2 Timothy 2:14-26 (3)

How can we live faithfully as Christians?  Sadly many servants of God have been unfaithful because they did not deal with the sin in their own lives.  

·        2:21: In contrast to profane and idle babblings that increase to more ungodliness (2:16) and the strange doctrines of those who overthrow the faith of some (2:18) Timothy must cleanse himself so as to be useful to the Master.

o   In raising the issue of the two men whose ministries overthrow the faith of some, Paul is led by the Spirit to make a magnificent statement about the assurance of faith (2:19).  Nevertheless, he says.  False ministry can be very dangerous.  But those ministers, tools of Satan, cannot undo what God has done in the born again believer in Christ.  Those people are marked by a seal.  This seal, and the word imprinted in it, gives the clearest understanding of assurance of faith.  

§  First the seal says, The Lord knows those who are His.  Jesus said that He knows His sheep; thus no one can snatch them from His hand (John 10:27-30).  His Father who gave Him the sheep is great, greater than all; thus no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  God knows the heart of every man; He knows who truly belongs to Him.

§  The seal also says, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.  Those who are His, who call themselves Christians, will depart from iniquity.  This is what it means to be born again.  We have a new life.  True believers will have their struggles but they cannot remain where they are spiritually.  The new life will become evident. False teaching can be very deceptive.  But God will keep His people (Jude 24-25).  He will not allow them to be overcome, to be in a situation where they must sin (Matt. 24:24; 1 Cor. 10:13; Psalm 125:3).

o   Since we are sealed by God, we are called to cleanse ourselves.  The picture the Spirit uses is that of a house with many vessels to be used to serve the household.  All the vessels might be useful but some are more honorable than others.  And since we serve our Master, the Lord Jesus, we need to make ourselves most useful by cleansing ourselves from that which dishonors Christ.  Specifically we are to put off (flee) youthful lusts and put on (pursue) the Christ-like life (righteousness, faith, love and peace).  In this we see the truth about assurance: eternal security (as some call it) is never an excuse to sin but is in fact a reason to be righteous.

Faithfulness requires that we be diligent to present ourselves to God as servants He approves.  Faithfulness requires that we be of maximum use to the Master, prepared for every good work.  We can never be comfortable being near that which is sinful; our daily pursuit should always lead us closer to our Lord.