Now, I have a very familiar verse
of Scripture that I shall use as my text today. Very familiar. You've heard it many, many times. It's found in 2 Timothy 1, verse
12. The Apostle Paul says, nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. For I know whom
I have believed. And notice he didn't say, I know
in whom. He said, I know whom. I know
Him. I believe Him. I love Him. I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that He is
able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that
day, that day of judgment, that day of wrath, that day of our
Lord. against that day. Now, when Paul
wrote this, 2 Timothy chapter 1, the first and second epistle
of Timothy, he was in prison, down in Rome, and he was writing
these epistles to his son, young son in the ministry, young Timothy. Now this epistle, like all the
other epistles, some are addressed to individuals, some are addressed
to like Philemon, Some are addressed to churches like Church of Galatians,
Ephesus and Thessalonica. This epistle, 1 and 2, is addressed
to Timothy. But the Holy Spirit dictated
these epistles. You see, the Scriptures are God-breathed. Holy men spake as they were moved
by the Holy Spirit to write the Scriptures. And when Paul is
writing this epistle to Timothy, he's writing it to you. And to
me, and to all believers, all Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and all Scripture is profitable for correction, for
rebuke, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness. Now, so I'm
going to back up a little bit. Now that's my text, verse 12.
I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that He's
able to keep that which I've committed to Him. Against that
day, but let's back up a little bit. I always tell you if you
want to know what a verse means Find out What said beforehand? What said before that verse and
after that verse don't just reach in the Bible take out a verse
and say this is what that means see what the Apostle says before
He writes that particular verse and back in verse 7 back in verse
7 Paul says to Timothy now Timothy God has not given us a spirit
of fear. God has not given us a spirit
of fear. God has given us a spirit of power. His power. Not ours. His power. And He's given us
a spirit of love. Love for Him and love for others. We preach this gospel in love. We walk in truth and love. Love is the crowning evidence
and mark of a redeemed man. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples if you love one another. God has given us not
a spirit of fear, but he's given us a spirit of power and a spirit
of love and a sound mind. Now what does that mean, God's
given us a sound mind? It means just this, he's taught
us the wisdom of Christ. The Son of God hath come and
given us an understanding. that we may know Him that is
true. This is the true God, and this is eternal life. This is
His Son. And Christ is our wisdom, and
God has given to us. We didn't earn it, merit it,
buy it, work for it. He's given us. Not a spirit of
fear. We don't fear the flesh. We don't
fear men. Our Lord said to His disciples
one time, He said, don't fear men. who are able to kill your
body, and after that, no more that they can do, fear God. Fear
God. So we don't fear men. God hasn't
given us a spirit of fear. We're not seeking to please men.
We're trying to please God. Paul said, if I please men, I'm
not the servant of God. If I'm going to bow and cater
and cringe before the opinions of men, I can't be God's servant.
I've got to be God's servant first. And whatever men feel
about what we preach, that's fine, you know. But God doesn't
give us a spirit of fear. But a spirit of power. The power
is His. The power is in His gospel. The
gospel is the power of God. Not in me or you. It's in what
we preach. It's whom we preach. And a spirit
of love. And a spirit of a sound mind.
Alright, look at verse 8. And in verse 8, Timothy Paul
charges Timothy with three things. Now he says, Timothy, God hasn't
given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and
wisdom. Sound mind. Now here's three
things I'm going to tell you. Don't be ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord. That's the title of this message. The testimony of our Lord. Don't
you be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Don't be ashamed.
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh, I know it's foolishness to
the wise. It's a pack of foolishness. It's
sheer nonsense. I know that. I know it's a stumbling
block to the self-righteous and to the religious. They said their
table is a stumbling block and a snare. And I know it's an offense
to the world. When you call men sinners, you
offend their dignity. And when you preach a salvation
by grace alone, you offend their pride. And the cross is offensive. But I'll tell you this, it's
the power of God under salvation to those who believe. And those
who believe, the gospel is not foolishness, it's not offensive.
It's not a stumbling block. It's the power and the wisdom
of God. I see in Christ Jesus and His
person and work His righteousness and death, His resurrection and
exaltation. I see how a holy God can be just
and justify me and you. I do. I see the wisdom of God
in Christ. I see the power of God in Christ.
