Today I would like you to turn
in your Bible to 2 Timothy chapter 1. I would encourage you to get
your Bible this morning and let's read these verses out of 2 Timothy
chapter 1 beginning with verse 7. For God hath not given us
the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. thou therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power
of God." Verse 9 now, who saved us? God 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. but is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death,
and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
Now, the Apostle Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote
this second epistle to this young preacher, Timothy. Paul loved
this man. Timothy learned the gospel through
this apostle named Paul. He writes this inspired letter
now to encourage Timothy to continue in the ministry, to continue
in the gospel, continue preaching this grace of God. In verse 6,
he says, stir up the gift of God which is in thee. Down in verse 8, he says, don't
be ashamed of the testimony of the gospel, nor of me, his prisoner. Down in verse 13, he says, hold
fast the form of sound Words. Hold fast to the truth. In chapter
2, verse 1, he says, Be strong in the grace, the grace of God
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. My friend, these words were not
only written for Timothy's sake, to encourage him and instruct
him in the gospel, but they're also written for all those who
believe the gospel. God gives these words of encouragement
In verse 7 he says, God has not given us the spirit of fear.
We don't fear men or fear or worry about what people say about
those who believe the gospel about us. We fear God, therefore
we don't fear men. He says in verse 7, God has given
us the spirit, not of fear, but of power. The spirit of power.
Now this is not human power or human strength. It's not ours,
but it's Christ in us. He's given us the Spirit of the
power of God in us, Christ in you, the hope of glory. He's
given us the Spirit of love. We love His truth, we love His
people, and we love our God and our King. And He's given us,
in verse 7 it says, the Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound
mind. He's made us new creatures in
Christ. He's given us a new mind, a renewed
mind to declare His truth and to believe His truth. In verse
8 he says, don't be ashamed of the testimony. That's the gospel
of the Lord, of the Lord Jesus Christ. No believer has any reason
to be embarrassed or ashamed over the gospel concerning the
testimony or the gospel concerning Jesus Christ. This gospel is
so great and so powerful. so glorious and so true, so useful
that none need to be ashamed. In this same chapter, in verse
12, Paul says, "...for which cause I also suffer these things.
Nevertheless, I am not ashamed." Here is the reason why. I know
whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep. He is
able because He is God. He is able to keep me. Keep that
which I have committed unto him against that day." Believers
are not ashamed of the gospel. Paul said in Romans 1, 16, I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God unto salvation, unto everyone the power of God, unto everyone
that believeth, to the Jew and also to the Gentile. I am not
ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God, my friend,
to everyone that believeth. So we're not ashamed of the gospel.
And then he says, be a partaker of the afflictions of this gospel.
When we take a firm stand and a public stand for the gospel
of God's sovereign grace, it will cause the enemies of the
truth to be manifested against us. But he says, be a partaker.
Don't be afraid, because the power of God will sustain you,
and His grace is sufficient to deliver us and to sustain us
when we are troubled by those who don't believe the truth.
Now, in these next two verses, verses 9 and 10, 2 Timothy, chapter
1, verses 9 and 10, Paul defines this gospel, this gospel that
we're not to be ashamed of, this gospel that we love to partake
of, this gospel of power and love of a sound mind. Paul defines
this gospel in five statements. Let me give them to you. Here's
the first one. Here's real words of encouragement
to those who believe. A plain statement of the gospel.
God saved us. Here's the first thing he says.
He says, remember Timothy, remember who saved you, who saved us. God did, my friend. Salvation
is of the Lord. The fallen, wicked sinner contributes
nothing toward his salvation. Did you hear me? I said nothing. God totally purposed the salvation
of his people in eternity. and provided the means to accomplish
that salvation in time. God saved His people, my friend,
with an everlasting, eternal salvation. God saved us. Listen
to this scripture, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, We are bound to give
thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto
he called you by the gospel." My friend, God saves His people,
and He saves His people eternally in Christ. God saved us, Paul
said. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
High Priest to represent us. God saved us in Christ, my friend. He's the high priest who represents
His people. In Hebrews 2, 17, it declares,
"...in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His
brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people."
He provided the priest to represent us, and God provided the sacrifice
to redeem us. The Lord Jesus Christ by Himself
purged and put away our sin. He is the Lamb provided of God.
