I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED
II TIMOTHY 1:12
I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own.
I know not how this saving faith to me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word wrought peace with in my heart.
I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus thro’ the Word, creating faith in Him.
I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days, before His face I see.
I know not when my Lord may come, at night or noon-day fair,
Nor if I’ll walk the vale with Him, or meet Him in the air.
“But I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.” [KJV]
D. W. Whittle (1840-1901)
INTRODUCTION
Just like D. W. Whittle, in this hymn, we too may “know not” the “why” as to God’s grace. Yet, despite this lack of knowledge or understanding in Godly things when we look at our salvation in Christ we too declare with confidence; it doesn’t matter that I know not “WHY” because I know “WHOM” I have believed.
BACKGROUND
Paul was in a Roman prison, very near the end of his life. In this epistle he writes to the younger Timothy encouraging him to be “not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of Paul being in prison” – instead he [Timothy] should be willing to suffer for the “Gospel’s” sake, because the gospel was about our Savior, Jesus Christ.
PURPOSE
In this exhortation to Timothy, Paul is admonishing him and us (as believers in Christ) to confess confidently Jesus as our Lord, to be convinced of His gospel’s saving power, and to be committed to serving Him to the end. [vv. 8-9]
I. CONFESSION – “For I know whom I have believed”
** Knowledge - is based on information.
** Information - can be classified either as general or intimate.
General - usually means common knowledge, which is normally received from someone else.
*** A man was once asked what he believed about God. He replied, “I believe what my church believes.” [Well] “What does your church believe?’ He said, “My church believes what I believe.” [Then] “What do you and your church believe?’ He said, “We both believe the same thing.” - [S. Shepherd – SermonCentral.com, 7/02]
Is this a description of you or the church?
Why do you believe what you believe?
Do you believe in a “historical Jesus” - which is a general knowledge - of whom others have told you about? - Or, do you truly “know” Him in an intimate way?
Intimate – is that which is experienced or comes from having closeness in what you know. This is the type of knowledge spoken of here in our text.
Know – Greek: oida, (# 1492) - means: to have seen or perceived - to have knowledge of something in completeness [Vine’s Exp. Dict. of NT Words, 1996, 346].
*** I know my wife intimately, as most of you should be able to say concerning your spouse or a loved one in your family). I know her as my friend, who walks beside me and shares her love and life with me – she is the one I have entrusted my affections with. - This is what it means to know someone intimately!
*** Now what of Christ - can we too say that we intimately know Him - just as, intimately, as we do our loved ones?
1. Must know Him as your friend.
[Hymn] - “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!”
JOHN 15:13-15
No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father [Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)].
2. Must walk with Him.
[Chorus] - “In The Garden”
“And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own”
LUKE 24:13-32
Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus … Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus Himself came near and began to walk along with them. … He said to them, “How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself … Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; but He disappeared from their sight. So they said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” [HCSB].
3. Must share love with Him.
[Hymn] - “Love Lifted Me”
“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore
Verily deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love lifted me - When nothing else could help - Love lifted me!”
EPHESIANS 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ; for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. [HCSB].
4. Must entrust your affections towards Him.
[Chorus] - “Trust and Obey”
“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
PSALM 37:3-5
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass. [NKJV]
** Can you confess today – I know Whom I Have Believed!
ROMANS 10:9
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [HCSB].
II. CONVICTION - “And I am convinced that He is able”
Convinced – Greek pepeismai (# 3982) {passive tense} – means: to be persuaded, to listen to, to believe, to obey. [Vine’s Ibid., 469].
*** This is what we do when we are “convinced” of the evidence of God’s Word as it is set before us.
ROMANS 10:11-17
“… Faith comes from hearing and hearing cones by the Word of Christ...” [NASB].
HEBREWS 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [NASB].
HEBREWS 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. [NASB].
> Of what are you “convinced”?
> Who is Jesus of Nazareth?
> What do you believe?
General Knowledge
He is the Christ? - [Matt. 16:13-14 - Who do men say that I am?]
He is the Son of God? - [Job 1:6 –Is He just one of many?]
He is the Savior? - [Galatians 1:6 – another gospel]
Intimate Knowledge
He is the Christ! [Matt. 16:15-17] – Who do you say I am?
He is the Son of God! [John 1:1] – Eternal.
He is the Savior! [1 Cor. 15:1-4] – The only gospel.
*** When a young child is stuck up in a tree and someone comes along to help them down – they will hesitate jumping into the arms of a stranger. However, let his or her parent come by, someone they are very intimate with, they will jump confidently to their loving arms.
Based upon what you believe concerning Jesus of Nazareth – Are you convinced – that He is able (Greek dunatos- i.e. powerful, mighty, or strong) to be trusted!
III. COMMITMENT - “To guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day”
A. Guard
Greek phulasso (# 5442) – means: the indication of keeping watch, to guard. [Vine’s Ibid., 284].
*** The purpose of a guard is to watch and warn of the advancing enemy, as well as, being the first line of defense when the enemy attacks.
*** Realize that this is what Christ does for us – He guards us against the enemy advancing on our camp - He is our watchman - He is our first line of defense - He is our advocate with the Father.
1 JOHN 2:1b-2a
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation [an appeasement – God is satisfied by His sacrifice] for our sins. [NASB].
B. Entrusted
Greek paratheken (# 3866) – means: a putting with, as a deposit made into a bank for safe keeping. [Vine’s Ibid., 113].
*** Many commentaries seem to indicate that here Paul means - “that which Christ has committed unto him, i.e. Paul’s calling & labors in the ministry, he [Paul] has “committed” unto Christ.
A young child is born; his/her parents deposit a large sum of money into a college trust fund account - over time the parents continue to add to this fund to build it up in value – the purpose of this is so when the “day” arrives for the child to begin college, he will have ample funds to pay for his education. In a sense the child’s future has been “entrusted” with the parents for safekeeping. This is what Paul is doing here in our text – he is entrusting his life’s calling to Christ!
> What of you?
> What have you committed to or “deposited” with Christ” - in view of that coming day?
** Your life?
** Your struggles?
** Your plans?
** Your service to Him?
C. Day
No matter what your eschatology might be – there is a day coming that you will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Philippians 2:10-11: “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” [NASB].
Have you committed yourself today to Christ!
Is He the -
Centered of your Confession – “I Know Whom I Have Believed”
Confidence of your Conviction - “I Am Convinced He Is Able”
Consumption of your Commitment - Have Entrusted To Him”
[J. David Hoke, SermonCentral.com, 7/02, adapted].
Bruce Allen
Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church
bea0210@hotmail.com
September 21, 2003
