The Promise of Life in Christ Jesus
Text: 2nd Timothy, Chapter 1
Today I want to look at Paul’s second letter to Timothy. We should realize, as we read this letter, that it is the last recorded word of the apostle Paul. Tradition tells us that shortly after this letter was written, Paul was taken out to Ostian Way—outside the city of Rome, and was beheaded.
The letter is called a “prison epistle” because it was written when Paul was imprisoned in Rome for the cause of the Gospel. This is the 2nd letter to Timothy, and the conditions under which it was written were quite different from his first letter to Timothy.
The first letter Paul wrote to Timothy was written at a time when Paul was living in his own hired house in Rome. Luke describes Paul’s situation at the time of this writing in the last paragraph of the Book of Acts.
Although Paul was chained to a Roman guard at this time, he, nevertheless, had a good deal of freedom to move around in the house. He could have friends in to see him, he was able to hold meetings, he had companions who lived with him, and he had a real hope of being released.
However, in Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy, everything is different. The tone of the letter seems to be much more gloomy and dark. The 2nd letter was probably written about 4 or 5 years after the 1st one. Paul seems to have been released from his first imprisonment; and, he began to travel about the Roman Empire. He took Titus and Timothy with him as he traveled about preaching the Gospel of Christ—as he always did.
The group went to the island of Crete where Paul left Titus to put things in order in the new congregation of the Church growing there. Paul then traveled to Ephesus again; and, he left Timothy there to put things in order in the congregation of the Church there. Then Paul traveled alone to Macedonia, and from there he wrote his 1st letter to Timothy.
After these events, most scholars think Paul made his way all the way to Spain, because he stated he had a great desire to evangelize the western part of the Roman Empire. However, it does seem clear that he returned to the eastern parts of the Mediterranean and was arrested, probably in one of the cities north of Ephesus.
This time, Paul’s imprisonment was under terrible conditions, because these were the days of the reign of the evil emperor, Nero. Nero destroyed the City of Rome with a great fire. He thought himself to be a great musician; and, it was said of Nero that, “…he fiddled while Rome burned.”
Nero decided he needed a scapegoat to blame the fire on, and he chose the Christians for this honor. Now opposition broke out against Christians by Romans all over the empire. For the first time, Christians were subjected to bitter persecution.
Some Christians were burned as “living torches” to light the Emperor Nero’s social gatherings—some were thrown to the lions in the Coliseum, or were killed by the Emperor’s gladiators for the amusement of the Roman upper-class.
· Christians were despised throughout the Empire as being cannibals because they spoke of “eating of the body and drinking of the blood of Christ.”
· They were thought of as “atheists” because they did not worship the idols that the pagan Romans worshipped.
· Christians were called “revolutionaries” because they denied the ultimate authority of Caesar and said “Jesus is Lord”.
The opposition against Christians became absolute!
Paul’s second imprisonment was quite different from the first. Tradition tells us he was imprisoned in a dungeon called “Mamertime”, which was located across the street from the old Senate building in the Roman forum. It was from here Paul wrote the last letter to young Timothy.
From the tone of this second letter, you can tell Paul is lonely and feeling abandoned. “I long night and day to see you.”
He writes the following to Timothy—
2nd Timothy 1:15
“All those in Asia have turned against me…” .
2nd Timothy 4:11
“…Only Luke is with me…”
2nd Timothy 4:10
“…Demas has forsaken me and gone to Thessalonica…”
Paul must have been bored during the long hours of his imprisonment with nothing to do.
· He asked for the books and the parchment he left behind in Tarsus (2nd Timothy 4:13).
· He is certain that the end of his life is at hand. He writes, “The time of my departure has come…I have finished the course, I have kept the faith…” (2nd Timothy 4:6-7).
Now Paul writes his last words to Timothy, the one he loves as a Son—the one he had mentored in Christ for many years. There were dark days ahead for the apostle Paul; but, he begins the letter with calm and confidence, in faith and grace.
2nd Timothy 1:1-2
---1---“I, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
---2---to Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord…”
Paul’s greatest honor was that he had been called to be an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, not of his own choosing, but “by the will of God.” God Himself had lifted Paul up to the level of the “Twelve Apostles” who were commissioned to, “…go into all the nations of the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
This was not a statement made by Paul out of arrogance—it was simply a statement of truth and what Paul was going to say was from the authority of God Himself. Paul told Timothy that he was an apostle to stabilize him—to understand that he is the authentic spokesman. Paul was saying, “Listen to these last words I have to say to you!”
