for you. Always, no matter what. In verse 12 here in 2 Timothy
1, Paul tells us, much like David did on his deathbed, the foundation
of his hope. When I soar the world's unknown,
as we all shall soon do. Do you ever give that serious
thought? When I soar the world's unknown
and I behold God, not the God of modern day religion, not that
helpless creature, no, God Almighty, God over all, God absolute. When I soar to worlds unknown
and behold thee on thy throne, when I'm ushered into the presence
of God himself, what's my hope? What's my hope? Paul tells us
the foundation of his hope. Let's read it again, verse 12
here in 2 Timothy 1. For the witch calls, that is,
the preaching of the gospel, I suffer these things, this imprisonment,
this soon-to-be execution. Nevertheless, nevertheless, Paul
says, I am not ashamed. For I know, isn't that sweet? Sweet music. Oh, what a sound
of God's amazing grace. For I know whom I had believed,
and am persuaded that he is able, he is able to keep that which
I've committed unto him against that day. The title of my message
is, All That Matters. All that matters, Paul expresses
it here. Paul speaks what he knows to
be so. The Lord Jesus Christ was not
an illusion. He was not a figment of Paul's
imagination. He was real. Christ told his
disciples, I will manifest myself unto you as not unto the world. I will come unto you. I will
make my abode with you. In Matthew chapter 14, let me
read you just a few verses here. Our Lord has sent the disciples
across the sea while he sends the multitude away that he hath
fed. And while they're in the midst of the sea, a storm arises,
and the wind is contrary, and they're alone. Jesus is on shore. And in the fourth watch of the
night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea, the master
of the sea, the master of the sea. He has his way in the whirlwind,
the storm, the clouds are just the dust of his feet. Jesus went
unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It's a spirit. It's a spirit. It's a ghost.
And they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus said unto
them, Be of good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid. It's not a ghost. It's not a
spirit. It's I. And this is what Paul
speaks of. Paul speaks of not a speculation,
but he says emphatically, emphatically, emphatically, I know. Paul tells us of his personal
experience. Not merely speaking of doctrines
of grace, but the grace of the doctrines. Paul had not only
heard, but he had tasted for himself. He had experienced this
great salvation. He had experienced the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. And here, even in his last hour,
Paul looks out, away from self, to that one. To that one. that only one, the Lord Jesus
Christ himself who appeared to him that day on the Damascus
Road. Paul said, then I was apprehended
of Christ Jesus. It was then, right in the midst
of my rebellion, right while I was on the Damascus Road. Why were you there, Paul? Where
were you going? I was going to Damascus. Why?
I was going there to arrest God's people. Those who I had chased
from Jerusalem were seeking refuge in Damascus. So I got authority
from the chief priest, and I was on my way there to arrest them. Why didn't you, Paul? Because
the King of Glory arrested me. He arrested me that day on the
Damascus Road, and then and there, Paul experienced the amazing
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul says, I'm looking now
to that same one that I looked to then. but that one, the Lord
Jesus, the only object of true faith, has not changed. It's
still the same Jesus Christ himself. Paul says, I've not found anything
or anyone any greater attraction than the Lord Jesus Christ. In
all my travels, in all my learning, in all these things I've seen
and experienced, nothing is greater than this, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's altogether lovely. There's
nothing else that gives me hope in my dying hour than this, that
I know Him. And I'm convinced, I'm persuaded
that He's able to keep what I've committed unto Him against that
day That day that I'll be ushered into the presence of God, I have
a good hope through grace. What is it, Paul? Oh, it's not
what. It's not what, Paul, would correct
us, say, let me tell you about who. It's not what, it's who,
Jesus Christ himself. Turn back, if you will, to verse
1 of chapter 1 of Paul's first epistle. Paul, 1 Timothy, rather,
chapter 1 and verse 1. Paul here says, Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God, our Savior. And Lord Jesus Christ, ignore
these next words, which is, in italics, they weren't in the
original. Should have left them out here. Lord Jesus Christ,
our hope. Our hope. Nothing else. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing
besides, Jesus Christ, our hope. That was Paul's song all the
time. Oh, that I might know him, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, our hope. It sounds much like
the song of another dying saint or one that was soon to depart
this world. You're familiar with it. I love this passage. These
are the words of old Simeon. Listen, and when he came into
the temple, was directed by God's Holy Spirit to know that that
babe in the arms of Mary was none other than God's salvation,
Simeon walked over, took the babe in his arms, and these were
his words. Then took him up in his arms
and blessed God. Well, well he should, John. As
you taught about the Beatitudes, blessed, happy, happy. Oh, how happy is that man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin. How happy and blessed is
that man that God, by a miracle of his matchless grace, has revealed
Jesus Christ to. Did you know that Knowledge of
Jesus Christ, the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is by
a miracle. It comes by revelation. It's
not something that's in you by nature. It's not something that
you can be educated into. It's not something that you can
be talked into. Oh, no. God must open your heart
and drop in his grace by which you shall know that you are his
and he is yours forever. Simeon took the young babe in
his arms and he said, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace
according to your word, your promise. Why, Simeon? Why are you not afraid to die?
