By: Dale Weckbacher
2 Timothy 4:8
Henceforth there
is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only
to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.
(ESV)
The main ingredient missing in modern culture is faith. Instead of one living by faith, people live by
their feelings. Since feelings
constantly change based upon external circumstances, living according to one’s
feelings provides no foundation upon which to build stability in one’s
life. This leads to the philosophy of
following one’s heart, something that is deceitful and full of evil, (Jeremiah
17:9; Mark 7:21). Those with faith
in Jesus Christ endure suffering and persecution for they are not governed by
their feelings and instead like a runner, have their eyes on the price of a
crown of righteousness (1
Corinthians 9:25; Philippians 3:14; Colossians 1:5; Revelation 2:10). Therefore, the children of God must learn to
live by faith and not their ever-changing feelings. However, feelings are powerful as they trigger
emotional reactions.
As the Apostle Paul brings his teaching to Timothy to a
close, he is most likely full of emotion.
He is about to face death for his faith and even though he knows this
means being with the Lord and receiving the imperishable reward of the crown of
righteousness, he is also aware there
will be great pain and suffering (1
Corinthians 9:24-27; Revelation 2:10).
The Apostle Paul has learned to be content in Christ despite his
external circumstances (Philippians
4:11-13). His instructions to
Timothy are not just for Timothy but apply to every believer for we all have a
calling from Christ to spread the Gospel and make disciples (Mark
16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). Paul’s
final instructions to Timothy include,
1)
Preaching the truth when it is popular and when
it is dangerous to do so (2
Timothy 4:2; Acts 10:42) – Paul charges Timothy with the responsibility to
preach the Word of God in season and out or season. Paul is not referring to winter, spring,
summer, and fall, but instead symbolically using the seasons to illustrate
preaching the Word of God at all times, even when not in favorable
circumstances. Living in Phoenix
Arizona, the summer is not a time when one thinks of going outside and being
active, especially in the middle of the afternoon when it can typically be 110
degrees. Likewise, preaching the Word of
God in the last days may require doing so where the government forbids it or
where it is unpopular. In this season,
our feelings may cause it to resist declaring the truth of God’s Word because
it could lead to pain, rejection, arrest, or in extreme cases even one’s
death. However, one living by faith will
resist what their feelings tell them and do what their faith directs which is
to live according to the Word of God.
2)
Speak biblical truth, Remain sober-minded, endure suffering, and
evangelize even if rejected (2
Timothy 4:3-5) – Those in ministry seeking to have people like them so they
can feel successful are tempted to scratch the itchy ears of the congregation
rather than declaring the truth that changes the heart. Instead of having the goal of feeling good
because what they teach makes others feel good, one teaching the Word of God
must be sober-minded or exercise clear judgment that is not intoxicated by sins
like selfish passion or greed. When
speaking biblical truth to people, it may cut as it exposes sin in one's
life. This may cause some to lash out at
the messenger but the messenger must not allow him or herself to be swayed and
remain clear-minded in speaking biblical truth to evangelize or point people to
Jesus (Matthew
28:19-20).
3)
Follow the example of those steadfast in their
faith (2
Timothy 4:6-8) – This text ends with the Apostle Paul saying that he knows
his time is short. He seems to brag
about his fighting the good fight and successfully finishing the race of his
life and having a crown of righteousness awaiting him. However, the suffering that accompanied the
Apostle Paul’s coming to the brink of martyrdom for his faith is hardly
bragging but instead an example for Timothy, and us, to follow. The Apostle Paul could spend these last few
days of his life emotionally lashing out at his captors but remains content in
his faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians
4:11-13). The Apostle provides an
example to Timothy and us of one living by faith and not emotions or
feelings.
Staying steadfast in one’s faith is not an easy task for it
comes with persecution. For some this
persecution is hard persecution like that suffered by the Apostle Paul that led
to his arrest and eventual death for preaching the Gospel. For others, it is soft persecution that does
not come with the threat of arrest or loss of life but instead comes with rejection
and alienation by friends. A culture
where people allow their feelings and not faith in God to govern their lives
will ignore teaching that brings reproof, rebuke, or correction and instead seek
out teaching that makes them feel good. Those
called to teach the Word of God must not only teach what exhorts and encourages
others but also that which reproves or rebukes.
All Christians have a calling to spread the Gospel and make disciples (Mark
16:15; Matthew 28:19-20), which includes pointing out how sin has broken
the relationship we were intended to have with God and pointing them to Jesus,
the mender of this broken relationship.
If you have never asked Jesus to mend your broken relationship with God,
I invite you to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, was
buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
Congratulations, Jesus has broken down the wall of sin that
once separated your relationship with God.
However, this is not the end but the beginning for all relationships
develop through spending time together. God has given us His son to die in our
place, giving us eternal life and restoration of our relationship with God (John
3:16; Romans 5:8). God has also
given us His Word, the Bible, to communicate with us on an ongoing basis. However, this requires effort on our part as
we must open the book to read it and find a church or Bible study to help us
understand what we read. We also have
prayer where we can approach God in worship, making our requests known to him
which is an act of faith that God hears and answers our prayers (Matthew
6:5-15; James 5:16). I encourage all
reading this to follow the example of the Apostle Paul and live by faith and
not by feelings so the world can discover the vital missing ingredient necessary
for survival in an evil world, faith in God.
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