The document discusses the unshakeable faith of St. Paul as expressed in 2 Timothy 1:12, highlighting his profound confidence in Christ as a personal Savior rather than a mere religious figure. It emphasizes that true belief leads to a deep personal experience and assurance of eternal life through a relationship with Christ, contrasted against agnosticism which lacks enthusiasm for the gospel. The text illustrates how personal experiences of faith validate the certainty of one's beliefs, positing that understanding Jesus in a personal manner enhances spiritual growth and conviction.

1. JESUS WAS THE SOURCEOF SECURITY 2
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
2 Timothy 1:12 12Thatis why I am suffering as I am.
Yet this is no cause for shame, becauseI know whom I
have believed, and am convincedthat he is able to
guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
GreatTexts of the Bible
The Practice ofAssurance
I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to
guard that which I have committed unto him againstthat day.—2 Timothy
1:12.
1. These words are a splendid declarationof St. Paul’s unflinching
confidence in the Redeemer. They were spokenin full view of his
approaching end. Earth, with its manifold openings of an eternal
purposefulness, with its trials and temptations, its long courses ofanxiety
and sorrow, ofsuffering and pain, was already a closedbook to the
Apostle. The fight for Christ and holiness had been fought, the end had
come, the course was finished, the faith had been kept. And now he is ready
to be “poured out a libation on God’s altar in agonies and energies forhis
fellow-men.” The flash of the gleaming axe would be the signalfor his
manumission from the bondage of corruption into the longed-forpresence
of his BelovedLord. Suffering for such a man, aged, weak, solitary, was no
doubt exquisite and acute, but it was also ecstatic.Throughit all, and in
spite of all, his soul was stayedby the solace ofhis Lord. His venture of
faith had not been miscalculated. “I know him whom I have believed, and I

2. am persuadedthat he is able to guard that which I have committed unto
him againstthat day.”
2. Of some things—Apostle though he was, Divinely inspired man though
he was—St. Paulfrankly confesseshimself ignorant. “Forwe know in
part,” he writes in that incomparable 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, “and
we prophesy in part.” And a little farther on he repeats his confessionof
ignorance in slightly different words, saying, “Now we see in a glass
darkly.” But it was not all ignorance with him. It was not all doubt, and
perplexity, and mystery with him. There were certainthings of which he
was absolutelysure, of which he was as certain as he was of his own
existence. And it was these certainties of the soul that made him the
preacherhe was. St. Paul never would have travelled as he did; he would
never have toiled as he did; he would never have submitted to persecutions
as he did, if all he had to give to men had been doubts, and criticisms and
negations. There is nothing in negations to beget enthusiasm. Agnosticism
breeds no missionaries or martyrs. St. Paul was impelled to preach, to
travel from land to land to preach, to face any and every hardship in
preaching, because he knew certainpositive truths which it was of vital
concernthat all men should know. The “I know’s” ofSt. Paul make up a
glorious list, and the “I know” of this text is one of the most glorious.
ArchdeaconFarrar, it is said, once askedRobertBrowning whether there
were any lines in all the wide range of his poetry which most completely
expressedwhat was fundamental in his thought and life. “Yes,” replied the
poet, “and they are these:—
He at leastbelieved in soul,
Was very sure of God.”
My father also was very sure of God, and was convincedthat every man
might enjoy a similar certainty if he really wanted to, and if he would tread
the common road, beaten by the feet of generations ofthe pilgrims of faith,
by which it may be reached.

3. This religious certainty, which I do not think was everdisturbed by
intellectual doubt, was of course of inexpressible value to him in his
ministry of the Gospel. Confirmed as it was by his own daily experience of
the Grace and PowerofGod in Christ Jesus, it naturally imparted to his
utterances that flaming intensity of convictionwhich so deeply impressed
his hearers everywhere, and which was assuredlyone greatelement in his
evangelistic success. “Here is a man,” they felt, “who thoroughly believes
every word he says. To him at least, the things he is speaking ofare things
that matter—matter supremely, matter infinitely. No other things compare
with them for their practicalimportance. It is life and salvationto receive
them; it is death and destruction to rejectthem.” There was never any
hesitancy, or misgiving, or reserve, orqualification in his delivery of the
momentous messagegivenhim to proclaim. He spoke as one entirely sure
that he was telling men the absolute truth.1 [Note: Henry Varley’s Life-
Story, 242.]
“Notours,” say some, “the thought of Death to dread;
Asking no Heaven, we fear no fabled Hell:
Life is a feast, and we have banqueted,
Shall not the worms as well?”
Ah, but the Apparition—the dumb sign—
The beckoning finger bidding me forego
The fellowship, the converse, andthe wine,
The songs, the festalglow!
And ah, to know not, while with friends I sit,

4. And while the purple joy is passedabout,
Whether ’tis ampler day divinelier lit
Or homeless night without:
And whether, stepping forth, my soul shall see
New prospects, orfall sheer—a blinded thing!
There is, O grave, thy hourly victory,
And there, O death, thy sting.1 [Note:William Watson, CollectedPoems,
81.]
3. The very ordering of the phrasing of the text is suggestive ofthe truth it
contains. The text breaks up into three distinctive and primary parts: “I
know him” … “whom I have believed” … “and I am persuadedthat he is
able to guard that which I have committed unto him againstthat day.” The
middle term is explanatory of the two extremes; sayrather that the middle
term is the cause, ofwhich the two extremes are the effects;that the middle
is the germ, of which the extremes are the fruits. We begin with belief, and
we pass to knowledge andpersuasion:we begin with faith, and we advance
to experience and assurance.“Iknow him” is a fruit: “I am persuaded” is a
fruit: “whom I have believed” is the seedfrom which they have their birth.
I
St. Paul’s Faith
“Him whom I have believed.”

5. 1. The Object of St. Paul’s faith was not a thing, but a Person. It was a
belief, not in a religion, but in a Redeemer;a faith, not in Christianity, but
in Christ; a trust, not in a plan of salvation, but in a Saviour; not in a
creed, but in a Christ; and not a Christ only, but the Christ, the Christ of
actualfact, the Christ of Scripture, the “GodMan,” as set forth in the
gospel, incarnate, atoning, risen, ascended, glorified. It was faith in Christ
as a person; a trust of himself as a being to Christ as a Being. And hence he
does not here say, “I know what I have believed,” but he says, “I know him
whom I have believed.” And he does not even say as he might, “in whom,”
but directly “whom.”
You may tear out the personof Mahometfrom Mahometanism;and even
from Buddhism—in spite of the greatextent to which Buddhists have
deified the master—you may tear out the person of the Buddha, and the
religion remains intact; here the teaching is everything, the person of the
teachernothing, or next to nothing. But tear out the person of Christ from
Christianity, and what have you left? Certainly nothing that we can
recognize as Christianity. Christianity is not, like its rivals, a mere body of
doctrine about God and human duty, which would be just the same
whoeverhad first preachedit, or if nothing were known as to the way in
which it came into the world. Christian faith is the personalknowledge ofa
personalSaviour.1 [Note: N. E. Swann, New Lights on the Old Faith, 60.]
An anecdote I have heard of Bengel’s lasthours, illustrating his
microscopic wayof observing the very words of his Greek Testament,
makes one almost smile. When he was dying, he quoted those well-known
words of the apostle, in the immediate prospectof his death by Nero, “I
know whom I have believed,” etc., and then said to the bystanders, “The
apostle (you see)wouldn’t let even a preposition come in betweenhimself
and his Lord; for he doesn’tsay, ‘I know upon whom’ (εἰς ὃν), but ‘I know
whom I have believed’ (οἶδα γὰρ ᾧ πεπίοτευκα)—the eye of his faith
resting on the glorious objectto whom he had ever trusted his all.”2 [Note:
W. G. Blaikie, David Brown, D.D., LL.D., 147.]
I remember a simple story that twined its clinging tendril fingers about my
heart. It was of a woman whose years had ripened her hair, and sapped her
strength. She was a true saint in her long life of devotion to God. She knew
the Bible by heart, and would repeat long passagesfrom memory. But as

6. the years came the strength went, and with it the memory gradually went
too, to her grief. She seemedto have lost almost wholly the powerto recall
at will what had been storedaway. But one precious bit still stayed. She
would sit by the big sunny window of the sitting-room in her home,
repeating over that one bit, as though chewing a delicious titbit, “I know
whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keepthat which
I have committed unto him against that day.” By and by part of that
seemedto slip its hold, and she would quietly be repeating, “that which I
have committed to him.” The lastfew weeks,as the ripened old saint
hovered about the borderland betweenthis and the spirit world, her
feebleness increased. Herloved ones would notice her lips moving, and
thinking she might be needing some creature comfort, they would go over
and bend down to listen for her request. And time and againthey found the
old saint repeating over to herself one word, over and over again, the same
one word, “Him—Him—Him.” She had lost the whole Bible but one word.
But she had the whole Bible in that one word.1 [Note: S. D. Gordon, Quiet
Talks on Service, 78.]
2. “Him whom I have believed,” says St. Paul. What is belief? What is it to
believe Him? Christ Jesus makes certainclaims. He claims to bring the
secretkeyto every life. He claims that every life discovers itself in Him,
and finds its completeness in Him. He claims that He supplies to every man
the requisite light and atmosphere for the individual task. He claims that
He reveals the face of the Eternal. He claims that He incarnates the love
and goodnessofthe Godhead. He claims that by the love revealed in His
humiliation He redeems from guilt and sin and moral impotence, and that
He endows life with the strength and quietness of an immortal hope. These
are the Master’s claims. What, then, is belief? Beliefis just the willingness
to receive the claims as a greathypothesis, and to subjectthem to the proof
of actual life. Faith in religion is somewhatequivalent to experiment in
science. Faithis not the heedless and thoughtless swallowing ofdogma, but
the reverent testing of a profession. Faith is not the blinding of the
judgment, it is rather the application of the judgment to the superlative
work of proving the “bona fides” of the Lord. Faith is not the laying of the
powers to sleep;it is rather the arousing of the powers to the greatesttask
to which they canever be addressed. Faith is not credulity; it is
experiment. “Prove me now, saith the Lord.”

7. Hall Caine tells us that Rossettiwas not an atheist, but simply one with a
suspended judgment; in face of death his attitude was one of waiting, he
did not know. Now the greatwork of Jesus Christ touching the doctrine of
immortality was to convert it from a speculationinto a certainty. The
evidence for His resurrection, which carries with it the doctrine of our
incorruptibility and immortality, is overwhelming; as one has said, it is the
best authenticatedfact in history. The Christian is one who knows. The
Spirit of Godhas so opened up to our consciousnessthe truth of Christ’s
teaching, the fact of His resurrection, that we are as satisfiedof our
continued and permanent existence as we are that we exist at all. The
nearer we live to Christ, the more deeply we drink into His Spirit, the more
the assuranceofeternal life grows upon us.1 [Note: W. L. Watkinson.]
II
St. Paul’s Experience
“I know him whom I have believed.”
1. St. Paul has made and is making the experiment. He has confided,
ventured, believed, and he has stakedhis all upon the test, “Whom I have
believed.” And with what result? “I know him!” There emerges a certain
experience. “I know him!” It is a wealthyword, “I know!” It implies, in the
first place, a faint perceptionof the outlines of things; “men as trees
walking.” The impenetrable mist begins to yield something, and we discern
outlines, and movements, little glimpses of road, a suggestionofsky-line,
and some sense ofgracious law and order. “I have believed.” “I know.”
“Now I know in part.” Ah, but it is much more than dim perception of
outline, it is the recognitionof a Person. “My sheephear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me.” That is it. The experiment which begins
in trembling tests issues in a warm and loving companionship. Let the
experiment be continued, and the recognitionripens into intimacy, into a
holy and familiar friendship that nothing can dissolve.
Our knowledge ofChrist is somewhatlike climbing one of our Welsh
mountains. When you are at the base you see but little; the mountain itself
appears to be but one half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley

8. you discoverscarcelyanything but the rippling brooks as they descendinto
the streamat the base of the mountain. Climb the first rising knoll, and the
valley lengthens and widens beneath your feet. Go up higher, and higher
still, till you stand upon the summit of one of the greatroots that start out
as spurs from the sides of the mountain, you see the county, perhaps very
many miles around, and you are delighted with the widening prospect. But
go onward, and onward, and how the scene enlarges till at last when you
are on the summit, and look east, west, north, and south, you see almostall
England lying before you. Now, the Christian life is of the same order.
When we first believe in Christ we see but little of Him. The higher we
climb, the more we discoverof His excellenciesand His beauties.1 [Note:C.
H. Spurgeon.]
2. Thus the ultimate ground of Christian certainty lies in the positive facts
of Christian experience. We all know the value and authority of experience
in other directions. No certainty is so absolute as that which comes in this
way. The sights I have seenwith my own eyes;the words I have heard with
my ownears; the thoughts which have passedthrough my own brain; the
pains and pleasures, the joys and sorrows which I have felt in my own
heart—these facts to me are certain, as no other facts can be. And, in the
realm of religion, experience brings with it the same certainty as it brings
in any other sphere. There are some persons who try to disparage the value
of experience in religious matters. They admit its importance in the
ordinary regions of science, forever since the days of Lord Bacon
experiment has been the acknowledgedtestof truth. But, unlike Lord
Baconhimself, they appear to think that it has no value, and no authority
when we come to speak of spiritual things. And so, when a Christian
appeals to his ownexperience, they smile at his childishness, as if he ought
to know that experience really has nothing to do with the matter. But
surely that is a very unscientific way of dealing with that greatbody of
human experience which is furnished by the history of Christianity. The
expert in chemistry or biologywill not allow an outsider to criticize facts of
which personally he knows nothing; and in like manner the man who
knows nothing by experience of Jesus Christand Christianity is really out
of court—he has no proper claim to pronounce an opinion as to the facts.
In the one case,as in the other, the principle holds good, Experto crede:
Listen to the experts; let those speak who have had the experience. We
claim, then, that Christian experience is an authentic fact; and that it is
upon the solid ground of Christian experience that Christian certainty is

9. built. How does a man know whom he has believed? How is he fully
persuaded of Christ’s powerto save him and to keephim? He knows, we
answer, and is persuaded, by the experiences ofhis own heart and life.
The lessonofthese uncertainties seems to be that Christ denies Himself to
the man who seeks Him with the intellect only, but to those who searchfor
Him with submissive wills and open hearts He grants spiritual
illumination, and in the New Testamentreveals Himself as the Saviourthey
need. Committing themselves to Him in utter obedience and trust, they find
rest and peace, andin a bright experience have a clearerand more abiding
evidence of the RisenChrist than the best attesteddocument could give.
“Evenso, Father,” etc. Experience in the face of assaults from geology,
biology, psychology, evolution—experience is and always will be the
convincing evidence of Christianity. Amid the things that are shakenthis
remains.1 [Note:John Brash:Memorials and Correspondence, 261.]
Lift up thine eyes to seek the invisible:
Stir up thy heart to choose the still unseen:
Strain up thy hope in glad perpetual green
To scale the exceeding height where all saints dwell.
Saints, is it well with you?—Yea, it is well.—
Where they have reaped, by faith kneelthou to glean:
Becausethey stoopedso low to reap, they lean
Now over goldenharps unspeakable.—
But thou purblind and deafened, knowestthou

10. Those glorious beauties unexperienced
By ear or eye or by heart hitherto?—
I know Whom I have trusted: wherefore now
All amiable, accessible tho’fenced,
Golden Jerusalemfloats full in view.2 [Note:Christina G. Rossetti, Verses,
158.]
III
St. Paul’s Persuasion
“I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto
him againstthat day.”
1. What has St. Paul committed to God? The Greek wordmeans my
deposit—“Iam persuadedthat he is able to guard my deposit.” The figure
is, of course, obvious—a depositput into the hands of a depositarywith
what appears to be sufficient security, a trust placedwith an absolutely
trustworthy trustee. What has been committed which he is sure will be
carefully and safelykept? Some give elaborate reasonswhy it should be
interpreted to mean his soul, or faith in immortality, or salvation, or the
care of the Churches, or his converts who were a burden of love on his
heart, and suchlike particular precious things for which St. Paul trusts
God. But it does not mean any of those things, though it includes them all.
The phrase is vague, and it is meant to be vague. “My deposit”—itmeans
that St. Paul had committed to Him everything, and was persuadedthat He
was able to keepit all. The emphasis is not on what the deposit was, but on
the factthat the depositis safe. If you want one word for the deposit, the
one word is himself. The deposit includes all that St. Paul had trusted God

11. for. He trusts God for his soul, but no more than he trusts Him for his
body. He trusts God for salvationhereafter, but no more than he trusts
Him for his life here. He trusts Him for the converts and Churches, as he
trusts Him for all personalcares. The word has no definite limits, and was
not meant to have limits—“my deposit,” that which I have committed unto
Him. The force of the sentence is in the fact that the deposit is safe where it
is. It is in the right hands, and he need be neither afraid nor ashamed. It is
the Guarantorhe is thinking of, not the specialthings that have been
guaranteed;the Trustee, not the different items of the trust.
You and I have one treasure, whateverelse we may have or not have; and
that is ourselves. The most precious of our possessions is our own
individual being. We cannot “keep” that. There are dangers all round us.
We are like men laden with gold and precious stones, travelling in a land
full of pickpocketsand highwaymen. On every side there are enemies that
seek to rob us of that which is our true treasure—ourown souls. We
cannot keepourselves. Slippery paths and weak feetgo ill together. The
tow in our hearts and the fiery sparks of temptation that are flying all
round about us are sure to come togetherand make a blaze. We shall
certainly come to ruin if we seek to get through life, to do its work, to face
its difficulties, to cope with its struggles, to master its temptations, in our
own poor, puny strength. So we must look for trusty hands and lodge our
treasure there, where it is safe.1 [Note:A. Maclaren.]
“I had been thinking,” Brownlow North says, “probably for hours, about
the plainly revealedbut unexplained mysteries of God, and was no wiser;
they still remained unrevealed and still unexplained, and all the fruit of my
thinking seemeda headache.” Aftera time he beganto think again, and
said aloud to himself, “Brownlow North, do you think by your own reason
or deep thinking you can find out God or know Christ better than the Bible
can teachyou to know Him? If you do not, why are you perplexing your
brains with worse than useless speculations?Why are you not learning and
holding on by what you learn from the Scriptures? You are shut up to one
of two things, you must either make a god and a religion for yourself, and
stand or fall eternally by it, or you must take the religion of Jesus Christ as
revealedto you in His Word. You cannotreceive a little of God’s teaching
and a little of your own, you cannot believe on the Lord Jesus Christand
the wisdomof your own heart at the same time. Choose, then, now and for
ever, by which you stand or fall.” He then struck his hand forcibly upon his

12. open Bible, and said, “Godhelping me, I will stand or fall by the Lord
Jesus Christ. I will put my trust in His truth, and in His teaching as I find
it in the written Word of God; and doing that, so sure as the Lord Jesus
Christ is the truth, I must be forgiven and saved.” After that he tells us he
ceasedto try to reconcile apparently opposing doctrines of Scripture, or
those that were above his reason, submitting his intellect like a little child
to the teaching of God’s Word and Spirit.2 [Note:Moody Stuart,
Brownlow North, 36.]
2. Now such a committal involves a definite act. Everything is handed over
to the Lord. The body is presentedto Him as a living sacrifice. Henceforth
“to live is Christ and to die is gain.” All the keys of the life are handed over
to Him; every room of the personalityis at His disposal. A new sense of
proprietorship is awakened. Iam not my own, I am bought with a price; I
am His poem—His workmanship; all my faculties, feelings, passions,
powers, opportunities are not really mine; they are His, although entrusted
to my care.
We can—within certain limits, at any rate—answereachone of us for
himself the question, “What shall I do with my life?” And the many
answers whichare given to that question resolve themselves, in principle,
into three. The first is something to this effect:“I will do nothing in
particular with it. I will let matters drift. I have no distinct object; and all
effort is unwelcome. If nothing is done, all may, after all, come right.” A
secondanswerruns thus: “While I have it I will make the best of it. It gives
me many opportunities of presentenjoyment; I will turn them to account. I
will extractfrom the moments as they pass as many pleasurable sensations
as they can be made to yield. There will be an end to this, I know;pleasure
soonpalls, and time passes with relentless speed. But I will do as the old
paganbids; I will snatch joyfully the gifts which the present hour offers
me, and will leave stern questions about the future to take care of
themselves.” A third answerto the question, What shall I do with my life?
is this: “I will give it to God.” This is the investment which a Christian
makes. St. Paul made it at his conversion. St. Paul’s question, “Whatwilt
thou have me to do?” addressedto our Lord Jesus Christ, marks the first
step in this greatchange;and when St. Paul had begun, it was not the way
of an intense and thorough characterlike his to do things by halves;he
gave himself to God’s guidance and disposalwithout reserve. He felt that
he was not his own; he was bought with a price. He felt that Christ had

13. died for all, with this purpose among others, “that they which live should
not henceforthlive unto themselves, but unto him which died for them.”1
[Note:H. P. Liddon, Sermons on Some Words of St. Paul, 279.]
3. The first act of committal in the hour of awakenedfaith is only the
blessedbeginning of a still more blessedlifelong habit of never-failing
trust. The truly believing soul goes onbelieving and committing, until that
day when the final settlementtakes place. And then, when that day has
come, and every man receives his own at the hand of the Righteous Judge,
it is that it may be laid again, with all the increase it has gained, at the feet
of Jesus, to be kept by Him, and used by Him, and be His only and
wholly—to whom all is due—for all eternity.
Madame Guyon, the author of A Short and EasyMethod of Prayer, died in
1717, atthe age of sixty-nine. Her long life had been one of unceasing trust
and communion with God, through many vicissitudes and persecutions in
the dark age ofLouis xiv. In one of her poems she wrote—
Yield to the Lord with simple heart
All that thou hast, and all thou art;
Renounce all strength but strength Divine;
And peace shallbe for ever thine;
Behold the path which I have trod—
My path till I go home to God.
A short time before her death she wrote a will, from which the following
passageis an extract. It is an affecting evidence of the depth of her piety,
and that she relied on Jesus Christ alone:—

14. “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
“This is my last will and testament, which I requestmy executors, who are
named within, to see executed.
“It is to Thee, O Lord God, that I owe all things; and it is to Thee, that I
now surrender up all that I am. Do with me, O my God, whatsoeverThou
pleasest. To Thee, in an act of irrevocable donation, I give up both my body
and my soul to be disposedof according to Thy will. Thou seestmy
nakedness andmisery without Thee. Thou knowestthat there is nothing in
heaven, or in earth, that I desire but Thee alone. Within Thy hands, O
God, I leave my soul, not relying for my salvationon any good that is in
me, but solelyon Thy mercies, and the merits and sufferings of my Lord
Jesus Christ.”1 [Note:T. C. Upham, Life of Madame Guyon, 498.]
4. A quiet committal of ourselves to God is the only thing that will give us
quiet hearts amidst the dangers and disappointments and difficulties and
conflicts which we have all to encounterin this world. That trust in Him
will bring, in the measure of its own depth and constancy, a
proportionately deep and constantcalm in our hearts.
We boarded a liner at Liverpool and were soonin the midst of a throng of
strangers. We were travelling steerageand our bunks and belongings were
open to all below, and this gave us some anxiety as we had no safe place to
keepwhat little money we had—when we came on deck we were
continually worried thinking that it might be stolen. The wide open sea and
the pleasures ofthe deck we could not enjoy, and every now and againone
of us would be going down below to see that all was safe. This anxiety
continued for four days, and then we heard that the purser took care of
valuables left with him, so we decided to ask him to take charge of our
money. He told us we were late, and that people usually came to him at the
start of the voyage. We said we were sorry to be late, but we thought better
now than not at all. So he took our money and lockedit in the greatsafe,
telling us to come to him and getit againbefore we landed. He spoke
kindly and sent us away with light hearts. The restof the voyage we were
able to enjoy to the full, entering into everything with never a care or
worry. Life was altogetherdifferent, its joy had returned again, and all

15. because we had confidence in the purser. We knew whom we had trusted,
and were persuadedthat he was able to keepthat which we had committed
unto him againstthe day of our landing in the new country at the port of
Quebec.1 [Note:James Whillans.]
5. “I am persuaded.” The original word is strongerthan “persuaded” has
come to be with us. It implies an irrefragable conviction. “I am absolutely
certain that He is able to keepmy deposit”—whatI have put into His
hands—“and to keepit against that day.” “I am persuaded!” The
experiment has succeeded, and the initial trembling has passedinto final
calm. The loose uncertainty has consolidatedinto firm assurance, andthe
Apostle now quietly confronts the massedand mighty antagonists ofthe
night with unflinching courage and cheer. “Therefore willnot we fear,
though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the
midst of the sea;though the waters thereofroar and be troubled, though
the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” “I am persuaded!” The
quiet, fruitful, glorious confidence of it! The Apostle had riskedhis all
upon the venture; he had committed everything to the proof! “I am
persuaded that he is able to guard my deposit,” “that which I have
committed unto him againstthat day.”
Her soul was envelopedin thick darkness, and her temptations against
Faith, ever conqueredbut ever returning, were there to rob her of all
feeling of happiness at the thought of her approaching death. “Were it not
for this trial, which is impossible to understand,” she would say, “I think I
should die of joy at the prospectof soonleaving this earth.” By this trial
the Divine Masterwishedto put the finishing touches to her purification,
and thus enable her not only to walk with rapid steps, but to run in her
little way of confidence and abandonment. Her words repeatedly proved
this. “I desire neither death, nor life. Were Our Lord to offer me my
choice, I would not choose. Ionly will what He wills; it is what He does that
I love. I do not fear the laststruggle, nor any pains—howevergreat—my
illness may bring. God has always been my help. He has led me by the
hand from my earliestchildhood, and on Him I rely. My agonymay reach
the furthest limits, but I am convincedHe will never forsake me.”1 [Note:
Sœur Thérèse ofLisieux, 204.]

16. 6. And of what is he persuaded? That “he is able to guard (A.V. keep)that
which I have committed unto him againstthat day.” The word rendered in
the A.V. to keepis often used for guarding as armed men do. God, as it
were, mounts guard on what we put into His hands. He comes to us in no
mere metaphor, but in the deepestreality of the spiritual life, to guard us,
to deliver us from our own evil and from outward evils, to be a wall of fire
around us, and to keepus “againstthat day,” with all its mysteries and
terrors. Our hearts and anticipations go beyond the dark end of life; and
we think of all the mysteries which, though they be magnificences, strike a
chill of strangenessinto our hearts, and we wonder what is to befall us out
yonder in the darkness where we have never been before and about which
we know little exceptthat the throne is to be set, and the books opened. St.
Paul says to us, “He is able to keepagainstthat day.” So guarded in life,
shielded from all realevil, preservedfrom temptation and from snares,
brought unharmed through the hurtling of the pitiless storm of death, and
shepherded in the fold beyond the flood, the soul that is committed to Him
is safe. In that actof giving ourselves utterly up to God, lie the secretof
blessednessand the guarantee of immortality. He is not going to lose the
treasures committed to His charge. He prizes them too much. His hand will
not let the depositentrusted to Him slip, and He will say at the lastwhat
Christ saidin the Upper Room, only with a diverse application, “That
which thou hast given me I have kept, and none of it is lost,” and our souls
will be safe in His hands.
What was it that Duncan Mathiesononce proposedthat they should write
upon his tombstone when he died? It was the one word “Kept.” When the
grey hairs came on him, and he lookedbackwardoverthe road he had
trod, it was not his prayers, his tears, his toils, that shone conspicuous,
though all were there; it was the keeping powerof God. There had been
fears within and fightings without; there had been warunceasing with
principalities and powers;dark foes unseen had thronged him and had
tempted him, and had sought his overthrow. But he was more than
conqueror in Christ who loved him. When a young man he had given
himself to Christ. Right onward from that hour he had been kept.1 [Note:
G. H. Morrison, The OldestTrade in the World, 56.]
Now wilt me take for Jesus’sake,

17. Nor castme out at all;
I shall not fearthe foe awake,
Savedby Thy City wall;
But in the night with no affright
Shall hear him stealwithout,
Who may not scale Thywall of might,
Thy Bastion, nor redoubt.
Full well I know that to the foe
Wilt yield me not for aye,
Unless mine own hand should undo
The gates that are my stay;
My folly and pride should open wide
Thy doors and setme free
’Mid tigers striped and panthers pied
Far from Thy liberty.

18. Unless by debt myself I set
Outside Thy loving ken,
And yield myself by weightof debt
Unto my fellow-men.
Dealwith my guilt Thou as Thou wilt,
And “hold” I shall not cry,
So I be Thine in storm and shine,
Thine only till I die.2 [Note: Katharine Tynan.]
The Practice ofAssurance
THE SAFE DEPOSIT
"This is the resting place, let the weary rest; and this is the place of
repose"—
"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard
what I have entrusted to Him for that day." 2 Timothy 1:12
We have here what formed, in the hour of waning existence, the rest of a
wearyspirit—the pillow on which a dying spiritual hero reposedhis aching
head. This noblestchampion of the faith had reachedthe Border river. But
he finds the God of the Elim-palms has not left him at that supreme
moment without a shelter. The same Jesus who had whispered in his ear
accents ofpeace and hope and joy, ever since the memorable occasion
when "he journeyed towards Damascus,"mingles the most divine music of
His name with the swellings of Jordan!

19. Paul, when he uttered these words, was left well-nigh alone;condemned to
mourn in secretand solitude over the forsaking of former associatesand
friends. They had lost courage before the coming tempest, and abandoned
the noble vesselto wrestle, as best it could, among the breakers. Cowardly
themselves, they had apparently tried to appeal to the old prisoner's fears.
'Why persist in the hopeless cause, andprolong the hopeless conflict? Why
maintain an unequal struggle for that which, being in antagonismto the
Empire's belief, and to the will of the Caesars,must, sooneror later, fall to
the ground? Why perish in the flames or by the sword, for what is doomed
to perish with you?' 'No,'was his reply; 'disturb me not. Clinging to that
faith in which I have lived, and for which I am now ready to die, is no act
of willful, blind fanaticism—the recklessdevotionof a visionary dreamer to
a doomed and desperate cause.I have nobler and loftier anticipations
regarding that for which I suffer. I have a grander confidence in the
majesty of truth, than to suppose that it can eventually be crushed and
overthrown by the base tyranny and hostility of man. I have appealed to a
more righteous bar. That God, who sent His angelto me in the midst of the
storm, will not leave me now. He has delivered me, and He will yet deliver
me from the lions' mouth. My enemies may do their worst. They may insult
my greyhairs; they may load me with chains; they may doom me to the
public exposure of the amphitheater; they may burn my body and scatter
its ashes on that river; but, "nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know
whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I
have entrusted to Him for that day.'"
Beautiful and significant is the formula, if we may so express it, of this
farewellCreedof the Apostle. He does not say, 'I know what I have
believed,' but "I know whom I have believed;" or (as that is better
rendered in the margin), "I know whom I have trusted." It is not facts, or
doctrines, or confessions,orsects, orchurches he speaks of, but his Living
Lord—It is not even Christianity he boasts of, but Christ. This dying
confessionindeedof his faith, is quite what we would have expectedfrom
him. The motto of his existence was this—"To me to live is Christ"—
"Christ my life." Life to him was a hallowedjourney with Jesus athis side.
He loved Him, and leaned upon Him as an earthly friend; like the
sunflower opening to the radiant beams, and drooping in sadness and
sorrow when that sun is away.
Belief, too, was with him, not a mere mental act—the cold calculating
subscription of reason. It was the cleaving, trustful homage of a devoted
heart; a loyal allegiance ofthe intellect, the thoughts, the motives, the will,

20. the affections, to the Redeemer, as absolute Lord and ever-presentKing.
Neither parent, nor sister, nor associate in his old Tarsus home, did he ever
love like this Jesus of Nazareth. He had tried Him, and he had never found
Him to fail. He therefore rejects with scornthe appeals of his timid and
treacherous advisers, to purchase immunity from suffering by a base
denial of his Lord. That trust of his was no enthusiastic dream. He had not
abandoned home or kindred; he had not forfeited all he loved and valued
on earth for the bauble of an hour. He had counted the cost;he had tested
this "Stone laid in Zion;" he had found Him "a tried stone, a sure
foundation." The heights above might combine with the depths beneath;
fiendish men might be confederate with fiendish devils, in trying to shatter
his confidence and blight his hope; but none would be able to separate him
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus his Lord!
"Alone! yet not alone"—"The Captainof the Lord's host" was with him—
"The Lord," he says, "stoodwith me and strengthenedme." It was not in
vain that he was then consummating the life-long act of 'pouring out' his
consecratedexistence as a libation on God's altar. The GreatAngel of the
Covenantwas there, to acceptthe offerer and the sacrifice. Perfumedwith
other merits than his, the incense-cloudwent up with acceptance before
God.
Yes, with other merits than his. For this; after all, is what mainly arrests us
in his dying utterance. Surely, if ever the child of Adam could enter heaven
on the ground of his own doings, it was he who penned that brief farewell
saying—he whose life-motto was, "always abounding in the work of the
Lord." Think of his graces as a Christian, his successas a minister, his
labors as an apostle!Who, more than he, had earnedhis crown? who, more
than he, could take his stand at the bar of God loadedwith merit? How
different! All his own once-boastedrighteousness is like the yielding ice
beneath his feet. It melted before the blaze of God's throne of purity. In the
present hour of approaching dissolution, just when this mighty inhabitant
in God's forestseemed(like some trees in their golden autumn tints)
grandestin decay; just as his soulis about to wing its eagle-flightto the
spirit-land, a crucified Redeemeris clung to with an ever fonder, holier
trust. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners!"
"Thus holy Paul" (says Thomas Case), "inhis own name, and in the name
of other of his brethren and companions in tribulation and in the kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ, marched out of the field of this world with
colors flying and drums beating, and thus exulting over death as a

21. conqueror—O Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your
victory?"
A farewell—a dying hour—must, sooneror later, be our experience also;
that solemn moment—when, in the words of an old writer, "the silver cord
by which life is suspended is worn out at last, and the lamp of life falls to
the ground; the lights are extinguished, and the golden bowl which fed
them is broken" (Noyes). Amid this wreck of the earthly, are we prepared
for our entrance on the heavenly? to leave the Elim encampment and enter
the true "City of Palm-trees" (2 Chron. 28:15).
Have we committed our souls and their everlasting interests in safe deposit
into the hands of our divine Redeemer? If so, the lastenemy is robbed of its
triumph. "Deathto the believer," said Hedley Vicars, "is, after all, but an
incident in immortality." Equally beautiful and characteristic was the
devoted M'Cheyne's definition of the same—"a leapinto the arms of
Infinite Love." A well-knownChristian of an older age (Ambrose) speaks
of it as "the wind which blows the bud of grace into the flowerof glory."
Whether still calledto tread the wilderness, or when summoned to the
brink of Jordan, may it be ours to take up the simple strains of one of
Luther's saintly followers—
"God, my Father, to Your hand
This spirit I bequeath;
Guide it through this desert land,
And through the gates ofdeath.
"By Your gift, this soul was mine;
Take it to Yourself again;
So shall it foreverThine
In life and death remain.
"Resting on my Lord in faith
I pass securelyon;
Through Him alone I conquer death,
Through Him my crownis won!"
"Shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation."

