2 Timothy 2:12-end

2 Timothy 2:12‑26
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First, now has drawn up after the.
Now let us run and never time.
What did I love for that?
Our cigar by night, our by day.
166.
Mm-hmm. For thou hast brought after me.
I remember I was like, oh, my heart. Don't burn me anything. Your eyes don't look like a cold. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I don't know if it's raining out loud and everyone can be hard, so let's drive one moment. I'm not going to provide you with the chicken and everything survived our bread and chicken.
Our strength and our Shields. Ourselves.
Umm.
And.
And he told me to understand no one's ever bring anything to her. And that's the rest of the red o'clock. Do I need anything else from God? And he brought the sunshine on the end of the day.
With Second Timothy chapter 2, I suggest that, uh, we start at verse 12.
Second Timothy, chapter 2.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us, if we believe not. Yet He abided faithful. He cannot deny himself of these things. Put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words no prophet, but to the subverting of the years. Study to show thyself approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Rightly dividing the word of truth, but Sean Profane and Zain babblings, where they will increase until more ungodliness, and their word will eat and stuff. The canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have aired, saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God stand this stand at the shore. Having this deal, the Lord knoweth them that are His, and let everyone that name is the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and a bird, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purged himself in the East, we shall be a vessel. London on it sanctified, and need for the masters. Use and prepare every good word. Lee. Also youthful lust. But follow righteousness, faith, and charity peace.
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With them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strike, and the servant of the Lord must not strive to be gentle unto all men. Apartment to teach station its neatness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging industries, and that they may recover themselves out of this manner of the devil.
Who are taken captive by him at his will.
Well, this passage of Scripture as we begin really the begins in verse nine, verse 9/10/11 and 12. There's three encouragements that the apostle Paul gives to Timothy in connection with The Walking by faith and walking in a time of ruin. And uh, the first encouragement is in verse 9 and it's really has to do as we mentioned yesterday.
It's in connection with the sovereignty of God, and that is that the word of God is not bound. It doesn't make, it doesn't make any difference what the enemy does. We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth. And so it was an encouragement.
For Timothy, intended for Timothy and ought to be an encouragement to us as well. We speak the word. There may be opposition. Uh, we've heard of, uh, you know, incidents where the Bible was ripped up and different, uh, situations and people just, uh.
Not regarding the word of God as they ought to, but the word of God is not balanced. The 2nd encouragement is in verse 10. It has to do with the sufferings of, uh, those that, umm, were laboring and Paul was laboring and uh, he says, uh, he suffered for the elect's sake. And that the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory, to look forward to eternal glory, there would be a future rejoicing.
With the Lord. And then a third encouragement here is in verse 11/12/13. He says that. And in as much that there's going to be a reward at the end of it all, our motive to suffer for the Lord and to endure all things is not that there's a reward. But it does give encouragement, doesn't it? And so it's a faithful saying. For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with him. He brings in the resurrection. If we suffer, we shall also.
As a believer, how would the Lord ever deny me? What would he do that umm, if I wasn't faithful? How would he be able to deny me before the Father and before the the ones at the time of reward? Well, he wants to give a full reward. And if to get a full reward, we're going to have to identify with him as the rejected man and endure our portion of the fame and the reproach of Christ and endure suffering. And he can give a full reward if we shun.
That umm, uh, AC aspect of our Christianity and, and we avoid every aspect of suffering and we will not identify with Christ in the situations that would bring reproach. He'll deny us the reward that we could have had.
And he would like to give us a full reward, but he won't be able to give us a full reward because we didn't suffer with him. And so this is the scene 11 brethren, where we're given the opportunity to suffer reproach and to identify with the Lord Jesus in his rejection. And he longs for us to identify with himself. And he belongs to be in a future day, look us in the face and be able to say, well done, how good and faithful servant, and to also have us appear in glory with him.
And reflect the glory of the Lord Himself after we receive our rewards.
Jonathan is an example of one who, uh, loved David dearly. In the Urban League reading, first Samuel stripped himself of everything and he gave it to David, but not his shoes. He did not walk with David in that path of repulsion, rejection. He went back to the city, back to the palace of his fault.
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Never did share with David the sufferings and the.
Umm, discomforts of The Cave of Medulla, the rejection.
And it should not rain with David either. And his name is conspicuous by his absence in the, uh, the record that David gives of the mighty men in Second Samuel 23. So this morning we gathered around a rejected Christ. We didn't together around the glorified Christ this morning. One who is still in rejection. It's a privilege, but there's going to be always reproach connected with being gathered.
