2 Timothy 1:13, 14 says,...
Today's verses are 2 Timothy 1:13, 14, which read,
v.13 - Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Paul has been writing to Timothy about his Christian upbringing in the home. He mentions to Timothy about his spiritual mentor ship with him. He reminds Timothy of the official laying on of hands of commissioning him to use his spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the common good of the church. Paul then uses his own physical situation to encourage Timothy. He is in a cold dark dungeon cell suffering for the sake of Christ's name but even in this dismal physical state, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel and not giving up on the gospel. He is in prison because of being a Christian, adhering to the gospel, but that same gospel of the shed blood of Jesus is helping him presently and guarding him eternally to meet his Savior face to face someday.
Paul tells Timothy to "retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me." The word for retain in the Greek is "echo" and it means to have or to hold. Paul is instructing Timothy to echo, to have as ownership and hold firmly unto with proclamation, the words that he has heard Paul say. Timothy is to hold unto firmly the standard of good, healthy words that have been given to him by Paul.
Those words are held in faith, in confidence of truth to God's Word and in love, in compassionate action toward others with application. This is another way in the Scriptures of saying that we need to speak the truth in love. We hold and proclaim God's truth to the world and we act it out not with the pointing finger at them from a distance but the coming up alongside of them and displaying Christ's deeds rising up out of His words.
v.14 - Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
To guard is to keep watch or keep on eye on. We keep an eye on the treasure of our salvation. When we are saved, we receive the Holy Spirit who guides us in God's truth. He dwells within us to point the way we are to go and the words we are to say.
Are we guarding this relationship? This relationship of salvation has been entrusted to us. It is a valuable deposit and we guard it or keep an eye on it by listening and obeying the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Have you been heeding His nudges and convictions or have you been pushing those thoughts and actions to the end of your week or the back corners of your mind? Have you been using all the senses that God has given you to guard this salvation you have from Him? Do you use your ears to hear His word proclaimed? Do you use your eyes to see His words in print? Do you use your touch to be among the fellowship of God's people? Do you taste, take in, consume daily doses of Him? Do you smell, breath in and then breathe out, what has given you even your very life?
Retain and guard are the words for the day pertaining to this relationship I have with the Lord. It needs retaining, the ability to echo His words and it needs guarding, keeping watch over this precious deposit of salvation. Let's pray.
"Lord, from a cold dark dungeon cell I imagine Paul is also doing this. He is retaining You and he is guarding what he has received from You. Satan is probably attacking him fiercely to diminish what he has received from You but Paul not only holds in this dismal physical state but instructs others to do so also. Help me to use all my senses today and everyday to keep my eyes firmly fixed on Your words and actions that the Holy Spirit is pointing out to me. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.13 - Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Paul has been writing to Timothy about his Christian upbringing in the home. He mentions to Timothy about his spiritual mentor ship with him. He reminds Timothy of the official laying on of hands of commissioning him to use his spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the common good of the church. Paul then uses his own physical situation to encourage Timothy. He is in a cold dark dungeon cell suffering for the sake of Christ's name but even in this dismal physical state, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel and not giving up on the gospel. He is in prison because of being a Christian, adhering to the gospel, but that same gospel of the shed blood of Jesus is helping him presently and guarding him eternally to meet his Savior face to face someday.
Paul tells Timothy to "retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me." The word for retain in the Greek is "echo" and it means to have or to hold. Paul is instructing Timothy to echo, to have as ownership and hold firmly unto with proclamation, the words that he has heard Paul say. Timothy is to hold unto firmly the standard of good, healthy words that have been given to him by Paul.
Those words are held in faith, in confidence of truth to God's Word and in love, in compassionate action toward others with application. This is another way in the Scriptures of saying that we need to speak the truth in love. We hold and proclaim God's truth to the world and we act it out not with the pointing finger at them from a distance but the coming up alongside of them and displaying Christ's deeds rising up out of His words.
v.14 - Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
To guard is to keep watch or keep on eye on. We keep an eye on the treasure of our salvation. When we are saved, we receive the Holy Spirit who guides us in God's truth. He dwells within us to point the way we are to go and the words we are to say.
Are we guarding this relationship? This relationship of salvation has been entrusted to us. It is a valuable deposit and we guard it or keep an eye on it by listening and obeying the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Have you been heeding His nudges and convictions or have you been pushing those thoughts and actions to the end of your week or the back corners of your mind? Have you been using all the senses that God has given you to guard this salvation you have from Him? Do you use your ears to hear His word proclaimed? Do you use your eyes to see His words in print? Do you use your touch to be among the fellowship of God's people? Do you taste, take in, consume daily doses of Him? Do you smell, breath in and then breathe out, what has given you even your very life?
Retain and guard are the words for the day pertaining to this relationship I have with the Lord. It needs retaining, the ability to echo His words and it needs guarding, keeping watch over this precious deposit of salvation. Let's pray.
"Lord, from a cold dark dungeon cell I imagine Paul is also doing this. He is retaining You and he is guarding what he has received from You. Satan is probably attacking him fiercely to diminish what he has received from You but Paul not only holds in this dismal physical state but instructs others to do so also. Help me to use all my senses today and everyday to keep my eyes firmly fixed on Your words and actions that the Holy Spirit is pointing out to me. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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