And then Paul, the second thing he said, don't be ashamed of
the gospel. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
And listen, don't be ashamed of me, His prisoner. My friends, Don't be ashamed
to be identified with the Lord's people. They're the finest people
on earth. Don't be ashamed of the Lord's people, believing
people. They may be poor. They may be weak. They may be
despised. Paul was despised. He was in
prison when he wrote this. And he tells young Timothy, don't
be ashamed of the gospel and don't be ashamed of God's people.
Don't be ashamed to be identified with them. You know Moses, the
scripture said Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than
the treasures of Egypt. I'd rather be numbered among
the people of God than to reign with the profane. David said
I'd rather be a doorkeeper, a janitor in the house of the Lord than
dwell in the tents of the wicked. That's right. No matter how weak
and poor and frail God's people are, don't be ashamed of them. I just came back from a little
country called Belarus over by Poland where I preached to some
foreign people, country people, plain simple people. But I tell
you how happy I was, how much I felt at home among them, loved
them, they embraced me and kissed me on each cheek, and I just
felt so blessed to be, to have the privilege of being a part
of their family and to worship with them. I'll tell you, they're
the God's people, a precious people, wherever you find them.
He said, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, and
don't be ashamed of me, the prisoner of the Lord or the people of
God. And look at the third thing, he said, Timothy, be thou Be
thou a partaker of the affliction of the gospel. Be identified. And when the arrows start flying
against the people of God, you'd be willing to take your share
of the blame and the rebuke. There are folks who want the
benefits of the gospel, but not the harassment. That's just right. That's just a fact. That's just
a fact. They're people who want the benefits
of the doctrine, of the gospel, of the cross, of the blood, of
salvation, but they don't want to bear the affliction and the
harassment. It comes with it. I've been around
folks like that. They'll let their posture bear
the slight, and they'll let their posture be made fun of, and they'll
let their posture and some of the deacons bear the shame, but
they stand back. They stand back from involvement.
They don't get involved in the harassment and the shame and
the slight and the fun that's poked at people who are believers. I'm telling you this, Christ
said, if you're ashamed of me in this sinful and adulterous
generation, I'll be ashamed of you when I come with the Holy
Angel. You confess me before me and
I'll confess you before the Father. So I'm telling you, this is what
Paul says to Timothy. Now Timothy, God hadn't given
us the spirit of fear. We're not afraid. He's given
us the spirit of power and love, wisdom. And don't you be ashamed
of the Gospel. And don't you be ashamed of the
poor, weak people of God. They're the salt of the earth.
God has chosen the foolish things. to confound the wise. God has
chosen the weak things to bring to naught the mighty things.
God has chosen the things that are abased and despised. Yea, hath God chosen that no
flesh should glory in His presence. You stand up. You stand up and
be ready to be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.
Now, in verse 9, here's that gospel. Here's that offensive
gospel. Here's that Foolishness that
they call foolishness Here is the testimony of our Lord in
verse 9 you see it. He had saved us He saved us salvations
of the Lord Salvation is not something I do for God is something
God does for me Salvation is not a cooperative effort between
me and the most holy God salvation is a gift The wages of sin is
death I've earned that That's what's due me. But the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation's
a gift. He saved us. I hear people say,
well, I got saved. I didn't. The Lord saved me.
I didn't get saved. It wasn't an accident. He did
it on purpose. You see, the two words that sum
up this gospel, you learn them. It's the word substitution and
satisfaction. Jesus Christ took my place. He
took my place. He took my guilt. He died in
my place, in my room, in my stead. He's my substitute. The wrath
of God due unto me fell on Him. He paid the debt He didn't owe.
