Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher,  and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him.  Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Paul is a prisoner in Rome facing execution, and he writes to his young protégé Timothy, urging him to remember and guard the good treasure he possesses – the gift of faith, his faith-filled upbringing, the indwelling Holy Spirit with His power, love and self-discipline, the knowledge of the gospel of truth, and his holy calling in and through Christ Jesus. Timothy has the total package of faith, and as Paul leads to his climactic conclusion, he urges Timothy to avoid feeling embarrassed about his relationship with Christ Jesus or his relationship with Paul, who is imprisoned for fulfilling his appointment as herald of the gospel.  Further, he urges Timothy to join Paul in suffering for the good news of Christ Jesus, to rely on God’s power and to guard the good treasure.

Like Timothy, we each possess good treasure.  We may not have the exact elements that Timothy had, but we share common elements.  We have faith, and God’s power, love and self-discipline.  We know the gospel and God’s holy truth.  And God calls each of us into His great mission here on earth.  Like Timothy, God’s holy word urges us to join Paul in suffering for the gospel of Christ Jesus, to join in his reliance on God’s power and provision, and to guard the good treasure.

This powerful paragraph forces me to consider our situation as Christians in the United States.  By God’s grace, few of us have suffered for the gospel, yet we each know suffering.  How do we rely on and trust His power and provision?  What circumstances have arisen in your life forcing you to rely on God and to seek and trust His power?  What role has suffering played in the process?  What steps do you take each day to guard the good treasure?  We do not know what the future will bring, and today is our opportunity to establish the foundation for the future.

Paul then reminds Timothy of several amazing points that we too should remember.

God saves.  Salvation is a gift from God through Christ Jesus, and He calls “us with a holy calling … according to his own purpose and grace.”  We each have a holy calling.  Please pause for a moment and allow that to sink in.  God calls you into His purpose.  He has a plan for you which involves you helping Him in His glorious mission here on earth, and He made you with specific skills and passions enabling you to serve in your unique way.  

God calls in accordance with His purpose and grace.  It is a matter of grace.  It is a gracious gift offered through God’s kindness, compassion and mercy.  It is the gift of opportunity.  At first glance this seems counterintuitive, because we may view our call as a request for us to do something, as some new responsibility to be fulfilled.  When viewed in this light it stands in contrast to a gift, which is something freely received with no strings attached.  In fact, we might question whether a gift requiring a response is really a gift.  Yet here we see that God calls us into His holy service and His calling is in and of itself a holy gift of grace, forcing us to realize our call is an opportunity, a gracious gift.  God’s holy calling is a matter of His holy grace because through service we discover our purpose, we gain clarity on why God created us the way He did, we find fulfillment and wholeness, our faith becomes stronger, and our relationship with Him grows.  God knows exactly what we need.  He created each of us, He breathes the breath of life into each of us, He is all-powerful and sovereign, and He gives graciously.

Paul continues writing, “This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began….”  God gave us this holy gift of grace before the ages began.  How is this possible?  What does this possibly mean?  We are each part of God’s plan, which He envisioned, plotted, mapped out, and gave before creation.  How does God give a gift before creating its recipient?  He sets the plan in motion, knowing fully what will happen.  We are not random.  We are not the result of random forces, or chance or luck, and God’s holy grace is revealed through His mighty works in and through Christ Jesus.

Paul explains that God appointed him as herald, apostle and teacher of the gospel.  Further, God appointed him to suffer.  God appointed Paul to proclaim the gospel and to suffer for the gospel.  It is all for the gospel.  And Paul knows it is all playing out according to God’s grand design.  Since God’s plan is unfolding in His perfect way and time, Paul is not ashamed of being in prison and he does not doubt that God is faithful and worthy of his trust.  Paul has entrusted his all to God and he stands confident in his decision to do so.  Paul has been rejected, beaten, arrested, imprisoned, and he is about to be executed, all for the gospel, all because he followed through performing God’s great mission on earth.

With this introduction, Paul urges Timothy to stand firm on Paul’s teaching, and to stand firm in and through the faith and love he has and enjoys through Christ Jesus. Paul describes his teaching as “the standard.”  He knows His teaching is from God and that God’s truth is the standard.  He rests confidently in his calling, his appointment and the truth of the message he taught, and he urges Timothy to share his confidence.

Timothy has received this amazing package of goodness – faith, love, the standard of the truth, and God’s holy appointment to serve in His great mission here on earth.  As he reminds Timothy of all that, Paul urges him to guard the good treasure of it all with the help of the Holy Spirit.  To guard his own heart.  To guard his mind, spirit and soul from every outside influence that might taint or tarnish the treasure, or cause him to question the standard of truth or his relationship with God through Christ Jesus or any of the total package.  And so it is with us.  Like Timothy, we have the standard of God’s holy truth and God’s appointment and calling.  He entrusts each of us into His glorious mission here on earth, serving in a way unique for each of us.

How is God calling you?  With the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, guard the good treasure.  Guard the greatest gift of all.  Guard the totality of it all – His life, His love, His calling, His mission, His purpose.  May you find Him and know Him and fulfill your purpose in and through Christ Jesus.  Amen.