“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. There are political parties and organizations and individuals who what to be responsible for training up your children. They hate God. They do not want the love principles God has laid down for children to be instilled in children. God laid down a specific plan of operation for parents to follow with regards to the teaching of their children. “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:6, 7.
Our churches have fallen. They are all Babylon. We are not sitting down with our children and diligently teaching the Ten Commandments to them. We are not diligently teaching our children how to live in obedience to the Ten Commandments. No, we are diligently teaching our children how to watch TV, surf the internet and talk on a phone. We are diligently teaching our children how to do whatever it takes to get ahead in this world.
Let us listen to Paul as he talks to his “son” Timothy. Are you talking to your children in like manner?
2 Timothy 1:1 to 2 Timothy 1:18
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, . . .
I wonder how many parents even know what the fifth Commandment says? “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12. Do you see the correlation? Paul takes what is in the Ten Commandments and extrapolates it to real-world application. Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Parents are instructors of Jesus Christ by the will of God. Paul is the “father” of Timothy. All of this is according to the promise that if we are obedient to our Father in Heaven and teach our children how to live in obedience to God, we will live long in the land and have eternal life.
. . To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am not sure we know how to belove our children. Many parents want the grace, mercy and peace of the world for their children. That isn’t the same as from God the Father and Jesus. Most parents have no understanding of grace, mercy and peace that God offers. They simply leave it up to the church, society or osmoses to teach their children.
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Do we really remember our children in our prayers night and day? Few even pray night and day. Few know what it truly means to pray, let alone to beseech God on behalf of our children. I am not sure we understand the dangers that face our children in this world. Evil is a terrible thing. But most of the time, it is masked as “wonderful”. We think we love our children if we allow them to have a phone, computer, stylish clothes, lots of worldly friends and a worldly education. Even the “Christian” education of today has nothing to do with “Christian”.
As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.
Timothy loved Paul. I am sure he wept whenever he saw or heard of Paul, his father in the faith, being beaten, stoned, flogged and put in prison. None of us want to see our children hurting over us, the parents. We want to bring them as much joy as possible. But sometimes, life has a way of bringing pain to our children through the actions of the parents.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
Most have “church” faith. Not many have a “hand-me-down” faith from our past generations; a faith that teaches the children to live in obedience to the Ten Commandments and to walk as Jesus walked: “Sincere faith”. Not many have that. Most have a superficial faith. “Just believe” is what you hear. We need to have a “sincere faith” that leads to obedience in every aspect of our lives.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, . . .
We each of gifts that have been given to us. I never knew half the gifts God had given me until He called me to this ministry. I need to “fan into flame the gifts of God” that He has given me. Under the medical condition I am in, along with old age, I do get lazy sometimes. I’m working at “fanning”.
. . . for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
I think most have forgotten “of power and love and self-control”. Most just do whatever insane thought enters their mind. Eat, eat, eat and drink, drink and drink some more. Love? Not really! Most have a superficial love, but to give of yourself to live as Jesus would live in every situation; not really. Therefore, we do not have the power of God that He wants us to have.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, . . .
“Share in suffering”. Not many like that. Most are ashamed to testify about Jesus when in the company of the world. How sad. As we deny Jesus to those around us, so He will deny us a place in His kingdom when He comes. Is this world really worth it? Maybe we really don’t believe.
. . . who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, . . .
Ok, this is where theologians go way off track. You see, to make a name for yourself in any discipline, you have to show yourself to be novel, unique and extraordinary. “Not because of our works”. There it is, they say, we can’t do anything for our salvation. Jesus paid it all on the cross and did all the work for us, we just have to “believe” and we are in! We are “saved”.
Of course that would make a lie out of the Bible and four thousand years of God’s working with man for His salvation before the cross. Secondly, people get so involved with one tree, they forget there is a forest of trees around them. There was no “new” testament, as we have it today, until 300 years after Christ. Therefore, none of the early Christians would have understood anything being taught today by the churches and theologians. Why? They studied the Old Testament for their salvation.
Let us look at this from the perspective of Paul who only knew the Old Testament. Our works can never “save” us. If they could, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross. The concept of “save” is to “open”. The suffering and death of Jesus “saved” or “opened” the door of salvation for us. Our works could never do that. But once that door of salvation was opened for us, now we do have a work to do. We are now “called” to be holy. That is our work. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
Jesus can’t make us holy. If Jesus could make us holy, or save us eternally, then He would have to save Lucifer. That would go against every principle of God. We are free moral agents and must make the choice free of influence. Our work is to work with the calling of God to be holy. We are to live in obedience to the “holy” Law of God. That is how we become holy. That is the gospel. That is what He gave us before the beginning of time, the holy Ten Commandments to make us holy as God is holy. “obedience to the faith.” Romans 1:5.
. . and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, . . .
Prior to the “appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus”, the Savior was manifested in types and symbols. The Old Testament saints were saved in the exact same way as the New Testament saints, faith in the Messiah and obedience to the Ten Commandments to make them holy. He made the promise in the Old Testament that He would abolish death and bring life and immortality to light. Then He kept His word in the New Testament. Therefore, in belief in the Word of the Messiah, Enoch, Moses, Elijah and others were partakers of that “abolished death” and of the “life and immortality” that was brought to light by the life and death of Jesus. That is the gospel: obey the Ten Commandments, and believe in Jesus as the only one who can open that door, and you have eternal life. Your church, pastor or denomination can’t open that door. But you must work at walking through it and keeping on the narrow path.
. . . for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, . . .
Yes he was! Very few pastors, preachers, teachers and others are “appointed” by God. Not many of us have been specifically called by God. Those of us who have been appointed are held to a higher standard than those who simply choose.
. . . which is why I suffer as I do. 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.
All who have believed from the day of Adam have suffered for Jesus. Those in the Old Testament, and those in the New Testament, who believed in the Messiah knew Who they believed in, and were “convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted” to them. They were not ashamed. Are you?
Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
That word “pattern” caught my attention. The official definition goes like this, “A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner.”
“Repeat in a predictable manner”. How interesting. Are you repeating in a predictable manner the life of Christ? Or are you on-again-off-again and ashamed of Jesus who died for you? In other words, is your Christianity predictable?
By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
Only God is good. All good comes from God. When the Spirit of God dwells within us, we are good. We must “guard the good deposit entrusted” to us. If we grieve the Holy Spirit He will leave. Two cannot walk or live together unless they agree. He does not force us or try to manipulate us, it is a choice. Therefore, guard it well. Live in obedience to everything the Holy Spirit teaches you and tells you. But to do that, you must learn to listen to the still, small voice. That means, you must learn to be still and quiet for hours in order to accustom yourself to His voice.
You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.
Living for Jesus is a choice. We cannot let our feelings get so tied up with people, even those who claim to be Christian, that it would lead us away from Jesus. Paul was sad, but he had to keep to the path no matter what others did.
May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.
Those who support the Lord’s workers are truly blessed. God’s eye is on those who are not ashamed of our difficulties, trials and “chains”. He will bless those who bless His servants. God bless all of you for your love and support of this little ministry.