The outside plate outside the camp within the veil. Hebrews 13.
I might just back up to uh, verse 9. The apostle speaks about the word of God and how it's not found.
Now you can bind the apostles.
Call was changed.
But you cannot find the Word of God. You can't hinder the Word of God. And what I've enjoyed is in Isaiah chapter 55, we have reference there to the rain and the snow coming down.
Now there's nobody.
That's able to hinder the rain from coming down.
Or the small when God intends for it to reign. Or the snow. Nobody hinders that.
Now Isaiah 55 and verse 10.
It says for as the rain cometh down and.
The 4th and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. So there's no way that we can restrain.
God working through his word and how wonderful that the word of God, it runs and it's glorified and as was brought out yesterday.
Here we are in North America enjoying the Word of God.
It's made, made good to us. And so I just feel that God's desire is to bless. That's what he finds his delight in, to show blessing to mankind and through His word, and even though his servants may be found not, so is Word.
We're coming back to verse 12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.
I I believe this is the sequence that we find in the word of God. Suffering always comes before reign and mention was made of David and certainly he was persecuted.
And he suffered.
At the hands of a godless man by the name of Saul. But we find that in time, God exalted David to the throne, and David waited God's time for that to happen.
And I think of Joseph as well. You know Joseph.
He was, uh.
Dated by his brother.
Really without it, other than Envy. And Envy was put into a pit and he was sold to the Ishmaelites and then to the Egyptians, and he's falsely accused in the House of Potiphar.
And then he ends up in prison. It just seemed like he went from bad to worse and yet.
I find great encouragement in five words in connection with Joseph. The Lord was with him. It's mentioned more than once the Lord was with him and he smoked adverse circumstances, and the time came when he was exalted.
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To a position next to Pharaoh.
So there was the suffering there, but then the reigning. And I think we ought to be encouraged to realize that we're called to suffer for Christ.
And if we're not experiencing some kind of suffering, we might well question.
What's wrong with our testimony for the Lord? But it's all in view of His coming glory and our association with Him.
So this is a great encouragement, I believe, to go on for the ordinary circumstances today to know that.
We suffer. We're going to reign.
About over a couple chapters. Wally, Second Timothy, 417.
Could you read that verse for us?
Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
Same thought. Same thought. Good.
This was umm, the Apostle Paul's last imprisonment.
He was imprisoned.
Two or three times before.
He was imprisoned in his own house and, uh, had a guard. It seemed some scripture with him so that he could write the epistles of Philippians, cautions and Ephesians and so on. But this is a couple of years later.
And uh, I was, I was looking up about this prison actually just last night.
Umm.
No, it it's not from scripture, but history records the type of prison that it was.
And umm, let down from a roof above into it. The food was.
Put down through the roof and there he waited his execution.
He was considered a malefactor.
A criminal and uh, anybody that went to see him was upon suspiciously as well.
So the follower rejected man like that.
I meant to take sides with him and reproach his involved in connection with it.
And we do follow a rejected Christ, don't we?
It's search. It's searching to, uh, think of these things because we know so little of that type of thing. Rejection on fields.
For myself.
The same spirit that crucified the Lord is in the world today.
And if we're going to be faithful in our testimony.
We agree with my brother Dave, but, uh, sometimes I'm great. We hide our light and we avoid the the reproach because we don't identify with the Lord. We lose the joy of the of the.
We reproach to First Peter Four. You're familiar with that verse, First Peter 4.
The 14th.
Umm, we can avoid the results.
My umm, failing to uh, witness for the Lord verse forth.
14 If you be reproached is the first Peter 4 Or 14 If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy ye should be. That's what it says. Happy are you. The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. Therefore he is evil spoken of your part He is glorified. Every believer suffers with Christ, but not every believer suffers for Christ.
We can't prove through a go through a world with all its.
Groaning in its uh.
Umm, scars and traces of sin and suffering on every hand, Uh.
Umm, and not suffer with Christ when something for Him is identifying in our testimony, by our word and by our walk with our rejected crisis and UMM.
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There will be a reproach in too, if we are gathered through the Lord's name.
Outside the whole system of this world's religion.
And the system of men and the organization of men, we are outside of all of that in.
Fellowship with the Lord according to divine principles of Scripture is going to be reproaching connected with that too.
So we have a Hebrew Sirte, isn't it?
