2 TIMOTHY 2
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
– 2 Timothy 2:1-7
2 TIMOTHY 2 STRENGTHENED BY GOD’S GRACE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you became a servant of Christ, you were saved
It is his grace that gave you strength to be alive
By God’s grace, you heard the gospel and His word
No longer are powerless but victors over the world
You are now able to understand the authority of God
You no longer give in to rebellious spirits but obey his word.
In this letter of Timothy, he brings a new mindset to the believers. By having this viewpoint, they will begin to be strengthened by the grace given to them. It is only the gift of grace that allows them to have strength. Timothy presents three ways to change the way they see themselves as servants of Christ:
1. As a good soldier of Christ-Soldiers train to be ready for battle so they can overcome the enemy’s tactics. 1 Peter 1:13 explains how this mindset is. It is preparing the mind for action, and being sober-minded, setting one’s hope fully on God’s grace and revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul also talks about this in Ephesians 6:13 when he commands them to take up the whole armor of God, so that they may be able to withstand in the evil day.
2. As a competitive athlete who trains and follow rules- All athletes prepare for the competition by training regularly and persevering. Paul mentions this mindset also in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 when he says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. So, I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
3. As a hard-working farmer– In James 5:7, he compares a believer to a farmer and says that we have to “ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.” The writer ofHebrews says in 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
REFLECTION
- Which of these three mindsets have you adopted and how has it grown your faith?