Because mine eyes have seen thy salvation. That's the exact thing
that Paul says here in verse 12. A more literal translation
of verse 12 would be this. I am convinced that he is able
to guard that which I have deposited with him unto that day. Paul says Christ is a trustee
that's worth trusting. What a comfort for Paul and for
every child of God when the time to depart the world comes to
know this, whom I have believed. What else matters? What else
matters? Not long ago I read a brief article
by Brother Marvin Stoniker in his bulletin. He said he was
amazed how the life of a man or a woman can be summed up in
just a few sentences. Look at the obituaries. A man
has lived 70, 80, 90 years and yet his entire life is summed
up in one or two sentences. Notice first of all what Paul
says. I know whom. I know whom. Not that I know what. Paul's comfort and peace arose
not from a knowledge of mere doctrines, but a knowledge of
Jesus Christ. This is what Christ himself said. This is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou
didst send. Religious leaders said of the
disciples, they're unlearned and ignorant men. But they knew
Christ. They knew Christ, and so it is. I've been told that about myself.
Can you imagine? I've been accused of being unlearned
and ignorant. Many years ago, there was a man,
a preacher, with whom I was acquainted. He invited me into his pulpit
several times. I had fellowship with him. And
then one day, he announced that he had come to a deeper revelation,
understanding of God's Word. And from that day forward, he
began not to preach and teach who, but what. What. His message changed from who,
that is Christ, to what you must know. What you must understand. What you must comprehend. And
he cut me off. Cut me off. And it saddened me,
but at the same time I thought, well, so be it. I'm in good company.
I'm in good company. Because the apostles themselves
went everywhere, we read in Luke, when they were forced by God's
providence, under the persecution of Saul especially, when they
were forced from Jerusalem, we read that they went everywhere
preaching the gospel. And the gospel is about a person. the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul tells
us the definition of the gospel in Romans 1. The glorious gospel
of the blessed God concerns God's Son. Any message that doesn't
set forth God's Son as the only remedy for sin, as the only savior
for sinners, is not the gospel and it's not good news. Paul
went to Corinth. There was a lot of smart folks
in Corinth. philosophers, scholars, just
smart helix. And Paul looked around and he said, well, I'm not impressed. I'm not impressed. I'm not fazed
by that. I'm not attracted to it. It doesn't
mean anything. Why Paul? Because I've seen that
one in whom dwells all fullness. I've seen that one who is a greater
than Solomon. I see that one who is the very
wisdom of God. I've seen that one by whom a
sinner like myself can be declared just in the sight of a holy God. None of these things attract
me. Not after seeing him. Again, Paul says, I know whom. Notice he doesn't say, I know
about whom. No, that won't do. That won't
do. Paul's knowledge of Christ was not secondhand. It wasn't
a hand-me-down. I've told you before, I had four
brothers. I've got two older than me, two
younger than me, and four sisters. And in a home with that many
children, there were hand-me-downs. They didn't always fit right.
It just didn't feel right. So it is with a second-hand knowledge
of Christ, a hand-me-down faith. Let me show you an example of
that. In Acts chapter 19, there were
certain vagabond Jews, exodus, who took upon them, took upon
themselves, to call over them which had evil spirits in the
name of the Lord Jesus saying, listen to this. This is a second-hand
faith. We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preaches. This is Acts 19 verse 13. We
command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches. We don't know
him personally. We don't know him ourselves.
But Paul does, so we command you by the Christ, the Jesus
that Paul preaches. And the spirit answered and said,
Jesus, I know. And Paul, I know. But who are
you? I don't know you. And the man
in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and overcame them and
prevailed against them so that they fled out of the house naked
and wounded. So is the experience of a second-hand
faith. I must believe for myself. I
must trust Christ myself. I can't trust him for you. I
can't trust him for my children. They must trust him themselves.
They must commit themselves to Christ. They themselves must
bow to him and embrace him. They must have himself tell them,
thy sins are forgiven to him. Oh, when justice called for payment,
God's justice. It was more than I could give.
Oh, but his mercy smiled upon me. Jesus said, I forgive. When they had nothing to pay,
do you know you owe a debt to God? Do you know that? You owe
a debt to God's holy law. You owe a debt to God's justice.
And do you also know you've got nothing to pay the debt with?
And Jesus said, when they had nothing to pay, he frankly, as
you well know, the word is, he freely. Oh, I like that word,
freely. Freely forgave them all. He says, thy sins, which are
many, are all forgiven thee. Oh, that's what I must hear.