Outside the camp, the various reproach, some other reproach that we run across today are from other believers, no doubt about it. But we're not reproach so much.
When we come together to meet, we have liberty. We come together to teach, read God's word in this land, we have liberty. But that's not the case in a lot of countries where there are believers today. They can't be, they don't have that liberty because there's a reproach from the government that they're under that prohibits them from being together. And if they're caught, they they do suffer for it. So they suffer for Christ sake in that way.
You have that account in X over an X that capture uh.
Or when Peter and John were teaching and preaching.
Uh, where they did and said they called them and commanded them not to speak at all or teaching the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hear, and unto you more than on to God like me. It was a decision that was to be made, whether they were to be faithful to God.
And the Commission that he had given to for preaching to teach.
Or give that up for the persecution that they were suffering at the hands of those that had authorities.
In the next chapter over, Chapter 5.
Is there that?
And 29 words. That's Peter. Any other apostles after he said we often obey God rather than him?
So they put God in God's Word first.
And, uh, they suffered for it. Some of them were thrown in prison and they suffered greatly for their faithfulness. We don't encounter that in this land. We're very blessed in that way where we can, we have much liberty to proclaim the gospel, to meet the way that we do. But some of the reproach I feel does come from, I might say, camp where a lot of the Apostle Paul's doctors been given up.
And uh, we're looked at now is, is being, uh.
Uh, let's say, uh.
Weird. You might say it because you want to use that word, because we we hold truth that that the camp has been given up, has given up and.
If we're faithful and.
We're it's a form of reproach that we suffer because we don't have the same fellowship with them as we would like to. We can't really enjoy their company as we'd like to because.
They they're going on with things that are not structural.
So there is a reproach in that sense.
Just in case somebody doesn't know what reproach means, maybe.
Be good to give a definition. Reproach really means shame content. Somebody looks at you and says.
Who just looks at you with content. And so the name, name the name of Christ. And it brings shame because the man, the last thing this world saw was a man Christ Jesus on the cross. They saw him on the cross as a man that had been crucified. Judge dumped this world as unworthy of life, but the Father God raised him from among the dead.
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He's resurrected. He's a man in the glory and we're identified with him as that man in the glory. So what you've said is it's normal to be gathered for the Lord's name and to say someone says, where do you worship? You say by grace we can say I'm gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't take any other name. Well, don't you have a name on the building? No, don't have a name on the building. Well, you gotta have a name.
No, there's only one name. It's the name of Christ Jesus.
Were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. So it brings reproach because we're identified with that man. And if you take another name, it's it's umm, removed some of the sting of the shame and the reproach of that name and the world can identify with another name, but not with Christ.
Well, if we move on, it says here that in verse 14 that of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strived out about words to no prophet.
Such as a subverting of hearers of the hearers.
Paul is instructing Timothy as to how to conduct himself and what kind of ministry that he should bring forth. And there would be some snares. The enemy would, uh, seek to just, uh, divert his energies and to take up words to no profit. And Mr. Kelly, uh, in his commentary commentary says, uh, uses this little phrase that their philosophical word warriors.
So they're trying to get wrapped up in the definitions of words and and try to umm.
Distract and try to make a big issue of different words instead of getting the spirit of the teaching of what is given in scripture. And so Timothy was to avoid the intellectual activity in the spirit and the things of God. And so these things would be subverting of the hearers. There's a danger in getting caught up in religious discussions. We want to mention we want to discuss things as far as.
The person of the Lord Jesus, the blessed work that he did on the cross of Calvary, the heavenly aspect of the Church and all those things and not get arguing about different things in connection with various words of Scripture.
If there's anything fundamental, of course, we must be, uh, very earnest to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints.
Well, we need to, uh, be careful of introducing into the assembly that which is not of profit. The whole point of the reading meeting is for edification, and if I introduce something that is.
Of a, uh, controversial nature. Your phosphorus is mentioned here, uh, something that is really not building up the Saints for encouraging them, uh.
Then I'm wasting time, uh, if that's the way I participate, it would be a kindness for the brethren to tell me to be quiet. But uh, we should have, in having the edification of the brethren when they come together, uh, it's.
Founding the word or, uh, referring to other scriptures, something that would build up the soul and give us the strength to go on and this Dark World and encourage, uh, the brethren.
I was thinking also in the trapped we used to get an overview of things. Uh, probably probably has already been touched upon by here in second Timothy, the house is in ruin. It is in or looked at as generally in order since the first epistle. So here we have that the remaining of apostasy and we need to have an understanding of the time.