22. A Known Commodity
Joe Stowell
2 Timothy 1:12
“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard
what I have entrusted to him for that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12
My new ministry was at a large, sophisticatedchurchjust outside of
Detroit. I confess—atonly 36 years old, I felt more than a little intimidated
in this congregationpopulated with high-powered automobile industry
executives. With my securities running full bore, like a fool rushing in
where angels fear to tread, I dove in. And of course, everyone was
outwardly very kind: “Oh, we are so glad you’re here. Let’s go forward for
the Lord!” But inwardly, I’m sure their thoughts were more like: “Who
are you? What will you do to us? Can we really trust you?”
The tipping point for me came about two years into the ministry as I was
driving home from a board meeting. I sensedthat something had been
different in that meeting. The elders were listening to me. What I was
saying seemedto be carrying some weight, and we were interacting on a
deeper level. I had crossedthe bridge of their initial uncertainties and had
gained their trust. I was no longer a question mark in their hearts but a
known commodity.
Paul talks about the importance of relationships being built on trust in his
secondletter to Timothy. His circumstances were anything but great. He
was imprisoned for his proclamationof Jesus and was concernedthat
Timothy be able to effectivelyand accuratelyguard the precious message
of the gospel. And yet in the storm of his circumstances, he found an
anchor—his unwavering trust in Jesus;a trust that Paul had experienced
personally in His walk with the Lord.
I love the fact that Paul expresses his confidence in Jesus in relational
terms: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to
guard that which I have entrusted to him for that day.” Paul is all about
doctrine, but at the very core of his belief structure is his unshakable trust
in the personof Jesus. He tells the Philippians that everything else is “a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness ofknowing Christ Jesus my Lord
(Philippians 3:8).” There is nothing dry or dusty about Paul’s theology. It’s
all about what he knows and has experiencedof Christ! And, in all that he

23. has experienced—shipwreck,torture, imprisonment, ridicule—he is able to
trust because he knows Jesus is true.
Having a proven sense of confidence in Jesus will change the way that you
and I view life. The more you getto know Him, the more your trust will
increase. The more you considerHis characterand the more you trace the
pattern of His work across the pages ofyour life, the more you’ll know and
be convinced that He is worthy of your trust. We may not know where our
circumstances are going to take us, and we may not know what the future
holds, but if we know Him, that’s enough.
BecauseHe is, in the strongest, mostwonderful terms possible, a known
commodity!
YOUR JOURNEY…
How is Paul’s passionfor knowing Jesus expressedin Philippians 3:7-11?
How does that passionfuel his confidence when he writes to Timothy in 2
Timothy 1:8-14?
What tangible steps can you take to getto know Jesus better today?
Becoming A Mentor
By David H. Roper
2 Timothy 1:13-2:2
The things that you have heard from me … , commit these to faithful men
who will be able to teachothers also. —2 Timothy 2:2
According to Homer’s Odyssey, when King Odysseus went off to fight in
the Trojanwar, he left his son Telemachus in the hands of a wise old man
named Mentor. Mentor was chargedwith the task of teaching the young
man wisdom.
More than 2,000 years afterHomer, a French scholarand theologianby
the name of François Fénelonadaptedthe story of Telemachus in a novel
titled Télémaque. In it he enlarged the characterof Mentor. The word
mentor sooncame to mean “a wise and responsible tutor”—an experienced
person who advises, guides, teaches, inspires, challenges, corrects,and
serves as a model.
SecondTimothy 2:2 describes spiritual mentoring, and the Bible gives us
many examples. Timothy had Paul; Mark had Barnabas;Joshua had
Moses;Elisha had Elijah.

24. But what about today? Who will love and work with new Christians and
help them grow spiritually strong? Who will encourage, guide, and model
the truth for them? Who will call young believers to accountability and
work with God to help mold their character?
Will you become one whom God canuse to impart wisdom and to help
others grow towardmaturity?
THINKING IT OVER
Who has helped you to grow in your faith?
How did that person help you?
By teaching, example, or friendship?
To whom can you be a mentor?
God teaches us so that we canteachothers.
Faith Illustrated
August 21st, 1859
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)
"Forthe which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not
ashamed:for I know whom I have believed, and am persuadedthat he is
able to keepthat which I have committed unto him againstthat day."—2
Timothy 1:12.
An assuranceofour safetyin Christ will be found useful to us in all states
of experience. When Jesus sentforth his seventychosendisciples, endowed
with miraculous powers, they performed greatwonders, and naturally
enough they were somewhatelatedwhen they returned to tell him of their
deeds. Jesus markedtheir tendency to pride; he saw that in the utterance—
"Beholdeven devils were subject to us," there was mingled much of self-
congratulationand boasting. What cure, think you, did he administer; or
what was the sacredlessonthat he taught them which might prevent their

25. being exalted above measure? "Nevertheless," saidhe, "rejoice not in this,
but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The
assurance ofour eternal interest in Christ may help to keepus humble in
the day of our prosperity; for when God multiplies our wealth, when he
blesses ourendeavors, when he speeds the plough; when he wafts the good
ship swiftly onward, this may actas a sacredballast to us, that we have
something better than these things, and therefore we must not set our
affections upon the things of earth, but upon things above; and let our
heart be where our greatesttreasure is. I say, better than any lancetto spill
the superfluous blood of our boasting, better than any bitter medicine to
chase the burning fever of our pride; better than any mixture of the most
pungent ingredients is this most precious and hallowedwine of the
covenant—a remembrance of our safetyin Christ. This, this alone, opened
up to us by the Spirit, will suffice to keepus in that happy lowliness which
is the true position of the full-grown man in Christ Jesus. Butnote this,
when at any time we are castdown with multiplied afflictions, and
oppressedwith sorrow, the very same fact which kept us humble in
prosperity may preserve us from despair in adversity. For mark you here,
the apostle was surrounded by a great fight of affliction; he was compassed
about with troubles, he suffered within and without; and yet he says,
"NeverthelessI am not ashamed." But what is that which preserves him
from sinking? It is the same truth which kept the ancient disciples from
overweening pride. It is the sweetpersuasionofhis interest in Christ. "For
I know whom I have believed, and am persuadedthat he is able to keep
that which I have committed unto him againstthat day." Get then,
Christian brethren and friends, getassurance;be not content with hope,
get confidence;rest not in faith, labor after the full assurance offaith; and
never be content, my hearer, till thou canstsay thou knowestthy election,
thou art sure of thy redemption, and thou art certain of thy preservation
unto that day.
I propose this morning in preaching upon this text to labor both for the
edification of the saint and the conversionof the sinner. I shall divide the
text very amply thus: First, we have in it the grandest actionof the
Christian's life, namely, the committing of our eternal interests into the
hand of Christ. Secondly, we have the justification of this grand act of
trust—"I know in whom I have trusted." I have not trusted one whose
characteris unknown to me, I am not foolish, I have sure grounds for what
I have done. And then we have, thirdly, the most blessedeffectof this

26. confidence—"Iam persuadedthat he is able to keepthat which I have
committed unto him."
I. First, then I am to describe THE GRANDEST ACTION OF THE
CHRISTIAN'S LIFE.
With all our preaching, I am afraid that we too much omit the simple
explanation of the essentialactin salvation. I have fearedthat the anxious
enquirer might visit many of our churches and chapels, month after
month, and yet he would not geta clear idea of what he must do to be
saved. He would come awaywith an indistinct notion that he was to
believe, but what he was to believe he would not know. He would, perhaps,
obtain some glimmering of the fact that he must be savedthrough the
merits of Christ, but how those merits can become available to him, he
would still be left to guess. I know at leastthat this was my case—that
when sincere and anxious to do or be anything which might save my soul, I
was utterly in the dark as to the way in which my salvation might be
rendered thoroughly secure. Now, this morning. I hope I shall be able to
put it into such a light that he who runs may read, and that the wayfaring
man, though a fool, may not err therein.
The apostle says, he committed himself into the hands of Christ. His soul
with all its eternalinterests; his soul with all its sins, with all its hopes, and
all its fears, he had put into the hands of Christ, as the grandestand most
precious deposit which man could ever make. He had takenhimself just as
he was and had surrendered himself to Christ, saying—"Lordsave me, for
I cannot save myself; I give myself up to thee, freely relying upon thy
power, and believing in thy love. I give my soul up to thee to be washed,
cleansed, saved, and preserved, and at lastbrought home to heaven." This
act of committing himself to Christ was the first act which ever brought
real comfort to his spirit; it was the act which he must continue to perform
wheneverhe would escape from a painful sense ofsin; the act with which
he must enter heavenitself, if he would die in peace and see God's face with
acceptance. He must still continue to commit himself into the keeping of
Christ. I take it that when the apostle committed himself to Christ, he
meant these three things. He meant first, that from that goodhour he
renounced all dependence upon his own efforts to save himself. The apostle
had done very much, after a fashion, towards his own salvation. He

27. commencedwith all the advantages ofancestry. He was a Hebrew of the
Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin, as touching the law a Pharisee. He was
one of the very straightestof the straightestsectof his religion. So anxious
was he to obtain salvationby his own efforts, that he left no stone
unturned. Whatever Pharisee might be a hypocrite, Paul was none. Though
he tithed his anise, and his mint, and his cummin, he did not neglectthe
weightermatters of the law. He might have united with truth, in the
affirmation of the young man, "All these things have I kept from my youth
up." Hear ye his own testimony: "Though I might also have confidence in
the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereofhe might trust in
the flesh, I more." Being exceedinglydesirous to serve God, he sought to
put down what he thought was the pestilent heresyof Christ. Being
exceeding hot in his endeavors againsteverything that he thought to be
wrong, he persecutedthe professors ofthe new religion, hunted them in
every city, brought them into the synagogue, andcompelled them to
blaspheme; when he had emptied his own country, he must needs take a
journey to another, that he might there show his zeal in the cause ofhis
God, by bringing out those whom he thought to be the deluded followers
of' an impostor. But suddenly Paul's mind is changed. Almighty grace
leads him to see that he is working in a wrong direction, that his toil is lost,
that as well might Sisyphus seek to roll his stone up hill, as for him to find a
road to heaven up the steeps of Sinai; that as well might the daughters of
Danaus hope to fill the bottomless cauldron with a bucket full of holes, as
Paul indulge the idea that he could fill up the measure of the laws'
demands. Consequently he feels that all he has done is nothing worth, and
coming to Christ he cries, "But what things were gain to me, those I
counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for
the excellencyofthe knowledge ofChrist Jesus my Lord: for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win
Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,whichis
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith."
And now, my dear friends, if you would be saved, this is what you must do.
I hope many of you have already performed the solemn act, you have said
to Jesus in the privacy of your closet, "O Lord, I have tried to save myself,
but I renounce all my endeavors. Once I said, 'I am no worse than my
neighbors; my goodness shallpreserve me.' Once I said, 'I have been

28. baptized, I have takenthe sacrament, in these things will I trust,' and now,
Lord, I castall this false confidence to the winds.
'No more, my God, I besetno more
Of all the duties I have done;
I quit the hopes I held before
To trust the merits of thy Son.
The best obedience ofmy hands
Dares not appear before thy throne:
But faith cananswerthy demands
By pleading what my Lord has done.'"
You cannot be savedif you have one hand on self and the other hand on
Christ. Let go, cannier, renounce all dependence in anything thou canstdo.
Cease to be thine own keeper, give up the futile attempt to be thy own
Saviour, and then thou wilt have takenthe first step to heaven. There are
but two, the first is—out of self, the next is—into Christ. When Christ is
thy all, then art thou safe.
But again, when the apostle says he committed his soulto the keeping of
Christ, he means that he had implicit confidence that Christ would save
him now that he had relinquished all trust in self. Some men have gone far
enough to feel that the best performance of their hands cannot be accepted
before the bar of God. They have learned that their most holy acts are full
of sin, that their most faithful service falls short of the demands of the law;
they have relinquished self, but they are not able yet to see that Christ can
and will save them. They are waiting for some great revelation;they think,
perhaps, that by some marvellous electric shock, orsome miraculous
feeling within them, they will be led to place their confidence in Christ.
They want to see an angel or a vision, or to hear a voice. Their cry is, "How
could I think that Jesus would save such an one as I am. I am too vile, or
else I am too hardened; I am the odd man; it is not likely that Christ would
ever save me." Now, I doubt not that the apostle had felt all this, but he
overcame all this attacking ofsin, and he came to at last Christ and said,
"Jesus, Ifeel that thou art worthy of my confidence. Behold, I the chief of
sinners am, I have nothing in myself that can assistthee in taking me to

29. heaven; I shall kick and struggle againstthee rather than assistthee. But
behold, I feel that such is thy power, and such thy love, that I commit
myself to thee. Take me as I am, and make me what thou wouldst have me
be. I am vile, but thou art worthy; I am lost, but thou art the Saviour; I am
dead, but thou art the quickener; take me; I beseechthee;I put my trust in
thee, and though I perish, I will perish relying on thy blood. If I must die, I
will die with my arms about thy cross, forthou art worthy of confidence,
and on thee do I rely."
And now, my friends, if you will be safe, you must, in the strength of the
Holy Ghost, do this also. You sayyou have given up all trust in self—well
and good;now place your trust in Christ, repose your all on him; drop into
his arms; castyourself into his power; lay hold on him. You know how
Joab, when he fled from the swordof Solomon, laid hold on the horns of
the altar, thinking that surely when he had laid hold on the altar he was
safe. His was vain confidence, for he was draggedfrom the horns of the
altar and slain. But if thou canst lay hold on the horns of the altar of God,
even Christ, thou art most surely safe, and no swordof vengeance canever
reachthee.
I saw the other day a remarkable picture, which I shall use as an
illustration of the wayof salvationby faith in Jesus. An offender had
committed a crime for which he must die, but it was in the olden time when
churches were consideredto be sanctuaries in which criminals might hide
themselves and so escape.See the transgressor—he rushes towards the
church, the guards pursue him with their drawn swords, allathirst for his
blood, they pursue him even to the church door. He rushes up the steps,
and just as they are about to overtake him and hew him in pieces on the
threshold of the church, out comes the Bishop, and holding up the crucifix
he cries, "Back, back!stain not the precincts of God's house with blood!
stand back!" and the guards at once respectthe emblem and stand back,
while the poor fugitive hides himself behind the robes of the priest. It is
even so with Christ. The guilty sinner flies to the cross—fliesstraightaway
to Jesus, and though Justice pursues him, Christ lifts up his wounded
hands and cries to Justice, "Stand back!stand back!I shelter this sinner;
in the secretplace of my tabernacle do I hide him; I will not suffer him to
perish, for he puts his trust in me." Sinner, fly to Christ! But thou sayest,
"I am too vile." The viler thou art, the more wilt thou honor him by
believing that he is able to make thee clean. "But I am too greata sinner."

30. Then the more honor shall be given to him that thou art able to confide in
him, great sinner though thou art. If you have a little sickness, andyou tell
your physician—"Sir! I am quite confident in your skill to heal," there is
no great compliment, but if you are sore sick with a complicationof
diseases, andyou say—"Sir!I seek no better skill, I will ask no more
excellentadvice, I trust alone in you," what an honor have you conferred
on him, that you could trust your life in his hands when it was in extreme
danger. Do the like with Christ; put your soulin his care, dare it, venture
it; castthyself simply on him; let nothing but faith be in thy soul; believe
him, and thou shalt never be mistakenin thy trust.
But I think I have not completely stated all the apostle meant, when he said
that he committed himself to Christ. He certainly meant those two things—
self-renunciation, and implicit belief in Christ's power and willingness to
save, but in the third place, the apostle meant that he did make a full and
free surrender of himself to Christ, to be Christ's property, and Christ's
servant for ever. If you would be savedyou must not be your own.
Salvationis through being bought with a price; and if you be bought with a
price, and thus saved, remember, from that day forward you will not be
your own. To-day, as an ungodly sinner, you are your own master, free to
follow the lusts of the flesh; or, rather Satan is your greattyrant, and you
are under bondage to him. If you would be savedyou must by the aid of the
Holy Spirit now renounce the bondage of Satanand come to Christ, saying,
"Lord I am willing to give up all sin, it is not in my power to be perfect but
I wish it were, make me perfect. There is not a sin I wish to keep;take all
away;I present myself before thee. Washme, make me clean. Do what
thou wilt in me. I make no reserve, I make a full surrender of all to thee."
And then you must give up to Christ all you are, and all you have by
solemn indenture, signedand sealedby your own heart. You must sayin
the words of the sweetMoravianhymn—
"Take thou my soul and all my powers;
O take my memory, mind, and will,
Take all my goods, and all my hours,
Take all I know and all I feel;
Take all I think and speak, and do;
O take my heart, but make it new."

31. Accept the sacrifice,—Iamworthless, but receive me through thy owe
merits. Take and keepme, I am, I hope I ever shall be thine.
I have now explained that act which is after all the only one which marks
the day of salvationto the soul. I will give one or two figures howeverto set
it in a clearerlight. When a man hath gold and silver in his house, he fears
lest some thief may break through and steal, and therefore if he be a wise
man he seeks outa bank in which to store his money. He makes a deposit of
his goldand his silver; he says in effect, "Takethat, sir, keepit for me. To-
night I shall sleepsecurely;I shall have no thought of thieves; my treasure
is in your hands. Take care of that for me, when I need it, at your hands
shall I require it." Now in faith we do just the same with our blessed
Redeemer. We bring our soul just as it is and give it up to him. "Lord, I
cannot keepit; sin and Satan will be sure to ruin it—take it and keepit for
me, and in that day when God shall require the treasure, stand my
sponsor, and on my behalf return my soul to my Makerkeptand preserved
to the end." Or take another figure. When your adventurous spirit hath
sought to climb some lofty mountain, delighted with the prospectyou scale
many and many a steep; onward you climb up the rockycrags until at last
you arrive at the verge of the snow and ice. There in the midst of precipices
that scarcelyknow a bottom and of summits that seeminaccessible, youare
suddenly surrounded with a fog. Perhaps it becomes worseand worse until
a snow-stormcompletes your bewilderment. You cannotsee a step before
you: your track is lost. A guide appears:"I know this mountain," says he.
"In my early days have I climbed it with my father. O'er eachof these
crags have I leaped in pursuit of the chamois;I know every chasm and
cavern. If you will follow me even through the darkness I will find the path
and bring you down; but mark, before I undertake to guide you in safety, I
demand of you implicit trust. You must not plant your feet where you
think it safest, but where I shall bid you. Wherever I bid you climb or
descendyou must implicitly obey, and I undertake on my part to bring you
safelydown to your house again." You do so—youhave many temptations
to prefer your own judgment to his but you resistthem—and you are safe.
Even so must you do with Christ. Lost to-day and utterly bewildered
Christ appears. "Letme guide you, let me be an eye to thee through the
thick darkness;let me be thy foot, lean on me in the slippery place, let me
be thy very life; let me wrap thee in my crimson vest to keepthee from the
tempest and the storm." Will you now trust him; rely entirely, simply, and

32. implicitly upon him? If so, the grand actof your life is done and you are a
savedman, and on the terra firma of heaven you shall one day plant your
delighted feet and praise the name of him who savedyou from your sins.
I must add, however, that this actof faith must not be performed once
only, but it must be continued as long as you live. As long as you must have
no other confidence but "Jesus only." You must take him now to-day, to
have and to hold through life and in death, in tempest and in sunshine, in
poverty and in wealth, never to part or sunder from him. You must take
him to be your only prop, your only pillar from this day forth and for ever.
What sayestthou sinner? Does Godthe Holy Ghostlead thee to say "Ay?"
Does thy heart now confide in Jesus? Ifso, let the angels sing, for a soul is
born to God, and a brand is plucked from the eternal fire. I have thus
describedfaith in Christ—the committing of the soulto him.
II. This brings us to our secondpoint—THE JUSTIFICATION OF THIS
GRAND ACT OF TRUST.
Confidence is sometimes folly; trusting in man is always so. When I exhort
you, then, to put your entire confidence in Christ, am I justified in so
doing? and when the apostle could say that he trusted alone in Jesus, and
had committed himself to him, was he a wise man or a fool? What saith the
apostle? "Iam no fool," said he, "for I know whom I have believed. I have
not trusted to an unknown and untried pretender. I have not relied upon
one whose characterIcould suspect. I have confidence in one whose power,
whose willingness, whose love, whose truthfulness I know. I know whom I
have believed." When silly women put their trust in yet more silly and
wickedpriests, they may saypossibly that they know whom they have
believed. But we may tell them that their knowledge must be ignorance
indeed—that they are greatly deluded in imagining that any man, be he
who he may, or what he may, can have any powerin the salvationof his
fellow's soul. You come sneaking up to me and ask me to repose my soul in
you; and who are you? "I am an ordained priest of the Church of Rome."
And who ordained you? "I was ordained by such a one." And who
ordained him? "It cometh after all," saith he, "from the Pope." And who is
he, and what is he more than any other man, or any other imposter? What
ordination canhe confer? "He obtained it directly from Peter." Did he?
Let the link be proved; and if he did, what was Peter, and where has God

33. given Peterpower to forgive sin—a power which he should transmit to all
generations? Begone!The thick pollutions of thine abominable church
forbid the idea of descentfrom any apostle but the traitor Judas. Upon the
Papalthrone men worse than devils have had their seat, and even a woman
big with her adulteries once reignedas head of thine accursedchurch. Go
purge the filthiness of thy priesthood, the debauchery of thy nunneries and
the stygianfilth of thy mother city, the old harlot Rome. Talk not of
pardoning others, while fornication is licensedin Rome itself, and her
ministers are steepedto the throat in iniquity. But to return. I rest no more
on Peter than Petercould rest in himself, Peter must reston Christ as a
poor guilty sinner himself, an imperfect man who denied his Masterwith
oaths and curses. He must restwhere I must rest, and we must stand
togetheron the same greatrock on which Christ doth build his church,
even his blood and his ever-lasting merits. I marvel that any should be
found to have such confidence in men, that they should put their souls in
their hands. If howeverany of you wish to trust in a priest, let me advise
you if you do trust him, to do it wholly and fully. Trust him with your cash-
box, trust him with your gold and silver. Perhaps you objectto that. You
don't feel at all inclined to go that length. But, my friend, if you cannot
trust the man with your goldand silver, pray don't trust him with your
soul. I only suggestedthis because Ithought you might smile and at once
detectyour error. If you could not trust such a fox with your business;if
you would as sooncommit your flocks to the custody of a wolf, why will
you be fool enough to lay your soul at the feet of some base priest who,
likely enough, is ten thousand times more wickedthan your self.
Was Paul then justified in his confidence in Christ? He says he was because
he knew Christ. And what did he know? Paulknew, first of all, Christ's
Godhead. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-equaland co-eternalwith the
Father. If my soul be in his hand,
"Where is the powercan reachit there,
Or what canpluck it thence."
If the wings of Omnipotence do coverit, if the eye of Omnipotence is fixed
upon it, and if the heart of eternallove doth cherish it, how canit be
destroyed? Trust not thy soul my fellow-man anywhere but with thy God.
But Jesus is thy God rely thou fully in him, and think not that thou canst

34. place a confidence too great in him who made the heavens, and bears the
world upon his shoulders. Paul knew too that Christ was the Redeemer.
Paul had seenin vision Christ in the garden. He had beheld him sweatas it
were greatdrops of blood. By faith Paul had seenJesus hanging on the
cross. He had marked his agonies on the tree of doom. He had listened to
his death shriek, of "It is finished," and he felt that the atonement which
Jesus offered, was more than enough to recompense forthe sin of man.
Paul might have said, "I am not foolish in confiding my soul in the pierced
and blood-stainedhand of him whose sacrifice hath satisfiedthe Father
and opened the gates ofheaven to all believers." Further, Paul knew that
Christ was risenfrom the dead. By faith he saw Christ at the right hand of
God, pleading with his Father for all those who commit themselves to his
hand. Paul knew Christ to be the all-prevailing intercessor. He said to
himself "I am not wrong in believing him, for I know whom I have trusted,
that when he pleads, the Father will not deny him, and when he asks,
soonermight he even die than he become deaf to Jesus'prayer." This was
again, another reasonwhy Paul dared to trust in Christ. He knew his
Godhead, he knew his redemption, he knew his resurrection, he knew his
ascension, and intercession, andI may add, Paul knew the love of Christ,
that love which passethkindness;higher than thought, and deeper than
conception. He knew Christ's power, that he was Omnipotent, the lying of
kings. He knew Christ's faithfulness; that he was the God, and could not
lie. He knew his immutability, that he was "Jesus Christ, the same
yesterdaytoday and for ever," and having known Christ in every glorious
office, in every divine attribute, and in all the beauty of his complex
character, Paulsaid, "I can with confidence repose in him, for I know him,
I have trusted, and am persuadedthat he is able to keepthat which I have
committed to him."
But Paul not only knew these things by faith, but he knew much of them by
experience. Our knowledge ofChrist is somewhatlike climbing one of our
Welshmountains. When you are at the base you see but little, the mountain
itself appears to be but one half as high as it really is. Confined in a little
valley you discoverscarcelyanything but the rippling brooks as they
descendinto the stream at the base of the mountain. Climb the first rising
knoll, and the valley lengthens and widens beneath your feet. Go up higher,
and higher still, till you stand upon the summit of one of the great roots
that start out as spurs from the sides of the mountain you see the country
for some four or five miles round, and you are delighted with the widening

35. prospect. But go onward, and onward, and onward, and how the scene
enlarges, till at last, when you are on the summit, and look east, west,
north, and south, you see almostall England lying before you. Yonder is a
forestin some distant country, perhaps two hundred miles away, and
yonder the sea, and there a shining river and the smoking chimneys of a
manufacturing town, or there the masts of the ships in some well known
port. All these things please and delight you, and you say, "I could not have
imagined that so much could be seenat this elevation." Now, the Christian
life is of the same order. When we first believe in Christ we see but little of
him. The higher we climb the more we discoverof his excellencies andhis
beauties. But who has ever gainedthe summit? Who has ever knownall the
fullness of the heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths of the love of
Christ which passethknowledge.Paulnow grown old, sitting, grey hair'd,
shivering in a dungeon in Rome—he could say, with greaterpowerthan we
can, "I know whom I have believed?"—foreachexperience had been like
the climbing of a hill, eachtrial had been like the ascending to another
summit, and his death seemedlike the gaining of the very top of the
mountain from which he could see the whole of the faithfulness and the
love of him to whom he had committed his soul.
III. And now, I close by noticing THE APOSTLE'S CONFIDENCE. The
apostle said, "I am persuaded that he is able to keepthat which I have
committed to him." See this man. He is sure he shall be saved. But why?
Paul! art thou sure that thou canst keepthyself? "No," says he, "I have
nothing to do with that:" and yet thou art sure of thy salvation! "Yes,"
saith he, "I am!" How is it, then? "Why, I am persuaded that he is able to
keepme. Christ, to whom I commit myself, I know hath power enoughto
hold me to the end." Martin Luther was bold enough to exclaim "Let him
that died for my soul, see to the salvationof it." Let us catechise the apostle
for a few minutes, and see if we cannotshake his confidence. Paul! Thou
hast had many trials, and thou wilt have many more. What if thou shouldst
be subject to the pangs of hunger, combined with those of thirst. If not a
mouthful of bread should pass thy mouth to nourish thy body, or a drop of
watershould comfort thee, will not thy faith fail thee then? If provisions be
offered thee, on condition of the denial of thy faith, dost thou not imagine
that thou wilt be vane, quashed, and that the pangs of nature will
overpowerthee? "No," says Paul, "famine shall not quench my faith; for
the keeping of my faith is in the hands of Christ." But what if, combined
with this, the whole world should rise againstthee, and scoffthee? What if

36. hunger within should echo to the shout of scornwithout? wouldst thou not
then deny thy faith? If, like Demas, everyother Christian should turn to
the silver of this world, and deny the Master, wouldst not thou go with
them? "No," saiththe apostle, "my soul is not in my keeping, else might it
soonapostatize;it is in the hand of Christ. though all men should leave me,
vet will he keepme." But what, O apostle, if thou shouldst be chained to
the stake, andthe flames should kindle, and thy flesh should begin to burn;
when thy beard is singed, and thy cheeks are black, wilt thou then hold him
fast! "Yea," saiththe apostle, "he will then hold me fast;" and I think I
hear him, as he stops us in the midst of our catechising,and replies, "Nay,
in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul, Paul, suppose the
world should tempt you in another way. If a kingdom were offered you—if
the pomps and pleasures of this world should be laid at your feet, provided
you would deny your Master, would your faith maintain its hold then?
"Yea," saiththe apostle, "Jesus wouldeven then uphold my faith for my
soul is not in my keeping, but in his, and empires upon empires could not
tempt him to renounce that soulof which he has become the guardian and
the keeper. Temptationmight soonovercome me, but it could not
overcome him. The world's blandishments might soonmove me to
renounce my own soul; but they could not for one moment move Jesus to
give me up." And so the apostle continues his confidence. But Paul, when
thou shalt come to die, will thou not then fear and tremble? "Nay," saith
he, "he will be with me there, for my soul shall not die, that will be still in
the hand of him who is immortality and life." But what will become of thee
when thy soul is separatedfrom thy body? Canst thou trust him in a
separate state, in the unknown world which visions cannot paint? In the
time of God's mighty thunder, when earth shall shake and heaven shall
reel. Canst thou trust him then? "Yea," saiththe apostle, "until that day
when all these tempests shall die away into eternal calm, and when the
moving earth shall settle into a stable land in which there shall be no more
sea, eventhen can I trust him.
"I know that safe with him remains,
Protectedby his power,
What I've committed to his hands

37. Till the decisive hour."
O poor sinner! come and put thy soul into the hands of Jesus. Attempt not
to take care of it thyself; and then thy life shall be hidden in heaven, and
kept there by the Almighty power of God, where none can destroy it and
none can rob thee of it. "Whosoeverbelievethon the Lord Jesus Christ
shall be saved."
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "SpurgeonCollection" by:
Tony Capoccia
KNOWING AND BELIEVING NO. 3331
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER5, 1912,
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,AT THE METROPOLITAN
TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD’S-DAYEVENING,
SEPTEMBER30, 1866.
“I know whom I have believed.” 2 Timothy 1:12.
THE text is wholly takenup with three things—with knowing, with
believing and with the personwho is known and believed. And upon both
the knowing and the believing, Paul is very decided. He puts in no, “if,” no
word of change. He does not say, “I hope so,” or, “I trust so,” but, “I know
I have believed and I know whom I have believed.” It is all assurance and
not a shadow of doubt! Let us imitate the apostle, orask for grace to be
able to imitate him, that we may shake off the dubious phraseologywhich
is so common among Christians, nowadays, and may be able to speak with
apostolic confidence upon a matter upon which we ought to be confident if
anywhere at all, namely—our own salvation! As the text is thus takenup
with knowing and believing, these two matters will be the subject of our
meditation at this time. My first remark drawn from the text shall be— I.