I owed a debt I couldn't pay. He paid it. He paid it in my
place, in my stead. You see that? Substitution. You
fellas that play football or basketball, you know what a substitute
is. It's a fella that takes your place. And if He takes your place,
you come out. You come out. And Christ came
down here and took my place. And the word satisfaction is
He got the job done. He satisfied the law. He satisfied
the justice of God. He kept the law perfectly. He
paid the sin debt perfectly. It's finished. That's what He
said. You see, Almighty God never had
any satisfaction with the sacrifices of Moses and Aaron And all these
fellas in the Old Testament, those were pictures, those were
types, those were examples. Christ came, you see. He paid
the debt. And God said, this is my beloved
Son in whom I'm well pleased. And with one sacrifice, He perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Alright? He saved us. He saved
us. Alright? And He called us. He
called us by His Spirit. You see, the Father sent the
Son into the world. And the Son came into the world
and finished the work God gave Him to do. And the Holy Spirit
calls us to Christ. In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13,
Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica said, We're bound
to give thanks 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 calls you
by our gospel. He calls you. He calls you by
our gospel. The Spirit of God calls us. He
calls us by His gospel to the obtaining of the glory of Jesus
Christ. And I'll tell you this, that
gift of life, is not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace given us in Christ before the world
began. You see that verse? Verse 9. Here it is. Here's the gospel.
He saved us. He called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, not
because of our works, not based on our works, but according to
His own purpose. and grace which was given to
us in Christ before the world began. Paul summed it up. He said it's not of him that
willeth. It's not of him that runneth. It's of God that showeth
mercy. One day Moses said, Lord, show
me your glory. And the Lord said, alright, Moses,
I'll cause all my goodness to pass before you. Here's my glory. It's my goodness. Here's my glory. It's my mercy. Here's my glory,
it's my grace to undeserving sinners. He said, I'll cause
it to pass before you. I will be merciful to whom I
will be merciful. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. He called us. We're born not
of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of
man. We're born of God. Paul said to Titus, it's not
by works of righteousness which we've done, it's according to
His mercy He saved us. That's that gospel. Don't be
ashamed of it. I tell you this, if a man's ever
saved, God'll have to save him. If a man's ever kept, God'll
have to keep him. If a man's ever raised from the dead, God'll
have to raise him. If a man's ever presented faultless
and holy before the throne of God, God'll have to do it. If
a man's ever conformed to the image of Christ, God will have
to do it. What are you going to do about
it? He saved us. He called us. Whom He foreknew,
them He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. And
whom He predestinated, He called. And whom He called, He justified. And whom He justified, He glorified. What shall we say to these things?
I'll tell you what I say. If God be for me, who can be
against me? If God spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely
give us all things? Who is He that condemned it? It's Christ that died. Alright,
let's move on. Verse 10. I want you to look
carefully now at verse 10. Let's put 9 and 10 together.
Alright? 9 and 10 together. Alright. Paul said, this is that Gospel,
don't you be ashamed of it. He saved us, He called us, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and His own
grace, given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
but is now manifested. This Gospel is now manifested
by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This gospel is
now manifested. What's he saying? Well, listen
to me. See if you can catch these four
things. First, there was the purpose. First was according
to His purpose. That's what He said, didn't He?
He saved us and called us, not according to our works, but according
to His purpose. First, there was the purpose.
God's purpose, back before the foundation of the world. Back
in the beginning, God's purpose. to have a kingdom, an eternal
kingdom wherein dwelleth righteousness. God purposed to have a people
like Christ. God purposed to have a kingdom
of righteousness and holiness and God entered into a covenant
with his beloved son and he made Christ the surety of a better
covenant. He made him the great shepherd
of the sheep of the everlasting covenant. The everlasting covenant
of grace before the world began. Christ was designated as the
Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Before there was
a sinner, there was a Savior. Before there was a sin, there
was a sacrifice. Before the foundation of the
world. The Lamb's book of life. The
book written before the foundation of the world. Revelation 13,
8. Alright, listen. That's the purpose. Alright,
following the purpose is the promise. I gave it to you last
week in my message where he said in Genesis 3.15, to fallen people,
the seed of woman will bruise the serpent's head, crush his
government, kill his power, the seed of woman. And then he came
along and told Abraham, I promise you a seed. In Isaac shall your
seed be called. He told Moses, I'll raise up
a prophet. He told Abraham, I'll raise up
a priest like in the Melchizedek. He told David, I'll raise up
a king. All of these were promises. First the purpose before the
world. And then the promises to a fallen
race. And then the pictures. Then came
the pictures. The Passover lamb. When Israel
was down in Egypt, 400 years of slavery, God would deliver
them. He said, Moses, take a lamb.
