Let us turn in our Bibles today
to 2 Timothy chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1 beginning in
verse 8. Be not 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, 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, 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,
whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher
of the Gentiles, for the which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. O
fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus, that good thing which
was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth
in us. This thou knowest, that all they
which are in Asia be turned away from me, of whom are Phagellus
and Hermogenes, The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus,
for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. But
when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found
me. The Lord granted to him that
he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. And in how many
things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very
well. Last week we looked at the first
seven verses in this letter. This was the last of the inspired
letters that the Apostle Paul wrote. And I pointed out four
things to us in those seven verses. And this morning I want to point
out four things to us in these verses we've just read. First, Paul's negative and positive
exhortations to Timothy in verse 8. His negative and his positive
exhortations to Timothy. First, the negative exhortation,
be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Be not ashamed of
the testimony of our Lord. The testimony of our Lord is
the gospel. It is the gospel. It is God's
good news. And I would emphasize that the
gospel is good news. And when a person is saved, the
gospel comes to that person as good news. You may be here this
morning and you may say, well, I've heard the gospel many times.
I don't think there's any good news about it. You've never been
saved. You've never been quickened by
the spirit of God. Because when a person hears the
gospel as good news, that means they recognize themselves as
guilty lost sinners without any hope, without any hope whatsoever. Have a noose around your neck
just waiting the day of execution. And then you hear the gospel,
the good news, the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
gospel testifies of the Lord. It testifies first of his person,
that he is God, man. It testifies that he is the mediator,
the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
And in that As mediator, he has three offices. He is the prophet. He is the prophet that you must
hear or perish. He is the priest who has offered
that one only sacrifice that puts away sin. And he is the
king who must conquer and reign and deliver you if you are ever
to be delivered. The testimony of the Lord, his
person, the fact that he is a mediator, the fact of his life. The gospel
testifies of his life while he was here in this world. He was
obedient, obedient as God's servant. He was obedient, working out
a righteousness a perfect righteousness which will allow God to justify
a sinner like you and a sinner like me. And in his death, he
opened up that fountain that is filled with blood, the only
agent that is able to cleanse from sin. The gospel is a testimony. The testimony of our Lord is
the gospel. And it testifies of His Lordship. He's not going to be Lord. He is Lord. He is Lord. He's your Lord. Whether you recognize
Him or not, whether you look to Him, trust in Him, believe
in Him or not, He is your Lord. And you and I, we are in His
hands. He's not in our hands. That's
what false religion teaches. That's what false religion tells
people, that somehow Christ is in your hands for you to do with
him what you will. But the gospel declares, no,
no, he's Lord. The apostle Paul in Romans chapter
14 in verse nine said, for to this end, Christ both died and
rose and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and
living. He's not in your hands, but my
friends, we are in His hands. We are in His hands. And He can
save you, or He can pass by you. See, I don't like that. Doesn't
matter whether you like it or not. It's the truth. It's what the Bible declares. He can save you, he can have
mercy upon you, or he can pass by. The gospel declares his lordship. Be not ashamed, Timothy, be not
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. The gospel declares that
he obtained the victory over sin, over Satan, over death,
and yes, over the grave. He is victorious. Be not ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord. And Timothy, be not ashamed of
me, his prisoner. The apostle Paul writes, Be not
ashamed of me, his prisoner. You know, I found four other
times where the Apostle Paul refers to himself either as the
prisoner of the Lord or his prisoner. Someone might ask, well, wasn't
he Caesar's prisoner? Well, technically he was, but
Paul knew that Caesar that Caesar was ruling and reigning only
at God's disposition, at His pleasure, that all power is ordained
of God, all power, the apostle tells us in Romans 13, all power,
all authority, all rulers. are ordained of God, and men
serve, women serve in those capacities at God's pleasure. He's the one
that raises up one and puts down another. And the king's heart
is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water, so he turneth
it whithersoever he will. Later, and maybe when Paul wrote
this letter, I'm not sure, Nero, as cruel A cruel ruler as he
was, the many martyrs, the Christian martyrs that he had destroyed. I've read that he lighted his
garden by burning Christians. But as cruel and as wicked as
Nero was, he was still in God's hands. You say, well, explain
that to me. I can't. Why was Paul, this man
that wrote this letter, why was he in prison? Well, it was not
for evil doing. If Nero is in God's hands and
Nero makes Paul a prisoner, how can that be right? That's been
a question down through the ages, hasn't it? How is it that Christians
suffer what we would call wrong, evil? How is that possible if
all are in God's hands and if all is ordained of God? The only
answer we have to that are God's own words found in Isaiah 55. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. That's the only answer we have.
Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. We do know
this, that when God's servants, like the apostle Paul, and others,
when they are prisoners and they are bound, God's Word is not
bound. The servant may be bound, he
may be in prison, but God's Word is not bound. We have this great
example in Acts chapter 16, if you want to turn and look here
with me. Paul and Silas at Philippi. And
they are both put in the stocks, put in prison. In verse 23, we
read, and when they had laid many stripes upon them, that
is the authorities, the jailer, laid many stripes upon Paul and
Silas, 39 stripes, they cast them into prison, charging the
jailer to keep them safely. Well, they're in prison. They're
shut up. But God's word is not bound.
Who having received such a charge thrust them into the inner prison
and made their feet fast in the socks. And at midnight, Paul
and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard
them and suddenly There was a great earthquake, so that the foundations
of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors
were opened and everyone's bands were loosed. And the keeper of
the prison, awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors
open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing
that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice
saying, do thyself no harm, for we are all here. Then he called
for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down
before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said, Sirs, you
see God's word was not bound. His servants were bound. They
were in prison, but God's word was not bound. And here was one
of God's elect, one that God had chosen before the foundation
of the world and given unto his son in that everlasting covenant
of grace. He was a jailer. And by all accounts,
a jailer was a very tough man, probably a retired Roman soldier
who had got this position. A mean type of person. The gospel breaks a person's
heart, doesn't it? It brings a person who's haughty,
proud, self-sufficient. I'll do it my way. Gospel, when
God sends it in power, strikes this haughty man down. Sirs, before they had been his
prisoners, sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe. Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And what
happened after he heard that word? They spake unto him the word
of the Lord and all that were in his house. And he took them
the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and was
baptized, he and all his straightway. That's always God's order, isn't
it? Hear, hear, hear, believe, believe, believe, be baptized. How men have reversed that order
and said, well, be baptized when you come into this world as a
little baby. That's sufficient. Oh, no. We
do not have the right to change God's order, God's way, God's
word. And God's word and God's way
is here, believe. And I say unto any and everyone
here this morning, if you would be saved, believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, just like this man. Well, notice back in our text,
the positive exhortation, The negative was, be not ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord. And the positive exhortation,
be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. Now the gospel
is the gospel of peace. It tells us and shows us how
we may have peace with God. One of the charges against lost
men is the way of peace they have not known. Men do not know
by nature how they may have peace with God. They go about in all
different kinds of ways trying to achieve peace with God. There's
only one way that a sinner may have peace with God, and that
is through his son, Jesus Christ, through his blood and righteousness.
