2 TIMOTHY 1:1-18 TEXT: v12 I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED…
Hold fast the form of sound words,
which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:13)
I think it was HA Ironside who once engaged another person in a conversation on a railway journey with a RC nun
When she asked what persuasion he was of, the old preacher (twinkle/eye!) said that he was “of Paul’s persuasion”
Nun was a little confused – she expected him to say “Protestant”
But Ironside held his ground and reaffirmed what he had said
And then, seeing her greater mystified look, he explained;
I know whom I have believed etc., and expounded the gospel to her
I am for the Protestant faith and the great battles/Reformation etc.,
(Which we need to contend for more and more in these ecumenical days)
But I recognise that Protestantism never saved any one
I have never asked any one to become a Protestant
There is reference in our text to “that day”?
Question:- What day? Answer:- Day/Judgement which every soul ever born must face
Being a mere Protestant will not get any one over that day
Affirming the 5 great solas of the Reformation etc., will not do
It is only when we can truly echo Paul’s words and be persuaded
of that which Paul was persuaded of – only then can we anticipate
that day without any dread whatsoever
We have here a good verse from which to expound the concept not only of
saving faith in Jesus Christ – but in the assurance of the same
There are no “hope-so’s” in Paul’s language or “maybe’s”
It is the language of a man convinced that he is Heaven bound
While doubtless, Paul was a great Christian – yet this ought to be the language of the least Christian as well
It is the brand mark of the sheep of Jesus Christ that they know whom they have believed etc.,
You ask: Can a Christian lose assurance of his salvation?
Answer:- Yes...but he need not do so
It is not the norm nor should it be thought of in any positive way
There is a brand/Christian who are most happy in doubt inspired misery
They think that avoiding presumption means that we must doubt
Not so! We should not avoid assurance because of assumption
We ought always to be able to speak these words with great conviction
A number of observations to draw from our text:
1) SAVING FAITH/ASSURANCE IS ALWAYS BUILT ON KNOWLEDGE:
I know…
A/ Ignorance is always portrayed by darkness: “I’m in the dark”
Knowledge is said to throw some light on the subject
That the soul be without knowledge is not good (Proverbs 19:2)
Not good because the soul can never be saved in ignorance
Great Commission? Go and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19)
Bible (Proverbs) has much to say about the necessity/instruction
Where it is missing - the soul will perish in ignorance
Soul (because of sin) is perishing by default
Darkness is there by sinful nature and it is getting darker every day
B/ Often heard of rescue attempts that have had to be abandoned for the night and would be “resumed at first light”
There can be no rescuing of the soul without the light/gospel
Therefore the Christian missionary will instruct
This might take time – lets throw away the clock!
We need not adapt ourselves to the 5 minute rule
Without making people theologians before they are saved, yet let us
not settle for a minimalistic faith or gospel presentation either
The soul that God is going to save is going to be hungry to learn more
This is the way that the Spirit moves
The light of the gospel (i.e. the light of the knowledge of the gospel)
is shone into the heart/ sinner and he applies the knowledge
received
C/ This is why we ought to do all that we can, by whatever (legitimate)
means we can to get the knowledge of the gospel across to people
The sower went forth to sow…the seed is the word of God
D/ Object: Did Paul not express/wish to know Christ? (Philippians 3:8)
Answer:- Yes…to know Him in a comparatively greater way i.e. to know more
Paul knew Him quite well – as the whole tone/Epistle(s) reveal
But he felt that he knew very little and greatly desired to know more
It will take us all eternity just to get to know Him
His name is called Wonderful and he is wonderful indeed
As Christians already, we ought to do all we can to know more about Him
Let us not drip feed our souls with knowledge of Him
Even if we only had a Bible, we could learn much more
What did He say Himself: Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me
The unsaved ought to give themselves to learning more about Him
Did not that man who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went
and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:46)
Whatever it takes for you to learn more about the gospel – do it!