Firstling of the flock, without spot or blemish, put it up four
days and observe it, and then slay it, roast it with fire,
eat the flesh, put the blood on the door. When I see the blood,
I'll pass over you." The blood of that animal didn't hold back
the wrath of God. It's the blood of Christ which
that blood pictured. When the high priest went into
the Holy of Holies, there's the mercy seat. Under the mercy seat,
the broken law. And the high priest would take
the blood, dip hyssop in it and sprinkle it on the mercy seat
and make an atonement. You don't think, do you? You
don't think, do you? That the blood of a lamb, an
animal, can hold back the wrath of God from a sinful race? Of
course not. That blood is a picture. That
blood, all the blood on Jewish altars could never put away one
sin. That blood was offered as a picture
of Christ. First, there's the purpose. I'll
have a people. They'll be like Christ. I'll
send a Savior. Then the promises. What he'll
be like. The seed of woman. Seed of Abraham. Tribe of Judah. Son of Jesse. Son of David. Root of Jesse. Priest like Melchizedek. Then
the pictures. The Passover lamb. The brazen
serpent lifted up. You don't suppose those people
were healed by looking to a snake on a pole, do you? That snake
on the pole represented Christ. That rock that was smitten, that
rocks Christ. Pictures, pictures. And then
came the person. My friends, learn those four
things. He said he saved us. He called
us with a holy calling. Not according to our works. but
according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ
before the world began, but is now manifest by the appearing
of our Savior Jesus Christ. He's come. John the Baptist said,
there he is, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the
world. Manifested in person. The purpose, the promises, the
pictures, and now the person. See him hanging on that tree?
He's our Passover. See Him smitten and afflicted?
He's our rock smitten. He's the one that gives us the
water of life. He's our ark. He's our mercy seat. He's our
high priest. He's our atonement. He's our
city of refuge. Flee to Him. He's our righteousness. What hath He done? He hath abolished
death. You see that in verse 10? This
glorious gospel is now manifested by the appearing of our Savior,
Jesus Christ, who abolished death. How did He abolish death? He
died. He died for our sins. You see,
the wages of sin is death. He took my wages and died. I
don't have to die. Sin, when it's finished, brings
forth death. My sins were laid on Him. He died. I don't have
to die. He died for our sins according to the Scripture. You
see, He, God, made Him Christ to be sin for us. He knew no
sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
He hath abolished death. And he that believeth on me will
never die. Death hath no more dominion over
him and over us. And he hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel. And then verse 11,
Paul said, Whereunto I'm appointed a preacher. I'm a preacher of
that gospel. I'm not a politician. I'm a preacher. I'm not an entertainer. Paul
said, I'm a preacher. I'm not a promoter. I'm a preacher. I'm not an after-dinner speaker.
I'm appointed a preacher of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I tell you this, how shall
they call on Him in whom they've not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? God calls some fellas to do what
I'm trying to do. And how shall they preach except
they be sent? And I refuse to be sidetracked.
Forty-five years I've been doing this. And I'm still telling the
same story. Preaching the same gospel. Telling
men to look to the same Lord. And I want to camp right here
at verse 12. Now listen to it. And Paul said, and for which
cause? I'm in prison. I'm in prison
for preaching this gospel. That's alright. I'm not ashamed.
For I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I have committed to him against that
day. I'm going to give you in closing a definition of faith. Threefold. What is faith? Paul
gives it right here. whom I have believed. He didn't
say I know what, I know whom, a person. I know who he is, I
know what he did, I know why he did it, I know where he is
now. I know whom I have believed. Secondly, I am persuaded, confident
that he and he alone is able to do what he says, what he promised.
He's able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him.
He's able to present us faultless. He's able to keep us from falling
and he's able to finish the work he's begun. I'm confident, persuaded. All right. That which I've committed
to him. That's faith. I know him. I'm
confident he's able. And I've committed my soul to
him. The testimony of our Lord.