Continue In What You Have Believed

Introduction

Consider a story about remaining where you are or continuing to do what you have done to avoid disaster or be successful.

Cover and Concealment

Keep sticking to the basics

Questions

How can we remain faithful when wolves come in to devour the flock of God?

How can we remain faithful when false teaching is running rampant in our churches and our culture?

How can we remain faithful when we suffer for our faith from those who have rejected our Lord?

Answer: By continuing to abide in Christ and hold fast to the Scriptures.

Key Point: By continuing to imitate, study, and believe in God’s all-sufficient Word, Christ will help us remain faithful and oppose false teachers.

2 Timothy 3:10–17 ESV

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Background of 2 Timothy

Paul wrote the letter shortly before his execution in a Roman prison.

The letter was probably written in 64-65 AD, but could have been written as late as 67 AD during the reign of Nero.

Timothy was serving as one of the pastors for a church in Ephesus.

This is a very personal letter to his son in the faith (Timothy), and Paul sought to encourage his son to remain faithful to the gospel and cling to and proclaim the Scriptures in the midst of growing ungodliness and apostasy.

Leading up to chapter 3, in the first two chapters, Paul encourages Timothy to be unashamed of the gospel and fan the flame of faith in his life so he can guard the good deposit of faith that has been entrusted to him.

It is through being strengthened by the grace of Christ that Timothy can be a good solider for Jesus and rightly handle the word of truth as he leads and instructs his congregation to pursue godliness.

Now in chapter 3, Paul specifically instructs Timothy on how to handle and deal with false teachers and how to remain faithful to the ministry amidst false teaching.

These false teachers were telling people that the resurrection of the dead had already occured, and were promoting myths and endless genealogies that generated speculation rather than faith.

They forbid the practice of things that God called good, such as marriage and certain foods, and believed that these outward practices of self-denial and embracing these myths would produce a special kind of “knowledge” that would make them holy.

Paul describes some of the characteristics of these false teachers in verses 1-5 of chapter 3:

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

The first way that Paul instructs Timothy on how to handle false teachers and remain faithful is by Continuing to imitate himself and other godly saints who have stayed faithful to the Scriptures.

Paul calls Timothy to imitate his life and his teaching in verses 10-13.

Even though false teachers will come and false doctrines will persist, Paul calls Timothy to continue to look to Paul’s example and how he persevered in suffering and how the Lord rescued him from every trial.

As God has preserved Paul’s life, he will also preserve and deliver Timothy and his people from these false teachers.

As a church living in the “last days,” we must know that difficult times will come and we will be persecuted for our faith as we seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.

Now, in verse 14, Paul gets to the heart of his message to his son in the faith, and tells him, and us, that the way we can remain faithful and defeat the attacks of false teachers is by continuing to hold fast to the Scriptures.

1. Continue to Hold Fast to the Scriptures (v. 14-15).

In verse 14, Paul gives a sharp contrast between the false teachers and Timothy.

These false teachers have progressed and continued in their wickedness, but Paul commands Timothy to continue to progress in godliness through clinging to the Holy Scriptures that he learned as a child.

The main command in verse 14 is “continue.” which can also be translated as “abide” or “remain,” and means to “continue in a certain state, condition, or activity.”

The activity that Paul commands Timothy to continue in is knowing, believing, and teaching God’s breathed out word.

Timothy is already doing this. . . but Paul says the key to combat these false teachers and stay faithful to the ministry is to KEEP doing this. . . stick to the basics!

The command for Timothy to continue in the Word is built on four statements that he lists in the rest of verse 14 -15.

First, Timothy can continue in the Scriptures because he has learned (known) them and continues to grow in his knowledge of them.

Second, Timothy can continue in the Scriptures because he has become convinced (firmly believed) that the Scriptures are true.

Third, Timothy can continue in the Scriptures by remembering all the faithful women and men who taught him the truth of the Scriptures. . . specifically his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5).

Once more, the lives of the saints that have gone before us proclaim a faithful testimony to learn from, imitate, and provide confidence in the faithfulness of God’s word.

This is a great reminder of the impact faithful women, particularly mothers and grandmothers can have on our faith.

Fourth, Timothy can continue in the Scriptures because he has known (been acquainted with) the Scriptures since he was a child that have made him wise for salvation through faith in Jesus.

This word from Paul should remind us that we should never put off training our children in the faith.

The Scriptures make us wise for salvation because they testify to the person and work of Jesus (John 5:39).

Salvation here refers not to conversion but Timothy, as well as all believers’ final salvation. . . the Scriptures will make the Saints wise for salvation to persevere to the end.

Charles Spurgeon said, that it is by faith in Christ that knowledge is turned into wisdom. . . he goes on to say:

2 Timothy Exposition

Scriptural knowledge is wisdom when it influences the heart, when it rules the mind, when it affects the daily life, when it sanctifies the spirit, when it renews the will. -Charles Spurgeon

In Psalm 119:98, it says that the commandments of the Lord made the psalmist “wiser than his enemies.”

In the same way, Paul wants Timothy to know that just as the Scriptures preserved the OT saints, they would also make Timothy wise for salvation and help protect him from the current enemies he was facing in Ephesus.