Jesus Christ fully accomplished, now listen to me, Jesus Christ
fully accomplished and executed our salvation by the glorious
sacrifice of Himself. Just as God declared He would
in Matthew chapter 1, call His name Jesus, for He shall save
His people from their sins." Jesus Christ did not make an
attempt to save everybody. He didn't die to make salvation
a possibility. He died to actually obtain and
secure everlasting salvation for His people. We read in Acts
20, 28, God saved us with His own blood. And that's what Paul
is telling this young preacher. Remember this, when you're down,
when you're blue, When you're discouraged, remember, salvation
is of the Lord. God saved us. Here's the second
thing he says in verse 9. God saved us. And then he says
God called us. God called us with a holy calling. Now why is it called a holy calling? Well, because it's calls of God
who is holy. It's also called in Scripture
a heavenly calling. because of the origin of this
calling from the throne of God, and it's called a high calling
because of the power of this calling. This is not the mere
calling of a preacher, but rather the supernatural, irresistible,
conquering call of God the Holy Spirit. You hath he quickened
who were dead. God the Holy Spirit comes to
those who were chosen by God in election, that eternal election,
redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, and effectually applies
the blood of Christ to their hearts, creating faith in them. God saved us, my friend, and
God called us. Now, this is a plain teaching
of Scripture. This call of God is irresistible. It's a conquering call. He said,
I've loved thee in Jeremiah. God said, I've loved thee with
an everlasting love, Jeremiah 31, 3. Therefore, with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee to myself. Our Lord said in John 6, verse
44, No man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw
him. Now listen to me carefully. Salvation.
He said God saved us and then He called us. Salvation was obtained
before our calling. Christ obtained eternal redemption
for us at Calvary. He was a Lamb slain before the
foundation of the world. Not with the blood of bulls and
goats, but with His own blood. As our high priest, he entered
in once in the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us. All that remained was the application
of what Christ had already accomplished. And this is what he does when
he calls us. He saved us at Calvary, and he
calls us in time and makes application of salvation to our heart. Now
here's the third glorious truth. God saved us. And then he called
us, now notice this, not according to our works, not according to
our works. Ephesians 2, 8 declares, for
by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself.
It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Nothing
could be more plainly revealed in scripture that we are neither
justified nor sanctified by the works of the law or by any other
work. If righteousness is by the law,
Paul said in Galatians 2.1, 2.21, that Christ is dead in vain. Titus 3.5 says, Not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us. We are saved and called, but
not according to our works. Now listen to me. If you are
trusting something you did, You experienced, you gave, and not
Christ alone, you are yet dead in your sin without God and without
hope. That's right. Now listen to me.
God, He said, God saved us and called us, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given
us in Christ before the world began. Now here's the fourth
point. Salvation is not by our works. but it's according to
God's purpose and God's grace. Now notice these two glorious
words, purpose and grace. Salvation is according to God's
purpose. Purpose is the word. Romans 8,
28 says, We know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. There are no accidents with God,
my friend. Everything He does, He does on
purpose. In Christ, Ephesians 111 says,
in Christ we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his will, that we should be to the praise of
the glory who first trusted Christ. Salvation, my friend, is on purpose. God saves His people with an
eternal purpose in Christ. Isaiah 46, God said, I've spoken
it, I'll bring it to pass, I've purposed it, I'll do it. Salvation
is by God's purpose, given us in Christ eternally. And then
the second word He says there, salvation is by grace. God saved
us by His purpose and by His grace. which is given to us in
Christ. Romans 3, 24 says we are justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Listen to Scripture in Ephesians
1, verse 6, "...to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein
He made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of
His grace." My friend, this grace of God that we read about in
the Scripture is not something that we merit. It's something
that's freely and sovereignly given to the sinner in Christ. You can't merit mercy. You can't
merit grace. Here's the fifth thing in closing.
You've got the first four. God saved us and called us, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose, His eternal
purpose and grace which is revealed and given in Christ. Now, in
verse 10, we see the last one. But now is made manifest by the
appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death
and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Since the beginning, all grace
and mercy and all spiritual blessings for God's elect have always been
in Christ. They were hidden one time in
the secret counsel and purpose of God, Then they were revealed
in the types and promises and pictures of the Old Testament,
prophecies of the Old Testament, but now they're made manifest.
They're revealed for all to have eyes to see by the glorious appearing
of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Salvation is in a purpose. Christ came to actually accomplish
what God had purposed. Galatians 4.4, in the fullness
of time, God sent forth His Son. made of a woman, made under the
law to redeem them that were under the law. God sent him on
purpose, my friend, to do two things it mentions there, to
abolish death and bring in life. How did he abolish death? My
friend, by putting away the sin of God's people by the sacrifice
of himself. And doing so, he brought in life
and immortality to light through the gospel because he lives.
We live and move in him. Salvation is of the Lord, and
salvation is in a person. He said, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man can come unto the Father
but by me. He, by his appearing, abolished
death. He put away the sin of God's
people, and in doing so, he justified them and gave them eternal life
in Christ.