38. THE ONLY RELIGIOUS KNOWING AND BELIEVING WHICH ARE
OF A SAVING CHARACTER CONCERN THE PERSONOF THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. “I know,” says the apostle—not, “what”—but,
“whom I have believed.” He does not say, “I know the catechismwhich I
have believed,” nor, “I know the Institutes of Calvin,” nor, “I know the
body and system of theology,” but, “I know whom I have believed.” Both
the knowing and the believing center on the wondrous person who for our
sakes leftHis starry throne and became a man. Knowing whom is a saving
knowledge and trusting whom is a saving trust—of which all other
knowing and believing fall short! Observe, then, that all other knowledge
may be useful enoughin itself, but if it does not concernChrist, it cannot
be called saving knowledge. Some persons know a greatdeal about
doctrine. Perhaps they have takenup with the Calvinistic theology, or even
with the hyper-Calvinistic and they really understand the system
thoroughly well—andthey certainly hold it with quite enough tenacity, if
not too much. We know some who we believe would very cheerfully go to
the stake in defense of some points of doctrine so convinced are they of the
orthodoxy of what they have received!Others take up another theory and
go upon the Arminian principle—and they, too, know their setof doctrines
and know them well. But, dear friends, I may know all the doctrines in the
Bible, but unless I know Christ, there is not one of them that can save me! I
may know election, but if I cannot see myself as chosenin Christ Jesus,
electionwill do me no good. I may know the doctrine of the final
perseverance ofthe saints, but if I am not in Christ, I would only persevere
in my sins—andsuch a final perseverance will be dreadful, indeed! It is
one thing to know the doctrine of justification by faith, but it is quite
another thing to be justified by faith and to have peace with God! You may
stand up for imputed righteousness and fight for it, and yet the
righteousness ofChrist may never be imputed to you! It is not knowing the
creed, though that is well, that can save the soul—the knowledge that is
needed is to know Him whom Paul believed! And, again, a man may know
something more than doctrine. He may know a great deal about
experience. There is a class ofpersons who sneerat doctrine. They call the
doctrinal preacher a mere “letterman.” As for themselves, they talk about
deep experience. They have a consciousness ofhaving a corrupt heart.
They have discoveredthat they have evil tempers (by the way, other
people, too, have discoveredit)! They have discoveredthat they have
defiled natures and everybody can see that they are not perfectly free from
sin. But, strange delusion, because they know the disease,they fancy they
have been healed! Becausethey have perceptionenough to see they are

39. spiritually bankrupt, they, therefore, imagine that their debts are paid!
Becausethey feel themselves to be in the Sloughof Despond, they dream
they are on the rock!
2 Knowing and Believing Sermon #3331
2 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 58
But there is a vast difference betweenthe two things. A man may think he
has an experience of his own emptiness—no, he may truly possessit—but if
it does not drive him to Christ, if he does not come and rest on the Lord
Jesus, allhis experiences are of no saving value! The foundation of the
soul’s salvation is not experience of any or every kind, but the finished
work, the meritorious blood and righteousnessofour Lord and Savior!
There are some, too, who not only know experience and doctrine, but who
also know how to talk of them. They have mingled with Christian people
until they can getup their phraseologyand, as some Christians have cant
expressions, these people can“cant” in any quantity and to any extent.
They can talk about their “poorsouls” and about, “the dearLord,” and
use all those other precious phrases of hypocrisy which lard some religious
publications and which are to be found in the conversationofsome people
who ought to know better. They use these expressions andthen, when they
get in among the people of God, they are receivedwith open arms! And
they fancy that because they cantalk as Christians talk, it is all well with
them! But, oh, remember that if a parrot could call you, “father,” it would
not, for all that, have become a child of yours! A foreignermay learn the
language ofan Englishman but never be an Englishman, but still remain a
foreigner. So, too, you may take up the language ofa Christian, but may
never have within you the Spirit of God and, therefore, be none of His. You
must know Him. “Know yourself,” said the heathen philosopher. That is
well, but that knowledge may only leada man to hell. “Know Christ,” says
the Christian philosopher, “know Him and then you shall know
yourself”—andthis shall certainly lead you to heaven, for the knowledge of
Christ Jesus is saving knowledge—“whomto know is life eternal.” In
addition to these valuable pieces ofinformation, there are some who know
a greatdeal ABOUT Christ, but here I must remind you that the text does
not say, “I know about Christ,” but, “I know Him.” Ah, dear hearer, you
may have heard the gospelfrom your youth up, so that the whole history of
Christ is at your fingertips! But you may not know Him, for there is a deal
of difference betweenknowing about Him, and knowing Him. You may
know about a medicine, but still die of the disease whichthe medicine
might have cured. The prisoner may know about liberty and yet lie and

40. pine in his dungeon until, as John Bunyan put it, “the moss grows on his
eyelids.” The traveler may know about the home which he hopes to reach
and yet may be left out at nightfall in the midst of the forest. Many a man
of business knows about wealth, or even concerning the millions of the
Bank of England, and yet is a bankrupt or on the verge of poverty. Many a
sailorknows about the port, but his ship drifts upon the rocks and all
hands go down. It is not enoughto know about Christ, it is knowing Christ,
Himself, that alone saves the soul! And, over and above, and in addition to
all this, you may know the Scriptures from youth up. I suppose I have
some—perhaps many—before me who are well acquainted with almost
every chapter in the Bible. You could not be questioned upon any part of it
so as to be really nonplussed. You have read the book and you continue to
read it—and I approve of your wise choice in so doing—and beg you to
always continue in so excellenta practice! But remember, if you have not
the Word of God in your heart it is of small use to have it merely in your
head. Oh, to know Christ is our supreme and tragic need! Not to merely
know texts and Scripture, for—“the letter kills, it is only the Spirit that
quickens”—andunless you know Christ you do not know the vital Spirit of
the Word of God! The only saving knowledge,then, is knowing Christ.
Well, now, so is it with the exercise offaith. You may know a greatdeal
about faith, but the only saving faith is belief concerning Christ. “I know
whom I have believed.” To believe doctrine will not save a man. You may
hold the entire creedand be orthodox—and then be no better than the
devil, for I suppose that the devil is a very sound theologian. He surely
knows the truth. He believes and trembles! But you may know it and not
tremble—and so you may fall short of one virtue which even the devil
possesses!A firm belief in what is preached to you is well enoughin its
way, but to believe a doctrine as such cannot save you. Some have a belief
in their minister—and I suppose that is so flattering to us that you will
hardly expectus to speak againstit—but of all vices, it is one most surely to
be dreaded because it is so very dangerous!We charge you in the sight of
God, always weighwhat we have to say to you—and if it is not according to
Scripture, castit awayas you castawayrefuse! Take nothing merely
because we sayit! Let nothing that we preach be receivedupon our ipse
dixit, but let it be tried and testedby the Word of God, for otherwise you
may be led by the blind. And “if the blind lead the blind, they shall both
fall into the ditch.” Ah, what multitudes of persons there are in England
who are beginning to get their fellow man to
Sermon #3331 Knowing and Believing 3

41. Volume 58 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 3
perform their religion for them! They are too lazy to think! They are too
idle to use whateverbrains they have and so they get some mere simpleton
who thinks that God is pleasedwith his putting on a white gownor a blue
dress, or a black gown or greendress, a scarletgownor mauve dress, is
pleasedwith burning candles in the daylight and pleasedwith making a
pungent odor in the church—they get such a creature as this to do their
religion for them and then they lie down at night to rest, feeling perfectly
satisfiedthat God is satisfiedand they are all right! Oh, I charge you,
believe not this delusion! It is not believing in a priest that will save you!
Believing in the priest may be your ruin, but believing in Christ is the
really vital point—the one thing that truly matters. He that believes in
Christ is saved!But he that believes even the Pope of Rome shall find that
he believes to his own eternal ruin! Then again, it is not believing in
ourselves. Manypersons believe thoroughly in themselves. The doctrine of
self-reliance is preached in many quarters now a days. I suppose that what
is meant by the term is a goodmercantile possession, a business virtue, but
it is a Christian vice as towards spiritual things and emphatically towards
the soul’s salvation!Self-reliance in this matter always ruins those who
practice it. Rely on self? Let night rely on her darkness to find a light! Let
emptiness rely on its insufficiency to find its fullness! Let death rely on the
worms to give it immortality! Let hell rely upon its fire to make it into
heaven—suchtrusts as these would be equally strong with those of the
sinner who relies upon himself for salvation!Your belief must not be that
you canforce your wayto heaven, but you must believe Him, for anything
else is an unsaving faith. You see, then, that the knowledge whichsaves,
and the belief which saves, both hang upon the cross. Theyboth look to the
wounds of that dear man, that blessedGod who was there the propitiation
for our sins and who suffered in our place. My hearer, are you trusting
Christ? Are you hanging upon Him as the vesselhangs upon the nail? Do
you know Him as a man knows his friend? Do you seek to know more of
Him? Is He all your salvation and all your desire? If not, take home this
solemn warning—whateverelse you know, you are still ignorant, and
whateverelse you believe, you are still an unbeliever—unless you know
and believe in Him who is the Savior of men! I pass on now to a second
point, which is this— II. THAT KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT FAITH IS
VAIN. This is to try to balance with but one scale—to run a chariot on one
wheel. You have the double matter here. “I know whom I have believed.”

42. It is goodto know, but knowledge must be crowned with faith! It has been
remarkedthat Paul does not say, “I know of whom I have heard.” He does
not say, “I know of whom I have read.” He does not say, “I know of whom
I have preached,” but, “I know whom I have believed.” Here he hits the
nail on the head. Knowledge is useful in the bud. Mere reading, preaching,
too, are well as an exercise—butbelieving is the fruit which must grow
upon the tree of knowledge orelse the knowledge will be of little use to us!
Now, my dear friends, I know that I am addressing many of your class,
many who know Christ in a certain sense. Know much about Him. You
know of His nature, you believe Him to be true deity. You know Him to be
human like yourselves and for man’s sake made man. You know His life.
You have often read it. You often like to dwell upon the incidents of it. It is
a genuine and greatpleasure to sing of Bethlehem and its manger, of Cana
and its marriage. You have turned over the pages of that life of lives and
felt enraptured with this matchless masterpiece ofbiography. You are well
acquainted, too, with His death—it has often drawn tears to your eyes
when you have thought of the shame and the spitting and the crownof
thorns. You know something concerning His expiring cries. Your
imagination has often pictured to you the wounded body of that dread
sufferer. You have thought that if you had been there, you would have wet
His feetwith your tears, you did so sympathize with Him. You know of His
burial and of His resurrection, too, and you have sweetlyjoined with us
when we have been singing— “Angels, roll the rock away, Jesus Christis
risen today” and you have not been lacking when we have been singing of
His ascension!Your eyes have flushed with fire when you have heard the
words— “They brought His chariot from on high, To bear Him to His
throne, Clapped their triumphant wings and cried, ‘The glorious work is
done.’”
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You know that He reigns in heaven! You know that He has prepared
mansions for His people. You know that He intercedes for sinners. You
expectthat He will come. You believe in His SecondAdvent and when the
Te Deum has been sung in your hearing—“We believe that You shall come
to be our Judge,” you have said, “Yes!I do—I do—I believe it.” Now, if
you know all this, you know that which it is very important to be known,
but if you stop short here, where are you? Why, I have no doubt there have
been hundreds who knew this, but who have given their bodies and souls to
the devil and have lived in open sin, day by day! If you could go to the

43. condemned cell tonight, I would not wonder if the wretchconfined there
knows all this. If you were to go into the flaunting gin palaces whichare
scatteredto our shame and curse all over London—where men and women
are drinking liquid fire at this very moment—you would find that half of
them know all this, but they do not drink any the less for it! If you were to
go into the lairs of vice, you would find that the most abandoned know all
this, but it does them no good!And I will add also this— that the lost
spirits in hell went there knowing all this! And the devil himself, knows it
all, but he still remains a devil! Ah, my hearer, I charge you before God, do
not sit down and say, “I know, I know, I know.” Do you believe? Do you
BELIEVE? The common answergiven very frequently to the city
missionary is just this—men say to them, “There is no need for you to come
here and tell me anything. I know all about it.” Ah, but do you believe in
Jesus? Whatis the goodof your knowing unless you believe? I do not think
that the most of you who go to places of worship need so much instruction
in divine truth as you need an earnestappeal to your hearts not to stop
short at instruction! You do know, and that, indeed, shall be, indeed, part
of your damnation—that you had the light but you would not see!That
Jesus came into your streetand came near to you, but you would not have
Him! The medicine was there, but you died because you would not take it!
The food was on the table, but you would soonerperish with hunger than
receive it as the free gift of heaven! Ah, my hearer, your knowing will not
benefit you, but will be a plague to you! The poor savage in his kraalin
Central Africa who never heard the name of Jesus shalldie with at least
this mitigating circumstance— that he never rejectedthe Savior’s love!
The million a month who die in China, for a million do die every month in
China—the million who die every month in China die with this one solace,
at any rate, that they never sinned againstthe light of Christianity, nor
rejectedthe truth as it is in Jesus!This is more than you cansay! This will
never help to make a dainty couch for you, when you make your bed in
hell! The responsibility of having known shall add remorse to the whips of
accusing conscienceand make hell still more terrible! Oh, may God grant
that we may not stop short with knowledge, alone,but may know Christ as
Him whom we have believed! But still we have in the next place— III.
FAITH WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE IS BUT A BIRD WITH ONE WING.
The old faith of the fuller is coming back in some places today. You
remember what the fuller said, “Yes, he believed” He believed—whatdid
he believe? He believed, “What the church believed.” And what did the
church believe? “Well, the church believed—well, what he believed.” And,
pray tell, what did he and the church, together, believe? “Why, they both

44. believed the same thing.” Ah, how many there are of that sort today! They
say, “We think he ought to be sincere, you know, and if he is sincere, it
does not matter much whether it is absolutelytrue. He need not trouble
greatly to enquire whether what he believes is Scriptural or not, or whether
it is according to God’s revelation—that will take up too much of his time
and thought—and look too much like being obedient to God’s will. Just be
sincere, you know, and then, hit or miss, whateveryour mother or father
happened to be in religious character, go at it with all your might and it
will be all right.” Now, unfortunately, that does not happen to be the truth
of God—and we do not find people in this world getting on in proportion to
their sincerity. I suppose our friends who bought Overend and Gurney’s
shares were sincere enoughin their belief that they were buying a good
thing, but I should fancy that their opinions have undergone a change of
late! No doubt there have been persons who have takenprussic acid,
sincerelybelieving that it would benefit them, but I suppose it has killed
them, notwithstanding their sincerity. If a man should travel due south in
order to get to the Orkney Islands, howeversincere he might be, he would
probably discoverhimself in the Bay of Biscaybefore long. The fact is, it is
not sincerity, alone—it is the studious endeavor to find out what the right is
and what the truth is—that is the only safe way for us! We do not,
therefore, ask you to believe without knowing what you are to believe. It is
impossible. Do not think a man canhold in his hands four or five doctrines
and sayto you, “Do you believe them?” “Well, but what are they?” “Never
mind! You are a true believer and you must believe then without knowing
them.” A man who has no power of belief at all says, “Oh, yes, I believe. I
will kiss your feetif
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necessary, ordo anything you like to tell me.” But the thoughtful man, the
man who is likely to be saved, says at once, “I find it impossible to believe
until I first know what I am to believe.” I have sometimes thought when I
have heard addresses from some revival brothers who had kept on saying
time after time, “Believe, believe, believe,” thatI would like to have known
for myself what it was we were to believe in order to our salvation. There
is, I fear, a greatdeal of vagueness and crudeness about this matter. I have
heard it often assertedthatif you believe that Jesus Christdied for you,
you will be saved. My dear hearer, do not be deluded by such an idea! You
may believe that Jesus Christ died for you and may believe what is not

45. true! You may believe that which will bring you no sort of goodwhatever.
That is not saving faith! The man who has saving faith attains to the
conviction that Christ died for him afterwards, but it is not of the essence
of saving faith. Do not getthat into your head or it will ruin you! Do not
say, “I believe that Jesus Christ died for me,” and because of that feel that
you are saved! I pray you to remember that the genuine faith that saves the
soul has for its main element—trust—absolute restof the whole soul—on
the Lord Jesus Christto save me, whether He died in particular or in
specialto save me or not and, relying as I am, wholly and alone on Him, I
am saved!Afterwards I come to perceive that I have a specialinterest in
the Savior’s blood, but if I think I have perceived that before I have
believed in Christ, then I have inverted the Scriptural order of things and I
have takenas a fruit of my faith that which is only to be obtained by
rights—by the man who absolutely trusts in Christ, and Christ alone, to
save! The matter, then, which saves is this—a man trusts Christ, but he
trusts Christ because he knows Him. See!He knows Christ and, therefore,
he trusts Him. How does he come to know Him? Well, he has heard of
Him, he has read of Him, he seeksHim in prayer and when he has learned
His character, he trusts Him. Occasionallyyoung converts will sayto us,
“Sir, I cannot trust Christ.” I never try to argue with them about it, but
say, “Then you do not know Him, because to truly know Christ is sure to
bring trust.” I believe there are some men in the world whom you have
only to know to trust because they are so transparently honest, so clearly
truthful that you must trust them! The Savioris such a person as that. Let
me tell you, sinner, God was made flesh and dwelt among us—do you
believe that? “Yes.” He lived a holy life. He died a painful death. The merit
of His life and death is setto the accountof everyone who trusts in Him
and He declares that if you trust in Him, He will save you. Now surely you
can trust Him! You say, “No, I cannot.” Why not? Is He not able? He is
divine—therefore you cannot raise the question. Is He not willing? He
died—that argues willingness surely to do a lesserthing, since He has done
the greater!Surely you cannotdoubt that! The life of the Lord Jesus Christ
is an answerto every form of doubt. Do you know, I feel with regardto
Christ, myself, that instead of its being any difficulty to trust Him, I find it
very difficult not to trust Him if I cannotfind any reasonwhy I should
distrust Him. I was turning over the other day some odds and ends of my
own brain to see if I could find any reasonwhy Christ should not receive
my soul. Well, I could not find half a one, but I could think of 20,000
reasons why I should believe in Him to save me, even if I had a million
souls!I feel as if His way of saving is so magnificent and the working of it

46. out so divinely generous, that His offerings were so great, His person is so
glorious, that I could not only castmy one soul on Him, but 50,000souls if I
had them! Why, I cannotfind any reasonable ground for doubting Him!
Soul, I would to God that you would think of Him in the same light!— “He
is able, He is willing— Doubt no more!” You know something of Him. Oh,
may God give the grace to add to your knowledge,trust, and then shall you
have true saving faith! Let it be remarked here that in proportion as our
genuine knowledge ofChrist increases, so we shallfind that our trust in
Him will increase, too. The more we know Christ, the more we shall trust
Him because everynew piece of knowledge will give new arguments for
immovable confidence in Him! Oh, if you have not seenChrist, I can
understand your doubting Him, but if you have leaned your head upon His
bosom, if He has ever kissedyou with the kisses ofHis lips, if He has ever
takenyou into His banqueting house and wavedHis banner of love over
you, I know you will feel, “Doubt You, Jesus, doubt You? Why, how can I?
I know the powerof Your arm. I know the love of Your heart. I know the
efficacyof Your blood. I know the glory of Your person. I know the
faithfulness of Your word. I know the immutability of Your oath, and I can
trust You and, either sink or swim, my soul casts herselfupon You, You
blessedSavior!”
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But now there may be some present who are saying, “I cannotsay I know
whom I have believed.” IV. “HOW CAN I KNOW THAT I MAY
BELIEVE IN HIM?” The answeris, searchthe Word of God with a desire
to find Him. Seek outthe most Christ exalting ministry in your
neighborhood, in whateverdenomination you can find it, and listen to it
with all your ears and with all your heart. Get to your chamber and there
seek the Lord to illuminate you in the matter of the Lord Jesus Christ! Ask
Him to reveal His Son in you. I tell you this—faith comes by hearing and
by hearing the Word of God—and when to these is added earnestseeking,
you shall not be long without finding Him! They who seek Christ are
already being sought of Him. You who desire Him shall have Him! You
who want Him shall not be long without Him. It is to have Christ to some
degree, to hunger and to thirst after Him—and when you feel that you
cannot be content without Him, He will not let you be, but will sooncome
to you! I believe there are some who will get peace with Christ tonight! Do
you understand it, dear friend? You have nothing to do. You have nothing
to be. You have not even anything to learn, except that Jesus Christ came

47. into the world to save sinners and that He is able to save unto the uttermost
them that come unto God by Him! You know that. Now, trust Him, and if
you do, it is all done and you are saved!If you have trusted in Him whom
God has revealedas your Savior, it is not a matter of twenty minutes nor
much less a matter of months, but you are saved at once!— “The moment a
sinner believes, And trusts in his crucified God, His pardon at once he
receives, Salvationin full through Christ’s blood.” When a man once gets
into the lifeboat, if it were certain that the lifeboat would never sink, he is
savedas soonas he gets in. Now, the act of faith does, as it were, put us into
the lifeboatof Christ Jesus and we are savedimmediately! You may have
many a tossing, but you will getsafely to land at last. If you want faith you
must get it, as I have told you, by knowing Him, studying the Word of God,
listening to it and seeking His face. But make use of what you know, or else
what you know will be like the stale manna and will be of no use to you.
Believe it as you know it. Use it up as you get it. And if you already know
Christ to be a sinner’s Savior, and know that you are a sinner, then come
tonight and put your trust in Him! And be of goodcheer, because He will
never, never, never castyou away!And now, lastly, I should like to ask a
question, and it is this— V. HOW MANY ARE THERE WHO DO KNOW
CHRIST? We all know something of which we are a little proud, but, “I
know, I know, I know,” is a very poor thing to saywhen you do not know
Christ! “I know,” says my young friend over there who has been to Oxford
or Cambridge University, “I know So-and-So.” “Iknow,” says another,
“such-and-sucha specialline of distinguished thinking.” But do you know
Christ, my dear friend? “Ah, thank God,” says one upstairs, and another
goodsoul below, “we canhardly read, sir, but we do know Him.” I would
change places with you, friends, much soonerthan I would with the most
learned of men who do not know Christ, because whenthey come to the
gates ofdeath, you know, he who keeps the gate will not say, “Do you know
the classics?Have you read Horace? Have you studied Homer? Do you
know mathematics? Do you understand logarithms or conic sections?”No,
but he will say, “Do you know Christ?” And if you scarcelyevenknow
your own native tongue, yet if you know Christ, the gates ofheaven shall
fly open to let you in! Now, do you know Christ? Do let the question go
round to eachone, “Do I know Christ?” Well, then, do you believe Christ?
Do you trust Christ? “Yes, thank God!” says one, “with all my
imperfections I cansing the hymn— “On Christ the solid rock I stand All
other ground is sinking sand.” Oh, then, brothers and sisters, let us be of
goodcheer, for, trusting Him, He will never fail us! Believing Him, He will

48. never leave us! We shall see His face in glory. Oh, that the day were come!
But when it does, to His name shall be all the praise! Amen.
2 Timothy 1:12
Paul does not say, "I know what I have believed," though that would have
been true. He does not say, "I know when I have believed," though that
would have been correct. Nor does he say, "I know how much I have
believed," although he had well-weighedhis faith. He does not even say, "I
know in whom I have believed." He says expressly, "I know whom I have
believed," as much as to say, "I know the personinto whose hand I have
committed my present condition and my eternaldestiny. I know who he is,
and I therefore, with-out any hesitation, leave myself in his hands."
(Spurgeon, C. H.).
I Know The Author
By M.R. De Haan
2 Timothy 1:12
In his letter to Timothy, Paul did not say, “I know in whom I have
believed,” although this also was true. He did not say, “I know what I have
believed,” although this also was true. But Paul said, “I know whom I have
believed” (2 Tim. 1:12).
Not only did Paul know something about Christ, but he also knew Him
personally. Salvation is not merely a matter of knowing something but
believing Someone.
Do you know Him? Then do you enjoy reading what He says? If you know
the author of the Book, you will love His Book.
A young womanlaid aside a certain book she was reading because she
thought it was dull. Some time later she became engagedto be married.
One evening she said to her fiancé, “I have a book written by a man with
the same name as yours. Isn’t that a coincidence!” The man replied,
“That’s not a coincidence. Iwrote that book!”

49. That night she satup until 3 o’clock in the morning reading the book she
once found dull. It was now the most thrilling book she had ever read. She
had fallen in love with the author.
Is the Bible a dull book to you? Then maybe you should meet the Author.
Oh, Christ, He is the fountain,
The deep sweetwellof love!
The streams on earth I've tasted,
More deep I'll drink above! —Cousin
To know Christ, the Living Word, is to love the Bible, the Written Word.
2 Timothy 1:12, 14 He is able to keepmy deposit … The gooddeposit,
keep.
There is a double deposit here, and the comparisoncomes out clearand
marked in the Greek. Whenwe give our most precious treasure into the
custodianship of Jesus, He turns to honor us by entrusting his own treasure
to our care. Oh that we might be as eagerto keepthat which He entrusts to
us, as He is that which we entrust to Him; so that He might be able to say
of us, “I know them in whom I have trusted, and am persuaded that they
will never fail to do whatever needs to be done for my honor and glory.”
Our deposit with Christ. — What is the true policy of life? How can I best
spend these few years to the best advantage? Whatis there beyond, and
beyond? Such questions come to all earnestsouls, and greatlytrouble
them, till they entrust the keeping of their souls and the direction of their
lives into the hands of the faithful Savior. We feel sure that He has the
words of eternallife, and fnat all poweris given to Him in heavenand on
earth. At first there is something of a venture — we trust Him; next, there
is the knowledge whichcomes from experience — we know Him; lastly,
there is strong confidence — we are persuaded that He is able.
Christ’s deposit with us. — And what is this? 1 Timothy 6:20, 14, and 4:16,
suggestthe answer. To every believer Jesus hands the custodyof his honor,
his Gospel, his Father’s glory, his holy day, the ordinances which He
bequeathed to the Church. As Ezra chargedthe priests to bear safely
through the desertmarch the sacredvessels,so our Captain charges us,
and throughout the whole Bible rings the injunction: “Be ye clean, ye that
bear the vesselsofthe Lord.” (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily)

50. A Known Commodity
Joe Stowell
2 Timothy 1:12
“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard
what I have entrusted to him for that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12
My new ministry was at a large, sophisticatedchurchjust outside of
Detroit. I confess—atonly 36 years old, I felt more than a little intimidated
in this congregationpopulated with high-powered automobile industry
executives. With my securities running full bore, like a fool rushing in
where angels fear to tread, I dove in. And of course, everyone was
outwardly very kind: “Oh, we are so glad you’re here. Let’s go forward for
the Lord!” But inwardly, I’m sure their thoughts were more like: “Who
are you? What will you do to us? Can we really trust you?”
The tipping point for me came about two years into the ministry as I was
driving home from a board meeting. I sensedthat something had been
different in that meeting. The elders were listening to me. What I was
saying seemedto be carrying some weight, and we were interacting on a
deeper level. I had crossedthe bridge of their initial uncertainties and had
gained their trust. I was no longer a question mark in their hearts but a
known commodity.
Paul talks about the importance of relationships being built on trust in his
secondletter to Timothy. His circumstances were anything but great. He
was imprisoned for his proclamationof Jesus and was concernedthat
Timothy be able to effectivelyand accuratelyguard the precious message
of the gospel. And yet in the storm of his circumstances, he found an
anchor—his unwavering trust in Jesus;a trust that Paul had experienced
personally in His walk with the Lord.
I love the fact that Paul expresses his confidence in Jesus in relational
terms: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to
guard that which I have entrusted to him for that day.” Paul is all about
doctrine, but at the very core of his belief structure is his unshakable trust
in the personof Jesus. He tells the Philippians that everything else is “a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness ofknowing Christ Jesus my Lord
(Philippians 3:8).” There is nothing dry or dusty about Paul’s theology. It’s
all about what he knows and has experiencedof Christ! And, in all that he
has experienced—shipwreck,torture, imprisonment, ridicule—he is able to
trust because he knows Jesus is true.

51. Having a proven sense of confidence in Jesus will change the way that you
and I view life. The more you getto know Him, the more your trust will
increase. The more you considerHis characterand the more you trace the
pattern of His work across the pages ofyour life, the more you’ll know and
be convinced that He is worthy of your trust. We may not know where our
circumstances are going to take us, and we may not know what the future
holds, but if we know Him, that’s enough.
BecauseHe is, in the strongest, mostwonderful terms possible, a known
commodity!
YOUR JOURNEY…
How is Paul’s passionfor knowing Jesus expressedin Philippians 3:7-11?
How does that passionfuel his confidence when he writes to Timothy in 2
Timothy 1:8-14?
What tangible steps can you take to getto know Jesus better today?
https://www.preceptaustin.org/2_timothy_devotionals#1:12a
PHIL NEWTON
Guarded and Guarding
2 Timothy 1:12-14 • Dr. Phil Newton• Series:2 Timothy
• Sunday Morning Worship •
DownloadMP3
One of our workers traveledwith his family from outside the
country where he serves back to his place of service. He had done this
numerous times with no hitches: he had packeda suitcase with gospel
materials to be used with the people he sought to reachfor Christ. Usually,
the airport workers just waved him through. No questions. No inspections.
No problems.
But this time was different. They stopped him; inspectedhis bag;
pulled him in for questioning. The clock tickedon. He remained with the
police as they quizzed him on what he was doing. His family went on to

52. their home hundreds of miles away, while he was not only detained but also
jailed—for days rather than a few hours.
Localauthorities in a different country eavesdroppedon another
workerand his family. He knew they were doing this. It was part of living
in that region but he had never had any problems; nor had others doing
gospelwork. He and his family were traveling in the country when the
police pulled him and his son in, arrestedthem, and put them in jail. Not a
nice jail, either! They were denied contactwith their family and detained
for a considerable time.
Had God abandoned them? They had committed their lives to
proclaim the gospel. Theywere doing so in countries that have very little
gospelexposure. They were sacrificing their normal comforts to invest
themselves in making disciples where there were none. But while doing
God’s work they were imperiled. Did that mean that the Lord no longer
watchedover them or that they had lost their standing with Him?
Two young men, one a pastor, another a faithful leaderin his
church, began to have strange symptoms of paralysis in their extremities.
Both were diagnosedwith ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Bothhad been
athletic, good family men, and faithful servants of Christ. One I had known
from a distance, the other up close—adearfriend. Karen and I visited with
him. He could no longertalk nor could he move his arms or legs. Had the
Lord abandoned those young men? Could they, in the midst of suffering,
still have any hope that they belonged to the Lord, if indeed He had
allowedthem to endure such suffering?
A sizeable portion of the broad family of Christianity equates
problems, suffering, and loss with God’s disfavor and a lack of faith. Was
that the problem with these two Christian workers abroadand the two that
lived in the U.S., who eventually died from ALS? Did theircircumstances
imply that they had lost their faith or they had not exercisedenoughfaith
or that God would no longerextend kindness to them?
“Well,” someone might say, “that’s not my theology!” I would hope
not, too, but despite that not being your theology, do youpractically live
like that’s your theology? Do you find that your confidence in the saving
powerof Christ ebbs and flows with the circumstances ofyour life? As long
as things are going your wayand you have what you deem appropriate for
your lifestyle, your assurancewith Christ is fine. But let that change a bit,
let some adversity come your way, let life get thrown out of kilter—do you

53. then still find Christ as much of a Savioras you had when life appearedto
be rosy?
What we find in our text is a similar messageto the previous study
in 2 Timothy 1:8–11, only this time, it’s in reverse. Paulhad encouraged
Timothy not to be ashamed or disillusioned by the gospelof Christ or by
the circumstances ofPaul as Christ’s prisoner. Instead, Paul turned
Timothy’s attention to the greatnessofGod’s sovereignmercyand grace
shown before the foundation of the world, and the effectivenessofthe work
of Christ to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light through
the gospel.
Now, Paul looks atthe same subjectfrom his own angle. He gets personal.
He offers testimony of how he keeps his peace and joy in Christ when
circumstances turn adverse;and how Timothy, following Paul’s example,
might do the same. Here we discoverPaul’s own prescriptive for how to
persevere evenin the most difficult circumstances. It involves
understanding that the Lord guards us and consequently, we guard the
gospelentrusted to us. By relying on the Lord guarding us and we
guarding the gospelentrusted to us, circumstances do not change the
believer’s assurance. Is that true for you? Let’s considerthis passage
together.
I. Guarded by the Lord God
It is easyfor us to assignparticular responsibilities to the Lord that
we think He ought to do. We might think, “The Lord will not let something
bad happen to me.” “The Lord will not let me lose my job.” In other
words, we canassume that the Lord exists as a personalvalet that will
make sure we experience every creature comfortthat we deem ourselves
worthy. Please don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing in Scripture that
indicates that the Lord is standing in heaven waiting for the opportunity to
make life miserable for us! Yet, there’s also nothing in Scripture that
indicates that the Lord serves as a personal valet to keepus from unsettling
circumstances. His love and care for us are certain. Yet His wisdomin how
to best demonstrate that love and care, teaching us about the richness of
His grace, oftentakes coursesthatwe may find quite adverse.
No one could doubt that the Lord loved the Apostle Paul and that
Paul was the Lord’s servant. Yet what did Paul sayof his circumstances?
Referring to the adversaries in Corinth, he counters by telling of his own
life as a Christian:

54. Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more
labors, in far more imprisonments, beatentimes without number, often in
danger. Five times I receivedfrom the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times
I was beatenwith rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a
night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys,
in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my
countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the
wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been
in labor and hardship, through many sleeplessnights, in hunger and thirst,
often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor 11:23–27).
Had the Lord abandoned Paul in those settings? Certainly not, for we find
the apostle shortly before his executionoffering one of the most joyous
testimonies that we find anywhere in Scripture: “Forthis reasonI also
suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have
believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted
to Him until that day.” There was no shame, no disillusionment, and no
sense ofdisgrace. Despite being in a dark, damp Romanprison as he
awaitedexecution, confidence in Christ bubbled from this man that had
endured so much. His circumstances hadnot altered his confidence in
Christ. That’s because he understood that circumstances do not change the
faithfulness of the Lord. He guards His own—then and now! Notice how
this is workedout in verse 12.
1. An important distinction
How does it happen that some believers struggle for long periods
with doubt about God’s safekeeping ofthem? Why do they lack assurance?
While we can work through many different issues, I want us to notice one
that is so common that it is often overlooked.[1]Look atPaul’s words: “For
I know whom I have believed.” What does he not state in this verse?
For I know how well I have believed.
For I know how thoroughly I have believed.
For I know how deeply I have believed.
For I know how consistentlyI have believed.
There is nothing here about the level or measure or extent of Paul’s faith in
Christ. In other words, his assurance was notabout him and a particular
status that he had reachedby his extensive labors in the Christian faith.
His assurance wasallabout Jesus Christ. “I knowWHOM I have believed.”
In other words, your salvationis not about how greatand extensive your

55. faith is but how great, glorious, merciful, and sufficient Jesus Christ is to
save you.
Where do our doubts arise? It is when we getout our spiritual
measuring tapes and spiritual scales, and dissecteveryaspectof how well
we have done believing in Jesus. Here’s the reality. We’ve not done very
well in believing Him, at least, if we’re honest about it. We’re not always
consistent. Sometime our faith appears shallow, thin, and fragile. We
struggle at points with both our personalities and personal circumstances.
We getour attention focusedon those things and miss the very distinction
that Paul insists upon regarding assurance.“Iknow whom I have
believed.”
While it is true that there are certainly evidences laid out for us,
especiallyin 1 John, regarding assurance—evidencesthat Paul would
totally agree with—the evidences are simply to give us encouragement
along the way as we see occasions ofour progress in sanctification. Butthe
focus of assurance must be on Jesus Christ. Yet, if there are no signs of a
desire for obedience (1 John 2:3) or a genuine love for the brethren (1 John
2:9–11)or a love for the church (1 John 2:19) or the practice of
righteousness (1 John 2:29; 3:10) or the testimony of the Spirit (1 John
4:24), then certainly, we have reasonto question our salvation. These are
normal characteristicsthatarebeing developedin those born of God. Yet
there’s something more that Paul found necessaryfor his assurance when
everything seemedto be turned againsthim. He knew whom he believed.
He knew the effectiveness ofJesus Christin His person and work to deliver
him from the wrath of God and give him new life. Paul’s focus was not on
his work but the work of Jesus Christ and not on his achievements but on
the personof Christ. That distinction must be foundational to our
assurance.
2. Confidence in the Lord’s abilities
Something took place in Paul’s thinking as he meditated upon Jesus
Christ crucified and resurrected. “And I am convincedthatHe is able to
guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” The “day” referred to
is the Day of Judgment, that ominous reality for all humanity (Rom 14:12).
The use of the passive voice in his declaration, “I am convinced,” tells us
something vitally important. It means that the Lord workedwithin Paul to
convince him of the sufficiencyof Jesus’work. As the apostle reflectedon
the death of Jesus for him, the promises of God to save all who callon the

56. name of the Lord (Rom 10:13), and the characterof the One making the
promises, that settledthe matter in his mind. In other words, we do not
have confidence that the Lord has savedus if we neglectthinking upon the
promises, character, and work that He has done.
I’ve often recommended to people going through struggles with
assurance to read the Gospelaccounts ofthe death and resurrectionof
Jesus Christ. There’s nothing more powerful to convince or persuade us
that Jesus has indeed saved us, than seeing how God sent Jesus to the cross
to bear the judgment of God againstus. There’s nothing more powerful
than hearing the words of Jesus, “Itis finished!” (John 19:30), and
knowing that the entire work of redemption—without any addition from
us—has been accomplished. Let the death and resurrectionsettle into your
thoughts. Meditate on Jesus Christ and be convinced, like Paul, that He is
able to guard you for eternity.
3. Certainty in what God treasures
“He is able” has to do with the Lord’s ability and power. Are you
convinced through meditating upon the characterand actions of God in the
past, that He is able to protect your soul for the duration? Here’s often
where doubts come in. We subtly shift our confidence from the Lord to
ourselves. We look to our ability to keepourselves as Christians insteadof
to the Lord’s ability. Instead, we need to meditate on little verses like
Philippians 1:6: “ForI am confident of this very thing, that He who began
a goodwork in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”And 1
Thessalonians 5:24:“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it
to pass.” And a host of others in both Testaments.
Notice that Paul focuses onthe Lord’s ability “to guard.” The word
expresses the sense ofprotecting or being on alert, e.g. “The Lord
preserves the souls of His godly ones” (Ps 96:10) and “The Lord keeps all
who love Him” (Ps 144:10). While the Lord has given your elders the task
of keeping watch overyour souls (Heb 13:17), there is a major hurdle that
we cannot mount. We can spur you and instruct you and correctyou. But
the Lord guards you. He that keeps Israel, the Psalmistwrites, “will
neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps 121:4). “The Lord is your keeper. . . The
Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keepyour soul” (Ps 121:5, 7).
Paul talks about putting something on deposit for the Lord’s
keeping:“I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to
Him until that day.” I love the way he expresses this. Paul entrusts his life

57. and eternity to the Lord. A Pharisee zealous for keeping God’s laws and
keeping his own soul was brought to humility at the cross and entrusted his
soul to the Lord! This word entrustmeans “to give someone something in
trust,” and so it carries the idea of a deposit. He is not like Bernie Madoff,
who took millions and millions of dollars from trusting clients and lostit.
He is not like that personthat you trusted with some matter and found out
later that you had been betrayed. He is the Lord Godwho made heaven
and earth, who savedus and calledus with a holy calling, who did so
according to His own purpose and grace in Christ, who sentHis Son to
abolish death and bring life and immortality to light through the gospel!So
trust Him as your keeper, as “the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls” (1
Pet 2:25). He can be trusted to keepyour life for eternity. Quit putting the
confidence in yourself. You’re much too weak to keepyourself! Trust Him
who has proven Himself trustworthy.
II. Guarding the gospelentrusted to us
On the heels of confidence in the Lord’s keeping powerare dual
responsibilities that will strengthenour assurance andenable us to serve
others with the gospel. Assurance is both passive and active. It is passive in
that the Lord is the one who guards our very lives entrusted to Him. It is
active in that we are called to grow in the grace and knowledge ofChrist,
and in that process, ourassurance is strengthened.
If you’re paralyzed by a lack of assurance,it is not time to be
passive. It’s a call to action, to seek the Lord, to guard the gospelentrusted
to you, to meditate upon Christ and His work, to considerthe faithfulness
of the Lord, and to saturate yourself in the promises of God in the gospel.
We often think of John Calvin as a theologiancloisteredin his ivory
towerbut that is inaccurate. Calvin was a pastor. His great theologicaland
exegeticalwork came outof his active pastorate in Geneva. We see this in
his comments on this passage, as he pointed out that Satanoften takes a
side approachtoward us rather than a frontal assaultregarding our
assurance in the Lord’s faithful, keeping power. Satanknows that shocking
us with blasphemies againstGod will turn us awayfrom his deceitful
barbs, so the devil preoccupies “oureyes and understandings, he takes
awayfrom us all sense ofthe powerof God. The heart must therefore be
well purified, in order that it may not only taste that power, but may retain
the taste of it amidst temptations of every kind” (Calvin’s Commentaries,
xxi, 200).