And this is the last official the fossil rope. It was on the eve of his marker dumb and things were in a a state of declension and ruin. And the departure in the Christian testimony, we know the apostasy has not started, but the spirit of apostasy has invaded Christendom.
And there is a giving up of the truth.
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They're not walking, as we have mentioned in Paul's doctrine now, not that we are any better, but we need an understanding of the times in which we live. We live in the last days, in the last hours of the church's testimony just before the rapture and.
True. No, True. No believer can apostatize. That's not possible. It's only a professor that can apostatize. But these are the type of people that were coming into the testimony here.
Bringing in these, uh, blasphemous doctrines and, uh.
Profane Vein, Valvoline, a number of them were not saved. In the great House of Christendom, not everyone is saved. There are many who are vessels to dishonor and many who are wooden and earthen. They're not truly believers, but they're in the Christian testimony. They're in the Kingdom of heaven and we need to. We're not going to get a revival, some great revival.
We're we're not going to have a return to Apostolic.
Power, we can have a return to Apostolic position, but not through the power and the gift of the Apostolic day. But uh, the apostle is giving us here the instructions in view of the condition that he saw developing at this point in time. How much more so now when we're right near the, on the threshold of the Lord's return and how we should conduct ourselves in this situation.
What are we going to do when we see this development here, umm, that the apostle outlined? The apostle might say, mentioned also that improve believer cannot apostatize, fostatize. He can fall away, he can backslide, but backsliding is not the same as apostasy. Apostasy is giving up a even the profession of that of Christianity. It will be fully developed.
When the Antichrist rises up and uh.
Destroys the whole professing Christendom when it comes to an end, when the woman who rides the beast will be destroyed. That's the end of Christendom there. But the spirit of it is starting here. And, uh, we see it around us now, how we need to be on our guard here as to association with that which is not according to the word of God.
That is the touchstone. Is that right there?
You know it. Umm, we just say that, umm, you got a couple of steps. It seems to me after second Timothy and, uh, in, uh, in, uh, second Peter chapter 3, and then in the book of Jude, where things are declining even more and more toward the state of apostasy. I have always thought of the book of Judas, perhaps almost, if not at the apothecary statement. Do you feel like yourself or? Yeah, that's a depiction. It's depicting this, the last state of Christendom, Julia.
Similar to the to Malachi, they they correspond those first those books, but I would say that is the the almost the full development of the apostrophe. But the apostasy per se, it won't take place until after the church is raptured in the warrior and we have the the anti Christ coming on the scene. That's really a key to understanding the epistle in the Hebrews as well as what you mentioned, because there was a falling away and there was also an apostasy.
It was evident, and Paul or the writer of the Epistle of the Hebrews believe it was Paul was warning that, uh, they would, uh, warning the, uh, those that had, uh, taken up with Christianity not to apostatize because Evelyn Smith makes the comments, umm, in connection with the, that spirit of things is brought out in Hebrews. He said it was just like the Jews that uh, professed to know the Lord the Savior and take Christ the Savior and go on in the strength, in the power of Christianity.
And then to turn back to Judaism, it was just like saying I tried Christianity, it didn't work for me, so I'm going back to Judaism.
He said there's only judgment and so that's why it says in Hebrews chapter 10, I think it's verse 25. Uh, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a matter of some is there were some that had hypostatized and gone back, umm, about an exhorting one another, encouraging one another so much. The more you see the day approaching. What day was it the day approaching? It was the day of apostasy. And so as we see the day of apostasy approaching in the Western Christian world.
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We ought to be more diligent being together over the Word of God and encouraging one another on a daily basis.
So here we have this, uh, instruction given to Timothy. He says, uh, study to show thyself approved unto God. I'm going to read it in, uh, the new translation says, try diligently to present thyself approved to God. A Workman that has not to be ashamed, cutting in a lot straight line the word of truth. So in a low state of things, Paul says that there was going to be striving. They're going to be striving or contending about words.
And when we get into a low state, we don't have crisis before our souls. We're not enjoying the things of God. We're not savoring them for ourselves walking in communion. Then what happens is there's strife, there comes the the flesh is striving against the flesh and all the Spirit of God gives us this wisdom, you know, in verse 15 is the striving should be to have Christ before us and to be walking in a path that's in approval to him.
