Dave spoke last Sunday on 2 Timothy 1:12, where Paul declared that he was not ashamed, even though he was suffering for the gospel’s sake. This letter was probably one of the last he wrote and is a shining example that even though he was in prison as he wrote and knew he was facing imminent death, he had confidence because of his hope in God. He knew how to master life rather than be mastered by it, and this is something we too need to learn. If we want to master life, then we need to know the true nature of the gospel.
Paul wrote to Timothy, a young man who may well have been daunted and even depressed by what he saw happening around him, with confidence and hope. He was not daunted by suffering, writing that suffering shapes us and develops perseverance in us (Rom 5:1-3). Nor can we simply attribute his confidence to his optimistic personality; elsewhere he wrote of both external conflicts and fears within (see 2 Cor 7:5). He was confident because of the truths of the gospel and because faith enabled him to see beyond his present circumstances to the eternal reward that awaits all who believe. In 2 Tim 2:8, he wrote ‘Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David – this is my gospel.’ He urged Timothy to keep his gaze and focus on Jesus Christ, and this is what we must do too. We have to see that Almighty God loved us so much that He sent His Son to save us, and that as a result of this decisive intervention in human history, we have nothing to fear and can stand on a solid foundation that will not change. Acts 16:31 sums up the gospel in simple clarity: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.’
That is the total secret to being more than a conqueror. That is the only way that anyone can successfully live in this challenging world, in this world that trusts in man and laughs at God. Take the gospel to heart, believe the Christian message, and put all of your trust in Jesus Christ.
