2 Timothy 2:11-13: It Is a Faithful Saying
2022-01-22
Paul has said phrases like “It is a faithful saying” before. He may be introducing a creed to remember when he says this. The following little poetic section has the appearance of something that is much worthy to be memorized. Let us look at this a piece at a time.
2 Timothy 2:11
Are we dead with Him? Yes, we are. Consider the following:
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
We note that we now are “crucified with Christ.” His death was our death to sin, Satan, hell, and the world. Consider Romans 6:3-7. We are baptized or identified with the death of Christ. What does it mean to be dead? The spirit separates from the body. Likewise, a separation has occurred between us and sin, Satan, hell, the world, and our old self. Because of this, we “should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). See more how this separation gives us His power to walk a holy life in Romans 6:6: “the body of sin might be destroyed.” We all know the strength of sin is hardwired to our flesh. However, by trusting in our death with Christ moment by moment, we no longer fulfill those desires of the flesh. “For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:7). We are dead and are born again. You are a new you. Revelation 7:1-6 also illustrates this separation by using marriage as an example.
Colossians 3:1-4 states that we are dead, but we are also raised with Christ. Our source of life is there with Him in heaven. There is yet a bodily resurrection for us, but now we are irrevocably and spiritually connected to Christ.
2 Timothy 2:12
Suffering is a part of the Christian life. If we suffer, we are rewarded with reigning with Him. Consider the seven letters to the churches in Revelation. There is a common refrain at the end of each personalized message: To him that overcomes. Who are these that overcome? Those who are saved: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). John was the human author of both this epistle and Revelation, so the connection of the use of the word overcome is strong. Are you born again? Then you have overcome.
For each one who has overcome (the believer), there is a promise in each of these cases. For each church, it is different.
However, of the seven letters to the churches, the message is a little different for the middle church, Thyatira (Revelation 2:26-29). The promise for more than those who were just overcoming: “and keepeth my works unto the end.” It is these that are given power to reign with Christ. It is not for every believer, for then there would be all leaders and no followers in the coming kingdom.
What does it mean “if we deny him”? Clearly this is meant in context with the former part of this verse. We would deny Him if we do not want to suffer because of Him. The result is that He would “deny us.” Deny us what? We will not rule and reign with Him.
It also means what Mark 8:34-39 says. Our lives, if invested in the things of this world, will be lost. It is only the things that we invest for the kingdom that will remain. You will feel the shame of a wasted life upon His return.
2 Timothy 2:13
And what if we do not believe? Many chime in with losing your salvation. Many Arminians, though they do not believe in works salvation per se, they do believe that someone will lose their salvation if they come to a place where they stop believing in Christ. However, this verse states the contrary: “yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Because we are born into His family and His kingdom, He cannot deny Himself. In other words, we cannot lose our salvation because of the fact of our rebirth. However, if we are born again, our faith will rebound eventually because of His faithfulness. We are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23). If you could lose your salvation, then the Word of God is corruptible. But the incorruptible seed will bear fruit.
If we could lose our salvation, whether it be by sin or unbelief, no one would be left standing. Everyone’s faith fails at some point. There are days and even seasons where we do not walk by faith. We just go through the motions. Things do not seem right. We meander like David in Ziklag. That is what this passage is about. Because God is our sovereign Father, He uses these seasons to move us forward. His faithfulness brings us back to faithfulness.