You have a soul that is your most precious asset and it will only be
save as you come into knowledge of certain facts about the way of
salvation
2) SAVING FAITH/ASSURANCE IS ALWAYS DIRECTED TOWARDS A PERSON
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He…
A/ The soul can come into knowledge of certain evangelical and
doctrinal facts and still be lost without a Saviour – with no
help or refuge nigh
Each week all over Christendom, millions/folk repeat the Apostles Creed
What does this make them? Ans: Just reasonably well instructed sinners
Millions sit in Evangelical churches sing lovely gospel hymns which do
a wonderful job propagating the gospel/way of salvation:
There is life for a look at the Crucified One –
There is life at this moment for thee –
Then look! sinner look! unto him and be saved
Until Him who was nailed to a tree
(Chorus) Look! Look! Look and live!
A man cannot sing that gospel meetings week in/week out and plead
ignorance of the way/salvation along with many other gospel hymns
But singing through a hymnbook never saved anyone
B/ Soul needs to activate this information and direct its faith towards One Person i.e. Jesus Christ alone
Gospel is only a means to an end and that end is to bring the soul/Christ
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) i.e. whereby the believing soul takes Christ to be His Saviour
C/ Faith that makes everything: a church/sacrament is not saving faith
Whatever else may be said about it - it does not justify the soul
Saving faith is like the 3 Apostles/Mountain side: It sees Jesus only
When Paul spoke about his old Pharisaical life/achievements
(Philippians 3) it was only so to formally reject them as His hope of
salvation
He rejected them in very strong and graphic language to prove/point:
He counted them as dung - as vile refuse so that he might win Christ
D/ Cannot know even assurance of salvation if we fail to look to Christ
Of course, there are the marks of the new birth in 1 John
There are calls to “Take heed” etc., and “Examine yourselves…” etc.,
But if we are solely introspective and fail to look to Christ, then our
heads will go down and our hearts will heavy and our joy/assurance flee
Every look to Christ and His perfect work!
See His All Sufficiency to cover your each, every and last need
For the LORD God is a sun and shield:
the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from
them that walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)
In 1 John 2:1, we have two great truths side by side:
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
[i] There is our responsibility as Christians - our duty to overcome
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus etc.,
[ii] There is the answer to our failure to do what is required
How often we must look to Jesus alone for our assurance/salvation
Just as we looked to Him alone for our salvation - look for assurance
3) SAVING FAITH/ASSURANCE IS ALWAYS ACTIVE:
I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him
A/ Note the order as it is given here:
[i] Paul was persuaded – He not only received the information, but became convinced (persuaded of its truth)
[ii] He moved – He committed his soul and its salvation to Jesus Christ
Faith is an active thing – faith does not merely nod the head at
a set of doctrinal truths and remains sitting and doing nothing
When faith comes , it animates the soul
It causes the soul to actively flee to Jesus Christ
B/ Mentioned earlier about the man who found the pearl/great price
This gives us a working example of what we have been saying:
[i] This man believed what he was told about pearls – valuable things
[ii] This man was persuaded of the value of the pearl which he found
[iii] This man committed himself to getting this pearl at whatever cost
Not that we have to do anything other than rely entirely on Christ with a repentant faith etc., but faith is active
Any who just sit back and wait to be saved will be lost forever
4) SAVING FAITH/ASSURANCE IS ALWAYS TAKES US UP TO AND BEYOND THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT AND THEREFORE IT IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF:
I am not ashamed…able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day
A/ That day is a reference to the Day/Judgement
Its importance seen: its designation – it that day as if there no other
It is the great Day of days – for which every other day was set
B/ It is important for us to be ready for this great day
Hymn: Are you ready? (x2) Are you ready for the Judgement Day?
Only those who are in Christ are ready for the Judgement Day
All their sins are forever gone and they are justified from all things
The scrupulously honest/efficient in the keeping/ books fears not
the honest inspection by the authorities – every last penny
accounted for
Christians are complete in Jesus Christ – No charges can be brought
No Believer rejected at the Day/Judgement and cast into Hell
Yes…many hypocrites will go that way: Hope/hypocrite will perish
But every last one covered by the blood of Jesus will make it through
C/ If, in this regard, we need not be ashamed on that Day of our faith:
Then (state/obvious) we ought not to be ashamed in this day
That’s not to say that men will not try and shame us and even do so, if being judged after their own manner:
Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. (69:19)
Not that had cause to be ashamed but it was unjustly poured upon him
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. (1 Peter 4:16)
Apply/Appeal
THE END