58. That’s what Paul exhorts toward in vv. 13-14. He’s pointing us
toward a purifying in our thoughts so that we do not lose sight of God’s
powerbut rather, “taste of it amidst temptations of every kind.” Paul gives
two exhortations.
1. Hold to the framework of the gospel
“Retainthe standard of sound words which you have heard from
me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”The idea of retaining
implies holding onto something or keeping it in your hand. In other words,
don’t get sloppy with it or let go of it or think you can do without it. Don’t
presume on the gospelfor assurance. Itis intended to spur us to
perseverance in the faith, so sloppiness with it defeats its aim.
In this case, it’s “the standard of sounds words which you have heard from
me,” conveying the idea of a framework or example or model that is
definite. It’s not some vague religious ideas but a clearly articulated
framework of the gospel. So that means there’s no such thing as a Baptist
gospel, Methodistgospel, Assemblyof Godgospel, etc. There’s just the
gospel. Our responsibility is to understand the Apostolic Gospelupon
which the church is built and our faith is established(Eph 2:20; Rom 1:16-
17), and to never veer from that gospel. That’s the standard.
The “sound words” or healthy, dependable words, refers to the fact that
the gospelis something that canbe written, stated, discussed, and
understood for assurance and growth. It’s something that will profit your
whole person. It may turn you upside down; it may refine you and chisel
awayat the barnacles of sin cakedon your life. But it’s good news for
sinners!
Paul further clarifies:it’s the gospel“whichyou have heard from me.”
He’s just reiteratedthe gospelfor Timothy: it is the goodnews that “now
has been revealedby the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who
abolisheddeath and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel” (2 Tim 1:10). It’s what Paul taught about God’s mercy and grace,
man’s sinfulness that leads to judgment, the Son of God coming to fulfill
the law’s demands, so that He might redeemthose under the law through
His death and resurrection, and might adopt enemies as sons through faith
in Him (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:10-28;Gal4:1-7).
Notice that the apostle does not want any Christian to hold to this gospel
framework in a sterile, academic wayor in a cold—evenrude or rigid
manner. “Rigidorthodoxy is insufficient” [Wm. Mounce, WBC 46:

59. PastoralEpistles, 489]. Itis to be retained “in the faith and love which are
in Christ Jesus.”So in the union that is yours in Christ and by the example
shown in Him, rely on this lively framework of the gospelby actively
trusting in Jesus Christ. Don’t just getthe facts down-pat, but also let them
sink into your heart; let the gospelserve as the only confidence that you
have before God. Trust Jesus Christ by relying on how He is revealedin
the gospel, nothow He is portrayed in the media.
He also calls for us to demonstrate passionfor the gospel:hold the gospel
in the “love” which is in Christ Jesus. No coldness, no rigidity—but passion
for the gospel:passionto make it known and passionto apply it personally
and corporately. If your understanding of the gospeldoes not ignite love in
your heart for others then you’ve probably misunderstood the gospel!The
gospelbelieved leads to new dimensions of love.
2. Treasure the gospel
Paul uses the same two words, guard and entrust/treasure, found in
verse 12. What God does in keeping us who have entrusted our lives to
Him, we are to do by the Holy Spirit’s help by faithfully guarding or
keeping the gospelas a treasure. “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who
dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” That good
gospelis to be valued above all earthly treasures. He’s already expressed
that in 1 Timothy 6:20, “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to
you.” You canonly guard what you pay attention to. So sharpen your
thinking on the gospel. Recognize whenmovements and philosophies seek
to weakenorundermine it. Stand firmly on the gospel. Hold it closely,
nurture it, love it, enjoy it, safeguardit, and hold it in esteemabove all.
But don’t just do this in your strength. “Guard, through the Holy
Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
Here is one of the greataffirmations for us: if you have put your trust in
Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you! I still remember the day when
that truth dawned on me. I was about 18 and was doing a little reading
when I came across a Scripture passage(Col1:27) affirming that Christ,
by the Spirit, indwells us. That was liberating back then and it’s still
liberating. There is no demand placed upon us that the Holy Spirit is
inadequate to give strength, power, wisdom, discernment, and utterance.
Rely on the Spirit. Depend on His infilling.
Conclusion

60. Know whom you have believed and know what you have believed. The first
reminds you that the Lord is keeping you for Himself by His mighty
ability. The secondhelps you to focus on believing, loving, and guarding by
the Spirit’s help the goodgospelentrusted to you.
[1] For excellenthelp in this area at the various ways we may struggle with
assurance, seeDonaldWhitney, How Can I Be Sure that I’m a Christian?
and Mike McKinley, Am I Reallya Christian?
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South Woods Baptist Church.
JAMES NISBET
Guarded and Guarding
2 Timothy 1:12-14 • Dr. Phil Newton• Series:2 Timothy
• Sunday Morning Worship •
DownloadMP3
One of our workers traveledwith his family from outside the
country where he serves back to his place of service. He had done this
numerous times with no hitches: he had packeda suitcase with gospel
materials to be used with the people he sought to reachfor Christ. Usually,
the airport workers just waved him through. No questions. No inspections.
No problems.
But this time was different. They stopped him; inspectedhis bag;
pulled him in for questioning. The clock tickedon. He remained with the

61. police as they quizzed him on what he was doing. His family went on to
their home hundreds of miles away, while he was not only detained but also
jailed—for days rather than a few hours.
Localauthorities in a different country eavesdroppedon another
workerand his family. He knew they were doing this. It was part of living
in that region but he had never had any problems; nor had others doing
gospelwork. He and his family were traveling in the country when the
police pulled him and his son in, arrestedthem, and put them in jail. Not a
nice jail, either! They were denied contactwith their family and detained
for a considerable time.
Had God abandoned them? They had committed their lives to
proclaim the gospel. They were doing so in countries that have very little
gospelexposure. They were sacrificing their normal comforts to invest
themselves in making disciples where there were none. But while doing
God’s work they were imperiled. Did that mean that the Lord no longer
watchedover them or that they had lost their standing with Him?
Two young men, one a pastor, another a faithful leaderin his
church, began to have strange symptoms of paralysis in their extremities.
Both were diagnosedwith ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Bothhad been
athletic, good family men, and faithful servants of Christ. One I had known
from a distance, the other up close—adearfriend. Karen and I visited with
him. He could no longertalk nor could he move his arms or legs. Had the
Lord abandoned those young men? Could they, in the midst of suffering,
still have any hope that they belonged to the Lord, if indeed He had
allowedthem to endure such suffering?
A sizeable portion of the broad family of Christianity equates
problems, suffering, and loss with God’s disfavor and a lack of faith. Was
that the problem with these two Christian workers abroadand the two that
lived in the U.S., who eventually died from ALS? Did theircircumstances
imply that they had lost their faith or they had not exercisedenoughfaith
or that God would no longerextend kindness to them?
“Well,” someone might say, “that’s not my theology!” I would hope
not, too, but despite that not being your theology, do youpractically live
like that’s your theology? Do you find that your confidence in the saving
powerof Christ ebbs and flows with the circumstances ofyour life? As long
as things are going your wayand you have what you deem appropriate for
your lifestyle, your assurancewith Christ is fine. But let that change a bit,
let some adversity come your way, let life get thrown out of kilter—do you

62. then still find Christ as much of a Savioras you had when life appearedto
be rosy?
What we find in our text is a similar messageto the previous study
in 2 Timothy 1:8–11, only this time, it’s in reverse. Paulhad encouraged
Timothy not to be ashamed or disillusioned by the gospelof Christ or by
the circumstances ofPaul as Christ’s prisoner. Instead, Paul turned
Timothy’s attention to the greatnessofGod’s sovereignmercyand grace
shown before the foundation of the world, and the effectivenessofthe work
of Christ to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light through
the gospel.
Now, Paul looks atthe same subjectfrom his own angle. He gets personal.
He offers testimony of how he keeps his peace and joy in Christ when
circumstances turn adverse;and how Timothy, following Paul’s example,
might do the same. Here we discoverPaul’s own prescriptive for how to
persevere evenin the most difficult circumstances. It involves
understanding that the Lord guards us and consequently, we guard the
gospelentrusted to us. By relying on the Lord guarding us and we
guarding the gospelentrusted to us, circumstances do not change the
believer’s assurance. Is that true for you? Let’s considerthis passage
together.
I. Guarded by the Lord God
It is easyfor us to assignparticular responsibilities to the Lord that
we think He ought to do. We might think, “The Lord will not let something
bad happen to me.” “The Lord will not let me lose my job.” In other
words, we canassume that the Lord exists as a personalvalet that will
make sure we experience every creature comfortthat we deem ourselves
worthy. Please don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing in Scripture that
indicates that the Lord is standing in heaven waiting for the opportunity to
make life miserable for us! Yet, there’s also nothing in Scripture that
indicates that the Lord serves as a personal valet to keepus from unsettling
circumstances. His love and care for us are certain. Yet His wisdomin how
to best demonstrate that love and care, teaching us about the richness of
His grace, oftentakes coursesthatwe may find quite adverse.
No one could doubt that the Lord loved the Apostle Paul and that
Paul was the Lord’s servant. Yet what did Paul sayof his circumstances?
Referring to the adversaries in Corinth, he counters by telling of his own
life as a Christian:

63. Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more
labors, in far more imprisonments, beatentimes without number, often in
danger. Five times I receivedfrom the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times
I was beatenwith rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a
night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys,
in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my
countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the
wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been
in labor and hardship, through many sleeplessnights, in hunger and thirst,
often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor 11:23–27).
Had the Lord abandoned Paul in those settings? Certainly not, for we find
the apostle shortly before his executionoffering one of the most joyous
testimonies that we find anywhere in Scripture: “Forthis reasonI also
suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have
believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted
to Him until that day.” There was no shame, no disillusionment, and no
sense ofdisgrace. Despite being in a dark, damp Romanprison as he
awaitedexecution, confidence in Christ bubbled from this man that had
endured so much. His circumstances hadnot altered his confidence in
Christ. That’s because he understood that circumstances do not change the
faithfulness of the Lord. He guards His own—then and now! Notice how
this is workedout in verse 12.
1. An important distinction
How does it happen that some believers struggle for long periods
with doubt about God’s safekeeping ofthem? Why do they lack assurance?
While we can work through many different issues, I want us to notice one
that is so common that it is often overlooked.[1]Look atPaul’s words: “For
I know whom I have believed.” What does he not state in this verse?
For I know how well I have believed.
For I know how thoroughly I have believed.
For I know how deeply I have believed.
For I know how consistentlyI have believed.
There is nothing here about the level or measure or extent of Paul’s faith in
Christ. In other words, his assurance was notabout him and a particular
status that he had reachedby his extensive labors in the Christian faith.
His assurance wasallabout Jesus Christ. “I knowWHOM I have believed.”
In other words, your salvationis not about how greatand extensive your

64. faith is but how great, glorious, merciful, and sufficient Jesus Christ is to
save you.
Where do our doubts arise? It is when we getout our spiritual
measuring tapes and spiritual scales, and dissecteveryaspectof how well
we have done believing in Jesus. Here’s the reality. We’ve not done very
well in believing Him, at least, if we’re honest about it. We’re not always
consistent. Sometime our faith appears shallow, thin, and fragile. We
struggle at points with both our personalities and personal circumstances.
We getour attention focusedon those things and miss the very distinction
that Paul insists upon regarding assurance.“Iknow whom I have
believed.”
While it is true that there are certainly evidences laid out for us,
especiallyin 1 John, regarding assurance—evidencesthat Paul would
totally agree with—the evidences are simply to give us encouragement
along the way as we see occasions ofour progress in sanctification. Butthe
focus of assurance must be on Jesus Christ. Yet, if there are no signs of a
desire for obedience (1 John 2:3) or a genuine love for the brethren (1 John
2:9–11)or a love for the church (1 John 2:19) or the practice of
righteousness (1 John 2:29; 3:10) or the testimony of the Spirit (1 John
4:24), then certainly, we have reasonto question our salvation. These are
normal characteristicsthatarebeing developedin those born of God. Yet
there’s something more that Paul found necessaryfor his assurance when
everything seemedto be turned againsthim. He knew whom he believed.
He knew the effectiveness ofJesus Christin His person and work to deliver
him from the wrath of God and give him new life. Paul’s focus was not on
his work but the work of Jesus Christ and not on his achievements but on
the personof Christ. That distinction must be foundational to our
assurance.
2. Confidence in the Lord’s abilities
Something took place in Paul’s thinking as he meditated upon Jesus
Christ crucified and resurrected. “And I am convincedthatHe is able to
guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” The “day” referred to
is the Day of Judgment, that ominous reality for all humanity (Rom 14:12).
The use of the passive voice in his declaration, “I am convinced,” tells us
something vitally important. It means that the Lord workedwithin Paul to
convince him of the sufficiencyof Jesus’work. As the apostle reflectedon
the death of Jesus for him, the promises of God to save all who callon the

65. name of the Lord (Rom 10:13), and the characterof the One making the
promises, that settledthe matter in his mind. In other words, we do not
have confidence that the Lord has savedus if we neglectthinking upon the
promises, character, and work that He has done.
I’ve often recommended to people going through struggles with
assurance to read the Gospelaccounts ofthe death and resurrectionof
Jesus Christ. There’s nothing more powerful to convince or persuade us
that Jesus has indeed saved us, than seeing how God sent Jesus to the cross
to bear the judgment of God againstus. There’s nothing more powerful
than hearing the words of Jesus, “Itis finished!” (John 19:30), and
knowing that the entire work of redemption—without any addition from
us—has been accomplished. Let the death and resurrectionsettle into your
thoughts. Meditate on Jesus Christ and be convinced, like Paul, that He is
able to guard you for eternity.
3. Certainty in what God treasures
“He is able” has to do with the Lord’s ability and power. Are you
convinced through meditating upon the characterand actions of God in the
past, that He is able to protect your soul for the duration? Here’s often
where doubts come in. We subtly shift our confidence from the Lord to
ourselves. We look to our ability to keepourselves as Christians insteadof
to the Lord’s ability. Instead, we need to meditate on little verses like
Philippians 1:6: “ForI am confident of this very thing, that He who began
a goodwork in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”And 1
Thessalonians 5:24:“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it
to pass.” And a host of others in both Testaments.
Notice that Paul focuses onthe Lord’s ability “to guard.” The word
expresses the sense ofprotecting or being on alert, e.g. “The Lord
preserves the souls of His godly ones” (Ps 96:10) and “The Lord keeps all
who love Him” (Ps 144:10). While the Lord has given your elders the task
of keeping watch overyour souls (Heb 13:17), there is a major hurdle that
we cannot mount. We can spur you and instruct you and correctyou. But
the Lord guards you. He that keeps Israel, the Psalmistwrites, “will
neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps 121:4). “The Lord is your keeper. . . The
Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keepyour soul” (Ps 121:5, 7).
Paul talks about putting something on deposit for the Lord’s
keeping:“I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to
Him until that day.” I love the way he expresses this. Paul entrusts his life

66. and eternity to the Lord. A Pharisee zealous for keeping God’s laws and
keeping his own soul was brought to humility at the cross and entrusted his
soul to the Lord! This word entrustmeans “to give someone something in
trust,” and so it carries the idea of a deposit. He is not like Bernie Madoff,
who took millions and millions of dollars from trusting clients and lostit.
He is not like that personthat you trusted with some matter and found out
later that you had been betrayed. He is the Lord Godwho made heaven
and earth, who savedus and calledus with a holy calling, who did so
according to His own purpose and grace in Christ, who sentHis Son to
abolish death and bring life and immortality to light through the gospel!So
trust Him as your keeper, as “the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls” (1
Pet 2:25). He can be trusted to keepyour life for eternity. Quit putting the
confidence in yourself. You’re much too weak to keepyourself! Trust Him
who has proven Himself trustworthy.
II. Guarding the gospelentrusted to us
On the heels of confidence in the Lord’s keeping powerare dual
responsibilities that will strengthenour assurance andenable us to serve
others with the gospel. Assurance is both passive and active. It is passive in
that the Lord is the one who guards our very lives entrusted to Him. It is
active in that we are called to grow in the grace and knowledge ofChrist,
and in that process, ourassurance is strengthened.
If you’re paralyzed by a lack of assurance,it is not time to be
passive. It’s a call to action, to seek the Lord, to guard the gospelentrusted
to you, to meditate upon Christ and His work, to considerthe faithfulness
of the Lord, and to saturate yourself in the promises of God in the gospel.
We often think of John Calvin as a theologiancloisteredin his ivory
towerbut that is inaccurate. Calvin was a pastor. His great theologicaland
exegeticalwork came outof his active pastorate in Geneva. We see this in
his comments on this passage, as he pointed out that Satanoften takes a
side approachtoward us rather than a frontal assaultregarding our
assurance in the Lord’s faithful, keeping power. Satan knows that shocking
us with blasphemies againstGod will turn us awayfrom his deceitful
barbs, so the devil preoccupies “oureyes and understandings, he takes
awayfrom us all sense ofthe powerof God. The heart must therefore be
well purified, in order that it may not only taste that power, but may retain
the taste of it amidst temptations of every kind” (Calvin’s Commentaries,
xxi, 200).

67. That’s what Paul exhorts toward in vv. 13-14. He’s pointing us
toward a purifying in our thoughts so that we do not lose sight of God’s
powerbut rather, “taste of it amidst temptations of every kind.” Paul gives
two exhortations.
1. Hold to the framework of the gospel
“Retainthe standard of sound words which you have heard from
me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”The idea of retaining
implies holding onto something or keeping it in your hand. In other words,
don’t get sloppy with it or let go of it or think you can do without it. Don’t
presume on the gospelfor assurance. Itis intended to spur us to
perseverance in the faith, so sloppiness with it defeats its aim.
In this case, it’s “the standard of sounds words which you have heard from
me,” conveying the idea of a framework or example or model that is
definite. It’s not some vague religious ideas but a clearly articulated
framework of the gospel. So that means there’s no such thing as a Baptist
gospel, Methodistgospel, Assemblyof Godgospel, etc. There’s just the
gospel. Our responsibility is to understand the Apostolic Gospelupon
which the church is built and our faith is established(Eph 2:20; Rom 1:16-
17), and to never veer from that gospel. That’s the standard.
The “sound words” or healthy, dependable words, refers to the fact that
the gospelis something that canbe written, stated, discussed, and
understood for assurance and growth. It’s something that will profit your
whole person. It may turn you upside down; it may refine you and chisel
awayat the barnacles of sin cakedon your life. But it’s good news for
sinners!
Paul further clarifies:it’s the gospel“whichyou have heard from me.”
He’s just reiteratedthe gospelfor Timothy: it is the goodnews that “now
has been revealedby the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who
abolisheddeath and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel” (2 Tim 1:10). It’s what Paul taught about God’s mercy and grace,
man’s sinfulness that leads to judgment, the Son of God coming to fulfill
the law’s demands, so that He might redeemthose under the law through
His death and resurrection, and might adopt enemies as sons through faith
in Him (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:10-28;Gal4:1-7).
Notice that the apostle does not want any Christian to hold to this gospel
framework in a sterile, academic wayor in a cold—evenrude or rigid
manner. “Rigidorthodoxy is insufficient” [Wm. Mounce, WBC 46:

68. PastoralEpistles, 489]. Itis to be retained “in the faith and love which are
in Christ Jesus.”So in the union that is yours in Christ and by the example
shown in Him, rely on this lively framework of the gospelby actively
trusting in Jesus Christ. Don’t just getthe facts down-pat, but also let them
sink into your heart; let the gospelserve as the only confidence that you
have before God. Trust Jesus Christ by relying on how He is revealedin
the gospel, nothow He is portrayed in the media.
He also calls for us to demonstrate passionfor the gospel:hold the gospel
in the “love” which is in Christ Jesus. No coldness, no rigidity—but passion
for the gospel:passionto make it known and passionto apply it personally
and corporately. If your understanding of the gospeldoes not ignite love in
your heart for others then you’ve probably misunderstood the gospel!The
gospelbelieved leads to new dimensions of love.
2. Treasure the gospel
Paul uses the same two words, guard and entrust/treasure, found in
verse 12. What God does in keeping us who have entrusted our lives to
Him, we are to do by the Holy Spirit’s help by faithfully guarding or
keeping the gospelas a treasure. “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who
dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” That good
gospelis to be valued above all earthly treasures. He’s already expressed
that in 1 Timothy 6:20, “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to
you.” You canonly guard what you pay attention to. So sharpen your
thinking on the gospel. Recognize whenmovements and philosophies seek
to weakenorundermine it. Stand firmly on the gospel. Hold it closely,
nurture it, love it, enjoy it, safeguardit, and hold it in esteemabove all.
But don’t just do this in your strength. “Guard, through the Holy
Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
Here is one of the greataffirmations for us: if you have put your trust in
Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you! I still remember the day when
that truth dawned on me. I was about 18 and was doing a little reading
when I came across a Scripture passage(Col1:27) affirming that Christ,
by the Spirit, indwells us. That was liberating back then and it’s still
liberating. There is no demand placed upon us that the Holy Spirit is
inadequate to give strength, power, wisdom, discernment, and utterance.
Rely on the Spirit. Depend on His infilling.
Conclusion

69. Know whom you have believed and know what you have believed. The first
reminds you that the Lord is keeping you for Himself by His mighty
ability. The secondhelps you to focus on believing, loving, and guarding by
the Spirit’s help the goodgospelentrusted to you.
[1] For excellenthelp in this area at the various ways we may struggle with
assurance, seeDonaldWhitney, How Can I Be Sure that I’m a Christian?
and Mike McKinley, Am I Reallya Christian?
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South Woods Baptist Church.
OUR DAILY BREAD
I Know Him
May 22, 1999
Read:2 Timothy 1:1-12 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 16-18;John 7:28-53
I know whom I have believed. —2 Timothy 1:12
When the greatPrinceton scholarJames Alexanderwas on his deathbed,
his wife incorrectly quoted 2 Timothy 1:12, “I know in whom I have
believed.” Gently he correctedher for adding the word in. He wanted to
make it clearthat in addition to possessing anaccurate understanding of
the personand work of Jesus Christ, he knew Him in a deeply personal
way. He saw his impending death as the door through which he would be

70. ushered immediately into the presence ofthe One he had come to love and
know so well.
As a former pastor, I have talked and prayed with scores ofpeople on the
brink of death. I have observed every emotion from sheerterror to joyous
anticipation. Even among Christians, I’ve seensome die more
triumphantly than others. Believers who show the most confidence at death
are those who have a deeply personalrelationship with Jesus. Like the
apostle Paul, they can honestly say, “I know whom I have believed.”
We develop an intimacy with the Saviorby learning about Him in the
Bible, expressing our love to Him in prayer, and obeying His Word. As we
learn to follow the Spirit’s leading, He’ll witness with our spirit so we too
will be able to say, “I know whom I have believed.”
But I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keepthat which I've committed
Unto Him againstthat day. —Whittle
Faith in Christ is the bridge across the gulf of de
OUR DAILY BREAD
I Know The Author
April 28, 1996
Read:Psalm 119:97-104|Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 3-5;Luke 20:1-26
I know whom I have believed. —2 Timothy 1:12
In his letter to Timothy, Paul did not say, “I know in whom I have
believed,” although this also was true. He did not say, “I know what I have
believed,” although this also was true. But Paul said, “I know whom I have
believed” (2 Tim. 1:12).

71. Not only did Paul know something about Christ, but he also knew Him
personally. Salvation is not merely a matter of knowing something but
believing Someone.
Do you know Him? Then do you enjoy reading what He says? If you know
the author of the Book, you will love His Book.
A young womanlaid aside a certain book she was reading because she
thought it was dull. Some time later she became engagedto be married.
One evening she said to her fiancé, “I have a book written by a man with
the same name as yours. Isn’t that a coincidence!” The man replied,
“That’s not a coincidence. Iwrote that book!”
That night she satup until 3 o’clock in the morning reading the book she
once found dull. It was now the most thrilling book she had ever read. She
had fallen in love with the author.
Is the Bible a dull book to you? Then maybe you should meet the Author.
Oh, Christ, He is the fountain,
The deep sweetwellof love!
The streams on earth I've tasted,
More deep I'll drink above! —Cousin
our daily bread
Christ Is Able!
September 26, 1999
Read:2 Timothy 1:8-12 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah1-2; Galatians 5
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep
what I have committed to Him. —2 Timothy 1:12
Only when we fully trust someone will we commit ourselves to that person.
Such complete trust is depicted in the following story.

72. A crowd gazedin awe as a tightrope walkerinched his way across Niagara
Falls. The people cheeredwhen he accomplishedthe feat.
Then he turned to a man and said, “Do you think I could carry someone
across?”“Sure,” the man replied.
“Let’s go then!” “No thanks!” the man exclaimed. So the tightroper asked
another man, “Whatabout you? Will you trust me?” “Yes, I will,” he said.
That man climbed onto his shoulders, and with the waterroaring below
they reachedthe other side.
Hidden in this story is a spiritual challenge eachof us must face. Our
sinfulness is a yawning chasmbetweenus and God, and we are unable to
cross it. Only Jesus is able to bring us safelyto the other side. But we must
repent and trust Him with our lives. The apostle Paul confidently wrote, “I
know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keepwhat
I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12).
Are you trying on your own to cross the chasm of sin that separates you
from God? It’s impossible. Put your trust in Christ, for He alone is able to
bring you to God.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus'blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetestframe,
But wholly lean on Jesus'name. —Mote
PETER PETT
Christ Is Able!
September 26, 1999
Read:2 Timothy 1:8-12 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah1-2; Galatians 5
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep
what I have committed to Him. —2 Timothy 1:12

73. Only when we fully trust someone will we commit ourselves to that person.
Such complete trust is depicted in the following story.
A crowd gazedin awe as a tightrope walkerinched his way across Niagara
Falls. The people cheeredwhen he accomplishedthe feat.
Then he turned to a man and said, “Do you think I could carry someone
across?”“Sure,” the man replied.
“Let’s go then!” “No thanks!” the man exclaimed. So the tightroper asked
another man, “Whatabout you? Will you trust me?” “Yes, I will,” he said.
That man climbed onto his shoulders, and with the waterroaring below
they reachedthe other side.
Hidden in this story is a spiritual challenge eachof us must face. Our
sinfulness is a yawning chasmbetweenus and God, and we are unable to
cross it. Only Jesus is able to bring us safelyto the other side. But we must
repent and trust Him with our lives. The apostle Paul confidently wrote, “I
know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keepwhat
I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12).
Are you trying on your own to cross the chasm of sin that separates you
from God? It’s impossible. Put your trust in Christ, for He alone is able to
bring you to God.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus'blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetestframe,
But wholly lean on Jesus'name. —Mote
Verse 12
‘For which cause I suffer also these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I
know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to
guard that which I have committed to him (‘my deposit’) againstthat day.’
And it was for this reasonthat he was going through what he was at
present suffering. But he was not ashamedor in doubt or troubled at heart,
for he knew in Whom he had believed and had absolute confidence in Him.
He was absolutely sure, without a vestige of doubt, that He was able to
keepunder careful guard ‘the deposit’ that Paul had committed to him
‘againstthat Day’. Rome might be guarding Paul’s body, but Christ Jesus
was guarding his soul. And his life and his future were safelyin His hands
in readiness for the greatDay when all is put right.

74. ‘The deposit.’ Some see this deposit as referring to the Gospel(1 Timothy
6:20), but in the light of his expectancyof death it is more likely that it
means himself. It is unlikely that he sees himself as committing his message
to God for Him to guard. It would rather be the other way round. Rather
he has entrusted himself to Christ, so that Christ Himself might confirm
him and bring him safelythrough to that greatDay when all who are His
enter into eternal life in its fullest extent. He knows that he will not be
disappointed. Although, of course, having said that, the commitment of his
life would included the commitment of his life work to Christ as well.
DON ROBINSON
In God We Trust
II Timothy 1:12
"In God We Trust" can be found on our money, in our history, and on our
lips. However, saying it or writing it doesn't make it so! Trust or faith is an
act of our will. We decide whether or not to put our trust in something or
someone. TonightI want us to considerwhy we should put our trust in
God. The apostle Paul makes it very clearwhere his trust is placed. Read:
2 Timothy 1:8-12. Let's look again at verse #12. In this verse we find the
objectof our trust, the result of our trust, and the final culmination of our
trust.
I. The Object of Our Trust. "I am not ashamed:for I know whom I have
believed."
A. These are words of commitment to Jesus Christ. "...I know WHOM ..."
1. When Paul wrote to the church at Philippi his prayer was that he might
"...know Him..." Ph.3:10 2
. God was answering Paul's prayer, because now Paul declares "Iknow
Whom I have believed!"
3. He had become acquainted with the "powerof his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings" and soonwould be "made conform-able unto
his death."
4. Notice also that Paul did not say "I know "what" I have believed."

75. 5. Our faith is not in just some doctrine or creed...itis in a Person:Jesus
Christ, the Precious Sonof God!
B. A commitment to the messageofChrist.
1. In Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamedof the gospelof Christ: for it is the
powerof God unto salvation..."
2. Here Paul expresseshis personalfaith in God's Word.
3. God's Word is authoritative: we cantrust it, and we do not have to be
ashamedof it's message!
II. The Resultof Our Trust. "I am not ashamed:for I ... am persuaded that
he is able to keepthat which I have committed unto him..."
A. Words of certainty.
1. Paul declares that he was "persuaded".
2. That means that he was convinced of this fact.
3. To persuade means to induce by one's words. Paul was certain because
he had God's Word on it!
B. There had been a deposit made.
1. "...thatwhich I have committed unto Him..."
2. What was that deposit?
3. His entire life: soul, ministry, time, and future hope...EVERYTHING!
C. When was this depositmade?
1. Daily...note:Galatians 2:20
2. Ro. 6:11, "Likewise reckonye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
3. We must die to self, and totally commit ourselves to Christ, there is no
saferplace to be!
III. The Final Culmination of Our Trust. "...againstthatday."
A. There is a day coming that will mean the end of this life and the
beginning of eternity with Christ.
1. Note:2 Timothy 1:18
2. Note:2 Timothy 4:8
B. Paul is talking about the day when the Lord comes to reward His own
and give to every believer a crownof righteousness.
1. That will occur at the Judgment Seatof Christ.

