Heavenly Help for Hard Times (Victorious Living in a Vicious World)
(flip a coin) Heads or tails? This happens at the beginning of many sporting events today. Flipping a coin to determine who would begin a game goes all the way back to the Greek Olympic games where they believed the gods determined which side of the coin would be up. Heads meant, “yes,” tails meant “no.” They used this method to determine what the god’s wanted. Today, we still use a coin toss and let someone call it, but we don’t see the hand of God in the outcome at all. We call it “chance.”
Today many believe in God, but live as if God is disconnected from life and daily choices. Some Christians pray as a duty, but with little expectation of any real results. In other words, we don’t see the hand of God in the outcome of our lives. Or if we do, it is categorized. For some people, God is involved in what we do at church, but he is not involved in other aspects of life such as my selection of entertainment, or clothing, or day to day activities outside of church. These people are very uncomfortable doing something at church that they think may not be acceptable to God, but as soon as church services are over and they leave, they do not sense his influence over many other aspects of their lives.
Brothers and sisters, this is a lot of what it means to have a form of godliness, but to deny its power. Those words are in our text today. They are found describing the kind of people that Paul warns Timothy to avoid. The Christian nearness to God doesn’t end at the doors of the church building. The truth of the gospel includes Jesus saying, “I will be with you always!” The Christian who takes this seriously, lives the rest of his or her life “in Christ.” We do what Paul told the Colossians: 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
And how does this affect our lives in general on a day to day basis? Read on!
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
6 For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him
11 --a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
I said all that to set the foreground for our text today:
Chapter 3 of second Timothy forms two sections:
1-9 is about the challengers of the faith
10-17 is about facing those challenges with faithfulness and the Word of God.
John wrote, “this is the victory that overcomes the world… our faith!” 1 John 5:4
Paul wrote, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” Rom 10:17
When the world rises up, the Word equips us to overcome it!
As we consider these two sections of 2 Tim. 3, we will see what ungodliness in this world does to people and how it distorts their lives with sins that ruin them and those around them. We will also see how the truth of God spoken through his Word shapes our lives and strengthens us to withstand the onslaughts of the world.
Let’s look at the first section together and notice all the descriptive adjectives Paul uses to define those that Timothy will face. By the way, this follows on the heels of Paul’s instruction to Timothy that the Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle and kind to all, hoping that God will grant repentance to those trapped by Satan to do his will. Now he describes some of these. This time he instructs Timothy to avoid certain ones of them.
Listen or follow along as we read this:
Chapter 3
1But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
What a list! It might be worthwhile to take each component in this list and discuss it to notice how each is destructive to the life of the one that practices it. We could find cases in the scriptures where lives were ruined and souls were lost because of the items on this list. In fact, Paul supplies us with one example. Who were Jannes and Jambres? We know from this that they opposed Moses. These guys seem to be the sorcerers who stood in Pharaoh’s court and performed magic arts. They didn’t last long against God’s power. They resisted the truth and attempted to compete with Moses. Will that happen today? Will there be people who oppose you if you stand up for Jesus? Paul says you can expect it. But you can expect something else too. Remain faithful; your cause will still be standing when theirs falls to the ground.
Look at verse five with me again…
5having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
This verse tells me that if my life is defined by the character traits in this list, I may have a form of godliness, but I’m denying its power! The power of godliness is the strength of God’s grace in Christ! His Holy Spirit strengthens me to live a life with power.
I’m afraid that sometimes we get too comfortable confessing that we are sinners (but are fearful of confessing we are victorious over sin). What I’m talking about is this: When God saved you through the grace of Christ, he put power in you to live like Christ. Is that true or false? Do we have a salvation that leaves us marred in our sins? Did Jesus save us from sin? If so, can we not proclaim that we have been set free from sin and have become a slave of righteousness? Is our godliness powerful or weak? I’m not talking about your fleshly temptations and weakness. I’m talking about what the Bible says about anyone who comes to Jesus Christ for salvation. Do you or do you not become free from sin by the power of God’s grace?
If my life is defined by the list in verses 1-9 of 2 Tim. 3, I need to ask an important question: Where is the power of godliness in me? Does it sound boastful for me to say that I have been set free from sin and am walking in the victory of Christ Jesus? I no longer walk in sinful ways and live under sins dominion in my life. I have been set free by walking in Jesus footsteps and abiding in his word. He has made known to me the truth and the truth has set me free! Does that sound boastful?
We want to be humble so we confess that we are sinners. But I tell you that we need to be bold and confess that Jesus Christ has set us free from sin and that we are no longer walking in darkness, and that we have been redeemed from the empty way of life. We may indeed fall from time to time, but we are not chained in the bondage of Satan. God has granted us repentance!
What I am suggesting here is that we begin to live victorious lives and say so! We make not claims to this coming from ourselves! Our claim to victory centers on God’s power poured out in grace from the cross. But it is a claim to a powerful godliness that is more than just a form!
Look at Paul’s life:
10But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Paul freely admitted that he was a sinner, but he clearly claimed the power of God for victorious living in Christ! His life is an example for us. He told Timothy to be an example for others too. We are to do the same!
Can you say with Paul, “You know of my way of life, what I’ve endured for Christ 10But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11persecutions, afflictions… You learned from my life, but more than that, you learned from the Holy Scriptures how to walk complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work!
What kind of book did God inspire for you? What will it do for your life? What kind of life did Jesus die on the cross to give you? Have you accepted the life he offers?
Jesus Christ didn’t go to the cross to build mediocre powerless wimps. Jesus died to build a church that overwhelms the gates of hell. Paul is telling Timothy not to lose heart in the midst of opponents who offer a cheaper product but one without any power.
Listen to some of the descriptive words Paul uses to describe Timothy’s life:
-God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
-Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
-be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
-"The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness."
-if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
-flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
-that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The question is not “can you live a powerful, victorious Christian life, sanctified, holy and useful to God.” The question is “Will you do it?”
Let us let go of excuses for sin and grab hold of the grace of God in Christ. Let us commit our hearts and lives to the power of God freely poured out to us through Jesus.
And when we look at your life, may we all see Jesus…
I close today’s lesson with God’s word to the church there in Ephesus where Timothy was preaching: Ephesians 3:
14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