If we, I'll just say this, umm, as a word of encouragement is, umm, you know, maybe there's a young person here, maybe somewhat older. Isn't that the Lord's table? And her brother gave an exhortation this morning that this wonderful thing, a wonderful privilege and a wonderful blessing to be at the Lord's table to remember the Lord in his death. I can't give you that invitation. The Spirit of God uses the word of God to give you that invitation. But his desire is that, uh.
You would hear that the voice of the Lord and not do it for your brethren. Don't come to the Lord's table. Don't be there because of your brethren, but be be the Lord's table taking place at the Lord's table. Remember the Lord in his death because the Lord is there. Do it for him. Don't do it for me. Don't do it for mom. Don't do it for dad. Do it for him. And one of the things that was an encouragement to me is a young person.
Was tremendously stressful to think of going to one of my older brother and saying, you know, as a 16 year old or 17 year old, I'd like to remember the Lord in his death.
I could, I just trembled in my boots to go and see them. But I, you know, what tremble made me tremble more was the thought of standing before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ and the Lord saying you didn't even remember the meaning in my death, not even once. And I wouldn't be able to say why I wouldn't have an answer. I just asked you to do it just for me. And so you know this, these verses 14 and 15 are connected. There's strife if we're in a low state of soul.
But there is to be a striving to be approved in the present day of ruin, approved to the Lord himself, and a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed. And so who do you serve to serve the Lord?
It's true you can serve your brother and you can do a little work in blessing to your brethren, but in actual fact, you serve the Lord and do your work of service to be acceptable to Him.
That's very tough, Sir.
Striving there about about words of no, words of no prophet.
All scripture has prophets, but if I was to sit down and and and talk to some brother here about what party they thought should be the best party to lead Canada in the next 4 years. I spent four hours doing that. Would that have any edification? Your soul or mine? No, nothing there for.
The nothing there for the soul, nothing for the Lord, and that it'd be words of no prophet.
And doesn't profit, is it? And so the Lord wants us to encourage one another with words of edification that would build us up and encourage us to go on. But it doesn't mean to say that we're not to be armed.
In in Titus chapter one it says verse nine there holy fast and faithful word he had been taught that he may be able by sound doctors go to the store and to convince the game savers.
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Where there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped to subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for a filthy lucrative sake. And this is.
In in 14 first not giving he the Jewish fables and commandments of men.
That turned from the truth. Perhaps that was coming in here, Timothy piece of babbling's and fables and things like that and no prophet spiritually gratification, but when it was God's word was being perverted and they were to be the word of God was being used to dispute them and to put it down.
The fable is something that.
It's a lie presented to us as the truth, really what it is.
State is taking something of scripture and twisting it around and presenting the fluids as being the truth.
Kent, you had a comment.
I was just, you know, gonna follow up a little on what Robert was saying about verse 15. It was, uh, many cases reduced to, uh, studying, just studying the scriptures. You know, they take it to mean that. And they, it's a case where we take a modern, uh, meaning of a term and we force it back into the word of God and then make the word, the word say something. It, it didn't, it wasn't intending to say.
Umm, and so the study here, you know, the first thing when you see study, you think in your mind of sitting in a table reading a book. And so we might tend to think of it that way, but I'm glad he read the the Darby translation and makes it more clear. The thing to be studied is showing yourself approved unto God. That's the subject of your study. And it's in contrast to disputing with people because you know when you when you think you got it right.
And you think you're right, you're pretty well energized to dispute with you. But he said you ought to be putting your energy or your diligence towards making sure that you're approved to God.
You need to study to show yourself approved unto God and so.
It's more than, uh, an intellectual study of the word. That's just a, a clarification, especially for the younger ones. We have a lot of young men rising up and they're studying the scriptures and it's, it's needed. I mean, that's one of the means by which you show yourself approved unto God is the first thing you need to know what his word says to you, right? So studying the word is, is surely included in that. But, uh, you can get into an intellectual, uh.
Uh, study of the word and that can lead to the very thing he said to avoid in the previous verse, which is disputes of words. So, uh, it's to be diligent to show yourself approved to God.
You know, I have, uh, I have enjoyed.
Connecting two scriptures together, one in the first epistle as well as that verse in the 15th verse you look at First Timothy 4 and verse first Job.
15.
Meditate upon these things.
Which I sell fully to them thinking of this expression meditate.
I look upon meditating and studying differently. I thought we've heard the expression of chewing the cut connection with meditation. That is reading the Bible and just meditating, thinking on it and let it sink in and let the Lord talk to you through the very words that you're reading.
To me, studying, I look on study as something where it takes an effort to try to.