Here, Paul uses a rather remarkable description of the Gospel, which does not appear anywhere else in the New Testament. He calls it, “…the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” Paul gloried in the message he proclaimed.
In Romans 1:16, Paul writes—
---16---“I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God unto salvation.”
· The Gospel changes people;
· It delivers them;
· It frees them;
· It heals them.
· The Gospel brings people into the fullness of their manhood or womanhood; it sets them free to be what God intended them to be.
In Corinthians, Paul describes this treasure in these words:
2nd Corinthians 4:7
---7---“We have this treasure in earthen vessels…”
Paul says we are weak ourselves but what we have within us—the great Gospel—is a treasure beyond compare. In Ephesians, Paul calls the Gospel, “…the unsearchable riches of Christ…” (Ephesians 3:8).
In Colossians, he describes it as, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory…” (Colossians 1:27).
In 1st Timothy, Paul describes it as, “…the glorious Gospel of the blessed God…” (1st Timothy 1:11). All of these phrases amplify what the apostle Paul means when he writes in 2nd Timothy of, “…the promise of life in Christ Jesus.”
It is my belief that everyone—young or old—has a hunger for life. No one wants to be bored—no one wants to live a dull, meaningless, empty, hollow life. We all want to live—to experience things—to feel alive and vital.
You see, this is what makes us so vulnerable to the appeals of the world and the media, which constantly bombard us with “shortcuts” to feeling “alive”. We’re told, “You only go round once, so go for the gusto in life!”—“Just grab it!” and that if we buy this toothpaste, or that car, or this shampoo we will really be living! Right…
However, the real truth is found in Paul’s words at the end of his career, when he’s facing imminent death—that only in the Gospel; only in the good news about Jesus is found the “promise of life”…everlasting life.
In Chapter 1 of 2nd Timothy, Paul addresses Timothy—an introverted, sensitive, sometimes fearful young man in Ephesus—and describes again the ingredients of the “promise of life” in Jesus Christ. That is what Paul is speaking of when he greets Timothy by saying, Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord…”.
We may read those words and think to ourselves, “That’s just a greeting.” But, in fact, they’re much more than that. These words of Paul’s are a reminder to Timothy that grace, mercy, and peace are what make up the daily supply of life in Jesus Christ.
Grace is what God gives us that we do not deserve.
Ephesians 2:8-10
---8---“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.’
---9---not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
---10---For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Then there is forgiveness of sin, which was brought about by the blood of Christ. Then there is the consciousness of God’s love and presence, not only to forgive us, but also to welcome us. In the gospel, we feel ourselves welcomed home like a prodigal son, with a Father’s arms about us—a Father’s loving concern for us—and a Father’s welcome in His heart. That, too, is part of the Gospel.
Then there is Mercy. The difference between Mercy and Grace is that Grace gives us what we do not deserve. The psalmist says, “It is of Thy mercies that we are not consumed.” Many Christians think life ought to be without trials. They think every day should be fun and delight with nothing to go wrong.
Is that realistic when we live in a fallen world? Is a fallen world the exact opposite is true? “It is of His mercies that we are not consumed…”, otherwise we would constantly be destroyed. Paul is not promising a life without hardship; but, through God’s compassion, He allows us to live day by day. Paul tells Timothy to, “…suffer with me as a good soldier.”
Grace, Mercy, and Peace come from God the Father. Peace is that inner feeling when you realize that, no matter how dark things may appear, there is a way through your trials, because God is in control. This is the great “Shalom” of God, and it will make us “panic-proof”.
Ephesians 6:15
---15---“And having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.”
Philippians 4:7
---7---“And the Peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
These are the ingredients of the “promise of life in Christ Jesus”.
· Grace gives us what we do not deserve;
· Mercy withholds what we do deserve and keeps us from getting all we have coming to us; and,
· Peace reassures us that it will all work out to our good and to God’s glory.
That is the “promise of life in Christ Jesus.” That’s wonderful news!
