A Soldier of Christ 2 Timothy 2:1-13

-We are called to live as good soldiers for Jesus.

I watched it all unfold in shock. Over the course of a disastrous 4th Quarter, the Mississippi State Bulldogs lost a total heartbreaker. Last night, State went into the final quarter with a big lead against Texas and all of the pieces seemed to be in place for a big upset. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t to be. As I thought about all that I’d watched, I was reminded that we are not defined by the 3rd Quarter score. It’s all about how we finish! What is it that allows some teams to finish so strongly while others collapse? What about their character is so different? They have a lot of “fight” in them. I think we can learn something from them!

A good soldier must…

I. Train the Faithful vv. 1-2

Now, as we enter chapter two, Paul begins to really invite Timothy to serve faithfully as a soldier of Jesus Christ

Interestingly, however, he grounds all of the conversation with an encouragement: be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus

There will be many imperatives here, commands to do certain things, but they all flow out of an indicative, a state of being.

In fact, we must always remember this: What we do flows out of who we are!

As recipients of the grace of Jesus, what we do is the result of the work that He has already done and continues to do in us; it is the overflow of His grace to us!

Our first command is to train others in the faith. What does this look like?

We must remember what we have been taught, the teaching of the Gospel and the teaching that accords with godliness

We must entrust that teaching and way of living to faithful men (and women!)

We must send them to teach others

Replication is at the heart of faithful Christianity

We should expect to pass our faith along to others; spiritual barrenness ought to be cause for grief in our lives

I’m afraid too many of us have settled into a pattern of acceptance here:

We are intimidated at the responsibility of training others

We are too preoccupied to train others

We are afraid of the cost of training others

Regardless, this is the Lord’s expectation for us!

There once was a grief that I couldn’t understand, the pain of infertility. Suzanne and I were blessed with our first child early in our marriage, much earlier than is common. I had a few friends who had been married longer but didn’t have children, and I often wondered what they were waiting for. It turned out that several of them were battling infertility. I didn’t realize that each conversation opened a wound in the life of these couples. I wonder if we grieve spiritual infertility? If we look up and realize that we have not lead anyone to know Jesus, to walk more closely with Him, or to lead others in the faith, shouldn’t we be bothered? Replication has to be our expectation. Not bigger crowds, but more disciples. Not more dynamic personalities, but more disciple-makers.

II. Suffer Like a Soldier vv. 3-7

Next, Paul gives Timothy 3 examples of faithfulness that help describe what his life will be like as a follower of Jesus

First, Paul tells Timothy to share in suffering, like a soldier

There is a general sense in which this is true; we must not detach ourselves from the suffering of Christ and His people

However, in a more specific sense, this is a question of priorities.

A good soldier is not entangled with civilian responsibilities and interests

Instead, he must be singularly focused on pleasing his enlisting officer, Jesus

You cannot be a good soldier of Jesus by living in a self-interested manner!

Second, Paul tells Timothy to compete with integrity, like an athlete

He draws our attention to the winning runner, wearing a crown of victory

There can be no victory without integrity to the rules

This is an important warning: there are no shortcuts to faithfulness; we must live according to the directives of our Lord.

Third, Paul tells Timothy to work hard, like a farmer

Farming is a task that requires consistent attention over time as well as specific seasons of intensive effort

Unless we are willing to work hard for the Lord, we will not see the harvest

Idleness and fruitfulness will not coexist!

All of this can be quite difficult, because it requires an act of faith:

Why should I live in a way that prioritizes the Lord? Right now, all I can see is the cost, not the gain!

Paul’s promise to Timothy is simple: the Lord will give you understanding. We have to trust Him for that.

I have a guitar that sits on my office that I never really learned how to play. It’s a testimony to a lack of discipline!

Nothing that is valuable is achieved without effort. Fritz Kreisler, the famous violinist, testified to this point when he said, "Narrow is the road that leads to the life of a violinist. Hour after hour, day after day and week after week, for years, I lived with my violin. There were so many things that I wanted to do that I had to leave undone; there were so many places I wanted to go that I had to miss if I was to master the violin. The road that I traveled was a narrow road and the way was hard."

III. Remember Jesus vv. 8-10

Third, Paul commands Timothy to remember Jesus

We are only able to endure as we remember Him, in a personal and relational way

He is Risen from the grave

He is the Messiah, the promised Son of David

He is the subject of the Gospel

We have to remember who we are doing all of this for

Well, who are we doing this for?

It is for Jesus, as we discussed and we remember Him

It is also for the sake of His people and mission

Paul is in a hard place, bound by chains for the sake of the Gospel

But, there is good news: the Word of God is not bound.

Paul is trusting that the Lord will use his suffering to draw others to Jesus

This notion of election is very powerful here:

It ought not lead us to a fatalistic way of thinking

Instead, we ought to receive it as a promise that the Lord is going to save people and He intends to use us to do it

When I pursue perseverance, I can trust that God is using it in someone else’s life to bring them to the Lord

IV. Look Ahead vv. 11-13

Finally, Paul tells Timothy to look ahead

He quotes a hymn that was well-known to Timothy and reminds him that he can trust the Lord’s faithfulness:

If we die with Him, we can trust that we will live with Him

If we endure with Him, we will reign with Him

If we deny Him, we will be denied

This statement ought to make us stop and pause. Is this a threat?

No. I think it’s a reminder. There are no consequence free disobediences.

No one loses their salvation, but I believe that this is a call to reflect

If the posture of my belief is of ongoing faithlessness, I need to consider my salvation

If I am facing the temptation to faithlessness, I cannot pursue it without consequence

If we are faithless, He is still faithful

When I face faithlessness, either in myself or in others, I can still trust Him

People consistently fail, but He will be faithful to His glory, His Word, and His people

I best endure when I keep my eyes on Him!

Golf immortal Arnold Palmer recalls a lesson about overconfidence: It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations." I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus.

On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trop, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don't forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven't in the 30 years since.

Hebrews 12:1–2

[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV)