In Paul’s final letter he exhorts his “beloved son”, Timothy, to continue in the ministry that he has been called into. Paul, at this time, is alone in prison with little to no people to comfort him. Most have abandoned him and his only comfort is his Savior Jesus Christ and a few friends (2 Tim 4:11-12)
I want you to imagine what Timothy must be thinking. In the beginning of their ministry together it was exciting. Lots of fruit, lots of action, lots of people. But now the reality of their “holy calling” is becoming clear. So called “friends” start to leave, public opinion begins to dissipate, and all comfort begins to swiftly leave. Then Timothy receives a final letter from Paul confirming this to be the case. And he must know that following in Paul’s footsteps means the same outcome for him. Yet Paul exhorts Timothy:
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony concerning our Lord nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the sake of the gospel by the power of God…”
2 Timothy 1:8 LSB
Against the natural man’s desire to quit, to throw in the towel, to find something less demanding, Paul tells Timothy to continue full speed ahead. He must not slow down but rather “share in suffering” for the gospel’s sake. And he is to do this through the power of God.
Paul’s Secret
Verses 8-12 is one long sentence Paul writes that is one of the most powerful statements in scripture I have ever read. I want to highlight one aspect of this sentence which I am calling: “Paul’s Secret”. After exhorting his disciple to continue in the suffering of the gospel he explains the motivation to do so (9-10). Then he gives his own personal calling similar to Timothy’s (11). He then tells Timothy that he too has: “also suffer these things…” Finally, to end the sentence, he ends with his “secret”:
“nevertheless I am 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.”
verse 12
How does Paul do it? How does he suffer hardship, heart break, rejection, slandering, pain, suffering, turmoil, and hatred? Simple: he knows whom he has believed. He knows Jesus. Paul has spent years trusting Jesus and every day he did his knowledge of Jesus increased. He told the Philippians: “I count all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” It is here we see one of the values of knowing Christ Jesus: Perseverance.
The Secret to Perseverance
The Christian life is a demanding life. And if you don’t know that already then allow me to be the first one to tell you. It requires everything of you. Your heart, your soul, your mind, your strength, your will, your desires, your sleep, your everything. And to be able to do this day after day after day for years on end requires something outside of yourself to pull off. It requires eternal life. Now it’s not shocking to me that “eternal life” has already been defined for us by our Lord: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)
Maybe you have been drifting recently. Maybe you have set down your shield, sword, and armor for a few weeks. This post is to exhort you to pick them back up. Put that helmet back on. And continue fighting the good fight of faith. But do so with this “secret” in mind. Know Jesus. Seek to know Him only. The moment you wake up, understand that you will be met with challenges all day but you can easily conquer them so long as your motivation is to know Jesus through them all. Oh Christian. Please know Him. Suffer all things to know Him. Abandon all things to know Him. Sacrifice all things to know Him. It is worth it. It is worth it. He is worth it.
Action
- Praise God for His Son Jesus Christ. Praise Him for all He has done for you.
- Confess to God your recent drifting and the temptation to lay down your armor.
- Ask God for the knowledge of Jesus Christ as motivation to continue in the fight.
- Listen to this Posts song: “Knowing Jesus” – Shane & Shane