2 Timothy: Guard The GospelSample

Suffering in this life results in glory later. These verses are an encouragement for those who are faithful to Christ, and a warning to those who are faithless.

There is a promise of hope for those who are faithful in following Jesus. Jesus taught his disciples that to follow him they must be willing to ‘deny themselves’ (Luke 9:23–24). He gave up his life and his followers must do the same. There is eternal glory ahead – we will live with Christ and reign with him forever. But in this life, we are called to die to sin and to our selfish desires. We are called to endure hardship as we follow the example of our suffering saviour.

What will this look like in practice? It means spending our time, energy and resources on gospel work rather than our own pleasures. It means enduring ridicule, discrimination and even persecution as we live in obedience to God’s Word. It means sacrificing comfort, security, approval and control as we submit to Jesus in every area of our lives. But the reward is out of this world! We will live and reign with Christ for eternity. Following Jesus is costly; it involves sacrifice. But our eternal reward will be far greater than any sacrifice we will ever make in this life.

There is a strong warning, though, for those who prove to be faithless. Those who disown Jesus in this life will be disowned by him in the life to come. Jesus said, ‘whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven’ (Matt. 10:33). If we reject Jesus as Saviour and King, he will disown us when he returns to judge the world. God cannot be unfaithful to himself – he cannot break his promises of salvation and judgment. He will always remain faithful to his character and Word. This means he will judge sin and punish those who reject his gospel of grace. We must be those who follow him faithfully.

Reflection

Think about how you spend your time, energy and money. What sacrifices could you make to invest in gospel work? Ask God to help you submit to Jesus in every area of your life. Thank him for the reward he has promised for those who will die to themselves and be faithful to him.