76. a. Ro. 14:10, "...we shallall stand before the judgment seatof Christ."
b. 2 Co. 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seatof
Christ..."
2. This will take place sometime after the rapture and before He comes to
establishHis kingdom.
3. Re. 22:12, "And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to
give to every man according as his work shall be."
C. Paul trusted God's ability to keephim until that day.
1. A similar statementof faith was made by Jude in v24-25.
2. Both men knew that none could snatch them out of God's hand (cf Jn.
10:28-29)and that Jesus would keepthem and raise them up on the last
day (cf. Jn. 6:39).
Conclusion:What great assuranceto know that God keeps us saved!"In
God We Trust" because He is trustworthy! He will never forsake us!
Aren't you glad that you don't have to trust your own ability (which is
actually our inability) to keepourselves saved!Readv9 and v12 again.
CHARLES SIMEON
CONFIDENCE IN GOD A SOURCE OF CONSOLATION
2 Timothy 1:12. I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is
able to keepthat which I have committed unto him againstthat day.
MAN is born to trouble: and it is of the greatestimportance to him that he
should know where to turn his eyes in the day of adversity. The Gospel
directs us to a reconciledGod in Christ Jesus, who has engagedto be our
support and comfort under every distress. The Christian has many trials
peculiar to himself: but the Gospelis fully adequate to his necessities. Its
powerto support him may be seenin the passage before us. St. Paul is
exhorting Timothy to steadfastness inthe cause of Christ [Note:ver. 8.]:
and, for his encouragement, he tells him what was the ground of his own
consolations under the heavy afflictions which he was now enduring for the
sake ofChrist. He tells him, that, notwithstanding he was immured in a
dungeon, and in daily expectationof a violent and cruel death, he was

77. neither “ashamed” norafraid: for that he had a firm persuasionof God’s
ability to keephim; and that persuasionafforded him ample support.
To illustrate the text, we may observe,
I. The Christian commits his soul to God—
The Apostle doubtless committed unto God the concerns of the Church:
but it is rather of his soul that he is speaking in the words before us,
because it was that which alone could be in danger at the day of judgment.
In like manner,
Every Christian commits his soul to God—
[We know what it is to commit a large sum of money to the care of a
banker: and from thence we may attain a just notion of the Christian’s
conduct. He has a soul which is of more value than the whole world: and he
feels greatanxiety that it should be preservedsafely “againstthatday,”
when God shall judge the world. But to whom shall he entrust it? He
knows of none but God that can keepit; and therefore he goes to God, and
solemnly commits it into his hands, entreating him to order all its concerns,
and, in whateverway he shall see best, to fit it for glory.]
To this he is prompted by manifold considerations—
[He reflects on the fall of man in Paradise, and says, ‘Did Adam, when
perfect, and possessedof all that he could wish, become a prey to the
tempter, when the happiness of all his posterity, as well as his own,
depended on his steadfastness;and cansuch a corrupt creature as I,
surrounded as I am by innumerable temptations, hope to maintain my
ground againstmy greatadversary? O my God, let me not be for one
moment left to myself; but take thou the charge of me; and let “my life be
hid with Christ in God:” then, and then only, canI hope, that at the last
coming of my Lord I shall appearwith him in glory [Note:Colossians 3:3-
4.].’
He bears in mind also his own weaknessand ignorance. He is conscious
that “he has not in himself a sufficiency even to think a goodthought;” and
that “it is not in him to direct his way aright.” Hence he desires to avail
himself of the wisdomand power of God; and cries, “Leadme in the right
way, because ofmine enemies:” “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.”
But more especiallyhe considers the gracious commands of God. God has
not only permitted, but enjoined, this surrender of our souls to him [Note:
1 Peter4:19 and Isaiah26:20.]. O what a privilege does the Christian
accountit to obey this divine injunction! How thankful is he that God will

78. condescendto acceptthis deposit, and to take care of this charge!Hence he
avails himself of this privilege, and says, “Hide me under the shadow of thy
wings!” “O save me for thy mercy’s sake!”]
Whilst he acts in this manner,
II. He is persuaded of God’s ability to keephim—
He does not merely presume upon God’s sufficiency: he is well persuaded
of it,
1. From the report of others—
[He is informed by the inspired writers, that God createdthe world out of
nothing; and that he upholds and orders every thing in it; insomuch that
not a sparrow falls to the ground without his express permission. Hence
then he argues;‘Did God create my soul, and can he not uphold it? Did he
form my enemies also, and can he not restrain them [Note:See this
argument suggestedby God himself, Isaiah54:15-17. q. d. “Your enemies
are forming weapons;but I formed them; and whatever skill they exercise,
I will defeattheir attempts.”]? Has he numbered even the hairs of my head,
and will he overlook the concerns ofmy soul?’
He is told that God is ever seeking opportunities, not only to exert, but also
to magnify, his power in his peoples cause [Note:2 Chronicles 16:9. This is
meant by “shewing himself strong.”]. Shall all that vigilance, then, be
exercisedin vain? or shall any be able to prevail againsthim?
He is assuredalso that God never yet lost one whom he had undertaken to
keep:he never suffered “one of his little ones to perish [Note: Matthew
18:14.]. “None was everplucked out of his hand [Note: John 10:28-29.]:”
not the “smallestgrain of wheat, howeveragitatedin the sieve, was ever
permitted to fall upon the earth [Note: Amos 9:9.].” “The gates ofhell have
never been able to prevail againsthis Church.” Then, says the Christian, “I
will trust, and not be afraid.” My Saviour, in the days of his flesh, “lost
none that had been given him [Note:John 18:9.]:” “Whom he loved, he
loved to the end [Note:John 13:1.];” and therefore I am persuaded he will
perfect that which concernethme [Note: Psalms 138:8.], and “complete in
me the goodwork he has begun [Note:Philippians 1:6.].”]
2. From his own experience—
[The Christian well remembers what he was by nature; and knows by daily
experience what he should yet be, if Omnipotence were not exertedin his
support. And hence he argues thus; ‘Has God createdme anew, and by an
invisible, but almighty, influence turned the tide of my affections, so that

79. they now flow upward to the fountain from whence they sprang; and can
he not keepme from going back? Has he kept me for many years, like the
burning bush, encompassed, as it were, with the flame of my corruptions,
yet not consumed by it; and “canany thing be too hard for him?” ’ — —
—
These arguments are indeed of no weightfor the convictionof others; but
to the Christian himself they are a source of the strongestconviction, and
of the richestconsolation:yea, from these, more than from any others, lie is
enabled to say, “I know whom I have believed.”]
Moreover,
III. This persuasionis a strong support to him under all his trials—
Many are the difficulties of the Christian’s warfare:but a persuasionof
God’s ability to keephim,
1. Encourageshim to duty—
[The path of duty is sometimes exceeding difficult: and too many have
fainted in it, or been diverted from it. But we may see in the Hebrew
Youths what a persuasionof God’s power will effect. They braved the
furnace itself, from the considerationthat God could deliver them from it,
or support them in the midst of it [Note:Daniel 3:17-18.]. And thus will
every Christian “encouragehimselfin God,” and “be strong in the Lord
and in the powerof his might.”]
2. Strengthens him for conflict—
[Under temptations of Satan, or the hidings of God’s face, the most exalted
Christian would sink, if he were not supported by this hope: “I had
fainted,” says David, “unless I had believed verily to see the goodnessofthe
Lord in the land of the living.” But the thought that the grace ofChrist is
sufficient for him, will turn all his sorrows into joy [Note: 2 Corinthians
12:9 and Romans 7:24.]: he will chide his dejectedspirit [Note:Psalms
42:11.], and return againto the charge, knowing that at last“he shall be
more than conqueror through Him that loved him [Note:Romans 8:37.].”]
3. Enables him to endure sufferings—
[Many and greatwere the sufferings of St. Paul; yet says he, “None of these
things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.” Thus every
Christian must “go through much tribulation in the way to the kingdom:”
but he learns, not only to bear, but to “glory in tribulation,” because it
gives him a more enlargedexperience of God’s powerand grace, and

80. thereby confirms his hope, which shall never make him ashamed[Note:
Romans 5:3-5.].]
4. Assures him of final victory—
[Those who have not just views of God are left in painful suspense:but
they who know whom they have believed, are as much assuredof victory,
as if all their enemies were lying dead at their feet [Note:Compare Isaiah
50:7-9. with Romans 8:33-39.].]
We shall further improve the subject,
1. Forconviction—
[All persons are ready to think that they are possessedoftrue and saving
faith. But faith is not a mere assentto the truths of the Gospel, oreven an
approbation of them. It includes three things; a committing of the soul to
Christ; a persuasionof his ability to save us; and a determination to go
forward in dependence upon him, doing and suffering whatever we are
calledto in the path of duty.
Have we this faith? — — —]
2. Forconsolation— [Note:If this were the subject of a Funeral Sermon,
the excellenciesofthe deceasedmight here be enumerated, and the
survivors be comfortedby the considerationthat their Keeperlives for
ever.] [If there be any amongst us weak and dejected, let them turn their
eyes to God as their Almighty Friend. Let them know that “He is able to
make them stand [Note:Romans 14:4.]:” he is “able to make all grace
abound towards them, that they, having always all-sufficiencyin all things,
may abound unto every goodwork [Note: 2 Corinthians 9:8.].” It is God
himself who suggeststo the fainting soul these very considerations;and he
requires nothing, but that we waiton him in order that we may experience
their truth and efficacy[Note: Isaiah 40:27-31.]— — —
“Now unto Him that is able to keepus from falling, and to present us
faultless before the presence ofhis glory with exceeding joy, to Him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen [Note: Jude, ver. 24, 25.].”]
2 Timothy 1:12 — Our Gospel
Study Notes

81. C H Spurgeon
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not
ashamed:for I know whom I have believed, and am persuadedthat he is
able to keepthat which I have committed unto him againstthat day. — 2
Timothy 1:12
PAUL, much buffeted and persecuted, is sustainedby faith and by a sense
of personalsecurity in Christ Jesus.
The meaning, which may be in the text: The gospeldepositedwith Paul the
Lord Jesus was able to keepuntil the judgment. This is well worthy of
being explained. The gospelis safe in the care of Jesus.
Paul felt greatcomfort as the result of committing his soul to Jesus.
Let us consider:
I. WHAT HE HAD DONE.
Feeling the value of his soul, knowing its danger, consciousofhis own
weakness,believing in the grace and power of the Lord Jesus, he had
placed his soul in his hands.
1. His soul's case was there for Jesus to heal him as a Physician.
2. His soul's calls were there to be supplied by Jesus as a Shepherd.
3. His soul's course was there to be directed by Jesus as a Pilot.
4. His soul's cause was there to be pleaded by Jesus as an Advocate.
5. His soul's care was there to be guarded by Jesus as a Protector.
He had committed his soul to Jesus by an actof faith, which act he
perseveredin continually.
II. WHAT HE KNEW. "I know whom I have believed."
He speaks not of believing in him, but of believing him: a personalfaith in
a personalSavior. This trusted one he knew.
1. He knew the Lord Jesus by his personalmeeting with him on the road to
Damascus andat other times.
2. By what he had read and heard concerning him and made his own by
meditation thereon.
3. By communion with him. This wayis open to all the saints.
4. By experience, through which he had tried and proved his love and
faithfulness. He had receiveda practicaleducation, by which he was made

82. to know his Lord by entering into the fellowship of his sufferings and
death.
Have we this personalacquaintance with the Lord? If so, we shall gladly
commit our all to him.
III. WHAT HE WAS SURE OF. "Thathe is able to keep."
His assurance wasreasonable anddeliberate; hence he says, "I am
persuaded."
Our apostle was persuadedof:
1. The ability of Jesus to keepall souls committed to him.
He is divine and therefore omnipotent to save.
His work is finished, so that he meets all the demands of the law.
His wisdom is perfect, so that he will ward off all dangers.
His plea is constantand everprevails to preserve his own.
2. The ability of Jesus to keepPaul's own soul.
3. The ability of Jesus to keephis soul under the heavy trials which were
then pressing upon him. "I suffer… I am not ashamed, for I am persuaded
that he is able to keep."
4. The ability of Jesus to keephis soul even to the close ofall things:
"againstthat day."
Of this Paul was persuaded. Be this our persuasion.
Many would persuade us to the contrary; but we know, and are not
therefore to be persuaded into a doubt upon the matter.
IV. WHAT, THEREFORE, HE WAS.
1. Very cheerful. He had all the tone and air of a thoroughly happy man.
2. Very confident. Though a prisoner, he says, "I am not ashamed."
Neither of his condition, nor of the cause of Christ, nor of the cross, was he
ashamed.
3. Very thankful. He gladly praisedthe Lord in whom he trusted. The text
is a confessionoffaith or a form of adoration.
Let us seek more knowledge ofour Lord as the Keeperof our souls.
Let us be of that brave persuasionwhich trusts and is not afraid.
Instances and Illustrations

83. When Dr. James W. Alexander was dying, his wife soughtto comfort him
with precious words, as she quoted them to him: "I know in whom I have
believed?" Dr. Alexander at once correctedher by saying, "Notin whom I
have believed," but, "I know whom I have believed." He would not even
suffer a little preposition to be betweenhis soul and his Savior.
"I have lost that wearybondage of doubt, and almost despair, which
chained me for so many years. I have the same sins and temptations as
before, and I do not strive againstthem more than before, and it is often
just as hard work. But whereas I could not before see why I should be
saved, I cannot now see why I should not be saved if Christ died for
sinners. On that word, I take my stand and rest there." — E R. Havergal
Justyn Martyr was askedironically by the Roman prefectif he believed
that after his decapitation he would ascendto heaven. He replied: "I am so
sure of the grace whichJesus Christ hath obtained for me that not a
shadow of doubt can enter my mind."
Donald Cargill, on the scaffold, July 27th, 1681, as he handed his well-used
Bible to one of his friends that stood near, gave this testimony: "I bless the
Lord that these thirty years and more I have been at peace with God and
was never shakenloose ofit. And now I am as sure of my interest in Christ
and peace with God as all within this Bible and the Spirit of God can make
me. And I am no more terrified at death or afraid of hell because of sin
than if I had never had sin. For all my sins are freely pardoned and washed
thoroughly awaythrough the precious blood and intercessionofJesus
Christ."
Faith, Hope, and Love were questionedwhat they thought
Of future glory, which religion taught:
Now Faith believed it firmly to be true,
And Hope expectedso to find it, too:
Love answered, smiling, with a consciousglow,
"Believe? Expect? Iknow it to be so!"— John Byrom
A child that hath any precious thing given him cannot better secure it than
by putting it into his father's hands to keep. So neither can we better
provide for our souls'safety than by committing them to God. — John
Trapp

84. CONFIDENCE AND CONCERN NO. 1913
A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD’S DAY MORNING, AUGUST 8,
1886, BYC. H. SPURGEON,AT THE METROPOLITAN
TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
“Forthe which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not
ashamed:for I know whom I have believed, and am persuadedthat he is
able to keepthat which I have committed unto him againstthat day. Hold
fast the form of sound words, which thou hastheard of me, in faith and
love which is in Christ Jesus. Thatgoodthing which was committed unto
thee keepby the Holy Ghostwhich dwelleth in us.” 2 Timothy 1:12-14.
OUR apostle was in prison. If he was confined in the Mamertine, those of
us who have shivered in that dark underground dungeon may well pity
him, and if he was confined in the prison of the PraetorianGuards, he
fared no better, for the near company of such rough and cruel soldiers
would involve much suffering. The apostle was not only a prisoner, chained
by his right hand to a soldier both day and night, but he was, to his intense
sorrow, forsakenby his friends. The encouragements ofChristian
communion are exceedinglygreat, and the loss of them is very bitter. Those
who ought to have gloried in the apostle for his fervor, his self-sacrifice, his
courage, andhis zeal, had turned againsthim, he writes to Timothy, “This
thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned awayfrom me; of
whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.” It would seemthat these two
notable persons were ashamedof Paul’s chain, and to their endless
disgrace turned againsthim. Desertedin his utmost need, deprived of his
liberty, and treated as a breakerof the laws, we could not have marveled if
the apostle had been somewhatdispirited. Active spirits are apt to fret in
confinement, and tender hearts bleed under desertion. Beside that, the man
of God was in daily danger of execution by the tyrant’s sword. He was not
likely to be sparedby the monster who occupied the Roman throne, and
already he had the sentence ofdeath in himself. Any morning he might be
awakenedby a rough summons to come forth and die. See him then—
such a one as Paul the aged!Wearing his chain, he sits in his cell, expecting

85. soonto die a cruel death, but instead of being personallydiscouraged, he
has encouragementto spare for others. He is thinking of young Timothy,
and not of himself. As for himself, he says, “Nevertheless, I am not
ashamed,” and then he charges his young brother not to be disheartened
nor shakenin faith, but bravely to carry on the greatwork committed to
his charge. It is grand to see how calmly this man bore himself! In his case
it was indeed true that “stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a
cage.”Paulranged the world with his free missionary spirit, and he
reigned more royally in his prison than Caesarin his palace. No one envies
Nero, but many have felt that Paul’s sufferings might readily be embraced
for the sake ofhis exaltedlife. What was the cause ofthe coolcourage of
the apostle? Onwhat foundation was his peace builded? How was his
confidence sustained? He tells us in our text how his fears were removed,
and he also informs us as to a matter which pressedupon his mind. Our
discourse this morning will be an attempt to show at once Paul’s
confidence and his concern. I pray God to bring our minds into a parallel
line with that of the apostle, so that we may enjoy the most serene peace, as
Paul did, and may at the same moment feel a noble concernfor higher
interests than those which begin and end with ourselves. The honored
apostle had committed all his own matters into the hand of God, and so
was at perfect peace aboutthem, but he experienceddeep anxiety for
another treasure, which was committed to himself, which he handed over
to Timothy with an earnestentreaty that he would guard it by the Holy
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Ghost. The blending of deep peace and holy zeal will give us a condition of
heart of a most desirable kind. Our subjectopens up to us under four
divisions. First, we shall notice what Paul had done, then, secondly, what
Paul knew, thirdly, what Paul was persuaded of, and lastly, what he was
concernedabout. I. First, observe carefully WHAT PAUL HAD DONE. I
will speak but briefly here. He had trusted a person—“Iknow whom I
have believed.” He had trusted that person with full, clearknowledge of
Him, so trusted that he did not alter his trust as years rolled by, but as he
grew in the knowledge ofthat personhe was also confirmed in his
confidence in Him, “I know whom I have believed.” He does not say, “I
know what I have believed,” though that would have been true, he does not
say, “I know when I believed,” though that would have been correct, nor
does he say, “I know how much I have believed,” although he had well
weighedhis faith. He does not even say, “I know in whom I have believed,”

86. but he goes closerstill. He says expressly, “I know whom I have believed,”
as much as to say, “I know the person into whose hand I have committed
my presentcondition, and my eternaldestiny. I know who He is, and I
therefore, without any hesitation, leave myself in His hands.” Brethren, it
is the beginning of spiritual life to believe Jesus Christ. Is not this the one
word that we preach to you continually? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved.” “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life.” “He that believeth on him is not condemned.” Many are the
Scriptural assurances to the same effect. Paul had not ventured upon a
fancy, but he had trusted in a well-knownfriend. He had not done this in
ignorance, nor in fanaticism, nor in desperation, but with cool, clear,
deliberate judgement, knowing whom he had trusted. Ignorance is a
wretchedfoundation, but sure knowledge is like a rock. Paul had gone
further, and had practically carriedout his confidence, forhe had
depositedeverything with this person. He had unreservedly committed his
body, soul, spirit, character, life, and immortality to the guardian care of
that personwhom he knew and loved so well. I may believe in a person,
and yet I may never have committed anything to his charge, he might not
wish that I would do so, nor be willing to acceptany trust at my hands, but
we must go that length with the Lord Jesus. While we are bound to
believe in the Lord Jesus as faithful and true and able to save, this belief is
not enoughin itself to work salvation, we must in consequenceofthis belief
actually and definitely convey out of our own keeping all our eternal
interests, and put them into His keeping. We must make the Lord Jesus
Christ the depository of all our anxieties and hopes. He must be to us the
banker who has the custody of all our valuables, and bonds, and title-
deeds, yea we must leave with Him ourselves also. All that we are, all that
we have, all that we expectto have, we must confide with Jesus. A poor
idiot, who had been instructed by an earnestChristian man, somewhat
alarmed him by a strange remark, for he feared that all his teaching had
been in vain. He said to this poor creature, “You know that you have a
soul, John?” “No,”saidhe, “I have no soul.” “No soul!” thought the
teacher, “this is dreadful ignorance.” All his fears were rolled awaywhen
his half-witted pupil added, “I had a soul once, and I lost it, and Jesus
found it, and so I have let Him keepit.” How could he better have
expressedhis faith? Is not that exactly what the apostle meant, he passed
his soulout of his own keeping into the care of Jesus, his Lord? As a man
leaves his estate with a trustee, or as the patient entrusts his life to his
physician, even so had the apostle Paulcommitted himself into the hands of
that glorious Person, whom having not seenhe loved. I pause here to ask

87. whether we have all done the same. This is a vital question. If you, my
friend, are keeping your own soul, you have a poor keeper. You will lose
your soul as surely as you attempt to be your own savior. Have you once
for all transferred salvationwork from yourself to Jesus?Are you looking
out of yourself, and looking to Jesus only? Are you leaning upon the
Beloved? Are you living in Him? If so, your safetyis secure. In the hand of
Jesus a soul must be safe. In the keeping of Jesus
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nothing shall hurt you either night or day. In Him you dwell in a fortress
and high tower, and no enemy shall molest you. Through time and eternity
you are secure. Deathshall leave you sleeping on His bosom, resurrection
shall awakenyou in His likeness,and endless ages shalldisplay your
security in Him forever and ever. What Paul did is summed up in these
words, “I know whom I have believed,” “I have committed everything to
Him.” II. The next thing is, WHAT DID PAUL KNOW? He tells us
plainly, “I know whom I have believed.” We are to understand by this that
Paul lookedsteadilyat the object of his confidence, and knew that he relied
upon God in Christ Jesus. He did not rest in a vague hope that he would be
saved, nor in an indefinite reliance upon the Christian religion, nor in a
sanguine expectationthat all things would, somehow, turn out right at the
end. He did not hold the theory of our modern divines, that our Lord Jesus
Christ did something or other, which, in one way or another, is more or
less remotely connectedwith the forgiveness ofsin, but he knew the Lord
Jesus Christ as a person, and he deliberately placed himself in His keeping,
knowing Him to be the Savior. His countrymen did not know Jesus, or
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, but Paul knew Him. Those
around the apostle were strangers to the Lord Jesus, and could not
sympathize with Paul, yet he knew Him. Some of them curiously asked,
“Who is this Christos of whom you sing?” Others asked, “Who is this
crucified One, of whom you make so much?” Paul answers by avowing his
own faith—“I know whom I have believed.” He had no phantom Savior, no
mythical Savior, no unknown Savior, no Saviorsharing salvation with two
or three others. Paul knew no company of saints and virgins, nor even a
church to which he trusted his soul, but he says, “I know whom I have
believed.” Jesus was a distinct personto the apostle, so real as to be known
to him as a man knows a friend. Paul knew nobody else as well as he knew
his Lord. By faith he knew Jesus as He was born at Bethlehem, partakerof
our humanity, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh—a brother born for

88. adversity. He knew Him as He died on Calvary, bearing our sins in His
own body on the tree. He knew Him as dead, and buried in the tomb of
Joseph, and as risen from the dead for our justification. He knew Him as
gone up into the glory, and sitting at the right hand of God, clothed with
honor and majesty. Becauseofall this, the apostle trusted his Lord. On
what better ground could he have gone? What could be more reasonable
than that he should entrust his all with One so fitted to preserve him till he
day of His appearing? Dearfriends, do you really know Christ Jesus as a
real person? Do you trust in Him as now living? I beseechyou do not trust
the weightof your salvation upon a doctrine. A statement, an abstraction
cannot save you, you need the active interference of a person. Do not trust
in a form of faith, or in a code of rules. What are they? Trust in the living
person of Him who, though He was dead, rose again, and everlives to make
intercessionfor us at the right hand of God, even the Father. I trust that
you have no hesitation as to faith in Him, but that you can sing with me—
“Jesus, my God, I know His name, His name is all my trust, Nor will He
put my soul to shame, Nor let my hope be lost.”
Paul also knew the characterof Jesus whom he trusted. His perfect
characterabundantly justified the apostle’s implicit trust. Paul could have
said, “I know that I trust in one who is no mere man, but very Godof very
God. I have not put my soul into the keeping of a priest, like unto the sons
of Aaron, who must die, but I have rested myself in one whose priesthoodis
according to the law of an endless life—a priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek. He upon whom I confide is He without whom was not
anything made that was made, who sustains all things by the word of His
power, and who at His
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coming shall shake both the heavens and the earth, for all fullness of divine
energy dwells in Him.” Paul knew that his Christ was God as well as man,
and so he felt safe in relying upon Him. He knew also that this blessed
person was pre-eminently satisfactoryto the heart of the eternal God.
What manner of perfection must concentrate itselfin Him in whom the
Father Himself delights? Think of Him as the greatsacrifice for sin, which
has made a complete, absolute, and everlasting atonement, to which,
nothing can be added, from which nothing shall ever be takenaway. Think

89. of Him in whom the justice of God is vindicated, and the love of God is
displayed. When my own eye darts a glance to Calvary, and I picture the
Lord of glory dying there for my sake, I cannotallow a doubt to live, I feel
compelled to trust. I cannot but restin perfectpeace when I see that great
sacrifice, whichhas foreverput awayall the sins of believers. Beloved,
Paul knew whom he had believed as being divine in His personand
complete in His sacrifice, but more than that, Paul knew that the Lord
Jesus Christ, to whom he trusted his soul, was now adorned with all the
glory of heaven, and clothedwith all the omnipotence of the mighty God.
He knew that, if he was bound, Jesus was notbound, and that, if he must
die, yet Jesus couldnot die. He knew that the Lord shall reign forever and
ever, and his expectantear caughtthe hallelujahs of eternity when the
Crucified shall be acknowledgedLord of all. “All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth,” said Jesus, “Go ye therefore, and teachall nations,
baptizing them.” Paul felt that such powerwas worthy of boundless
confidence, and therefore he said—“Iknow whom I have believed.” Jesus
was to Paul’s faith no longerthe despisedand rejectedNazarene, no longer
the condemned and crucified Man of sorrows, but He was the
acknowledgedKing of kings, and Lord of lords. He knew Him in His risen
glory. Happy, happy, happy heart which has such knowledge ofJesus, and
such confidence in Him! Now, brethren, I think I have shown you why
Paul should have much faith in Jesus. How could he do otherwise than
trust in one of whom he knew such wonderful things? But how did Paul
come to know Christ? I suppose he knew Him in greatpart by the Word of
God. Every page of Scripture, as the apostle perused it, revealedJesus to
him. These Scriptures are the swathing-bands of the holy child Jesus,
unroll them, and there He is. This Book is a royal pavilion, within which
the Prince of peace is to be met with by believers who look for Him. In this
celestialmirror Jesus is reflected. This is a sure testimony, more to be
trusted than the sight of the eyes, or the hearing of the ears. Do you know
Christ by seeing Him in His word? Paul also knew Jesus in another way
than this. He had personalacquaintance with Him, he knew Him as “the
Lord Jesus, who appearedunto him in the way.” When he was going to
Damascus to persecute the saints of God, this same Jesus spoke outof the
excellentglory, and said to him, “Saul, Saul, why persecutes thoume?”
Brethren, have we any personalacquaintance with Christ? If not, our
witness will not run parallel with Paul’s utterance in our text, “I know
whom I have believed.” Did Jesus evercall you to Himself, and have you
answeredHis call? Has He so spokenas to change the whole current of
your life? Does He still speak to you? Do you remember a sacredplace, a

90. consecratedspotwhere Jesus has met you? Have you a chamber where He
keeps tryst with you, and manifests Himself to you as He does not to the
world? If so, you canwell trust Him whose love is shed abroad in your
heart by the Holy Ghost, you can well trust Him, for He is no stranger, but
your near kinsman, who is mindful of you, and visits you. Cannot you join
with our poet, and softly sing—
“Yea, though I have not seen, and still Must rest in faith alone, I love Thee,
dearestLord, and will, Unseen, but not unknown.”
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There are other gates ofthe soul beside eyes and ears, othertouches than
those of the hand, and other feelings than those of the flesh. Our inner
spirit when it would commune with the spiritual world disdains to use the
gross and inefficient instruments of this poor body, she cannot with these
have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. By its own
inner hand our spirit has touched Him, with her own inner mouth she has
kissedthe Well-beloved, with other than a material eye she has beheld her
unseen spouse. Our eyes do not see, we see through our eyes eventhese
temporal things, but we see eternalthings without the need of eyes. Our
spirit needs no intervening medium, but she sees in her pure spirit the pure
spirit of Jesus face to face. More than the senses couldconveyto the soul
she perceives without them. This is a divine and blessedknowledge,and the
apostle could, with all his heart, declare that it was his own. Though he had
once known Christ after the flesh, he declaredthat after the flesh he knew
Him no more, but he knew Him so welland so truly after the spirit that he
said, without reserve, “I know whom I have believed.” He knew the Lord
also by practicalexperience and trial of Him. Paul had tested Jesus amidst
furious mobs, when stones fell about him, and in prison, when the death-
damp chilled him to the bone. He had knownChrist far out at sea, when
Euroclydon drove him up and down in the Adriatic, and he had known
Christ when the rough blasts of unbrotherly suspicion had beatenupon
him on the land. All that he knew increasedhis confidence. He knew the
Lord Jesus because He had delivered him out of the mouth of the lion. “I
know,” saidhe said, he was past the age ofspeculationand theory. Look at
his hoary locks and his scarredface, he is no fair-weather sailor, he has
sailedwith his Lord upon the greatdeeps, and has suffered many things

91. for His sake, and now after all his experience he does not say that he hopes,
supposes, orthinks, but he writes, “I know.” Glorious dogmatist, we are
not ashamedto follow in your track!Where is there any comfort or
stimulus, exceptin truth assuredlybelieved? To doubt is to be downcast
and feeble, only in solemn assuranceis there courage and strength. Come
on, you who cavil and criticize. Paul meets you with “I know.” You
demand that he shall maintain his thesis with logic? He answers, “Iknow.”
What he knew of his Lord was as sure to him as his own consciousness. He
had no reserve in his mind for future alterations of creed, for he had
reachedcertainty. “I know whom I have believed.” He could not doubt
Him, nor distrust Him, nor stir an inch from the absolutely unlimited
confidence which he reposedin Him. Beloved, I trust we know as much of
Jesus as leads us to a living faith in our living Lord. Some people do not
know much else, but they are well educatedif they know this. Others are
skillful in classics, andmathematics, and applied sciences, but if they do
not know Jesus, in whom the saints believe, they are in the worstof
ignorance. I pray God to send such untaught persons to His infant school,
for it is written, “Exceptye be converted, and become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Maywe be taught of God to
know Jesus by that practicalacquaintance which engenders trust in Him!
III. Thirdly, let us inquire—WHAT WAS THE APOSTLE PERSUADED
OF? If one should sayto a Christian man, “Pray, sir, what are your
opinions?” he might answer, “Ihave no opinions, but I know whom I have
believed.” If the inquirer then said, “But what is your persuasion?”he
might answer, “I am persuadedthat He is able to keepthat which I have
committed to Him.” This method of treating matters is far better than
forming mere opinions for ourselves, orborrowing persuasions from
others. Implicitly Paul declares his faith in our Lord’s willingness and
faithfulness. He does not mention these in words, but sometimes there is
greatinstruction in omissions, things not said may perhaps be more
conspicuous by their absence than things which are spoken. Silence is often
more emphatic than speech. Paul does not raise the question whether the
Savior was willing or faithful to keepwhat he had committed to Him—he
takes that for granted. He will not even asserthis knowledge ofthe truth
and grace ofhis Redeemer, he leaves these among the things which could
not be questioned for a moment.
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92. Dearheart, if you have given yourself to Christ, Christ has given Himself
to you, do not doubt His readiness to receive you! If you are leaning upon
the Beloved, He is willing to be leaned upon, and He will never fail you. If
in very truth His word is your trust, the Lord will never run back from His
promise. Has He not saidit, and will He not do it? Take this for granted.
Receive it as an acknowledgedprinciple which none may question. But
the point which the apostle expresslymentions is the powerof Christ—“I
am persuadedthat he is able.” He had a solemnconviction of the ability of
the Lord Jesus, who is able to save unto the uttermost. Let us hope that no
believer here has any doubt about the powerof Christ, if he has, the doubt
is most absurd. He that goes to the sea for saltwater cannotrationally fear
that he will be forced to come back with an empty bucket. He that lifts up
his face to the sun canhave no doubt but that his features will be bright
with the light. So he that turns to Christ may be persuaded that there is
no lack of sufficiency or ability in Him. “Oh,” says one, “I do not doubt the
ability of Christ to save me.” May I ask you, then, what you do doubt?
“Oh, I doubt my own merit, my own ability, and so forth.” What have any
of these things to do with the matter in hand, which is the powerof Jesus?
These things are out of the circle altogether. All the salvation of a man
depends upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and if He is able to save you, why are
you full of fears? If you have committed your money to the banker, and
you say, “I am afraid it is not safe,” the only justifiable reasonfor such
suspicionmust be because the bank is not solvent. Would you say, “I doubt
about my money, because I have a headache?”Would that be rational?
Would you say, “I am afraid my money is unsafe because my eyesightis
failing me?” Does that influence the safety of your deposit at the bank?
Nothing can affectthat matter but want of stability in the bank itself. If
you have committed yourself to the care of the Lord Jesus Christ, I cannot
listen to those miserable “ifs” and “buts,” they are unreasonable and
irrelevant. I blow them awayas so much chaff. If Jesus is able to save, and
you are trusting Him, there is no room for distrust. Can you doubt the
Lord’s ability? Have we not believed in His Godhead, and in the almighty
powerwith which the Father has girt Him as the God-man, the Mediator,
now that He has gone up into His everlasting reward? If these be facts, how
can it be difficult to trust such a one? Trust my soul with Christ! Why, if I
had all your souls within my body, I could trust them all to Him, and if
every sin that man has done, in thought, and word, and deed, since worlds
were made, or time began, could meet upon my one guilty head—I dare say
it— the precious blood of Jesus couldwash them all away. Trust Him with
one soul! Yes, indeed, it seems too little a thing. He that goes onboard a