Not the words of the preacher or the priest, but himself telling
me my sins are forgiven. In reading the four Gospels,
is it not in a sense amazing, in the record we have of our
Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples, how little at that time they
seemed to understand? There was so very much they didn't
know. They didn't even understand why he came to earth. The whole
time he was with them, they kept looking for him to set up an
earthly kingdom. Lord, when are you going to restore
the kingdom of Israel and give us a place in it? So much they
didn't know until after the resurrection. But they knew him. They knew
him. And that's what salvation is.
Salvation, this is what Paul says. I know whom. Oh, to know
him. This is what our Lord said to
Peter, did he not? One time he asked the disciples,
whom do men say that I am? And they said, well, some have
the opinion that you're John the Baptist risen from the dead.
Some say you're Elijah, or Jeremiah, or some great prophet. And then
our Lord brought it down close to home. Close to home. Real
close. May he bring it close to you
and I this morning. Bring it right down close to
home. Right where we live. And put
the question to you right now. Each of us individually. Larry,
Chris, who am I to you? Whom sayeth you that I am? And Simon Peter answered, being
ignorant of so many things at the time, yet he said, Thou art
to Christ the Son of the living God. Let others say what they
will. It doesn't matter. I know who
you are. And here the response of Jesus to Peter. Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. Can you, by the miracle of God's
grace, having been given faith in his son, having like Simeon
embraced his son, being able like Paul to say, I know whom
I have believed. If so, listen, Christ speaks
these words to you. Blessed art thou. You are blessed. My father's done something for
you that he's not done for everybody. Did I mean to say that? Did that
come out right? Oh yeah. He's done something
for the sinner that believes on his son that he's not done
for everybody. God doesn't do this for everybody.
He passes by some and grants faith to others. And if he's
given you faith in his dear son, oh, you're a blessed, blessed
man. Flesh and blood has not revealed
this unto you, but my Father, my Father's done this for you,
Peter, my Father which is in heaven. I am not skilled to understand
what God has willed, what God has planned. I only know that
His right hand is one who is my Savior, and I take my place
with happy Jack. You heard the story of happy
Jack. God is saved by His grace. He was called before the church
and they said, well, tell us your experience. Tell us about
what God taught you, what you experienced. And he said, well,
This is what I can tell you. This is what I know for sure.
I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my
all in all." They said, well, that's good, that's good, but
tell us more. He said, I don't have anymore. I don't have anymore. I don't want anymore. I don't
know anymore. Jesus Christ is all. I am a poor
sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all. Beware. Beware of a Christless
religion. It abounds today. It abounds
everywhere today. True religion, true faith is
not man-centered. It's Christ-centered. True religion
is spiritual, inward. It's not outward. It's physical. Paul said, We are the circumcision,
the true children of God who worship God in the Spirit and
rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence, no confidence
in the flesh. It is to know whom? Christ. Christ. He said, I am
the way to God. I'm the way. No man comes to
God but by me. I'm the only way to God. I'm
the only mediator between God and man. I'm the only advocate
for sinners before God the Father. I'm the only Savior, Christ said,
of sinners. He's the only of all those things. Christ is Christ is all. Turn, if you will, to Philippians
chapter 3. We quoted one verse a minute
ago. But look here in Philippians chapter 3. Again, these are the
words of the apostle. Look what Paul says in verse
6 of Philippians 3. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church, this is what he was, touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless, but, but, but, But what, Paul? What happened? What in the world
made you cast off your former religion, your tradition, your
self-righteousness? What made you throw that away
as though it was worthless, as though it was done? What made
you do that? What did you give that up for,
Paul? But... What things were gained
to me, those I count a loss for Christ, yea, doubtless I count
all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but done, that I may win Christ and be found in Him."
Oh, I like that. Be found in Him. Not having my
own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. To be found in Him. That's true
Christianity. That's salvation. Believers are
in Christ by God's eternal choice. By God's eternal choice. God
purposed those, he would say. Not long ago, during the service
for our dear brother that's now in glory, that now beholds the
King in his beauty, Brother Loyal Rogers, during my message there
at his service, I think I made mention of God had chosen Brother
Loyal before the foundation of the world. And somebody on my
right got up at that point and walked out. Didn't want to hear
that. Can't stand that. When you talk
about God's sovereign mercy, when it's not at Him that willeth,
and by the way I'm quoting a scripture here, God's Word, it's not at
Him that willeth. Your salvation, where you spend
eternity, is not up to you, it's up to Him. Salvation is not something
you do for God, it's something God does. Salvation is of the
Lord. That's what the book teaches.
