Word of Salvation – Vol. 38 No. 12 – March 1993

 

Loyalty To Christ

 

Sermon by Rev. W. J. Bosker on 2Tim. 2:11-13

Reading: 2Tim. 1:3-12; 2:1-13; 3:10-4:8; 2Cor. 4:7-18

Singing: BoW 404,418,(372),457,216

 

Dear Congregation, Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,

What do you think of when you hear the words, ‘No pain, no gain”?  You can apply these words to various activities and vocations.

University students: Success in your studies requires lots of reading, completing assignments and passing exams.

A top class athlete: Training and more training; entering races; complying with the rules of the game.  Stretching your body to its limits.

A master craftsman: Finishing your apprenticeship.  Gain experience.  Painstaking accuracy and patience.

Success has its price.  The rewards are worth the pain.

If you are not prepared to endure the pain, why should you expect any gain?  That is a basic rule of life.  It applies as much in the spiritual realm as it does in the physical.  No pain, no gain!  No cross, no crown!

The older apostle Paul is writing to the younger evangelist, Timothy.  Paul has groomed young Timothy to carry on with the work.

Paul writes from prison, aware that his end is near.  ‘For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ (4:6,7).

In his opening words, Paul exhorts Timothy not to be ashamed to testify about our Lord (1:8).

Paul goes on to say: (1:8B,9A) ‘But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace.’

In chapter 3 Paul writes that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (3:12).

In chapter 2 Paul tells Timothy that he is in chains for preaching the gospel.  He is suffering as a servant of Christ Jesus.

He endures hardship for Christ, because through the preached gospel God calls people to respond and receive the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory (2:9,10).

We have taken the trouble to quote from every chapter of this second letter.  Why?  Only as we understand the context, will we correctly interpret the words of what appears to be part of an early New Testament Hymn.

Is Paul talking in our text about the believer’s position in Christ?  Or about the believer’s conduct for Christ?  Do we let Romans 6 interpret v11?  (Dead to sin and alive with Christ).  Or do we let the context of 2Timothy interpret these verses?  What do you think?  Your interpretation will be influenced by the way you answer that question.

I believe that Paul is encouraging Timothy to be loyal to Christ.  Such loyalty will be rewarded both in this life and the next.  There is no compromise of God’s sovereign and free grace at stake here.  Timothy knows the gospel.  In fact he preaches it!

An older disciple of Christ is encouraging and urging a younger disciple to go on marching for Christ, even if Timothy is called to suffer for His Lord.

No pain, no gain!
No cross, no crown!

Christ Himself led the way.  ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame… consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart’ (Heb.12:2,3).

Paul has run the race.  Timothy was still running his.  We are treading the same path today!

            1.  Loyalty to Christ has its reward.

            2.  Disloyalty to Christ has its consequences.

            3.  God’s faithfulness is both a warning and a comfort.

1.  Loyalty to Christ has its reward

The trustworthy and reliable saying Paul quotes here has a typical Hebrew poetic construction, something like we see in the Psalms.  ‘For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him.’  These two lines of the hymn are then saying the same thing.

Dying with Christ is parallel to enduring with Christ.  Living with Christ is parallel to reigning with Christ.

Dying with Christ is dying to selfish interests, worldly pleasures and motivations.  Dying with Christ is to follow Christ even if it involves suffering for His name.

It’s the radical discipleship Jesus spoke about when He said: ‘If anyone would come after me, He must deny Himself and take up His cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save His life will lose it, But whoever loses His life for me will save it’ (Luke 9:23,24).  ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven’ (Matt.5:11)

Paul, writing to Philippian Christians said: ‘I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead’ (Phil.3:10).

To the Corinthians Paul spoke about being hard pressed on every side.  Being persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; ‘We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body’ (2Cor.4:8-11).

This theme of dying with Christ in order to truly live, and enduring suffering for Christ in order to be part of our Lord’s kingly rule and kingdom permeates the whole New Testament.

Romans 8:17 summarises this concept well.  Paul speaks to us about living to please God as sons of our Father.  ‘Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if we indeed share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.’

For Jesus there was no crown without a cross.  No gain without pain.  If that’s how it was for our Master, will it be any different for us His disciples?

The testimony of believers throughout history is that putting Christ first in your life and above all else is true, purposeful and meaningful living.

An outstanding example from church history is the account of Polycarp, leader of the church in Smyrna (in modern day Turkey).  Polycarp was personally taught by the apostle John.  In the year 156, the Roman emperor’s proconsul told the aged Polycarp to renounce Christ.  Just a few words and Polycarp would have his freedom!

This was Polycarp’s reply: Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has never done me wrong; how can I blaspheme Him, my king, who has saved me? I am a Christian.’

Polycarp was taken to the stake where he would be burned alive.  As they were about to tie him to a wooden beam, he asked not to be fastened.  He said: ‘He who strengthens me to endure the flames will also enable me to stand firm at the stake without being fastened with nails.’

As the woodpile was set alight, and as the flames consumed him, Polycarp prayed with a loud voice: ‘Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you that you have judged me worthy of this day and of this hour, to participate in the number of your witnesses, and in the cup of your Christ.’ (The Church in History’ p.10)

This may seem like an extreme example.  It isn’t.

Just consult ‘Foxe’s Book of Martyrs’, or read about events in Russia and China in our lifetime.

The Lord Jesus may not ask you to pay the ultimate sacrifice of loyalty to Him.  But then again He may.  The world can change very quickly!  What would be your response?  Are you willing to be loyal to Christ in ‘lesser’ things?