93. greatAtlantic liner does not say, “I venture the weightof my body upon
this vessel. I trust it to bear my ponderous frame.” Yet your body is more
of a load to the vesselthan your soul is to the Lord Jesus. Did you everhear
of the gnat on the horn of the ox which feared that it might be an
inconvenience to the huge creature? O friend, you are but a gnat in
comparisonwith the Lord Jesus, nay, you are not so heavy to the ascended
Savior as the gnat to the ox. You were a weight to Him once, but having
borne that load once for all, your salvationis no burden to Him now. Well
may you say, “I am persuadedthat he is able to keepthat which I have
committed unto him.” What was this which Paul had committed to
Christ? He committed to Him everything that he had for time and for
eternity, his body, his soul, his spirit, all fears, cares, dangers,sins, doubts,
hopes, joys, he just made a cleanremoval of his all from himself to his
Lord. “I am persuadedthat He is able to keepthat which I have committed
unto him.” See how the eye of the apostle lights up as he tells his
amanuensis to write down, “He is able to keepmy deposit againstthat
day.” If he had little joy and rejoicing in his waiting time, he would
nevertheless look to have his full of it in that day of days, that day in which
his Lord would appear. He left everything with Jesus with a view to the
Advent, the Judgment, and the eternalglory. Then would he look for his
divine Keeper to produce the deposit entrusted to Him. There will be no
need in that day to ask, “MyLord, is it all right?” Yet we may picture Him
as coming in all His glory and majesty, to be admired in all them that
believe. He sits
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upon the throne of His glory, and there are you amongstthe countless
multitude. Suppose you could say, “My Lord, I trusted You with my soul,
am I safe? I trusted You with my eternalinterests, are they all secure?”
How sweetwill be His reply, as He says to His Father, “Ofthem which thou
gave me have I lost none,” and to us, “Come, ye blessedof my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you”! If any inquire of us in glory,
“How did you gethere?” we will answer, “He brought us here.” If they say,
“How is it that you are on His right hand?” we will reply, “BecauseHis
own right hand brought us there.” “But how is it that you are so bright in
your apparel?” “We have washedour robes, and made them white in His
blood.” “How is it that after you were converted you did not turn back?”
“He kept us in the way and preservedour lives, for He said, ‘BecauseI live,
ye shall live also.’” “How is it that you have escapedthe power of the

94. enemy since you were only a sheep, and a wolf was after you?” “It is
because He said, ‘I give unto my sheep eternallife, and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.’” When the
Lord shall make up His lastaccount of His jewels in that great day, we
shall be found in Christ, even as gems are found in a goldencasket. In the
Lord Jesus Christ all His elect, all His bloodbought, all His called, all His
justified, all His believing people shall be found in that day. None of His
redeemedshall be absentin the day when the sheepshall pass againunder
the hand of Him that tells them. All who were marked with the blood-mark
here below shall be folded in the pastures of glory. “I know whom I have
believed,” says Paul, “and am persuaded that he is able to keepthat which
I have committed unto him againstthat day.” Those of you who are
acquainted with the original will follow me while I forge a link betweenmy
third division and my fourth. If I were to read the text thus it would be
quite correct—“Iam persuadedthat He is able to keepmy deposit against
that day.” Here we have a glimpse of a secondmeaning. If you have the
RevisedVersion, you will find in the margin, “that which he has committed
to me,” and the original allows us to read the verse whicheverway we
choose—“He is able to keepthat which I have committed unto him”—or
“that which he has committed unto me.” This last expression, though I
could not endorse it as giving the full sense ofthe text, does seemto me to
be a part of its meaning. It is noteworthy that, in the fourteenth verse, the
original has the same phrase as in this verse. It runs thus—“that good
deposit guard by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” Inasmuch as the
words are the same—the apostle speaking of“my deposit” in the twelfth
verse, and in the fourteenth verse speaking of “that gooddeposit”—I
cannot help thinking that one thought dominated his mind. His soul and
the Gospelwere so united as to be in his thought but one deposit, and this
he believed that Jesus was able to keep. He seemedto say, “I have preached
the Gospelwhich was committed to my trust, and now, for having
preachedit, I am put in prison, and am likely to die, but the Gospelis safe
in better hands than mine.” The demon of distrust might have whispered
to him, “Paul, you are now silenced, and your Gospelwill be silencedwith
you, the church will die out, truth will become extinct.” “No, no,” says
Paul, “I am not ashamed, for I know that He is able to guard my deposit
againstthat day.” I cannot tell you what heart-cheerit often brings to my
soul, in these evil days, to join in the confidence of this text. At the present
moment, it seems as if parts of the church had almostforgotten the Gospel
of the grace ofGod. We hear on all hands, “another gospel, whichis not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel

95. of Christ.” We hear the noise of archers at every place of drawing of water,
and the wayfaring man almostceasesfrom the highways of Zion.
Worldliness is growing over the church, she is mossedwith it. The visible
church is honeycombedthrough and through with a baptized infidelity.
Unholy living is following upon unbelieving thinking. They boastthat they
have nearly extirpated Puritanism, some of us are describedas the last of
the race. Have they quenched our coal? Farfrom it. The light of the
doctrines of grace shallyet again shine forth as the sun. Elijah was wontto
say, “As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand,” and this also is my
confidence, truth lives because Godlives. Though truth were dead and
buried, it would rise again. The day is not far distant when the old, old
Gospelshall againcommand the scholarshipof the age, and shall
8 Confidence and ConcernSermon #1913
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direct the thoughts of men. Even if it were not so, it would be a small
matter, for it signifies little exceptto themselves whatmen think, since God
is true, and with truth there is power. The fight is not overyet, the brunt of
the battle is yet to come. They dreamed that the old Gospelwas deadmore
than a hundred years ago, but they dug its grave too soon. Conformists and
Nonconformists had alike gone over to a cold Socinianism, and in the old
sanctuaries, where holy men once preachedwith power, modern dreamers
droned out their wretched philosophies. All was decorous anddead, but
God would not have it so. On a sudden, a voice was heard from Oxford,
where the Wesleys and their compeers had found a living Savior, and were
bound to tell of His love. From an inn in Gloucesterthere came a youth,
who beganto preachthe everlasting Gospelwith trumpet tongue. A new
era dawned. Two schools ofMethodists with fiery energy proclaimedthe
living word. All England was aroused. A new springtide arrived, the time
of the singing of birds had come, life rejoicedwhere once death withered
all things. It will be so again. The Lord lives, and the Gospellives too. Our
charioteers are driving as fast as they can in the direction of Unitarianism
and spiritual death, but the Lord will lay His hand upon the bridles of the
horses, though Jehu himself drives them, and He shall turn them back
againby the way whereby they came. “I know whom I have believed, and
am persuadedthat he is able to keepmy deposit againstthat day.” IV.
This leads me on to this fourth point—WHAT THE APOSTLE WAS
CONCERNEDABOUT. The matter about which he was concernedwas
this depositof his—this everlasting Gospelof the blessedGod. He expresses
his concernin the following words—“Holdfastthe form of sound words,

96. which thou have heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
That goodthing which was committed unto thee keepby the Holy Ghost
which dwelleth in us.” First, he is concernedfor the steadfastnessof
Timothy, and as I think for that of all young Christians, and especiallyof
all young preachers. Whatdoes he say? “Hold fast the form of sound
words.” I hear an objectormurmur, “There is not much in words, surely.”
Sometimes there is very much in words. Vital truth may hinge upon a
single word. The whole church of Christ once fought a tremendous battle
over a syllable, but it was necessaryto fight it for the conservationofthe
truth. Only the unorthodox ridicule words, and with them it is an
affectation, for were they not impressed with the importance of words they
would not be so eagerto alter them. “Surely we may change our terms.” I
have no objection if I know that your intentions are honest. “Surely we
may change the form of a creed, howeversound it may be.” Do so if you
like. I will not contend for words to no profit. But as for some of you who
ask for these changes, I shrewdly suspectthat you would getrid of a phrase
that you might be rid of that which the phrase means. You gentlemenwho
say, “Surely you will not stick out for a word,” are, after all, neither so
innocent nor so liberal as you appearto be. Brethren, it is not a word they
would amend, but a truth they would efface. I intend calling a rose a rose,
even though I admit that by another name it might smell as sweet, for I
perceive that there is intent to inflict upon me a rank smelling weedwhich
is no rose at all. When people rail at creeds as having no vitality, I suppose
that I hear one say that there is no life in eggshells. Justso, there is no life
in egg shells, they are just so much lime, void of sensation. “Pray, my dear
sir, do not put yourself out to defend a mere shell.” Truly, goodfriend, I
am no trifler, nor so litigious as to fight for a mere shell. But hearken! I
have discoveredthat when you break eggshellsyou spoil eggs, andI have
learned that eggs do not hatch and produce life when shells are cracked. I
have come to be rather tender about shells now that I find that certain
rogues are depriving me of chickens by cracking my eggshells. At certain
periods when everybody is sound and right at heart, it may be wise to
revise expressions, but we will have none of it when the very air is tainted
with unbelief. If you walk round certain continental towns, you will see
bright greenswardand garden where once there stoodgrim walls. In times
of peace we are gladto see fortifications demolished, but, mark you! when
the Prussians are around Paris, no Frenchman will tolerate the proposition
to throw down the forts.
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97. Volume 32 9
This is our case today, and therefore we hold fastthe form of sound words.
“We hate your narrowness, your nasty narrowness!You are shut in within
your walls of creeds and beliefs!” Yes, gentlemen, we are so, and we mean
to remain so, since we see how you hate the Gospel. If everything were in
peace, and we believed in you, we might perhaps think about turning
bulwarks into boulevards, but at the present moment we will do nothing of
the kind, but rather hear the voice of our old captainfrom his prison at
Rome, crying, “Hold fastthe pattern of wholesome words which thou hast
heard from me.” Brethren, do not change your posture nor shift your
position. Stand fast on immutable truth, trusting and loving your Lord.
Hold the old faith, and hold it in the old fashion too. We are crossing the
stream, and can make no change of horses. Brethren, why should we
change? Do these tempting novelties offer any real improvement on the
old? Do they offer us anything to die upon? Can these new teachings afford
us comfort in poverty, in sickness,in depressionof spirit, or in prospectof
the day of judgment? They are pretty flowers for the children of this
world to play with, they suit well with minds that love frivolities, but they
are not for men whose life is warfare againstsin. The eternal verities
revealedwithin this Book, and graspedby the hands of our inner life—
these are everything to us, therefore we shall stand by them even to the last
with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. The apostle was anxious, not
only that the men should stand, but that the everlasting Gospelitself
should be guarded. “Thatgoodthing which was committed unto thee keep
by the Holy Ghostwhich dwelleth in us.” O friends, it were better for us
that the sun was quenched than that the Gospelwere gone!I believe that
the moralities, the liberties, and peradventure the very existence ofa nation
depend upon the proclamationof the Gospelin its midst. Have you not
noticed that where the Gospelhas been given up, and various forms of
infidelity have ruled, foul pollution has also boiled up from below! The
very idea of morality seems to have departed from some men by whom
belief in God has been rejected. The Lord save us from the generalspread
of this mischief! Let the sea itself cease to ebb and flow soonerthan the
Gospelfail to be preachedamong the sons of men. If the whole church
were to die for the defense of the Gospel, it were a cheapprice to pay for
the maintenance of it. I speak solemnlywhen I saythat our main care in
life should be to preserve this Gospelintact, and hand it down to our
descendants. Godgrant that future ages may not have to curse us for
having been undecided or cowardlyin the hour of conflict! How are we to

98. keepthe faith? There is only one way. It is of little use trying to guard the
Gospelby writing it down in a trust-deed, it is of small service to ask men
to subscribe to a creed, we must go to work in a more effectual way. How is
the Gospelto be guarded? “By the Holy Ghostwhich dwells in us.” If, my
dear brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and you obey His
monitions, and are molded by His influences, and exhibit the result of His
work in the holiness of your lives, then the faith will be kept. A holy
people are the true bodyguard of the Gospel. A living people, in whom the
Holy Ghostis the soul of their soul, and the spirit of their spirit, are alone
able to keepthe truth living and influential in the world. Let the powerof
the Gospelbe missing where it may, it must be present where the Holy
Ghostabides, for He makes the Word of God to be a living and
incorruptible seed, which lives and abides forever. God send us, more and
more, the Holy Ghost! May He be in us as rivers of living water!Oh for His
heavenly presence in this day of blasphemy and rebuke! Amen.
The Call to Courage
Author: Ray C. Stedman
Readthe Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:8-13
During the presentation on the work of the Christian Service Brigade this
morning, it struck me that the beautiful thing about the work of these men
with young boys is that they are passing the torch of faith on to another
generation. It is always encouraging to see that happening. That is the way
a new and upcoming generationlearns values, principles and guidelines
that will steadyit and hold it in the midst of the swirling maelstroms of
unbelief and immorality it has to face.
This is what we have here in this secondletterof Paul to Timothy. The
apostle knows that he is about to leave this life -- he says so in this very
letter: "The time of my departure is at hand," (2 Timothy 4:6b KJV). He is
writing his last words to Timothy from that lonely, cold and sometimes
boring cellprison cellin Rome, writing to a young man he knows is timid,
frightened, and oftentimes pressuredto be ashamedof the gospel.

99. We all can identify with that problem today. Many of you work in places
where the majority of people around you are not Christians. Some of them
are anti-Christian, perhaps even violently so, so there are times when you
feel ashamedthat you are a Christian. You are afraid people will find out;
or, if they already know that you are a Christian, you tend to keepit quiet
and not say much about it. That is an universal experience if we have any
contactat all with non-Christians; and that is the problem the apostle takes
up now with Timothy, his sonin the faith, ministering in the great, pagan
city of Ephesus.
Paul says two basic things to Timothy to help him overcome that, but we
are only going to take the first of these today. In Verse 8 the apostle says,
"Do not be ashamedof testifying to our Lord"; and then in Verse 14 he
tells him, "Guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy
Spirit who dwells within us."
This morning I want to look with you at the matter of how the apostle
helped his struggling young son in the faith to overcome the tendency to be
ashamedof the gospel. There are three things the apostle said that Timothy
was apt to be ashamedof. First, he says (Verse 8),
Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but take your share of suffering for the gospelin the powerof God, (2
Timothy 1:8 RSV)
I think Timothy was tempted, at least, to be ashamedof the Lord because
Jesus is invisible. You have probably felt ashamedbecause ofthat too. To
talk about a Lord who is the most important Being in your life and yet not
be able to show him to people or allow them to hear him, to maintain that a
Man who lived two thousand years ago is still alive today in a vital
relationship with you, is to expose yourselfto the ridicule and incredulity of
many. Timothy felt that waytoo.
Furthermore, Timothy was tempted to be ashamedof Paul because Paul
was a political prisoner, on the outs with the administration of the Roman
Empire, and viewed as an enemy of the Emperor and destructive in society.
Paul urges Timothy to overcome that.
And third, Timothy was ashamedof the gospel. I have felt that way, and I
am sure you have too, because the gospelin its basic element is insulting to
the pride of men. The world loves to imagine itself to be adequate to solve
its problems. Individuals oftentimes manifest a remarkable sense of self-
sufficiency and independence;they refuse to admit that they need any help.
But the basic declarationof the gospelis that man is helpless and lost.

100. At the Congress onthe Bible in SanDiego lastweek, the opening message
was brought by Luis Palau, whom I regardas a permanent member of this
congregation. In his address, Luis told of two incidents. The first concerned
his leading the president of one of the South American republics to the
Lord; and the secondof his leading a janitor to the Lord in the city of
Atlanta just lastweek.
What Luis pointed out was that the president and the janitor had to come
exactly the same way -- they both had to admit they were hopelesslylost,
that they had no abilities in themselves to deliver themselves from what
was destroying their lives. Both of them had to castthemselves onthe
saving mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, and both of them manifested
tremendous change afterwards. Thatis what the gospeldoes:It undercuts
the pride, the self-sufficiencyand arrogance ofman. As a result, we tend to
be ashamed sometimes ofspeaking of the gospelto proud individuals.
So let us see how Paul helps this young, timid, introverted man overcome
that tendency to shame. That is what canhelp us today. The passage is a
rather complicated one, so to simplify it for you I am going to suggestthat
you take your pen and underline two phrases which the apostle uses here to
help in understanding it. The first phrase comes at the end of Verse 8: Paul
says, "Share in suffering for the gospelin the power of God." Underline
the words, "powerof God." The secondphrase is in Verse 13. Underline
these words, "follow the pattern of sound words." There are the two
resources thatwill help us overcome any tendency to be ashamedof our
faith.
First, realize that the gospelis "the power of God." You never have to be
ashamedof power. Americans, particularly, worship and respectpower.
But when you really understand the powerof the gospelyou will lose every
bit of shame;that is what Paul is saying. Furthermore, when you obey the
Word of God, when there is in you a resolute determination to obey what
the Scriptures tell you to do, then you discover that leads you into health
and wholeness,and you lose your sense of shame of the gospel. Those are
the two things we want to look at this morning. Notice what the apostle
now says about the powerof God. It has been demonstratedfor us, he says,
...in the powerof God, who savedus and called us with a holy calling, (2
Timothy 1:8b-9a RSV)
That is where we see the power of God at work. Every new birth, every
regeneration, is an unquestionable miracle on the part of God. No one ever

101. comes to God without God performing a transforming miracle; we must
never forget that.
Last week I receiveda most interesting letter from a prisoner in the
penitentiary at Tracy. I will merely summarize it for you because it is a
rather lengthy letter. This man wrote,
"I found myself sitting in the Sacramento Countyjail, a three-time loser.
I'm 66 years old, and I decided that, after having lost out three times, my
life was no longerworth living. I had to go see my attorney, and as I passed
by a trash bin, lying on top of the trash were some of your messagescalled
DiscoveryPapers."
(A very logicalplace to look for them!) He said,
"Wanting something to read, I picked them up. Little did I know what was
going to happen to me when I read them."
Then he added this line which I love:
"One man's trash is another man's treasure."
He went on to write that he read the first message, called, "How to be
Saved" (takenfrom Romans 10). When he finished reading it, he wrote,
"I decided that though I never thought I needed to be savedfrom anything
in my life, I now realized I did; and that if I wanted God to acceptme I had
better clean up my life and getit ready so he would be willing to take me."
He continued,
"I determined I was going to do that. Then I read the secondmessage,
'Who Chose Whom' [from Romans 9], and when I finished that I knew
that if I workedthe rest of my life I could never make myself fit to be
saved."
Continuing, he wrote,
"Lying on my bunk all alone, I woke in the middle of the night with the
thoughts of that message onmy mind. I seemedto sense a presence in the
cell with me, and suddenly I found myself breaking into tears. Sitting on
my bunk, I opened my heart to Jesus and askedhim to come in, to deliver
me and save me. And that's what he did. I didn't feelanything different
exceptthat I slept all night long for the first time in years.
He said,
"In the morning, everything seemedto be different. The celllooked
different; the prisoners around me lookeddifferent; the food I had been

102. complaining about tastedgood. One of the other prisoners said to me, 'Pop,
you look different. What's happened to you?'"
He wrote,
"A little voice inside of me said, 'Tell him,' so I did. There were twenty-five
men in that cell and eleven of them askedJesus Christinto their lives. I
have been reading your first book on Romans and it says there is another
book, so I want to get that one too. Will you send it to me? I will send you
all the money I have got. It's only $5.45, but what is money compared with
the truth I am reading about."
So we have a new readerof DiscoveryPapers!
That example is a little dramatic, but it illustrates the fact that every
regeneration, everysalvation, is a miracle. It means that a transformed life,
a new life, has been imparted. That is a demonstration of the quiet working
of the powerof God. Through the recordof human history, there is
nothing like that power that cantake men who, oftentimes, are raging
animals, wild and revolutionary, and transform them into sober, solid,
delightful people. That powercan take sharp, censorious people with acid
tongues and softenthem and make them over into new persons. It cantake
a proud, pompous, self-righteous, self-sufficientprofessor, orwhatever,
and transform him into a gentle, easyto live with, wonderful person. It can
take a Chuck Colson, who openly swore he would run over his own
grandmother to achieve his purposes, and turn him into a caring,
concernedman who has dedicated his life to helping people in prison. That
is a miracle. That is the power of God, and it ought to keepus from being
ashamedof our Christian faith.
With that, the apostle links this term: "He calledus with a holy calling."
That is speaking of sanctification, the process ofreformation as well as
regeneration, where our lives start to be transformed. Notonly is
regenerationa miracle and a demonstration of the powerof God, but the
continuing growth and transformation of an individual is an evidence of
the powerof God. That powercauses us to turn away from hurt and shame
and ugliness unto health and wholeness. (Thatis what the word holy
means, "wholeness.")
If you are really a Christian, you will find deep in your heart a relentless
urge to break with your sin and your selfishness, oftentimes atgreatpain
to yourself, to face the pain of withdrawal, and yet to walk with and grow
with Christ. If you do not sense that urge there, you might well question
whether you are a Christian or not, because that is a sign of the residency

103. of the Spirit in the life. We all resisthim, we all struggle, and dig in our
heels, and do not want to be changedbecause we love our sins and the
pleasure they give us, but God has set his heart upon transforming us into
the image of his Son, and ultimately we cannot deny that urge. Though we
may waste years and years in resistanceto the Spirit of God, once he has
begun to work in a truly regenerate hearthe promises that he will fulfill it,
and bring us, at last, to yielding in those areas of hurt and shame. That
work does not originate with us. The apostle says very clearly that it is:
...not in virtue of our works[thathe does this] but in virtue of his own
purpose and grace whichhe gave us in Christ Jesus agesago, (2 Timothy
1:9 RSV)
That is an amazing declaration. It is saying that though we know we have
to make decisions or those things do not happen -- we have to obey the
Word, we have to follow our Lord -- nevertheless, we learn also that God
has determined before the world beganthat he would bring into our lives
the factors that would make us make those decisions.
Imagine that you arrive in a city where a great political conventionis going
on. You know that when you get there all the hotels are going to be sold
out, but in a frail hope that you might find something you go into a big
hotel and ask for a room. To your amazement, the clerk says, "We have a
reservationfor you already. We have been expecting you for months; it is
all ready." That is something of the feeling you getwhen you read a
passagelike this. You know that you had to decide to give up the things
that were hurting you in your life. You struggledwith that, but you gave in,
and when you did you read that God had determined that you would do
that before the ages began.
Isn't that amazing? But we are dealing with the power of God, not the
weakness ofmen, an omnipotent Godwho knows how to work out his
purposes through strange and wonderful ways. Notonly that, but that
powerhas been demonstrated, says the apostle, in the historic work of
Jesus. Paulputs it this way(Verse 10):
[He] now has manifested[that] through the appearing of our Savior Christ
Jesus, who abolisheddeath and brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:10 RSV)
I hope you never allow any reference to the death and resurrectionof Jesus
to become mechanicaland indifferent to you. This is the heart of the
Christian faith: The work of our Savior, the blood of the cross, the glory of
the resurrection. I try to remind my own heart never to let these things

104. ever be expressedwithout some corresponding response in my ownheart,
because, according to this, the death and resurrection of Jesus
accomplishedtwo fantastic things for us:
The first is, Jesus nullified the power of death. It says here that he
"abolisheddeath." That does not mean that he eliminated it, because, just
like others, Christians die. The word is the Greek word for "nullify, to
bring to nothing." As Paul declares in First Corinthians 15, it is that
treatment of death which causes Christians to be able to say, at the edge of
the grave, "Oh, grave where is thy victory? Oh, death where is thy sting?"
(1 Corinthians 15:55 RSV). Jesus has takenthe sting out of death.
On GoldenPond, the movie with Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Katherine
Hepburn that is currently showing in the theaters, is the story of an 80-
year-old professorwho is facing the relentless approachof death. It is a
beautiful picture, although the language is a bit unpleasant at times. All
through the movie you sense that there is a growing dread at the fact of
approaching death. Haunting the backgroundand tainting every delightful
scene ofall the beauty of nature that is displayed in the film is the
increasing awareness ofthe cold, clammy hand of death that will bring an
end to all the delight and beauty that these lives have known. In subtle
ways, not overtly but covertly expressed, there is the expressionfrom all
the participants in the story of the dread of death. The film is in some ways
a hopeless, tragic story. Everyone walks out of the theater soberand
quieted. It is a beautiful but tragic story which captures, as no other film
today has captured, the feeling in millions of hearts as they face the fact of
death.
I could not help but contrastthat story with the many Christians, some of
whom I have recently sat with, who are facing the approaching end of their
lives. In almost every case there is a light on their face, a sense of
anticipation, of hope and of certainty in the hour of death; I have talked
with many and seenthem express a sense ofpeace, a quiet anticipation of
glory to come. What a difference! That is what the resurrectionof Jesus
has accomplished:it has removed the fear of death.
I read once of a Christian man whose doctortold him he was dying. The
man was so happy about this that it chargedhis body with so much
adrenaline he lived for two more weeks!He thought he was going to be
dead by evening and he was disappointed. That is what Jesus has done: He
has nullified the power of death.

105. Further, the apostle says, Jesus "broughtlife and immortality to light
through the gospel."The Old Testamentdoes not give a lot of information
on what lies beyond, but when Jesus came -- and ever since he was here we
have had this -- he made clearthe glory of anticipation of immortality, i.e.,
life in its fullest degree, permanently enjoyed into the future.
There are two things here: The word life here is a reference to the change
which occurs in the human heart when we become Christians, the new
quality of life imparted to us, that quality which made our prisoner friend's
fellow prisoners sayto him, "What's happened to you? You're different."
That is life. Jesus brought that into visibility, and that tremendous change
is apparent in many, many Christians as they come into this new
experience. But more than that, it is immortality -- that life goes onbeyond
this life in a glorious experience ofthe fullness of redemption.
My wife went to visit her 94-year-oldmother this week. Gramis growing
very frail and fragile. She spends her time, for the most part, just sitting
and watching a little TV and talking to a few people around her. They
beganto talk about heaven, and her mother said to Elaine, "Whatwill it be
like then? Will we just sit around? I'm so tired of sitting around." Elaine
was able to reassure her that, "No, we will leap and run and fly with new
bodies, capable of responding to every demand of the spirit."
The glorious expectationof the fullness of the life to come, that is
immortality. These bodies are subject to death and weariness. "The spirit
is willing," we say, "but the flesh is ready for the weekend." In those new
bodies, however, the spirit will make its demand and the flesh will be equal
to it. We are given wonderful pictures in the Scriptures of what that is like.
It is the powerof Godthat brings that kind of certainty and hope into a
Christian life. It is the gospel, so we need not be ashamed of it, for the
gospelis the answerto the deepestlongings of men and women everywhere.
These things that make us ashamed, the cynicism etc., that we run into, are
only superficial reactions. Whenyou getdown underneath, when you
explain and demonstrate in your own life what the gospelmeans, you
awakena hunger and a restlessness in the hearts of everybody observing
you to want to find out what this marvelous thing is. We do not need to be
ashamed, for "it is the powerof God unto salvation," (Romans 1:16).
But not only is the gospeldemonstratedin salvation, Paul goes on to say
that he himself has modeled what Timothy's courageous responseoughtto
be. Timothy is under greatpressure, he is facing severe temptations to shut

106. up, and be quiet, to disappear into the woodwork, andsay nothing. But
Paul has been there too, he says, and he has modeled a response (Verse 12):
For this gospelI was appointed a preacherand apostle and teacher, and
therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have
believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Daywhat has
been entrusted to me. (2 Timothy 1:12-13 RSV)
Paul has alreadygone down the path. Looking back now to the young man
coming behind him, he says, "Timothy, you don't need to be ashamed. I'm
not ashamed, and I've been through everything you're going through. I
know that the resourcesthat were available to me are available to you, and
they are sufficient for the task."
Paul had been called, as Timothy had been called. "I was appointed," he
says, "a preacher, an apostle and a teacher." A proclaimerof the good
news -- that is a preacher; a pioneerto lay new foundations -- that is an
apostle;an explainer of the intricacies and meanings of the truth he
proclaims -- that is a teacher. Timothy is sent to be a preacherand a
teacher. So was Paul, therefore he understands what Timothy is up against.
But, Paul says (and notice the connection)because ofthat he suffered. It is
important to see whatPaul is saying. It was the very fact that he was
challenging the mores, the ethics, and the philosophy of the world that was
the cause ofhis suffering. If he had been content to talk like everybody else,
and think like everybody else, he would never have been persecuted;but
because he was different he ran up againstopposition, misunderstanding,
ostracismand sometimes violent persecution.
Paul tells us that every one of us who will live godly in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution; that is promised to us. But that will encourage you. It
means that if you are faithful in that task the suffering will be a sign that
you are standing firm and fast, doing what God has sentyou to do.
Adoniram Judson, that greatBaptist missionary who in the 19th century
pioneered the gospelin Burma, and planted churches all over that land,
endured greatpersonalsuffering. His life story was a challenge to me as a
young Christian. He said a very significantthing about suffering:
Successand suffering are vitally and organicallylinked. If you succeed
without suffering, it is because someoneelse has sufferedfor you without
succeeding;and if you suffer without succeeding, itis that someone else
may succeedafteryou.
That is a vital truth. Successand suffering belong together. Paul had
experiencedboth, so he says to Timothy, "I've been down the road." But

107. his attitude is, "I am not ashamed, of course not. When I see the power of
God released, andwhen I see whatchanges are coming in others'lives
because ofmy pain, it is as though it is nothing." In another place he says,
"I'll gladly be poured out as a drink offering upon the altar in order that
you might succeed,"(2 Timothy 4:6 KJV).
Then Paul tells us what his resource is:"I know whom I have believed, and
I know that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to
me [the gospel]." To keepme faithful in the gospel, is Paul's implication.
At the Congress onthe Bible last week I listened to Jim Boice, who is now
the pastorof the historic Tenth PresbyterianChurch of Philadelphia. He is
a fine Bible teacher, a great expositorof the truth, an apt successorto
Donald Grey Barnhouse, who for years pastoredthat church. Listening to
Dr. Boice reminded me of an incident that occurredwhen Barnhouse was
pastor there. He used to have Sunday afternoons dedicatedto a meeting
with young people from college andhigh school, who would pack the
auditorium in that greatchurch to hear Dr. Barnhouse answerquestions
from the Bible. On one such occasiona young man askedthis question:
"Dr. Barnhouse, how could it be that two million Israelites couldwander
through the wilderness of Sinai, a barren desert, for forty years, and be
supplied with adequate food, waterand clothing, so that at the end of that
forty years it is recorded of them that their clothing had not even worn
out?" Dr. Barnhouse's answerwas one word. In that deep voice, he replied,
"God! Next question, please."
Yes, God is our resource. "Iknow whom I have believed, and I am
persuaded that he is able to keepwhat I have committed unto him and
what he has committed unto me." Our resource is adequate. That is what
Paul says to Timothy to encourage his heart. There is something more yet
to encourage Timothy. I will touch on this very quickly. Verse 13:
Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in
the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus;(2 Timothy 1:13 RSV)
The Word of God is given to us for our resource. It is a pattern to follow, a
guide to our behavior, a specific instruction as to what to do when we are
up againstcertain circumstances. Thatis very significant. Every one of us
in this room today (young people especially)is under a powerful assault
from the spirit of the age, expressedthrough the media, which challenges
the morals and the ethicalstandards of the Bible. This assaultmakes many
of us wonder, at times, if the standards of the world are really so bad after
all.

108. Many young people are asking themselves, "Is it really wrong to sleepwith
somebody outside of marriage?" (Recognize thatis a euphemism: the thing
they do not do is sleep.)"Everybody else is doing it," they say, "everybody
says it is not going to hurt anything; no bad results will follow." Many a
couple today is facedwith the thought, "Is it so bad to get a divorce these
days? Everybody seems to be doing it. When marriage becomes boring or
difficult, what is so bad about breaking up, and getting a partner with
whom you feel more compatible? Is that so bad?"
This time of the year some of us may be thinking, "Why not fudge on my
income tax a little. Does the government have to know everything? Can't I
keepa little for myself now that financial pressures are so extreme?"
We have all felt this alluring temptation to change our standards. What
should you do when all your friends are doing it, urging you to do it, and
telling you it is OK? The apostle's advice is: Readyour Bible! "Follow the
pattern of sound words. "Soundmeans "healthful, wholesome words,"
words that will lead you ultimately into life. Remember the proverb,
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but the ends thereof are the
ways of death," (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). "Follow the pattern of sound
words":"Flee youthful lusts, which war againstthe soul," (1 Peter2:11).
"To the married I command (yet not I but the Lord) let not the wife
separate from her husband and let not the husband divorce his wife," (1
Corinthians 7:10-11). "Paytaxes to whom taxes are due," (Romans 13:6-7).
And, Paul says, sound words are a channel of "faith and love which are in
Christ Jesus."
Have you noticed that when you obey the Word of God, even though it is
painful at times and you have to apparently lose something, that it is not
very long before the Lord himself is dearerand closerto you than he has
ever been before? You experience "the faith and love which are in Christ
Jesus."
There is a song that was very much sung in the early days of the Jesus
Movement. It is a simple ditty which I do not hear much any more, but it
always seemedto me to express a wonderful word of advice to people
under pressure:
Put your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the waters;
Put your hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee.
He is present, he is available to strengthen from within, so that you can
stand in the moment of decision. That is what Paul is saying now to
Timothy: "Timothy, remember that the faith which you have is the

109. channel of the powerof God let loose among men; and the Book that you
hold in your hand is the guide to behavior that leads to life. It will lead you
to a closer, dearerexpressionof the Lord Jesus himself."
Warm, sweet, tender, even yet,
A present help is He,
And faith has still its Olivet,
And love its Galilee
Prayer
Lord, we pray that in these dark days when men are lovers of themselves
rather than lovers of God, lovers of pleasure, implacable, violent, selfish,
disobedient to parents, that we may be manifestations of a different style of
life. We pray that we may be willing to stand, willing to be tested, willing to
endure, willing to resistthe temptation to be ashamed of the gospel. Help
us to look on to that day when all the redeemedshall gather around the
throne and praise the name of him who has brought us safely along. Help
us to sing anew that great song, "Tis grace has brought us safe thus far,
And grace will lead us home." We pray in Jesus'name, Amen.
Loyalty
2 Timothy 1: 11-17
“JackieRobinsonwas the first black personto play major league baseball.
While breaking baseball's colorbarrier, he facedjeering crowds in every
stadium.
“While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an
error. His own fans began to ridicule him. He stoodat secondbase,
humiliated, while the fans jeered.

