Keep On Keepin' On // 2 Timothy 1:3-2:13

Encouragement to Be Faithful
3I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

15You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

2 Timothy 2 1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 5Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Words, Phrases that Stuck Out:

*** 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.: I think that this verse is not only an important one for me to remember, but also one I believe God is growing me more into daily. You see, I've always thought "timidity" was one of my traits. Now, I may never (due to my wiring) be a heavy-handed, loud-voiced person on all issues, but I have seen more passion in the things of God (and how it all plays out in our lives) than ever before. But in the midst of that passion, there is (and must be, if you struggle with it) love and self-discipline. Those are big things to realize. God's kids aren't to be timid, but they are to tread with a spirit of great love, and they must have great discernment, as we all know examples from our own lives or the lives of others where "passion for God" and "love/self-discipline" did not go hand-in-hand...and likely the intended message was "stunted" a bit at best... We need to stand our ground, but with love, respect, and wisdom. Hard to do...

*** ...God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.: Some folks, despite tons of scriptures saying otherwise, seem to not grasp that our salvation and eternal life with Christ has NOTHING to do with how good we are, how much we "try", or how many gold stars vs. frowny faces we have on God's cosmic deeds chart. It is ALL GOD. I can mostly speak about myself: when I came to know Jesus, I was not "convinced" and decided, "Oh, I suppose it would be a good idea for me to believe this, just in case it's real and all..." And, despite my growing up in church and having various (but usually present) models in my parents to Godly living...it's not like it was decreed in my home verbally, or forced on me. Finally, knowing how my mind worked back in 1990 at age 16 (and still often does today), trust me: releasing and truly believing in the message of Christ was not in my nature. Being nice? Sure. Trying to do more good than bad? Yeah. But hearing that while I was a sinner (despite any efforts to be "good" that always ended in failure), God still loved me, came to earth as a baby and LIVED, then died (and beat death) for ME? Not in my nature to just go, "Oh, that sounds good. I'll have that." No. I believe it was God alone who gave me faith, who saved me. NOT ME OR ANYTHING ELSE. And that is why I seek to live graciously, with love, and with purpose...because God loved me first and for some reason, saved me despite the manure I would always pull (and still do sometimes) in my life against his will...

*** ...convinced...; verse 1:12: Convinced. Not wishful thinking. Not, "I guess this all is a good idea..." CONVINCED. Oh, how I pray to live life as one convinced in God's grace, power, might, plans...

*** 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. : I need to endure all things, to keep on keepin' on, because Jesus has saved me for all time. This fact, above all else, must be my guide and motivation. All the "lists of good behaviors and attitudes" should become a byproduct in my life, not a goal, as a result. Not a means to and end, but a result of what God has done.

Questions for Me:

When I am fired up about something I perceive as "of God", am I all fire and zero love and control? What do I need to confess, whom do I need to apologize to, etc., that may have experienced my unbridled fire without being mixed with love and discernment?

Do I live my life like I still think my place in eternity depends on a cosmic behavior chart? Do I treat others like this, as well, taking score as a means to gain my favor?

Am I living as one convinced of God, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, of the Lord's promises, purpose, and salvation? If I'm not convinced...why not? What's holding me back? Are there times I feel "convinced", and then other times I'm not so sure? What happened to make those thoughts occur and change?

What keeps you going? Wakes you up in the morning and says, "Alright...LET'S GO!"? If it's not a realization that God has saved, has purpose for me, etc., what is it? What needs to change to get it there?