CHAPTER 2

When I was running track, we had to PRACTICE.
Practice breathing control, step distance and frequency.
Practice made us STRONGER competitors!

It is the same with Christian lives.
We must PRACTICE to grow STRONGER!

In this chapter, once can see many encouraging statements which
refer to the duties of a Christian PRACTICING to be what God has
called him/her to be.

1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

In the first chapter of this letter, is mentioned that some had
"turned away" from Paul and the ways of Christ. (See 1Tim. 1:15)

THAT is what happens when one turns toward worldly lives instead
of being "strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Now, let me give a word of encouragement to some who have seen
children and friends go aside from leadership of Christ in their lives.
You and I can only see the PRESENT in a person, not the FUTURE!
Turning away from the truth of following Christ, does NOT necessarily
mean the loss of salvation.
Once a person has genuinely received Christ as Lord, God's Holy
Spirit CONTINUES to work in that person.
And, NEW results may come later! (Perhaps a reading of my short (28 page) book:
SEALED IN HIS SPIRIT will help in understanding the truth of
ETERNAL salvation.
See https://linktojesus.org/SealedInHisSpirit.pdf

When a person has truly surrendered to Christ, then, though
he/she may turn away, God's Holy Spirit will convict, and call to
RETURN! (See Prov. 22:6)

So, the PATHWAY to VICTORY is in being STRONG in the grace
that Christ gives to study the Bible, pray, and be INVOLVED
in the WORK of PRACTICE!

2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach
others also.

The fervent ACTION of Paul being ALWAYS involved in evangelistic effort
is a constant reminder to Timothy.
THIS ACTION, Timothy (and ALL Christians) should remain a
CONSTANT ACTION in him and us!

By doing this, some "faithful" ones may be taught, and
they will have the opportunity to "teach others also!
THIS is the way the church CONTINUES!!

WITHOUT an ACTIVE laity, the church will smolder instead of
BURN with fervency!

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Being evangelistic in fervent effort will surely bring some need
to ENDURE!
Others will mock, castigate and try to malign the active Christian.

The message here is: when THAT happens - ENDURE!

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life;
that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

Here are 3 examples of ENDURANCE!

1) The soldier is there to PLEASE his President or King!
Whatever the BATTLE, he must do his BEST!

2) To MASTER a particular sport or management ability, a man
or woman must ENDURE hardships and CONTINUE.

3) The farmer must be willing to ENDURE the hardships of
drought, too much rain, and storms to be the "first
partaker of the fruits" of farming.

The lesson here is ENDURE!
Be CONSTANTLY living your life with God's plan in the
FOREFRONT of your planning!

Without PRACTICING God's plan of sharing Jesus with others,
one cannot be STRONG enough to ENDURE!

7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in
all things.

This is both an admonition AND a prayer!
LISTEN to God's WORD; PRACTICE His PURPOSE for you;
and, God WILL GIVE you UNDERSTANDING.
(See Prov. 3:5-6)

8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised
from the dead according to my gospel:

The crux of the Gospel is that Jesus DID DIE for ALL man's sins!
BUT, He was RAISED for OUR justification!!

YES! Even we Christians are ALL sinners!
But when we attempted to make a contract with God for
salvation - Jesus COMPLETED the contract by His death,
burial and resurrection!

That does not give a LICENSE to sin!
Instead, it gives us a FORCE by which we can RESIST sin.

9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but
the Word of God is NOT bound.

Paul, at the time, was BOUND by chains and shacles, JUST
BECAUSE he was a Christian, acting out a Christ-saved life!

But, he was STILL ABLE to preach the Gospel of salvation
through surrender to Jesus, even to the GUARDS!

The WORD of God IN you is NEVER bound, unless you do
NOT ENDURE!

10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they
may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory.

Once you have genuinely SURRENDERED to Jesus as Lord
of your life, you can do NOTHING to further your salvation!

Therefore, ENDURANCE is for the "elect's sake!

Let me say a little about that word elect.
In the Greek it is eklektos,' meaning favorite, or
chosen.
We are favorite and chosen ONLY because we have
SURRENDERED to Jesus!!
Rom. 9:11 says, "(For the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, NOT OF WORKS, but of
HIM THAT CALLETH:)

The salvation of Jesus does not necessarily apply to one who
has been born to certain parents, neither does it necessarily
apply to one who has been born out of illegal means.

The salvation of Jesus applies ONLY when a person
SURRENDERS to Jesus as Lord of his/her life!!!!!
(See Lk. 9:23 & John 14:6)

A Christian who is ENDURING, is also INSPIRING others!

11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall
also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him,
he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
14 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.

3 things here that are important:
1) If we die TO self, giving ourselves to Jesus, then we LIVE
WITH Him NOW and FOREVER!!
2) If we SUFFER for our Christian living, we WILL "reign"
with Him in Glory!! (See also Rev. 20:6)
3) If we "believe NOT" God is FAITHFUL in righteous
judgment!
He will NOT "deny Himself" for those who deny Him!

THEREFORE, don't become involved in senseless conversation
about WHETHER a person is saved because He was BORN of
certain parents; or whether he has DONE certain things!