110. “Then shortstop"Pee Wee" Reesecame overand stood next to him. He
put his arm around Jackie Robinsonand facedthe crowd. The fans grew
quiet. Robinsonlater said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.”1
_____________________________________________
“In the December31, 1989 ChicagoTribune, the editors printed their
photos of the decade. One of them, by MichaelFryer, captured a grim
fireman and paramedic carrying a fire victim awayfrom the scene.
“The blaze, which happened in Chicago in December1984, atfirst seemed
routine. But then firefighters discoveredthe bodies of a mother and five
children huddled in the kitchen of an apartment.
“Fryer saidthe firefighters surmised, "She could have escapedwith two or
three of the children but couldn't decide whom to pick. She chose to wait
with all of them for the firefighters to arrive. All of them died of smoke
inhalation."
“There are times when you just don't leave those you love.”2
_________________________________________
“Has any athlete had more fans than MichaelJordan? Probably not. Even
so, MichaelJordan said something surprising about his need for emotional
support to columnist Bob Greene. When
1 Craig Brian Larson, ed., 750 Engaging Illustrations, (Grand Rapids,
MI: BakerBooks, 2008), WORDsearchCROSSe-book, 330. 2 Ibid.
Village Church of Wheaton 2 Timothy 1:11-18
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Ron and Betty Teedwww.villagechurchofwheaton.org 2

111. Greene askedwhy he wanted his father to be in the stands during a game,
Jordan replied, "When he's there, I know I have at leastone fan."
“Eventhe greatMichaelJordan needs support. Loyal support. How much
more do the rest of us need regular reminders that others are behind us—
even when we aren't at our best.”3
Our text for today is 2 Timothy 1:11-18 NET:
For this gospelI was appointed a preacherand apostle and teacher.
Becauseofthis, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I
know the one in whom my faith is setand I am convincedthat he is able to
protect what has been entrusted to me until that day. Hold to the standard
of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love
that are in Christ Jesus. Protectthat goodthing entrusted to you, through
the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
You know that everyone in the province of Asia desertedme, including
Phygelus and Hermogenes. Maythe Lord grant mercy to the family of
Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my
imprisonment. But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerlysearchedfor me
and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on
that day! And you know very wellall the ways he servedme in Ephesus.
We saw in 2 Timothy 1:8-10 that Paul lists some of the essentialtruths that
we must have in our arsenalwhen we do battle with the enemy: God's
power, salvation, holy living, God's purpose and grace.
Paul’s declarationin verse 9 that it is not because of anything we have done
emphasizes Paul's awarenessthat salvationis by God’s grace alone. Our
faith in the work of Jesus makes us eligible to receive God’s grace of
salvation. Where there is true faith God grants salvation. Yet we must
always remember salvation is a gift and that it only comes through the
powerof God. Salvation has nothing to do with our works. Another gift
that God gives us is that He will provide whatever strength we need in
order to minister for Him or even, if necessary, to endure suffering for His
glory.

112. Paul further expands on the topic of grace by revealing that it has been in
God’s plan since before the earth was evenformed, and it was revealed
through Jesus Christ during His ministry on earth. It is the same Christ
who has destroyeddeath.
1 Timothy 1:10 NET:But now made visible through the appearing of our
Savior Christ Jesus. He has broken the power of death and brought life
and immortality to light
3 Ibid.
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Ron and Betty Teedwww.villagechurchofwheaton.org 3
through the gospel! Jesus has revealedthe
mystery of salvationby grace through our faith.
2 Timothy 1:11 NET: For this gospelI was appointed a preacherand
apostle and teacher.
Galatians 1:11-12 NET: Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the gospelI preachedis not of human origin. For I did not receive it or
learn it from any human source;insteadI receivedit by a revelationof
Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:12: NAS: Because ofthis, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not
ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is setand I am
convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until
that day.

113. “Thatday” refers to Judgment Day. “Thatday” is a phrase that occurs
twice in this chapter. The first occurrence is here in verse 12.
It seems apparent that Paul’s purpose in telling Timothy these things was
to encourage him. If Paul is expectedto suffer for the Gospel, it would
certainly follow that Timothy should be prepared to do the same thing. If
we look back at 2 Timothy 1:8 we see that Paul is urging Timothy not to be
ashamed. Now in verse 12 we see Paul saying that he is not ashamedof his
suffering. Why not? Becausehe knows that God will protect him since he
has completelysubmitted himself to God and Christ. But what has Paul
entrusted to God? Everything, his entire life. That is the kind of faith I long
for! The words until that day againrefer to the Secondcoming of Christ.
Titus 1:9 NLT: He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy messagehe
was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome
teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
2 Timothy 1:13-14 NET: Hold to the standard of sound words
that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ
Jesus. Protectthatgood thing (treasure)entrusted to you, through the Holy
Spirit who lives within us. The “ treasure ” is the Gospel.
 MessageofSalvation
2 Timothy 1:15 NET:
Village Church of Wheaton 2 Timothy 1:11-18
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You know that everyone in the province of Asia desertedme, including
Phygelus and Hermogenes.

114. “Everyone in the province of Asia” is most likely hyperbole (exaggeration:
deliberate and obvious exaggerationusedfor effect, e.g. "I could eat a
million of these;" “Everyone hates me.”)Not everyone desertedPaul but a
greatmany did.
2 Timothy 1:16-18 NKJV: 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household
of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshedme and was not ashamedof my
chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously
and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the
Lord in that Day--and you know very wellhow many ways he ministered to
me at Ephesus.
Paul expresses gratitude for a man named Onesiphorus (O-nes-i-foris), and
for his loyalty to Paul. Onesiphorus was a man who had risked everything
for Paul. The reference to the "household" of Onesiphorus, rather than to
Onesiphorus himself, suggeststhat he had already become a victim of
persecution.4
Theologians are divided on the meaning of Paul’s words about
Onesiphorus, “The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the
Lord in that Day.” There are two ways to understand this prayer for
Onesiphorus:
(1) Onesiphorus was dead at the time of Paul's writing. This may be
inferred by the verb "grant mercy" in verse 16 and to "on that day" in
verse 18. This view is uncertain because ofthe mention of his household.
But if one accepts this interpretation, then Paul is praying for a dead
person. Indeed, those who advocate prayers for the dead use this passageto
justify the practice, which is in no way supported by the Bible.
(2) Another possible explanation is that Onesiphorus was separatedfrom
his family at Ephesus for quite a while as he did missionary work. Warren
Wiersbe points out that Onesiphorus had been in Rome with Paul, but was
no longer there when Paul wrote this letter to Timothy. Since Paul also

115. apparently knew Onesiphorus was not at his home at the time, Paul only
sent greetings to his household.5
Paul prayed for God's blessing and mercy on his family and he wanted
God to remember at the judgment these goodthings Onesiphorus had done
for Paul so that he might be
4 John Phillips, The John Phillips Commentary Series – Exploring the
PastoralEpistles:An Expository Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel
Publications, 2004), WORDsearchCROSS e-book, 361.5 Warren
Wiersbe, Be Faithful. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.©1981. P. 136.
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rewarded. We do something similar at times when we are expressing
gratitude for something a person has done and say, “Maythe Lord add
extra stars to your crown.”
Paul now elaborates onthe tangible ways Onesiphorus expressedhis
loyalty to Paul. “He often refreshed me.” One could conclude from this
comment that Onesiphorus visited the market frequently to pick up
supplies for Paul and then lookedfor a chance to bring them into the
prison.
"He... was not ashamedof my chain." The word translated"chain" is
halusis, which means "handcuff." Paul was literally chained to a Roman
soldier twenty-four hours a day. It, therefore, took a lot of courage to bring
supplies to Paul's cellbecause not all of the soldiers chained to Paul could
have been very friendly. This would have been a high risk undertaking.
Can you imagine your mood if you were the soldier whose job it was to be
chained to a prisoner and have to go through that all day long, perhaps

116. severaltimes a week? Some ofthe soldiers probably believed Nero's lie that
the Christians, of whom Paul was the leader, had been responsible for the
burning of Rome. Perhaps a number of them had lost loved ones in the fire.
The guards would probably have reported Paul's conversations andthe
names of his visitors to the authorities. In spite of all this, Onesiphorus
refused to be frightened and continued providing for Paul. Paul prayed
that the Lord would "grant mercy" and protect "the householdof
Onesiphorus."6
2 Timothy 1:17 NET: But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerlysearched
for me and found me.
“Onesiphorus lived in Ephesus, but for some reasonhad been in Rome
and, while there, had gone out of his wayto searchfor Paul until he had
found him. If Paul had been largely"abandoned" by others, Onesiphorus
may have had difficulty finding anyone who would even admit to knowing
Paul's location. Besides, a strangerto the city may simply have had
problems getting through the red tape and bureaucracyof the Roman
penal system. In any case,the aging apostle saw in Onesiphorus a brother
who allowedneither inconvenience nor potential embarrassmentto keep
him from tracking Paul down. Onesiphorus's visits had refreshedthe
lonely prisoner.”7
2 Timothy 1:18 NET: May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the
Lord on that day! And you know very well all the ways he served me in
Ephesus.
No doubt “that day,” also used in verse 12, was speaking ofthe day of the
believer's
6 Op. Cit., Phillips. 7 Ibid.
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117. judgment, when every child of God will stand before Christ to give an
accountof his life.8
2 Corinthians 5:10 NRSV: Forall of us must appearbefore the judgment
seatof Christ, so that eachmay receive recompense forwhat has been done
in the body, whether goodor evil.
Paul prayed that his friend would receive mercy from the Lord on that
final Day of Judgment. He was certainthat there would be an accounting
of eachperson's life, and that service for Christ unrewarded in this life
would be openly rewarded in Heaven.9
Timothy was familiar with Onesiphorus and his service in Ephesus.
Onesiphorus not only provided faithful service;to Paul in Rome but he
also had a recordof service in Ephesus as well.10
Paul's expression"mercy from the Lord on that day" conveys deep
appreciationto Onesiphorus, rather than a formal requestto God for his
fate in eternity. Paul was telling Timothy to imitate those, like
Onesiphorus, who were faithful to Christ and unashamed to be associated
with servants of Christ who were suffering or who were in prison.11
Onesiphorus had remained loyal to Paul when others forsook him. And in
doing so, more importantly Onesiphorus was demonstrating his loyalty to
Christ.
In verse eight of chapter two Paul told Timothy not to be ashamed: 2
Timothy 1:8 NAS: Therefore do not be ashamedof the testimony of our
Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel
according to the power of God.

118. Actually, that is a theme of this entire chapter: not to be ashamedof the
Gospelor of those who preach and teachit. We have seenhow Timothy
struggledwith timidity and possibly with anxiety. We’ve seenthat Paul
encouragedhim to overcome it by exercising his spiritual gift and by
relying on God’s power within him in the form of the Holy Spirit.
When God has done so much for us, it only seems right that we should
remain steadfastand loyal to Him. Yet have you ever been reluctant to
speak for the Lord or to witness for fear of what others would think of
you? That, in reality, is being ashamedof Christ and the Gospel.
8 Glen Spencer, The Expository Pulpit Series – SecondTimothy: The
Making of a GoodSoldier, (Tunkhannock, Pa.:WORDsearchCorp., 2000),
WORDsearchCROSSe-book,45. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid.
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Do we only actand talk Christian when we are with our fellow church
people? Or do we maintain our walk and our testimony out there in the
world, even when it gets hostile? Paul’s words to Timothy are also words
for us: “Do not be ashamedof the testimony of our Lord.” Christ put it
even more strongly: Matthew 10:33 NAS: "But whoeverdenies Me
before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”
But God also equips us so that we may take a stand for Christ without
shame. He gives us the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, just as He gave to
Timothy. Furthermore He gives us His promise that He will never leave us,
nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). So let us go forth boldly and take our stand
for Christ, being loyal to Him in word, in thought, and in our actions.

119. 1:13 I Know Whom I Have Believed
Previous Next
2 Timothy 1:12 “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is
able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”
Three great statements are made by Paul here, and he is not speaking here
as an Apostle with a capital ‘A’ that is with the unique gift of infallibility
that the 12 had, guided by the Holy Spirit to the jots and tittles of their
writings. That dimension is always presentin his writings and that is why
the climactic aspectofour worship, so often, is to considerwhat he says.
What he says, the Holy Spirit says;what he says the Lord Jesus says. But
here he is speaking as Mr. Christian like one of us, a sinner savedby grace.
What is written in our text every Christian following the Lord Jesus is also
able to say, and must say, and must ask God for trust and faith and
courage to say it aloud. We know it by the chorus of a hymn we sing every
year; “ForI know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keepthat which I’ve committed unto him againstthat day.” We are
going to end our worship service today singing that hymn together, and I
do hope that you will all be able to sing it with renewed assurancethanking
God that you do know the reality of these words from your heart. What is
the first affirmation that he makes?
1. PAUL KNOWS THE GOD HE BELIEVES IN.
The Christian knows God. Of course the Christian knows about God. He
knows about him from what God shows us every day in creation, in the
sunsetand the evening star, in the starlings as they come in to roostin their
hundreds under the pier. The heavens speak to us and they say, “Isn’t God
the Creatorglorious? Look athis godheadas the makerof the universe. All
this did not come about by a lucky chance, by a big bang. We are
surrounded by such beauty and magnificence and awe and order and
design every day of our lives. We know God and yet many are clamping
down on that knowledge in their determination to do things their way and
not God’s way. Then also this, that the Designerhas made every one of us
in his image, and so we have a consciencethat rebukes us when we are
mean and lustful and unkind and proud, but which also supports us in

120. actions characterizedby self-sacrificeand self-denialand costlydeeds of
patient love to others, “Welldone! Go for it!” our consciencetells us.
God has also made himself known to us by his servants the prophets, by
Moses andSamuel and Elijah and Isaiah and the writing prophets. God
sent hundreds of prophets from their schools throughout the villages of
Israelto preachto the people about who God was and what he wanted
from them and what one day he would do in the whole world. And their
response to the preachedword is found in part in the 150 psalms, and they
are absolutelybreathtaking in their self analysis and in their response of
humble wonder before the God who is and is not silent. Do you
understand? The people heard the prophets speak and then they did not
wink at one another and smile secretly and say, “Fairystories” or “That’s
his opinion,” or “We prefer the prophets of Baaland the earthy gods they
tell us about.” No. And they didn’t say, “I’ve been very lucky.” They heard
the prophets preachto them and this is one of the things that they said,
“Surely goodnessand mercy have followed me all the days of my life and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” They respondedin the most
thrilling songs of praise and wonder and repentance and doxologyto a
living God whom they had come to know for themselves by the preached
word.
Then in the fullness of time God kept his promise and sent his Soninto the
world. What a life JehovahJesus lived, what teaching, what sermons, what
parables!What greatsigns he performed! He turned water into wine; he
healed all the sick; he delivered young and old from the devices of the devil,
he spoke to the winds and waves and they obeyedhim, he calmed the
storm, he raised the dead. He transformed people making them wise and
loving and patient and good. He prayed for his enemies when they had
crucified him, “Fatherforgive them for they know no what they do.” He
came not to command huge crowds to fall before him with their noses in
the dust. He actually came to serve vain twerps like us. He came to seek for
us and find us and redeem us. He died that we might be forgiven; he died
to make us good, and millions of people for two thousand year have been
elevatedand enriched day by day through long lives by the powerof the
Spirit of Jesus Christwho indwells everyone who knows him.
I am saying that all mankind knows aboutGod through his glory in
creationand through the inward testimony of conscienceanda sense of
this living God, but then many know in addition to that generalrevelation
of himself him through the specialrevelation he has given of himself
through the prophets and the apostles ofJesus Christ in the Bible. They

121. know him personally. I am saying that all people know about God. They
can study the Bible, and they can learn their catechisms andthey can
repeatthe greatdefinition of God in the ShorterCatechism, “Godis a
Spirit infinite, eternaland unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power,
holiness, justice, goodnessand truth,” but the devils canrepeat such a
definition. They can say that God is one God; the Fatheris God, the Sonis
God and the Spirit is God; these three are one God. They are absolutely
correctin so defining God, but that does not mean that they know God for
themselves. James Alexander of PrincetonSeminary was dying, and his
wife was speaking to him at his bedside, and she quoted this verse of our
text to him, but she did not quote it to him accurately. She said, “I know in
whom I have believed . . .” And James gently correctedher. “I know whom
I have believed,” he said. He would not allow even two letters of a
preposition come betweenhis souland his Lord.
Paul knew all about God, that in him and from him and to him are all
things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen, but more than that knowledge,
utterly essentialandorthodox as it is, Paul knew God, and that was very
important to him, because there had been years of his life when what he
knew was about God, and in those years he was zealous about God, and he
argued and evangelizedand he wishedthat all men were just like himself in
their knowledge ofJehovah. Then when what he thought of as a cult arose
centred on a carpenter’s son, one Jesus of Nazarethclaiming that he was
the Messiah, Paulwas enragedand saw the damage it could do if it spread
and so he determined to do all in his power to exterminate it. He forced its
members to blaspheme, and he arrestedthem and setup courts to try then
and condemn them with himself as the inquisitor general. He rejoiced
when they were convicted and stoned to death. All this he did knowing
about God but never knowing God for himself.
Then on the road to Damascus, where he was travelling in order to
annihilate the spread of Christianity to that Syrian city, to wipe out any
disciples of Jesus who were appearing and speaking in the Damascus
synagogue he himself was arrestedby an encounter, a confrontation, with
the living God himself, the God whom in fact he did not know, with the
Lord Jesus. This God stopped him in his tracks and turned his world
upside down so that for the first time in his life he fell before this God and
he cried to him, “Who are you, Lord?” He was acknowledging, “Idon’t
know this Lord of such glory and power.” He needed to be introduced to
him like every sinner needs him, and it was Jesus himself who made the
introduction, “I am Jesus whomyou are persecuting.” Thenhe knew for

122. the first time that Jesus was God. In other words it was then that Paul
knew God. So let us say that there are three ways of knowing God for
yourself.
i] You know God only through knowing the Son of God. It is then that you
gain a personalknowledge ofGod and know all you need to know about
him. If you know the Son then you know the Father also, and that is why
we’re not told whether it is the Father or the Son that Paulis speaking of
here as the one he believes. The glory that Paul saw on the Damascus road
was the Lord Jesus’, so that there, lying in the road, seeing a glory like the
sun shining in its noonday brightness, was the first personalrevelation he
had of the Godwho is, the God who has made known the brightness of his
glory and the express image of his person in his blessedSon. So, I am
saying that you know God in the Jesus Christ of the Bible, our Jesus Christ
who meets with his people when they gather in his name. If you gain that
personalknowledge ofhim so that he becomes increasinglyimportant to
you as the weeksgo by then you have gained a personalknowledge ofGod.
But also this . . .
ii] You know God in repentance. Paulfell before God. Paul was a broken
man when he came to know the Lord. This proud and self-righteous man
then poured contempt on all his pride. He realized how bad he’d been,
what a mess he had made of his life, his values and ideas and beliefs and
practices were all wrong. He was deeply ashamedthat he’d guarded men’s
coats so that they could thrown sharp rocks into the face and rib-cage and
stomachand limbs of Stephen and keepthem thudding into his body as it
lay prone and defencelessonthe ground until Stephen was dead. How
horrible had been Paul’s life. He learned that he had been actually
persecuting the Sonof Godand he fell before him blinded by his glory.
There is no knowledge ofGod without an immediate new understanding of
yourself. When the thieving but now broken tax collectorin the temple
knew God remember he lookeddown to the ground and he beat his chest
and he cried, “Godbe merciful to me a sinner.” He knew Godin
repentance and then he was showing that at lasthe also knew himself. Not
a single devil, who knows all about God, asks Godfor mercy. But every
Christian who says from his heart and in all sincerity, “I know whom I
have believed” is a repentant person. And againyou must say this . . .
iii] You know God as you believe in him. That is what Paul says here, “I
know whom I have believed.” He is talking about his new trust in the Lord
Jesus Christ. You say, “WellI don’t know God, and you say that all men
know him,” but you have never put your trust in him. You have kept him

123. at a distance from your life. There is estrangementand alienation between
you and God. No wonderyou don’t know him. How can you know a God
you distrust? You have to deal with your distrust. You have to sayto God
words to the effectthat you are so sorry that you have kept him at a
distance out of your life, that you have not trusted him, but that from now
on you are going to trust him. If he says that God so loved the world that
he gave his only begottenSon that whoseverbelieves in him should not
perish but have everlasting life then you are going to trust what he says. If
he said on the cross, “itis finished!” then you trust that all the redeeming
love of God has been poured forth in what Jesus did on the cross. He has
paid every penny of your debt. He has wiped the slate clean. He has taken
to himself all your guilt for the sins of the past and the sins of the present
and the sins of the future. They are all dealt with. It is all finished, your
salvationis complete, and so you entrust yourself to his safe keeping for
ever. You know God, I say, as he is known in Jesus Christ, as you repent
and turn from your sins and as you believe in our Saviour. Let us develop
this in looking at another statementthat Paul makes here.
PAUL ENTRUSTSHIMSELF TO GOD FOR THE GREAT DAY.
Do you notice that Paul speaks ofwhat he has “entrusted to God for that
day” (v.12). He is not specific in telling us what it is and so let us look at it
carefully. Literally it means that God was able to guard Paul’s deposit for
that day. Paul has banked it with the Lord of hosts. Paulhas put it in
God’s safe-depositbox. But there is a debate about this phrase, because
there is a built in grammaticalambiguity that concerns what actually was
Paul’s deposit. Is the depositsomething that God had entrusted to Paul
(that God would keep) or was it something that Paul had entrusted to God
who would keepit. Both are true, and both are grammaticallypossible, and
so both meanings have their supporters. I see that fourteen scholars and
commentators favour the interpretation that it is what God has entrusted
to Paul, and then sixteenfavour the view that it is what Paul has entrusted
to God. They are almostall orthodox men on both sides. I have judged that
it would be bringing the study and the Christian academic dispute into the
pulpit for me to go into any lengthy explanation of this. You would find it
tedious, but I have been persuaded by an old friend from student days,
George Knight and the arguments he has setforth in his magisterial
commentary on the pastoralepistles, and so I go along with him and the
secondview that Paul is referring to what he has entrusted to God, but it is
not a crucialdifference at all. No doctrines hang on the one or the other.

124. Let me explain this word, Paul’s ‘deposit.’ The Greek wordmeans ‘a
deposit committed to someone’s trust.’You are going awayon holiday for
two weeksand you want your house plants to be wateredand so you
deposit your front door key with some neighbours whom you cantrust
absolutely. They will waterthe plants according to your instructions, some
twice a week and others once a week, the cactus not at all, and so on. You
would be very upset if you returned and found all the plants half dead
because they had not been wateredat all or because they’d been soaked
every day with water. Your neighbours had not lookedafter what you had
put into their care. Theyhad not guarded what had been depositedwith
them. Now in the days of Timothy valuables were often kept in a temple for
safe keeping. Temples were the banks and safe deposits of the ancient
world. It was a very sacredduty to safelyguard those deposits, returning
them in due time when they were claimed. So what does every Christian
deposit with God?
i] We depositour hearts with God. Our heavenly Father speaks in the book
of Proverbs, chapter 23 and verse 26 and he says to us, “My son give me
your heart.” When I was in seminary a number of the students wore a
sweatshirt with those words printed on the front, “My son give me your
heart” and above them a lithograph of outsteretchedhands supporting a
human heart. Imagine you possessedsomething supremely valuable, sayit
was a flawless diamond the size of a large walnut. It was worth many
millions of pounds. Would you say, “I’ll keepit safe in a drawer in the
house, or I’ll put it in my jewellery box in the bedroom, or I’ll hide it in a
sock under the bed.” The first place a thief would look for something
valuable is in your jewellerybox. You would be taking a terrible risk in not
putting it somewhere totallysafe. Now your heart is more valuable than
many jewels. What does it profit a man if he gain all the jewels of the world
but he loses his ownheart? Now the heart in Scripture is not referring only
to the emotions or affections. Out of the heart come all the issues of life.
Your thinking and your decisions and your values and your moral code
and your enthusiasms all proceedfrom your heart. ProfessorJohnMurray
referred to the heart as ‘the dispositionalcomplex’ at the centre of our
lives; it’s the centre of your personality; it’s the real you. The issue facing
you is who is in charge of your heart and so in charge of all the issues of
your life? There is a famous atheist poem calledInvicta written during the
Victorian period in which the poet William Ernest Henley concludes, “I am
the masterof my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” What does he expect
us to do? Shout ‘Hooray!’When death came to William ErnestHenley, as it

125. will come to eachof us, could he sayto it, “Go away! I am the masterof my
fate. I am the captain of my soul,” and then would death go pink with
embarrassmentand say, “Sorry,” and walk awayand let Henley live just
as long as he chose to? No way! Death would mock his empty words.
“Come along William. I am the masterof your fate and today it has been
appointed that you are going to die. We are not the captain of our souls.
There is an Admiral who is over us, who has superior rank and authority
and we have to bow to him. It is appointed unto us all to die one day and no
platitudes canprevent that event. Yet that vanity is the position of
everyone who rejects Jesus Christ: “I am in charge ofmy life, not God.”
Ego reigns in every unbeliever. In other words, God is not the king of your
life. Jesus is not your Lord. Self is lord. You have given your heart to self,
but a Christian is someone who had consciouslyand personallygiven his
heart to God for him to guard and keepfor ever.
ii] We deposit our lives with God. Think of your futures. Some of you are
young and you have the most important decisions to take in the years
ahead. You have to choose a spouse. You have to choose a career. You have
to deal with being a parent and nurturing your children and telling them
how they are to live. Some of them may have learning difficulties You are
to deal with retirement, and old age, and caring for agedparents, and an
agedspouse, and facing death. All these are not fancies;they are the
realities of the future of every one of us. How are you going to live? Who is
going to look after your future, and tell you how to live, to be this sort of
husband and wife and parent and boss and workman, and instruct you and
explain definitively what is the good life? The Christian is a personwho has
surrendered his whole life, all his future, to Godhis Creatorand
Redeemer. He sings this hymn as we sang it tonight:
God holds the keyof all unknown and I am glad.
If other hands should hold the key or if he trusted it to me I might be sad.
I cannot read his future plans but this I know,
I have the smiling of his face and all the refuge of his grace while here
below.
Enough; this covers all my needs and so I rest;
For what I cannothe cansee and in his care I saved shall be for ever
blessed.
(JosephParker1830-1902).

126. That is what a Christian – I mean by that someone who has given his whole
life to God – believes about the future, that God promises to supply all our
needs, and he will keepwhat we have committed to him and so we are safe,
and so we are blessedeternally.
iii] We deposit our gospelwith God. Sometimes we are very concerned
about the state of the gospelin Europe today. We are told that it is the most
unreligious part of the world. Statistics inform us how few people profess
belief in the gospel. Thenwe are conscious ofhow weak is our faith, and
how poor we are in our testimony. What does the future hold for us? Will
there still be a witness to the gospelin a hundred years’time in
Aberystwyth and will it be of such a weak anddiluted nature that it makes
no impact on societyat all? Will the gospelsurvive the powerful spreadof
secularism? Ofcourse it will. The gospelis in God’s hands and the gospelis
the powerof God unto salvationto all who believe. Christ says to the gospel
church, “You are the light of the world.” He said those words to young
fishermen who had no experience of evangelismand little graspof
theology, who had never suffered for their faith. “Let your light shine
before men,” he told them. The people dwelling in darkness will see a great
light. There is an emptiness in the hearts of men and women that all
material pleasures cannotsatisfy. There is a beauty of truth of Christ,
living and dying and rising, that will always draw men to himself. He said,
“I will build my church and the gates ofhell will not prevail againstit.”
What is contemporary arrogantunbelief compared to the gates ofhell? It
is a materialist spasm. If the gates ofhell are collapsing as the gospel
church spreads then what hope for survival does secularismhave? We
know our duty; we sow and we waterand then God says he will give the
increase and never stop and no power in heaven or earth or hell can
prevent that increase. The gospelis safe with Godin our age and in the
ages to come.
GOD IS ABLE TO GUARD ALL THAT WE’VE ENTRUSTED TO HIM.
That is the final greataffirmation that Paul makes here, that God is able to
guard and keeptotally safe everything we have depositedwith him. Paul
tells us that he is convinced about this, totally and completely assuredthat
this is so. Once God has truly savedus then we are always saved. I do not
believe that once men have made a decisionthen they are always saved.
Jesus warns us of that misconception. In the parable of the sowerhe tells us
of different classesofpeople who heard the gospeland there was initially
an immediate joyful response but when difficulties arose they gave up the
faith. We see it in Judas and in Demas. Paulwarns those who carnally

127. confident that they are going to stand that they are to beware lestthey fall.
Not every one who says to Jesus, “Lord!Lord!” will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but all he has saved we are convincedthey will be there, those his
Father gave him from before the foundation of the world, all to whom he
gave a new heart taking awaytheir stony hearts, those whose names are
written down in the Lamb’s book of life, those he suffered and died for on
Golgotha, those he is now praying for – not a single one of those will be
lost. God is able to guard them againstall the temptations of the devil, all
the enticements of a world that doesn’t want God, all the deceitful words of
enemies of the cross – God is able to keepeverything that we’ve committed
to him againstthat day. We are convinced of that. Once you have given
your heart to Jesus Christ you can never be lost. You will continue with
him as the Lord of your life for ever. God is wonderfully patient towards
us. Who is a pardoning God like him? We have displayed such fickleness in
our walk with God, such inconsistencies,some periods so zealous while at
other times we grew indifferent. What phantoms we are, but we have given
ourselves in all our weaknessto him and he says that he will preserve and
guard us in our entire journey, even those times when we conclude that we
cannot be a Christian at all behaving as we do in such a sub-Christian way.
We will survive! We will survive! We will be more than conquerors
through his love! We will go to heaven. God has made up his mind. We are
in for the long haul. We are secure not for the years of time alone but for
eternity. What does Paul sayhere? God will guard us “for that day” and he
is referring to the greatDay of Judgment that all mankind is facing. Jesus
spoke of the greatShepherd who one day will gatherall the world around
him and he will separate the sheep from the goats. He will say to the sheep,
“Come ye blessed” and to the goats he will say, “Departfrom me I never
knew you.” There will be a great separation, but not one of his sheepwill
perish. Not one canbe plucked out of Christ’s wounded hands or plucked
out of his Father’s hands because Godis able to guard them. Nothing can
separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. On the greatDay of
Judgment, the one whom we face, the Judge of all the earth, will be the one
who loved us and gave himself for us on the Cross. He died to save us and
he will ensure that his death will not be in vain. Our conscience willconvict
us but God is greaterthan our consciences.Our fierce accuser, Satan, will
point to our coldness and our hypocrisies and our failures with besetting
sin, and it will all be true, but we have a reply that destroys all that
condemnation, “Christ has died.” The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son
cleansesus from all sin. He has gone to prepare a place for us and he will
take us to himself that where he is there will be all who have put their trust

128. in him. There will not be a single empty place at the marriage feastof the
Lamb.
Those whom God foreknew he has foreordained for heaven, and eachone
of them he has personally and effectuallycalled, regenerated, justified,
adopted, joined to his Son Jesus Christand glorified. God did all of that.
So I to the end shall endure as sure as the earnestis given,
More happy but not more secure the glorified spirits in heaven.
Not one of them will fall into hell. No one. It is utterly impossible. It is a
moral and theologicalimpossibility. God will not allow the devil to
celebrate the destruction of even the weakestlamb whom the good
Shepherd laid down his life to save. “ForI am convincedthat neither death
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the presentnor the future, nor
any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will
be able to separate us from the love of Godthat is in Christ Jesus our
Lord” (Roms 8:38&39). Godwill guard all who have been committed to
him for that day. If we perish then we shall lose heaven, but if we perish
then the Almighty will lose his reputation as one who claims that he can
guard us for ever and ever. This is what our Lord has said, “This is the will
of him that sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but
raise it up the last day” (Jn.6:39).
We must remember the way God works. Goddid not give us saving grace
because he knew that we would be totally responsible and trustworthy
disciples, never warming our hands by a fire in the night and denying
Jesus. He knew that we were depraved. There was nothing in us, not even
the most microscopic minute atom that was totally untouched by sin and so
was as holy as God and worthy of his love. Rather everything within us
would cause him to judge and condemn us. The cause ofhis eternal love for
us welled up within God himself, in the Father, and in the Son, and in the
Holy Spirit. God knew from the first that there was nothing we would ever
be or do that would make us worthy of heaven, just as there would be
nothing we would do that would cause him to change his mind about us
and put us in hell. When God saw the atrocious wickedness ofKing David
in taking a man’s wife and having him murdered, then God did not say,
“Right! It is hell for you my lad.” God did not break his word that he
would keepwhat David had committed to him, but God did break David’s
heart. Nothing his people can do forces Godto stoploving us and stop
saving us. Much we do grieves his Spirit and quenches its operationin our
hearts and our reward in heaven will be less. I guess there will be millions