Salvation is not you taking the first step or making the first
move or making a decision. Salvation is knowing the Lord
Jesus Christ and only God Almighty can reveal His Son to you. You
won't know Him otherwise. Oh you, if you realize that,
Like that poor beggar sitting by the wayside that day, blind
in his poverty, in his rags, he heard that Jesus was passing
by and he said, oh Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And I love, one of the writers
tells us, and Jesus stood still. Oh my, he's on his way to Jerusalem,
to be made sin for us. He's on His way to Jerusalem
to obtain eternal redemption. to make an end of sin, to bring
in everlasting righteousness, and he hears the cry of one poor
blind beggar, and he stops dead in his tracks. Glory to his name. He heard the cry of this sinner
one day. This worthless sinner. Jesus, have mercy on me. Like you taught this morning,
John, that leper. Lord, if you will, you don't
have to. Religion today teaches on every
hand. has been telling sinners all
their life, God owes you, God's obligated to, God wants to, God's
trying to, and you know the result of that? They sit and sleep on
the brink of hell. No alarm whatsoever. Why should
they be? If salvation is all up to me,
if it's up to my choice, my decision, my will, my worth, what's to
be alarmed about? Oh, but once be made to see that
it's not my will but His will. And oh, like that leper, Lord,
if you will, you can make me clean. And he touched me. Oh, my soul, he touched me. And he said, be thou clean, be
thou clean, be thou clean. And like the prodigal's father,
he said, bring forth the best robe. Take that rag off. Take
it off. Cover him in the best robe, the
perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we are
in Christ by God's eternal choice, in Christ by his effectual call,
and in Christ by personal faith in the Son of God. Secondly,
Paul says he is able. Paul said he is able. I know
Him. I know whom. I know the Lord
Jesus Christ. And knowing who He is, knowing
who He is, having a revelation, knowing something of who He is,
I've come to this conclusion. He's able. He's able. Paul doesn't say, I'm able. That
wouldn't bring him no joy, no peace, no comfort. But he says,
looking unto Jesus, beholding Him, He's able. He's perfect God. Perfect man. Bringing in a perfect righteousness. Consider who he is and you'll
be persuaded that he's able. What sweet assurance derived
from looking away from self. That's what makes me discouraged,
looking to myself. That's what brings me down, looking
at the self. Oh, but looking away from self,
looking away from all this sin and failure and looking to Him
in whom I'm accepted, oh, I see that He is able to see Jesus
only to behold Him. Behold Him, the Prince of Peace,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. The government, the rule,
the reign of God's universe resides on His mighty shoulders. Surely
He must be able. He must be able. Why wouldn't
He be? Why wouldn't He be? Why wouldn't
He be? If He's the mighty God, why wouldn't
He be able? He has enough power. It can't
be for a lack of power because he said all power in heaven and
earth is given unto me. It can't be for a lack of grace
because he's full of grace and truth. He's able, Paul says,
to keep that which I've committed unto him. In Hebrews 7 we read
he's able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Jude says, He's able to keep
me from falling and to present me faultless, my soul faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. And here
in Philippians 3, Paul says, listen to this again if you will.
Paul says, Philippians 3 verse 20, for our conversation, our
citizenship is in heaven. For whence also we look for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body according
to the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto
Himself. Surely with such a mighty Savior
I shall be kept. And He is able, last of all,
to bring all of His redeemed home to glory. He's able to make
us fit for heaven. Turn if you will to Galatians.
Galatians, let me read this verse to you and we'll come to a close. Galatians, this is what, did
I say he's able to make us fit? He has made us fit. Fit for heaven. Fit for heaven. This is what
Paul says. Here in Galatians chapter 1 verse
12. Giving thanks unto the Father
which hath made us meet, the word is fit. has made us fit
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light who have
delivered us from the power of darkness and have translated
us into the kingdom of his dear son in whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. We sang the hymn in
the bulletin Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty
are, my glorious dress, misflaming worlds, and these arrayed with
joy, shall I lift up my head. Is that true? Is that true? If Christ is able, it's true.
Bold shall I stand in that great day, for who ought to my charge
shall lay, fully absorbed through thee I am, from sin and fear
and guilt and shame. Is that true? If Christ is all,
it's true. If I'm in Christ, I'm complete. And I like nothing. I like nothing. You're looking at a sinner. Before the all-knowing, all-seeing
eye of God himself, I like nothing. There's been a few times in my
life I've found myself in a place where I was told I shouldn't
be there. I was told, Lester, you don't
have a right to be here. You're not supposed to be here.
But you know what? The Lord Jesus Christ, whom I
believe, whom I believe, He's the Son of God. He himself
bore all my sins in his own body on the tree. He's given me a
right to be in heaven. Yes, he has. He's given me a
right to be there. Blessed are they that do his
commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, a
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates
and to the city. If you can say with the Apostle
Paul, I know whom I have believed. May God give us grace also to
know that he is able to keep that which we committed unto
him against that day. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.