The apostle Paul, too, needs a daily supply of Grace, Mercy, and Peace. Here he is, sitting in his prison cell, missing Timothy with every moment that passes—concerned about whether Timothy will be able to stand fast and remain faithful and fruitful in his work in Ephesus. Paul’s concern is that he will have to leave Timothy to this violent, cold and cruel world; and so he writes—
2nd Timothy 1:3-7
---3---“I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience they way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,
---4---longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.
---5---For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.
---6---And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
---7---For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
The paragraph begins, “I thank God…”. But a rendering from the Greek could be more like, “When I think about you, Timothy, I have joy in God.” You see, that is putting the emphasis where it should be. Paul’s confidence for Timothy is found in God.
As long as God is in Timothy’s life, Paul can pray with confidence, because God will do His work in and through Timothy. I believe it’s the same as what Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi.
Philippians 1:6
---6---“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Paul says, “I pray with a clear conscience…”, which translates “a cleansed conscience”. A cleansed conscience comes from a repentant person who has obeyed the Gospel, and whom God has washed so he is “clean”. If we want a “clear” or “cleansed” conscience, the process is the very same for us.
Paul prayed constantly for Timothy because of 4 things he knew about Timothy and could not forget.
· First there was “…his tears of love…”, in verse 4—“Even as I recall your tears…” We don’t know when Timothy wept with Paul—maybe he was there when Paul was arrested by Roman soldiers and sent back to prison.
Whenever, it was a time Timothy felt he was never going to see his Christian mentor again—he was never going to be invited by Paul to travel with him on his missionary journeys.
Paul was the one who had taught Timothy the ways of Christ, had cared for him, and had protected him as he fulfilled his ministry. This relationship began when Timothy was 16-18 years old. Timothy was about 30 years old when he cried over this departure.
We can relate to this “shedding of tears”, because many have visited with friends and family who are sick and dying. Often, we go long distances to see them while they are still alive. We know when it’s time to leave that we will never be able to see or speak to them again. Most of us would shed tears at this event.
Paul called Timothy his “beloved son”. Many have had older mentors in faith—many have mentored younger people—and we all know how special those people are to us.
· Secondly, Paul remembers Timothy’s sincere faith. I’d like us to know that young Christians can have a sincere faith. Over the years as I was teaching, many times I witnessed a young Christian—a teenager—sharing his faith in Jesus, the Son of God, with their teenaged friends or their family. This is a beautiful thing to see, and it always seems to be the way that Christ should be shared with those around us.
Many times this is difficult for young people, because it might not be a popular thing among their peers. Those of sincere faith will do that, because they know what that other person needs in their life.
There are times in our lives when we are beset with troubles and problems—when we’re young, sometimes those problems seem insurmountable. A teenaged Christian can talk with their peers in a way that an adult might not be able to; and, they can share the “promise of life in Christ Jesus” with them in a way adults just can’t.
We call that the Gospel! I wound encourage all young Christians to do that, because it offers a message of hope for their future. We can all learn from Timothy’s example, because he started when he was quite young.
In verse 5, Paul writes, “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.”
Another thing I’ve observed over the years—and I consider it a beautiful thing—is parents and grandparents sharing their faith with their children and grandchildren. This sincere faith Timothy had was a result of the faith of his mother and grandmother.
This may have been more difficult in Timothy’s family for, although his grandmother and mother were Jewish, Timothy’s father was Greek. I don’t know what kinds of problems that brought about in the family, but I do know that Paul felt Lois and Eunice did their job well.
Timothy’s mother and grandmother assumed the responsibility for instructing him in the scriptures that told God was sending a Messiah to save the people from their sins. They gave him hope drawn from the scriptures and prepared him for the task ahead of him. The apostle Paul would lead him to fulfill his responsibility.
It was during very difficult times that Paul wrote his 2nd letter to Timothy. It was difficult for Paul because he knew he was facing death—it was difficult for Timothy because he knew he was facing life.
Paul says, in Philippians 1:23-24
---23---“But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
---24---yet, to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”
Paul was not going to be able to say that now, because he knew he was about to die. Paul wasn’t worried about his own death—he was concerned about those he would leave behind—he was concerned about the success of their ministries. Paul was most especially concerned about Timothy!
Paul wanted Timothy to know that both of them—both he and Timothy—were living “…the promises of life in Christ Jesus…”, and that God would take care of them.
Invitation.