129. of men and women in heaven closerto the throne and the Lamb than King
David will be and that is exactly how David wants it, utterly content with
the judgment of God and his place in glory, eternally amazed at God’s
mercy to him and the love he receives there from Uriah the Hittite.
Do they sing togetherthere with all the saints – Bathsheba too – those who
have been savedand guarded by God and brought to glory a hymn of
praise to their sovereignProtector, a hymn that might go something like
this hymn . . .
I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me he hath made known
Or why unworthy Christ in love redeemed me for his own.
But I know whom I have believed and am persuadedthat he is able to keep
that which I’ve committed unto him againstthat day. (D.W.Whittie 1883).
Let us pray and then sing it together.
10th January 2016 GEOFFTHOMAS
Battling the Unbelief of MisplacedShame
Resource by John Piper
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:6–12 Topic:Killing Sin
Let’s start with a dictionary definition of shame. Shame is the painful
emotion causedby a consciousnessofguilt or shortcoming or impropriety.
Let me illustrate eachof those causes.
First, the cause of guilt. Suppose you act againstyour conscience and
withhold information on your tax returns. For a couple years you feel
nothing because it has been put out of your mind, and you weren’t caught.
Then you are calledto accountby the IRS and it becomes public
knowledge that you lied and you stole. Your guilt is known. Now in the
light of public censure you feel the pain of shame.
Or take the cause ofshortcoming. In the Olympics suppose you come from
a little country where you are quite goodin the 3,000-meterrace. Thenyou
compete before thousands of people in Seoul, and the competition is so

130. tough that by the time the lastlap comes up, you are a whole lap behind
everyone else, and you must keeprunning all by yourself while everyone
watches. There’s no guilt here. But the humiliation and shame could be
intense.
Or take the cause ofimpropriety. You are invited to a party and you find
out when you getthere that you dressedall wrong. Again, no evil or guilt.
Just a socialblunder, an impropriety that makes you feel foolish and
embarrassed.
Well-PlacedVersus MisplacedShame
One of the things that jumps right out at you from this definition of shame
is that there is some shame that is justified and some that isn’t. There are
some situations where shame is exactlywhat we should feel. And there are
some situations where we shouldn’t. Mostpeople would saythat the liar
ought to be ashamed. And most people would probably say that the long
distance runner who gave it his best shot ought not to feel ashamed.
Disappointment would be healthy, but not shame.
Let me illustrate from Scripture these two kinds of shame. The Bible
makes very clearthat there is a shame we ought to have and a shame we
ought not to have. I’m going to call the one kind, “misplacedshame” and
the other kind “well-placedshame.”
Misplacedshame (the kind we ought not to have) is the shame you feel
when there is no goodreasonto feelit. Biblically, that means the thing you
feel ashamedof is not dishonoring to God; or that it is dishonoring to God,
but you didn’t have a hand in it. In other words, misplacedshame is shame
for something that’s good — something that doesn’t dishonor God. Or it’s
shame for something bad but which you didn’t have any sinful hand in.
That’s the kind of shame we ought not have.
Well-placedshame (the kind you ought to have) is the shame you feel when
there is goodreasonto feel it. Biblically, that means we feel ashamedof
something because ourinvolvement in it was dishonoring to God. We
ought to feelshame when we have a hand in bringing dishonor upon God
by our attitudes or actions.
“If we want to battle shame at the root, we have to know how it relates to
God.”
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I want to be sure you see how important God is in this distinction between
misplaced shame and well-placedshame. Whether we have a hand in
honoring God or dishonoring God makes all the difference. If we want to
battle shame at the root, we have to know how it relates to God. And we do
need to battle shame at the root — all shame. Becauseboth misplaced
shame and well-placedshame cancripple us if we don’t know how to deal
with them at the root.
MisplacedShame
So let’s look at some Scriptures that illustrate misplaced shame and some
that illustrate well-placedshame.
SecondTimothy 1:8
Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but take your share of suffering for the gospelin the powerof God.
What this text says is that if you feel shame for testifying about Jesus, you
have a misplaced shame. We ought not to feelshame for this. Christ is
honored when we speak wellof him. And he is dishonored by fearful
silence. So it is not a shameful thing to testify, but a shameful thing not to.
Secondly, the text says that if you feelshame that a friend of yours is in
trouble (in this case:prison) for Jesus’s sake, then your shame is
misplaced. The world may see this as a sign of weakness anddefeat. But
Christians know better. God is honored by the courage ofhis servants to go
to prison for his name. We ought not to feel shame that we are associated
with something that honors God in this way, no matter how much scorn
the world heaps on.
Mark 8:38
Whoeveris ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, of him will the Sonof Man also be ashamed, when he comes in
the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Shame is misplacedwhen we feel it because ofthe person or the words of
Jesus. If Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” and others laugh and callit

132. unrealistic, we should not feel ashamed. If Jesus says, “Fornicationis evil,”
and liberated yuppies label it out of date, we should not feel shame to stand
with Jesus. Thatwould be misplacedshame because the words of Jesus are
true and God-honoring, no matter how foolish the world may try to make
them look.
First Peter4:16
If one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name
let him glorify God.
Suffering and being reproachedand made fun of as a Christian is not an
occasionfor shame, because it is an occasionfor glorifying God. In other
words, in the Bible the criterion for what is well-placedshame and what is
misplaced shame is not how foolishor how bad you look to men, but
whether you in fact bring honor to God.
This is so important to grasp, because much of what makes us feelshame is
not that we have brought dishonor on Godby our actions, but that we have
failed to give the appearance that other people admire. Much of our shame
is not God-centered, but self-centered. Until we get a goodhandle on this,
we will not be able to battle the problem of shame at its root.
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamedof the gospel, for it is the powerof God for salvationto
everyone who believes.
The reasonshame in the gospelwould be a misplaced shame is that the
gospelis the very power of God unto salvation. The gospelmagnifies God
and humbles man. And so to the world the gospeldoesn’t look like power
at all. It looks like weakness(asking people to be like children and depend
on Jesus, insteadof standing on their own two feet). But for those who
believe it is the power of almighty God to save sinners.
SecondCorinthians 12:9–10
Jesus said[to Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for my poweris made
perfect in weakness.” Iwill all the more gladly exult in my weakness, that
the powerof Christ may restupon me. Forthe sake ofChrist, then, I am
content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.

133. Now ordinarily weaknessesandinsults are occasionsforshame. But for
Paul they are occasionsforexultation. Paul thinks that shame in his
weaknessesand shame at insults and persecutions would be misplaced
shame. Why? Becausethe power of Christ is perfected in Paul’s weakness.
I conclude from all these texts that the biblical criterion for misplaced
shame is radically God-centered. The biblical criterion says, don’t feel
shame for something that honors God no matter how weak orfoolish it
makes you look in the eyes of unbelievers.
Well-PlacedShame
The same God-centerednesswillbe seenif we look at some texts that
illustrate well-placedshame.
First Corinthians 15:34
Come to your right mind, and sin no more. For some have no knowledge of
God. I saythis to your shame.
Here, Paul says that these people ought to feelshame. “I saythis to your
shame.” Their shame would be well-placedif they saw their deplorable
ignorance of God and how it was leading to false doctrine (no resurrection)
and sin in the church. In other words, well-placedshame is shame for what
dishonors God— ignorance of God, sin againstGod, false beliefs about
God.
First Corinthians 6:5
The Christians were going to secularcourts to settle disputes among
themselves. Paulrebukes them.
I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise
enough to decide betweenmembers of the brotherhood? Again he says they
should feelshame: “I say this to your shame.” Their shame would be well-
placed because their behavior is bringing such disrepute upon their God as
they fight one another and seek help from the godless to settle their
disputes. A well-placedshame is the shame you feel because you are
involved in dishonoring God.
And let’s not miss this implication: these people were trying their best to
appear strong and right. They wanted to be vindicated by men. They
wanted to be winners in court. They didn’t want anyone to run over them

134. as though they had no rights. That would look weak andshameful. So in
the very act of wanting to avoid shame as the world sees it, they fell into the
very behavior that God counts shameful.
The point is: when you are dishonoring God, you ought to feel shame, no
matter how strong or wise or right you are in the eyes of men.
Ezekiel43:10
And you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple and its
appearance and plan, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.
“Sin is always a proper cause for shame because sinis behavior that
dishonors God.”
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God says Israelought to feelshame for its iniquities. Sin is always a proper
cause for shame because sin is behavior that dishonors God. (See also
Romans 6:21; 2 Thessalonians3:14 for more instances of well-placed
shame.)
We canconclude from all these texts that the biblical criterion for
misplaced shame and for well-placedshame is radically God-centered.
The biblical criterion for misplaced shame says, “Don’t feelshame for
something that honors God, no matter how weak orfoolish or wrong it
makes you look in the eyes of men. And don’t feelshame for bad
circumstances where you don’t share in dishonoring God.”
The biblical criterion for well-placedshame says, “Do feelshame for
having a hand in anything that dishonors God, no matter how strong or
wise or right it makes you look in the eyes of men.”
Three Instances of Battling MisplacedShame
Now how do you battle this painful emotion calledshame? The answeris
that we battle it by battling the unbelief that feeds its life. And we fight for
faith in the promises of God that overcome shame and relieve us from its
pain. Let me illustrate with three instances.

135. 1. When Well-PlacedShame Lingers Too Long
In the case ofwell-placedshame for sin the pain ought to be there but it
ought not to stay there. If it does, it’s owing to unbelief in the promises of
God.
For example, a woman comes to Jesus in a Pharisee’s house weeping and
washing his feet. No doubt she felt shame as the eyes of Simon
communicated to everyone present that this womanwas a sinner and that
Jesus had no business letting her touch him. Indeed she was a sinner.
There was a place for true shame, but not for too long. Jesus said, “Your
sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48). And when the guests murmured about this,
he helped her faith againby saying, “Your faith has savedyou; go in
peace” (verse 50).
How did Jesus help her battle the crippling effects ofshame? He gave her a
promise: “Your sins are forgiven! Your faith has savedyou. Your future
will be one of peace.” So the issue for her was belief. Would she believe the
glowering condemnationof the guests? Orwould she believe the reassuring
words of Jesus that her shame was enough? She’s forgiven. She’s saved.
She may go in peace.
And that is the way every one of us must battle the effects ofa well-placed
shame that threatens to linger too long and cripple us. We must battle
unbelief by taking hold of promises like,
There is forgiveness withthee that thou mayest be feared. (Psalm 130:4)
Seek the Lord while he may be found. Callupon him while he is near. Let
the wickedman forsake his wayand the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let
him return to the Lord that he may have mercy on him and to our God for
he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah55:6)
If we confess oursins he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. (1
Timothy 1:15)
Every one who believes in him receives forgivenessofsins through his
name. (Acts 10:43; 13:39)
2. Feeling Shame for Something That Glorifies God

136. The secondinstance of battling shame is the instance of feeling shame for
something that is not even bad but in fact glorifies God — like Jesus orthe
gospel.
Our text shows how Paul battled againstthis misplaced shame. In verse 12
he says, “Therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know
whom I have believed, I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day
what has been entrusted to me.”
Paul makes very clearhere that the battle againstmisplacedshame is a
battle againstunbelief. “I am not ashamedfor I know whom I have
believed and I am sure of his keeping power.” We fight againstfeelings of
shame in Christ and the gospeland the Christian ethic by battling unbelief
in the promises of God. Do we believe that the gospelis the powerof God
unto salvation? Do we believe that Christ’s poweris made perfectin our
weakness?The battle againstmisplacedshame is the battle againstunbelief
in the promises of God.
3. Feeling Shame for Something We Didn’t Do
Finally, the last instance of battling shame is the instance where others try
to load us with shame for evil circumstances whenin fact we had no part in
dishonoring God.
It happened to Jesus. Theycalledhim a winebibber and a glutton. They
calledhim a temple destroyer. They calledhim a hypocrite: He healed
others, but he can’t heal himself. In all this the goalwas to load Jesus with
a shame that was not his to bear.
The same with Paul. They calledhim mad when he defended himself in
court. They calledhim an enemy of the Jewishcustoms and a breakerof
the Mosaic law. Theysaid he taught that you should sin that grace may
abound. All this to load him with a shame that it was not his to bear.
“No one who banks his hope on the promises of God will be put to shame.”
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And it has happened to you. And will happen again. How do you battle this
misplaced shame? By believing the promises of God that in the end all the
efforts to put us to shame will fail. We may struggle now to know what is

137. our shame to bear and what is not. But God has a promise for us in either
case:
Israelis saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation;you shall not be put
to shame or confounded to all eternity. (Isaiah 45:17;49:23)
No one who believes in the Lord will be put to shame. (Romans 10:11; 9:33)
In other words, for all the evil and deceitjudgment and criticism that
others may use to heap on us a shame that is not ours to bear, and for all
the distress and spiritual warfare it brings, the promise stands sure that
they will not succeedin the end. All the children of God will be vindicated.
The truth will be known. And no one who banks his hope on the promises
of God will be put to shame.
SERMON:The Fellowshipof the Unashamed SCRIPTURE:2 Timothy
1:8-18 SPEAKER: MichaelP. Andrus DATE: April 29, 2012
Last Lord’s DayPastorJoshshared with us very poignantly about how he
could relate to Timothy, the young protégée ofthe Apostle Paul to whom
he addresses this powerful personalletter we know as 2 Timothy. Joshsaw
in Timothy’s backgroundsome of the same family of origins issues which
he himself experienced, namely the absence ofa godly father in the home.
While Paul praises Timothy’s mother and grandmother for the powerful
spiritual influence they had in his life, no mention is made of his father or
his grandfather. Whether they were deceasedor separatedfrom the family
or merely unbelievers, we do not know, but it seems that the absence of
male spiritual models from the home createdsome unique challenges for
Timothy, and for Josh–challenges whichboth, thankfully, overcame by the
grace ofGod.
I did not have that problem. I grew up in a godly home with a very
involved father, four of whose five children actuallyfollowed him into the
ministry–not because we felt pressured but because my dad made serving
God vocationallyvery attractive. Nevertheless, I also relate to Timothy,
but for an entirely different reasonfrom Josh–one ofpersonality. Let me
explain.

138. Severalyears ago our whole staff went through some psychologicaltesting
offered by a highly qualified church consultant. I can’t even remember
why we did it, but I think it had to do with helping us mesh togetheras a
team. The testing expert didn’t know any of us, but the results he came up
with were uncannily accurate. One ofthe scalesonwhich we were rated
was an extrovert/introvert scale. Guesswhichof our staff emergedas the
number one extrovert, defined as one who is energized by being around
people? Well, it was Dan Curnutt, the quintessential people-person.
Guess who was the most introverted, i.e. the one who is by nature shy,
drained by crowds, and energizedby books? Yours truly. On a scale of1-
10 for extroversion, I think I was a minus 4. Now I suspectsome of you are
surprised by that. As a Lead Pastorfor 38 years in two fairly large
churches I have spent most of my adult life in the public eye, and frankly I
workedhard to be friendly and available. But at heart I am a very private
person. I hate crowds and I’m scaredto death to speak extemporaneously
in public. My ideal vacationis not DisneyWorld but a trip to southern
Utah, where some of God’s greatestnatural handiwork is on display and
where people are scarce. I’ve gone there eight times in the last ten years.
I wouldn’t be shockedif someone, having heard this, were to ask, “Why in
the world would a pathologicalintrovert go into a careeras a public
speakerand leaderof a large organization?” Well, without trying to sound
too spiritual, I believe God calledme into pastoralministry. I’m not the
first introvert, and I won’t be the lastHe calls into leadership, and
wheneverGod calls,
2
He equips. We may not be entirely comfortable where He puts us, but we
can be confident He will provide the strength and resources to be obedient
and effective.
It is here that I relate to Timothy, for he, too, was timid and introverted,
unsure of himself in public, given to insecurity. Now to be honestthis was
in part due to his age. He was young and inexperienced when he became
the pastorof the church Paul planted in Ephesus, which reminds me of

139. what I was when I first became pastorhere–five years younger than Joshis
today. In 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul says to Timothy, “Let no one despise you
for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in
love, in faith, in purity.” In the next chapterPaul will urge Timothy to flee
youthful passions.
But Timothy was not only young; he was also by nature timid, mentioned
in Josh’s passagelastSunday–2 Timothy 1:7. This is also hinted at in 1
Corinthians 16:10, where Paul tells the church, “When Timothy comes, see
that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord,
as I am. So let no one despise him.” I gather from this that Timothy was
so insecure and fearful that he actually attracteda certain amount of
criticism for it.
In addition, severaltimes in his letters to Timothy Paul urges him not to
neglecthis spiritual giftedness (last week in 2 Timothy 1:6 and also in 1
Timothy 4:14), which I assume was not because he lackeddesire to serve,
but because he lackedboldness and courage.
However, the most important hint we get about Timothy’s introverted
personality may be found in our text for today. It is the term “not
ashamed,” found three times in the lasthalf of chapter one and againin
chapter 2. It conveys the notion of timidity, fear, even cowardice thatso
often plagues those of us who are high on the introvert scale, but which can
also affectanyone in given circumstances.
So let’s turn our attention to the Word of Godas found in 2 Timothy 1:8-
18 in the pew Bible. There is a parentheticalthought in verses 9-11–more
than a passing thought, actually a purposeful and very important
theologicaltreatise–butin order to graspthe argument of the passage
better, I want us to skip those verses in our reading, but I will definitely
come back to them in the course of the sermon.
2 Timothy 1:8, 12b-18 (ESV) 8Therefore do not be ashamedof the
testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering
for the gospelby the powerof God, … 12bI am not ashamed, for I know
whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until

140. that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13Follow the pattern of the sound
words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ
Jesus. 14Bythe Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the gooddeposit
entrusted to you.
15You are aware that all who are in Asia turned awayfrom me, among
whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16Maythe Lord grant mercy to the
household of Onesiphorus, for he often
3
refreshedme and was not ashamedof my chains, 17but when he arrived in
Rome he searchedforme earnestlyand found me— 18maythe Lord grant
him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the
service he rendered at Ephesus.
In this brief passagethe Apostle urges his young friend Timothy, either
directly or indirectly, not to be ashamed–oftestifying about the Lord, of
suffering for the Gospel, or of God’s faithful servants. Evidently the
temptation to be ashamed must have been very realfor Timothy, and by
extensionfor many of us. But if we’re going to be able to graspthe heart of
what Paul is talking about I think we need to examine this term
“ashamed.” Whatdoes it mean? Why is it a threat to our spiritual health
and ministry?
One of our esteemedprofessors atTrinity Seminary, Dr. Richard
Averbeck, has done some ground-breaking work on the subjectof shame,
basedon the creationstory. He is uniquely qualified because he has a
Ph.D. in Hebrew and Semitics and is a licensed therapist. As you recall,
following the creationof Adam and Eve, the crown jewelof God’s creative
work, we read, “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no
shame” (Gen. 2:25) They enjoyedabsolute openness and uninhibited
intimacy both with God and with eachother.
But immediately after their sin they felt the urge to hide from God and to
coverup from eachother. Theywent from fellowship to hiding, from
confidence to fear. Before the Fall when God walkedin the gardenit was

141. the most natural thing in the world for Adam and Eve to run to Him; after
the Fallthe most natural thing was to run awayfrom Him. If we feel
shame we always want to coverup and hope no one sees us in our shame.
However, there are different degrees ofshame. Embarrassmentis a slight
form of it, but extremely painful for some people. Pathologicalfearis a
more serious form, and much more powerful.
We all struggle with shame to varying degrees,but we do not have to be
controlled by it–that’s one clear teaching of this passage. Godwouldnot
tell us not to be ashamedif it weren’t possible for us to avoid it. Dr.
Averbeck suggests we reallyhave two options in life. We caneither allow
the insecurity we feeland experience to cause us to run away from God
and from people, or we canallow it to drive us back to God and by His
powerbuild relationships with people.
Now it is my contentionthat shame is generallya more challenging issue
for the timid, the introverted. Everyone experiences it, but those with
Timothy’s personality type are more likely to hide, to feel vulnerable, to
hold back. Now with that as background I want us to examine the first
thing Paul urges Timothy not to be ashamedof.
Don’t be ashamedto testify about Jesus. (8)
The Gospelof a crucified Savior, according to 1 Corinthians 1:23, struck
Jews as blasphemous and pagans as downright foolishness, so it is
understandable that a faint-hearted person like Timothy might shrink
from incurring the inevitable scornthat bold preaching of Christ might
4
bring upon him.i But Paul wants Timothy to be a fearless evangelist, andI
think he wants all of us to be that, but for a young pastorit was especially
important, timid or not.
I must tell you that I am not proud of my recordas an evangelist. People
have come to faith in Christ through my ministry. After all, God has
promised that His word will not return void, and I have preached His

142. Word. But I am a cowardwhen it comes to testifying, at leastcomparedto
people like Audrey Schultz, Joe Stout, Gary Bugg, Tyler Hiebert, Curt
Romig. I need this exhortation of Paul to Timothy–Don’t be ashamedto
testify about Jesus–anywhere, anytime. My introverted personality is no
more an excuse for me than it was for Timothy.
Then Paul tells Timothy . . .
Don’t be ashamedto suffer for the Gospel. (8, 11-12a)
Start againat verse 8: “Therefore do not be ashamedof the testimony
about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the
gospelby the power of God.” There were apparently some in the church
who were ashamedof Paul because he was suffering. Perhaps they were of
the view that if Paul were serving God faithfully he would be healthy and
wealthy rather than suffering in prison with imminent executionhanging
over his head. Paul rejects that reasoning completelyand even invites
Timothy to join him in suffering for the Gospel.
Now I confess I’m not much into suffering. I don’t go looking for it; in
fact, I try to avoid it. To be honestI’ve never really been exposedto much
persecution. Oh, I’ve been criticized, I’ve receivednasty emails, I’ve been
misjudged, but if I’m brutally honestmost of it has been because of my
own mistakes and stupidity, not because of the Gospel. Mostofthe conflict
I have endured has been over personality issues and my own leadership
failures, not because I was preaching the Gospeltoo boldly.
So once again I need this exhortation as much as Timothy. In fact, we may
all need it because laterin this book Paul promises Timothy that “everyone
who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (3:12)
It’s inevitable for serious Christians. We Americans have probably
enjoyed the greatestfreedomfrom religious persecutionthan any nation in
history has enjoyed, but I don’t know how much longer it’s going to last.
Our country is becoming more and more unfriendly, at times even
downright antagonistic, to the Gospel. Recentlya major university
establisheda policy that Christian organizations on campus could no
longerdiscriminate on the basis of belief or behavior in setting

143. qualifications for leadership. In other words, if an Intervarsity chapter
was choosing a leader, an atheist or anarchist or gay activisthad as much
right to run for the office as a committed Christian.
On anotherfront I believe that within ten years the Lesbian, Gay,
Transgendersteamrollerwill not stop until they get laws passedthat
prohibit churches and pastors from discriminating on the basis of sexual
orientation, evenwhen it comes to weddings. In fact, there is a proposed
ordinance before the Hutchinson, KS city councilthat requires churches
that rent their facilities
5
for weddings not to discriminate againstgayweddings no matter what
their theologyis on the matter.
And friends, make no mistake about it–marriage is a Gospelissue. It is a
divine picture of Christ’s relationship with His Church. “Husbands, love
your wives (not your partner, not your significant other, your wife), just as
Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy”
(Eph. 5:25-26) I suspectthe evangelicalchurchbefore long may have to
abandon civil marriage altogetherin favor of marriage licenses issuedby
the church–just to protect the integrity of marriage as the Bible defines it.
By the way, where do we getthe courage to endure if and when we are
calledto suffer for the Gospel? I don’t think we have it in ourselves.
Thankfully, verse 8 clearlytells us–the courage comesby the powerof God.
He will help us.
A parenthetical treatise on the Gospel(9-11)
Now before we go on to Paul’s third exhortation, I want us to take a look at
this parentheticaltreatise on salvation in verses 9-11. Bycalling it a
parenthesis I do not mean that it is unimportant. It may be the most
important thing in this passage.

144. The Gospel, as you may well know, means “GoodNews,”the goodnews
God has fulfilled His promise to send a Savior to rescue brokenpeople,
restore creation’s glory, and rule overall with compassionand justice.ii
The short form would be “Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). John3:16 is a little fuller description: “God so
loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoeverbelieves in
Him shall not perish but have eternallife.”
Paul has just urged Timothy to join him in suffering for the Gospel, and
that triggers in his mind this awesome statementonthe plan of salvation.
Let’s read it starting in verse 9.
2 Timothy 1:9-12a (ESV) 9[God] savedus and called us to a holy calling,
not because ofour works but because ofhis own purpose and grace, which
he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10andwhichnow has
been manifested through the appearing of our SaviorChrist Jesus, who
abolisheddeath and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel, 11forwhich I was appointed a preacherand apostle and teacher,
12whichis why I suffer as I do.”
The purpose of this parenthesis is to inform Timothy, and us, that if we are
calledupon to suffer for the Gospelwe can rely on God’s powerto bring us
through it triumphantly. And it will be worth it all because ofthe awesome
salvationGod has planned. First he speaks of. . .
1. The nature of our salvation:What it is. “He savedus and called us to a
holy calling.” When you ask the average personwhatit means to be saved,
you’re likely to hear that it means
6
you’re going to heaven when you die. Or if they have a little more biblical
understanding they might respond that it means you’re forgiven of your
sins. But verse 9 makes it clearthat salvation is more than a heavenly
destiny, more than forgiveness ofsin: we are called to holy living. This is a
constanttheme of Paul’s. In many of his letters he says we are “calledto

145. be saints,” which means we are calledto live as the holy, unique people of
God.
2. The source of our salvation:Where it comes from. “He called us not
because ofour works but because ofhis ownpurpose and grace, which he
gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” JohnStottwrites, “If we
would trace the river of salvation to its source, we must look . . . beyond
time to a past eternity.”iii Clearly our salvationcannot depend upon
anything we have done, because God’s grace was givenbefore we did
anything, in fact, before we were evenborn. Our security rests not on
ourselves but on God’s own purpose and grace. That’s goodnews for a
timid introvert; in fact, it’s goodnews for anyone.
3. The ground of our salvation:On what it rests. Verse 10 says, “which
now has been manifestedthrough the appearing of our Savior Christ
Jesus.” ThoughGodgave us His grace in Christ before time began, He
manifested it in time–through the appearing of Christ. The reference to
His appearing includes His incarnation, miraculous birth, sinless life,
atoning death on the Cross, resurrection, and ascensionto the Father. The
focus, of course, here and everywhere in the New Testamentis on the
Cross-workthat Jesus did. That is the heart of the Gospel.
4. The result of our salvation: What it produces. In verse 10 Paul
mentions two things Jesus accomplished:“He abolished death and brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel.” To abolishdeath does
not mean to eliminate it, as obviously death is still around. We as a church
have been reminded of that recentlyas we have lost severallong-time
faithful members, and a number of you have lostextended family. The
Greek word “to abolish” means to defeator overthrow, to make ineffective,
to render powerless. Deathis not the grim reaper to us. It is simply a
falling asleepin Jesus;in fact, it is so innocuous that Paul speaks ofit as
“gain” for the believer, an actualpromotion.
But not only has God rendered death powerless;in its place He has
brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Life probably
refers to the real living that is possible for those who know Christ. Sadly,
there are many who seemto think they have to sacrifice living now in order

146. to go to heavenin the future. That’s the furthest thing from Paul’s mind,
or Jesus’. He claimed in John 10:10, “I have come that you might have life
and have it to the full!” Life to the full is not found in romance novels,
friends, or in the movies, or in sports, or in financial success;it’s found in
knowing Jesus. Immortality refers to the eternal destiny of the believer.
Know whom, not just what, you believe. (12)
Now in verse 12 Paul returns to his main thought of the importance of not
being ashamed. This time, instead of exhorting Timothy not to be
ashamed, Paul speaks forhimself: “I am not
7
ashamed.” Yes, I am suffering as a minister of the Gospel, “But I am not
ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is
able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” I think the
key thought here canbe expressedthis way: Know whom, not just what
you believe.
I find it very interesting that Paul does not say, “I know what I have
believed.” That would make sense. In fact, it’s what we would expect,
because it is very important to know what we believe, and why. I just
finished teaching an LBI class on EvangelicalConvictions. About 50
people took this three-month class to learn more about Christian theology.
I would never downplay the importance of knowing what and why we
believe. But it is infinitely more important to know whom you believe,
because Christianity is not primarily a philosophy, not even principally a
theology. It is a relationship with almighty God through Jesus Christ.
Knowing God personally through Christ gave Paul a very important
conviction: that God is able to guard what had been entrusted to Paul until
the day of judgment. When I learned this verse from the KJV I thought it
meant that God was able to guard what Paul had entrusted to God, namely
his personaltrust and commitment. In other words, it seemedlike a verse
promising eternalsecurity. Even the NIV reads that way. But the ESV
translates it correctly, I think. What God is able to guard is what God

147. entrusted to Paul, namely the Gospel. I will return to this thought in a
moment.
The fourth exhortation to Timothy canbe summed up this way:
Keep the faith. (13)
We use that expressionrather looselytoday. It canrefer to everything
from maintaining political orthodoxy to continuing to root for the Royals.
But Paul has in mind the Gospel, which he refers to using two expressions:
It is both a pattern of sound words and a gooddeposit.
1. Follow the pattern of sound words. Sound words are healthy words,
words that lead to wholeness. Paulis referring to the apostolic doctrine he
and the other apostles taught. The term “pattern” means “standard” or
“model.” Timothy is to maintain Paul’s teaching as his guide and not
depart from it. Many modern theologians feelno compulsion to follow
Paul or any other biblical writer. They view the ancients as primitive and
themselves as enlightened. But we sang a wonderful song earlier in the
service, a song that exalts Ancient Words.
Holy words, long preserved, For our work in this world, They resound with
God's own heart, Oh let the ancientwords impart.
Words of life, words of hope, Give us strength, help us cope,
8
In this world wherever we roam, Ancient words will guide us home.
Ancient words, ever true Changing me and changing you, We have come
with open hearts, Oh let the ancientwords impart.
Paul also addresses the issue of how Timothy is to do this: “in the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus.” I’m reminded here of the counselPaul gives

148. at the end of chapter 2: “The Lord’s servantmust not be quarrelsome but
kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his
opponents with gentleness.” It’s possible to be so focusedon truth that one
becomes abrasive and obnoxious. Truth and love must go togetherlike
hand in glove.
2. Guard the gooddepositwith the Holy Spirit’s help. The Gospelis a
treasure God has depositedwith the church. It was first given to the
prophets and apostles. Now Paulentrusts it to Timothy, and next week we
will see that Timothy is to pass it on to others (2:2). But it can’t be passed
on if it is not protected. Timothy must guard the Gospelbecause there are
many who would stealit–by watering it down, by substituting something
more palatable, by adding to it, by subtracting from it.
Please note this job is too big for Timothy himself–he can only do it by the
help of the Holy Spirit. This takes us back to the thought in verse 12 that
God is able to guard the Gospeluntil that Day, yet He invites us to join
Him in that endeavor. He doesn’t need us, but He is willing to use us.
Listen to John Stott’s analysis: Godwill never allow the light of the gospel
to be finally extinguished. True, he has committed it to us, frail and fallible
creatures. He has placedhis treasure in brittle, earthenware vessels. And
we must play our part in guarding and defending the truth. Nevertheless,
in entrusting the deposit to our hands, he has not takenhis own hands
off.iv
Be prepared for adversity and grateful for encouragement. (15-18)
Paul has one more issue to address. He wants Timothy to be prepared for
adversity but also be thankful for any encouragementhe receives, so Paul
rehearses his own experience with three rather obscure people–Phygelus,
Hermogenes, and Onesiphorus.
Phygelus and Hermogenes are notable for abandoning Paul in time of
need. I don’t know why they are picked out for specialmention when the
text says all in Asia joined them in turning awayfrom Paul. They must
have been ringleaders. It’s almost unimaginable how Paul’s fortunes
changed. He had personallyfounded the church at Ephesus, as well as

149. churches in many urban centers in Asia Minor. In Acts 19:10 we read that
“all the residents of Asia heard the word of
9
the Lord, both Jews and Greeks,”and many believed. Tragicallythis great
awakening was followedby a greatdefectionduring Nero’s persecution.v
But there was one encouraging exception–a man named Onesiphorus. He
was not ashamed of Paul’s chains. He actually searchedforPaul until he
found him. Why was that necessary? It wasn’tunusual for the emperor’s
prisoners to be stripped of their identity and isolatedfrom friends and
family. Onesiphorus searchedand searched, probably at some risk to
himself, until he found Paul and ministered to him–undoubtedly providing
food and others essentials.
Paul offers two prayers regarding Onesiphorus, and these prayers may
contain a hint that he has passedaway. The first prayer is for his
household, i.e. his family, rather than for him. The secondis that
Onesiphorus may find mercy from the Lord on the Day of Judgment.
Could it be that he actually lost his life trying to encourage the Apostle? At
any rate, Timothy could take heart that while many have defected, some
will be faithful to the end.
My sermontoday canbe expressedin a sentence:Don’t use your
backgroundor your personalityas an excuse for being ashamed of the
Gospel;instead guard it with the Holy Spirit’s help. How important of an
issue is this? Jesus said, “Forwhoeveris ashamedof me and my words in
this adulterous and sinful generation, ofhim will the Son of Man also be
ashamedwhen he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels”
(Mk. 8:38).
I was struck by the testimony of a young preacher in Zimbabwe. He said,
“I’m part of the fellowshipof the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit’s
power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision
has been made; I’m a disciple of His! I won’t look back, let up, slow down,
back awayor be still. . . . I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have

150. stayed up, storedup, prayed up, paid up, and preachedup the cause of
Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus.”vi
Friends, whether you are from a godly home or a broken one, whether
you’re an introvert or an extrovert, whether you are pastoring a church or
a laypersonin the pew, you, too, can join the Fellowshipof the Unashamed.
May God help us to do so.
i. J. N. D. Kelly, The PastoralEpistles, 160-
161. ii. Bryan Chapell, “What is the Gospel?” The Gospelas Center,
edited by D. A. Carsonand Timothy Keller, 115-116. iii. John R. W.
Stott, Guard the Gospel, 36. iv. Stott, 47. v. Stott, 45. vi. Kent Hughes
and Bryan Chapell, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: To Guard the Deposit, 182-
3.