* Like handing Him more of your time to grow in the faith.

* Set time apart for worship, not only twice on Sunday, but daily.

* Time that you use for your own pleasure, when you can be leading a neighbour or friend to the Lord.

Time is given to us by God.  But as western Christian it’s one of the things we are most reluctant to part with.  We’re a selfish bunch!  We don’t really know what sacrifice is!

Dying to self is living for Christ.  Enduring scorn, suffering for Christ is the pathway to reigning with Christ.

Living with Christ and reigning with Him is not only future being alive in Christ is also for now!  Christ’s rule is being extended on this earth through His own people.  Through you!

This is Paul’s challenge and encouragement to Timothy.  It applies just as much to us today!  Be a loyal disciple of Christ.  Our risen, conquering Lord empowers us for such radical discipleship.  He also demands nothing less.  Are you prepared to take the challenge?

2.  If you’re not, then notice in the second place that disloyalty to Christ has its consequences

The second couplet of parallel statements now follows.

            ‘If we deny Him, He will also deny us;
             If we are faithless, he remains faithful.’

Denying Christ is the same as unfaithfulness.

As believers we are spiritually married to Christ.  If your husband disowns you and won’t acknowledge you as His wife or show that He is married to you, then you have a big problem!  He is effectively denying his relationship with you.  He is being unfaithful to you his wife.

If you refuse to acknowledge Christ before men, then you are being unfaithful to your Lord.

If the people at work or in the classroom don’t know that you are a Christian, then you have probably been unfaithful to Christ.  Has that thought ever struck home to you before?  Unfaithful to Christ?  No, not me!  Well, think again.

Jesus unambiguously said: (Mark 8:38) ‘If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of Him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.’

We used to have a hymn in the old Psalter Hymnal that went like this:
            ‘Lord Jesus, can it ever be,
             a mortal man ashamed of thee?
             Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise,
             whose glories shine through endless days?

             Ashamed of Jesus!  That dear friend,
             on whom my hopes of heaven depend!
             No’ when I blush, be this my shame,
             that I no more revere His name.’ (457:1,4)

An unwillingness to suffer hardship for the sake of Christ and His cause, also amounts to denying Christ.  The apostle Peter experienced that first hand when he denied that he ever knew Jesus.  Peter’s skin was more important to him than loyalty to Christ.

We shouldn’t be too harsh on Peter.

We mightn’t do it in such a public way; but who of us has not kept their mouth shut, when we should have spoken up for Jesus?

What we do and say for Jesus on earth determines the welcome we will receive in heaven on the last day.  (2Peter 1:10,11)

We can see why this hymn fits Paul’s purpose so well.  It has plenty of incentive for Timothy and for ourselves to be faithful followers of Christ.

We have much to gain in living for Jesus.  We also have much to lose if we deny Him and are unfaithful.

We can apply the word pictures of the soldier, the athlete and the farmer in reverse.

* A soldier who doesn’t obediently follow orders will receive a dishonourable discharge.

* An athlete who doesn’t train hard and stick to the rules will be disqualified.

* A lazy farmer cannot expect to harvest a good crop.

Take this admonition to heart.  Be more determined than ever to be loyal to Jesus.  Make it your ambition to follow in the footsteps of many Christians before you who were prepared to stand up and count the cost.  Be prepared to follow in the footsteps of your Lord.  The cross for Him led to a crown.  That is the promise Christ holds out for you!

3.  God’s faithfulness is both a warning and a comfort

We have seen that ‘If we deny Him’ and ‘If we are faithless’ are parallel thoughts.

This requires ‘He will also deny us’ and ‘he remains faithful’ to be parallel thoughts as well.

That is what constitutes the warning.

God’s faithfulness to those who deny or disown Him is that He will keep His word.  There are consequences for disobedience and disloyalty.

When Israel rebelled and turned against the Lord, they didn’t enter the Promised Land and were carried off into exile.

God means what He says; He Doesn’t go back on His word.  Even when He has to discipline us.  God’s warnings are no idle threats.  Let us never forget that!

God’s faithfulness is also a great comfort for us.  He is pleased to welcome back a repentant sinner.  In fact He waits for us with open arms!  The apostle Peter knew the joy of being restored to fellowship with Christ after denying His Lord three times.

Have you personally experienced the joy of sins forgiven?  Then you can sing in your heart:
            ‘Great is your faithfulness, O God my Father
             Pardon for sin and a peace everlasting,
             your living presence to cheer and to guide;
             strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow –
             these are the blessings your love will provide’ (BoW 359:1.3).

Conclusion

Loyalty to Christ has its reward.  Truly living in God’s kingdom and reigning even now with Christ.  Disloyalty to Christ has its consequences namely, dishonourable discharge, disqualification and fruitlessness.

God will keep His word.  He is faithful to His threats.  Praise God He is also faithful to His gracious promises.

Remember the risen Christ and His powerful gospel.

Go for the goal and run for the Saviour.  Keep your sights set on the race of your life.  Hang on for the finishing line!

Be loyal to Christ in every area of your life.  You know which rooms of your spiritual house you haven’t yet opened up to Christ.

Be aware that commitment to Jesus has a cost.  Be prepared in His strength to bear it.

Honour Christ with your life.  He will honour you with the crown of life.

As you run the race, think of Him who has run it before you.

We conclude with these words from Heb.12:2,3:

‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.
Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’

AMEN