Gospel is a message of peace. But our Lord said, thank not
that I came to send peace on the earth, but a sword. The gospel
brings division. Not everyone believes the gospel. Not everyone receives the gospel. Sometimes a husband receives
the gospel, his wife doesn't receive it, and there's no peace
there. Sometimes a father believes the
gospel, or a child believes the gospel, and the parents don't. And so there's division. There's
a sword, even though the gospel itself is a gospel of peace. Be partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel. Paul knew that he was appointed
a preacher, and he suffered the afflictions of the gospel. Willingly,
he did so. Here's a second thing that I
want to mention to us. Paul's testimony to the truth
that salvation is of the Lord. Paul's testimony to the truth
that salvation is of the Lord, verses nine and 10, 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, 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. You know, the prophet Jonah,
in the belly of that great fish that God had prepared, he declared
this truth, salvation is of the Lord. If I ever get out of this
fish, it's going to be of the Lord. I can't deliver myself. Salvation is of the Lord. And
that's what the Apostle Paul testifies to here in these verses. Salvation is of the Lord. Though
he was a prisoner chained, some believe, to a Roman soldier at
this time, yet he recognized and confessed and gave his testimony
that salvation is of the Lord. Notice he said, who, who hath
saved us? Those who trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ, we are now saved, who hath saved us. There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. We're saved
now. We're saved now in the purpose
of God. God's purpose cannot be frustrated, and God purposed
the salvation of His people of old, from before there ever was
a star shining in the sky. God purposed the salvation of
His people, and God's will cannot be frustrated. God said, I've
purposed it. I will do it. No one can stay
His hand. No one can say unto him, what
are you doing? What right do you have to do
this? Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God? Hath not the potter power over
the clay? Amen. Salvation is of the Lord. And in God's purpose, we are
saved now. We are saved now for the price
of our redemption has been paid. The blood has been shed. The
dead has been paid and accepted because he was raised from the
dead. And we are saved now because
our covenant head, the Lord Jesus Christ, he is at the Father's
right hand and we are seated in him in the heavenlies. We're saved now. That's what
Paul says. Who hath saved us? The salvation
of the Lord is not according to our works. Could my zeal, could my hands, could my
tears forever flow? These for sin cannot atone. Thou must save, and thou alone. Save not according to our works,
but according to His, God's purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. We're saved now because
we have been called with a holy calling, notice that, who hath
saved us and called us with a holy calling. The holy calling, it
comes to a person when a person is dead in trespasses and sins. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins. This holy calling comes to a
person who is dead in trespasses and sins and quickens, gives
life unto the dead sinner. Someone says, well, how may a
person be sure? How may a person know that he
or she has been called? Well, that's very important,
isn't it? But to them that are called,
Christ is the power of God, the wisdom of God unto salvation. To them that are called, how
may a person know, have I ever been called? Well, take Paul for an example.
Remember his name was Saul of Tarsus. Take him for an example. Did Saul, before he was called,
know and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? No way. He did not know that. He did
not believe that. Do you? Do you know, do you believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed this unto thee,
but my Father, which is in heaven. Did Paul, before he was called,
trust in his own righteousness, or did he trust in the righteousness
of Christ for salvation? Was he going about to establish
his own righteousness before he was called? You better believe
it. You better believe he was. But once he was called, he no
longer was going about to earn to establish his own righteousness,
but he was trusting in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and him alone. Do you? Do you? Did Paul, before he was called,
love the Lord Jesus Christ? Of course not. He was doing everything
he could to exterminate the very name of Christ. But once he was called, he said, curse it. Be every one that does
not love our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you love Christ? He said,
if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Did Paul, before
he was called, desire to be with the Lord Jesus Christ? You know
he did, to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Have you been called? Salvation, Paul testifies, salvation
is of the Lord. It's of the Lord and it's planning,
It's of the Lord in its purchasing, and it's in the Lord of its execution. Here's the third thing I want
to mention. Paul's confession of not being ashamed of being
a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. He said, for the
which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not
ashamed. I'm not ashamed, Paul says. And
the reason why? The reason why he was not ashamed? For I know whom I have believed. In my opinion, this is where
most of so-called Christianity makes a terrible mistake. Many
people, they can tell you, well, I know what I believe. I know
what my church teaches. I know this, I know that, yep. Paul said, I know whom I believe. Salvation is not in a creed. Salvation is in the person of
Jesus Christ and him alone. The Lord said, this is life eternal,
that they may know thee, speaking to his father. This is life eternal,
that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou hast sent. Our Lord said, All things are
delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but
the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son,
and he to whomsoever the Son shall reveal Him. I know whom
I have believed. Not a creed, not a confession
of faith, a person. I know him. I know whom I have believed and
I am persuaded. I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. What
was it that Paul had committed unto him? Now listen, Paul had committed
the most precious thing that he had. He had committed the most precious
thing that he had. That was his immortal soul. How many people are very careful,
you may be here today and you have some valuables. Maybe you
have some deeds to property. Maybe you have some 401Ks or
CDs or whatever, jewelry, valuables. And you're very careful about
those things. And yet the most valuable thing
that you have, your precious soul, you're not careful about
it. You're not concerned about it.
You put very little attention and very little interest in the
things concerning your soul. And that's the most valuable
thing that you possess. Our Lord expressed the value
of the soul like this when he said, what should it profit a
man if he gained the whole world and should lose his own soul? Paul was not ashamed of the gospel
for he knew him. the Lord Jesus Christ. And to
him, he had trusted the saving and the keeping of his soul.
And when I speak about knowing Christ, I think about what my
wife has told me sometimes in her class, the little children,
she'll introduce a lesson and someone will say, I know that
lesson. I've already heard that or something
like that. When we say we know Christ, Paul,
at the close of his life, was still saying, oh, that I might
know Him. I might know Him. That's the
reason the gospel never gets old, to a child of God. To hear
about Christ, to learn about Christ. And I say, like Job said,
he said this, lo, these are parts of His ways. but how little a
portion has heard of him. We've got all eternity, God's
children have all eternity to know and to learn and to rejoice
in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. His infiniteness will never completely
fathom. Oh, I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, that
day, that day, that day when we all shall appear before God
to give an account for the things done in the body. I'm persuaded
that when my name is called, my substitute is going to answer
for me. Here's the last thing, 4th Paul's
commendation of a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus in verses 16
through 18. Here's a man by the name of Onesiphorus. We don't know much about this
man, but all we know is contained in this second letter of 2nd
Timothy. We learned that when Paul was
in Ephesus and Timothy was aware of this, that this man ministered
unto Paul. What Timothy maybe did not know,
and Paul is now writing to tell him, that when this man came
to Rome, he sought Paul out diligently. And that makes us believe that
Paul was no longer in that rented house, that Acts closes with
when he was free to receive people and preach the gospel to them.
But now most likely he's in a prison, in a dungeon prison, underground
prison. And this man sought him out.
There was more than one prison in Rome. He sought him out so
that he might minister unto him. And Paul prayed for this man,
and he prayed for his family. We see that, he had a family.
Paul asked and prayed for mercy for him and his family. Now listen,
there's nothing, hear me now, there's nothing to suggest in
these verses that this man was now dead. had passed on when
Paul wrote this letter. Nothing. He was separated from
his family. No doubt that's the reason Paul
prays for them separately. And I point this out to us because
the false religion, it has tried to latch upon this passage of
scripture and say and teach that we should pray for the dead.
that Onesiphorus was dead now and Paul prays for him. There's
no scripture to support that whatsoever. But let me say this
in closing. What does the Bible teach about
the dead? Have you ever heard that saying
in the forest, as the tree falls, so it will lay. If it falls to the south, it
will lay to the south. If it falls to the west, it's
going to lay to the west. Even so, the Word of God teaches
that as a man dies, so shall he be throughout all eternity. This is the way it's stated in
the last chapter of the Bible. He that is unjust, that is he's
unrighteous, he's never been justified by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still. He dies unjustified, he shall
forever be unjustified. He that is filthy, he's never
been washed in that one fountain filled with Emmanuel's blood.
Let him be filthy still all throughout eternity. He shall be filthy. And he that is righteous, he
who dies in a justified state, knowing Christ as his Lord and
Savior, he shall be righteous still. Righteous still. Oh, that makes me want to clap
my hands. Amen, righteous, righteous, perfectly
righteous throughout all eternity. And he that is holy, let him
be holy still. Oh my, we don't pray for the
dead because as a man or woman dies, that's the way they shall
be throughout all eternity. If you were to die just now,
whatever your state is just now, that's the way it would be throughout
all eternity. Would to God someone here this
morning the Lord might call. It'd be all of grace, wouldn't
it? It'd be all for His glory. God let it be so. Let's close with hymn number
459. 459.