2 Timothy 2:8-13

How can we live faithfully as Christians?  One essential answer to that question is that we must be able to look back and ahead at the same time.  We are not advocating some sort of spiritual strabismus (where the eyes don’t line up).  Actually, to use the eye disease illustration …

·        Some folks are myopic (nearsighted), unable to see beyond the moment.  They are open to discouragement because they have no confidence about the unknowns of the future; there is nothing to tell them that today’s trials are temporary and beneficial.

 ·        Others are hyperopic (farsighted), unable to see anything but the future.  Sometimes we say they are too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.  They are just waiting for Christ to come; they seem to have little urgency about their daily lives.

 ·        And then there are those who are simply hind-sighted (not sure there’s a scientific word for that).  They are always looking back at the good ole days, the way we’ve always done it and convinced if it was good enough for mom and dad it’s good enough for me.  

So here is the point.  All of these, in the spiritual realm, are necessary to a healthy person.  It is true for all people: if we do not have confidence about what comes after this life we are hopeless and thus prone to either despair or to the constant search for validation in life.  Thus Paul gives us a faithful saying.  God will keep His word.  If we died with Christ (Rom. 6:5,8, identified with Him in His death) then we will live with Him (John 5:24; we have passed from death to life).  If we endure in this life (overcome) we will reign with Him (Rev. 2:26; 3:21).  Likewise, if we deny Christ in this life He will deny us.  Our faithlessness will not alter God’s faithfulness; He will keep His word (Matt. 10:33).

But how can we know this is true?  The answer is to look back; remember that Jesus Christ … was raised from the dead.  As we have already noted (2 Tim. 1:8-12) our future is based on His resurrection when He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  It is this combination of far-sight and hind-sight that enables us to see clearly what is in our path today.   

Look at Paul.  His day, in a Roman prison, was a day of suffering trouble, a day of chains.  But it was also a day of living for the gospel.  He endured the hardships because he remembered Jesus Christ … raised from the dead.  Jesus was God in the flesh who was of the seed of David; He endured to death.  His death and resurrection were and are the gospel, the good news for sinful men.  Paul knew what we can know: if we live our lives for Christ we will live after we die, and if we live our lives for the gospel we will be eternally significant.  

Let us ask God to heal our eyes that we might see Jesus clearly!