So Paul has told Timothy what he must do to defeat the attacks of false teachers and remain faithful to God. . . Continue. . . continue to imitate the lives of godly saints who have held fast to the Scriptures. . . and continue to read, study, live out, and teach the Scriptures.

Now, Paul closes chapter 3 by telling Timothy why the Scriptures are sufficient to help him, and us today, defeat false teaching and remain faithful to God. . . because the Scriptures are God’s Breathed Out Words and are profitable to sustain us and bring us to maturity in Christ.

2. God’s Breathed Out Word is Sufficient to Help Us Remain Faithful (v. 16-17).

We see this in verse 16, where Paul says that All Scripture is Breathed out by God.

This phrase “breathed out by God,” is the Greek word theopneustos, and combines two words (theos and pneuma) which refer to God and Spirit/Breath/Air. . . so the word means: “Produced by the Spirit of God; understood as the air that was physically expelled out of the lungs of God.”

The word “Inspired” is also a correct translation, but it is not as strong as the Greek provides. God-Breathed makes clear that all Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, are God’s breathed out words (also see 2 Peter 1:20-21).

This concept of God’s divine Word being creative and life-giving is rooted in the OT in Genesis 1-2; Ps. 33:6 (By the word of the Lord the heavens were made), and Isa. 42:5.

Notice that the phrase “All” means ALL!

Since God cannot lie, nor change his mind, and everything he says is true, all of Scripture is completely true without any mixture of error.

Nature of Scripture

Inerrant and Infallible

Free from error, falsehood, or deceit.

Mark Leiderbach says The words of the Bible are “incapable of being wrong in the matters they speak to-particularly regarding faith and doctrine.”

The 4th century church Father Augustine said, “I believe most firmly that not one of those authors has erred in any respect in writing.”

Eternal and Immutable

Jesus said that his words will never pass away.

The Bible’s words never change, but they should change us.

Clear

The Scriptures can make the simple wise (Ps. 19:7) and even children can understand God’s commands (Deut. 6:6-7).

Authoritative

Scripture is authoritative because it is God’s word, and it is God who holds all authority in the universe.

Scripture is authoritative because it expresses God’s love and grace.

Scripture is authoritative because it is trustworthy.

Scripture is authoritative because it addresses life’s most important questions.

Sufficient

2 Peter 1:3–4 ESV

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Paul lists four nouns that speak of how and why Scripture is profitable (good for us) and sufficient for godliness.

**Consider using the analogy of a coach with an athlete**-emphasize how the Spirit uses the Scriptures to coach us into godliness. . . and the involvement of the other persons-God the Father’s breathed out Word. . . God the Son as God’s Word incarnate and giving us the eyes of faith and freedom from sin to obey the Word. . .

The first two focus on right doctrine and the second two focus on right living.

Also, Paul’s description of the profitableness of Scripture creates the perfect “sandwich” of constructive criticism, with the two negative uses in the middle of the two positive uses listed first and fourth.

As one theologian says, “as in raising children, growing in Christ involves both nurture and correction.”

First, Scripture teaches and instructs us how to love God and live to please him.

It teaches us proper doctrine about God and his world.

Second, Scripture rebukes us when we are in error and calls us out on our sin.

Third, after rebuking us for our error, the Scriptures correct our errors, and provide a way of improvement.

Fourth, the Scriptures continue to train and discipline us to grow in godliness and righteousness.

The end result of continuing in God’s breathed out word, and allowing it by the Spirit to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in righteousness is that we will be completely equipped for every good work.

Paul encouraged Timothy that the Scriptures are all he needed to continue to remain faithful to the gospel ministry and rebuke these false teachers.

The Scriptures “fits us out” and make us confident and capable for “every good work.”

What consists of every good work?

Both the “spiritual” and “secular” tasks.

We were created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we could walk in them (Eph. 2:10).

Response

Continue to trust in and hold fast to the Words of our Triune God, who will help us persevere and ultimately deliver us from our enemies.

God the Father spoke creation into being with the power of his Word. . . and he also spoke new creation into our lives when he brought us from death to life.

His Word is powerful and has delivered us from sin and death.

God the Son is the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us.

He gave us the perfect example to imitate and follow to live a life of faithfulness in the face of persecution.

He also paid our sin debt and took God’s punishment for the ways we have failed to live righteously amidst persecution.

He is our great high priest who can sympathize with our weakness. . . and he daily prays for us before God the Father.

Imitate the faithfulness and example of God the Son.

God the Spirit illuminates our hearts to see and understand the Scriptures.

The Spirit helps us apply the words of God to our lives and empowers us to imitate the Son.

The Spirit gives us the mind of God and provides us with the wisdom we need to confront false teachers.

The Spirit is our comforter that consoles our weary hearts when we face doubts and struggle to trust God when we face opposition.

Practically, this implies that for us to Continue to hold fast to Christ, we should. . .

Continue to Know His Word (Head)

Continue to Love His Word (Heart)

Continue to Live His Word (Hands)

Continue. . . but I making the assumption that most of you have already started.

But if you havn’t. . .