YOU and I CANNOT determine that!!
It is GOD'S JUDGMENT!
It does NOT belong to us!

The ETERNAL DESTINATION of a person is determined by
GOD'S JUDGMENT of SALVATION in that person!!
It CANNOT be determined by mankind!!

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This is one of my favorite verses.
A plumber will be ashamed of his pipe-cutter if he doesn't know
how to USE it!

Let's see....WHAT is in the Christians TOOL BOX?
1) STUDY - diligent, fervent STUDY of the Bible: DESIGNED
examination of the content and context of Scripture!
2) PRAYER - daily (if not more often) SEEKING God for
forgiveness and help for self and others.
3) ATTENDANCE - as often as possible, and also being an
interfacer in the WORK of the church.
An interfacer is one who works within the church to
benefit ALL of the church!
4) GIVING - upon prayerful consideration of, and in consultation
with God about what should you BUDGET for giving.
5) SHARING - the Gospel of Jesus upon every opportunity
which God gives you, and sharing Biblical education and
advice with those who ask.

Instead of being ashamed of these tools, USE them diligently
as often as you can!

16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase
unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is
Hymenaeus and Philetus;

Hymenaeus was mentioned in 1 Tim. 1:20.
Philetus is mentioned in the Bible ONLY here.

In verse 19 of 1Tim.1, it is mentioned that some had put away
faith and good conscience and made SHIPWRECK of the
Christian life.
Note: In 1 Tim. 1:20, Hymenaeus was mentioned as one who
opposed Paul concerning sound doctrine from the Bible.

SOME oppose sound Christian doctrine from the Bible today!
For instance - ABORTION!
Psalm 51:5 states "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time
my mother conceived me."
If one is a sinner at conception, they must be a living human at
conception.
Therefore, abortion, which murders a living human, is wrong based
in the Bible.

18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection
is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

While Paul was a prisoner in Rome, some opposed the Biblical
doctrine of a future resurrection of all people for God's final
judgment.

This opposition has confused many of this day.
MOST people do NOT want to believe God will resurrect ALL
for final judgment of their eternal judgment.

One person asked, "Why, if God is so good, will he send
people to hell?"
The answer is simple: God doesn't SEND people to hell!
It is the refusal to believe that Jesus is God Who died for
all sin, and offers eternal forgiveness and redemption to
ANY who receive Him as Lord of their lives.
THAT refusal is the ONE sin which God cannot forgive,
because a person will not PLEAD with God to forgive!
the eternal condemnation.

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having
this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every
one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

The "foundation of God" is SURE! (Gk. stereos')
God Himself is the foundation of Himself!
He is steady, absolute, never wavering, always stable!

And, God KNOWS! He is OMNISCIENT!
He KNOWS all those who have genuinely opened their
hearts and decided to be His servants!

SO THEN, let ALL true Christians "depart from
iniquity."
Iniquity is the act of doing moral wrong.

Let me repeat: A Christian may not be totally sinless,
but he/she can certainly determine to sin LESS!

Now, if I, or you, look back over our lives as Christians
we can certainly see many times when we DEPARTED
from God's eternal morality!
The question then is this: Is Jesus, and living for Him,
the MAIN priority in all our living.
If that is the case, then God sees Jesus IN us!!

KNOWING that we are sinners according to God's
holy Word, and that we are still accepted in the
Beloved" Christ, does NOT give us a license to
depart from God's morality.
INSTEAD, it gives us a FORCE by which we can
RESIST!!

So let us RESIST!!

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and
some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he
shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for
the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

We, members TOGETHER, are the body of Christ!
ALL of us are DIFFERENT!
But, all of us TOGETHER make up the "house"!

If we "purge" ourselves from "iniquity" then
we are honorable, sanctified, and able to be USED
by our Lord and Master.

We can be PREPARED by Him for EVERY "good work!

Following is HOW!

22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they
do gender strifes.

FLEE means to stay away from these things.

(I was doing pretty good in the Karate class.
Following my youthful lust to be GOOD at it.
But when it came to getting my black belt, the sensei pared
me with a short, fast 2nd degree black belt.
He defeated me in about 3 minutes!
Totally SHATTERED my youthful lust!!)

Youthful lusts can be, and often are, SHATTERED!

But FAITH, LOVE, PEACE and CALLING ON THE LORD
with a PURE HEART, can NEVER be SHATTERED!

The realization that God IS, AND that He is "a very
present help in trouble" keeps us GOING to HIM for
SECURITY!

AGAIN, here is the admonition to AVOID questions which
gender argumentative things like "STRIFE!"

BECAUSE....

24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle
unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare
of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

When the faucet is kept under pressure for a length of time,
it will usually have a DRIP.
THAT is what an EXPERT is called.... a DRIP under
PRESSURE!

Christians, THAT'S what WE are!

So then, whoever considers himself or herself to be
an expert in the Word: 1) be GENTLE
2) be WILLING to teach
3) be PATIENT in teaching
4) and PRAY that the listener will come to godly
understanding and acknowledging the Biblical truth!

It is THEN, that the listener may get OUT of the "snare
of the devil!"

Even under the pressures of the world, PRACTICE the
things God has told you to DO.

PRACTICE is what makes us STRONGER competitors
in the world!