To, uh, see, line things up the way God has put them in His Word.
For example, dispensational truth and so on, and we that we don't confuse.
Uh, uh, Jewish blessing with the heavenly blessings that we have in Christ. And I think that Paul wanted Timothy to get a hold of both things here. It's one thing to have an intellectual grasp of things. It's another thing to enjoy the Lord in your soul personally. And I think Paul presents first of all.
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The enjoyment of Christ in the soul, and then he brings in this other.
The approach to I believe and I've enjoyed it this way other than David it's things in order in the first book say I meditate second book has to do with time of apostasy or beginning of an invention and it's in response is to look at these things as three different groups of people. Here he's telling about he's trying to encourage Timothy to go on in a day when things are being given up just the just the context of and how to go on and preserve yourself in this day when.
There are things that being rolled back, and so if Timothy is to take the instruction, he's going to suffer persecution.
The first chapter.
Of second Timothy you have these two people mentioned you turn back to it they are first 15 this thou knows that all of which are in they should be turned away from Yahoo mark by jealous and homogeneous there's the the 1St test you might say you're going to suffer because of this because.
They've given up the apostle Paul as the heavenly ministry of the apostle Paul being given up and this is going to be a real test for Timothy to hold fast when everyone around them, those are seniors especially are giving up this truth and so he will suffer that and so he's encouraged to you know, to screw up the gift that's in him and so on. In the second chapter, it's a little different. It's verse 17 and their word believe that that I can't grow up. Omar is Ameneus and Politicus. These are this is the deal with the doctrine.
Of those in bringing things and so he says now study.
Because all the things we get to do is not only Paul given up as a as a whole category of things, but even though it remains. I want to put to a test. What does this mean? So now study to show myself in a daily pension and a day of apostasy is coming on then all faster these things. But we'll be suffering because it doesn't be a box of lots of retribution to hold faster than you go to the 4th chapter, you get this person.
Is he too, Alexander?
You mentioned there, yes it's umm yes. In verse 14 he says to him Alexander Coppersmith didn't mean much evil. The Lord reward him according to his words that I believe is actual physical.
Deeds under the Apostle Paul and as we go into giving up of things, those around it may come down to that.
We may come down, it may not be things of our choosing to as it would be a testimony for the Lord with a great effect that we are testimony for the Lord may bring out exactly that the Alexander, the Congressman, they make the attacks. So this could be the physical. So that's why he's telling Timothy in these last days how to conduct himself as a work and all these second books except for me, Second Corinthians, Second Thessalonians, Second Timothy and Second Peter.
All of those deal with class days and the days of apostasy and Jews like I call it third Jeff, Third Peter. You want to get grassland Jews lead Second Peter and then read Jews. As a matter of fact, you turn to Jude. I believe it's probably active to say that Jude was influenced by second Peter by reading Peter. It may have been in the he may have been in the assembly where that letter was read because.
He changes his mind with verse three of duty, says, Beloved, when I gave all, all diligence to light on behalf of the common self.
That was the first intention to write about the common salvation. But something has changed his mind, and now he gives this, this overview of the Ananda, the last days, as long as they follow one of the worst things.
That can come in as a word, maybe before we're taking away or after. But he gives this excess extra expectation to them. But he would tie it and read it through. Second, second, Peter. You'll see how close they are together.
Like he was influenced by what he he read in Peter's letter. So it has to do with the how do you go on in the last days and basically pension.
00:50:04
Might say in a nutshell, that would be possible with teaching Timothy here that not everything, not everyone that names the name of Christ is going on in an orderly way and so we live in a place.
In time when people take the name of the Lord Jesus and they put it up on the building.
And they say the Church of Christ or something like that, but the doctrine isn't according to the truth of God.
And so he was to rightly divide the word of truth. And it's not only meditation that we're the clean animals were to chew the cut to digest what they ate and to rightly they had to have a divided hook. So they had to walk in separation and they hear Paulus and Jordan Timothy to be careful. Not everyone that names the name of Christ is going on in an orderly way. And so here in verse 16, he says shun profane.
And vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat as stuff a canker or a cancer, of whom is hymenazon Thalidus, who concerning the truth of Aaron, saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some. So there are consequences to umm allowing ourselves to umm associate with those that hold false doctrine, it says here.
I'm gonna just point out there's five things that Paul says in connection with the separation. He says the first one is in verse 16, Shun. And then a little bit further on he uses the term umm in umm, right at the end of verse 19, let everyone that name it the name of Christ depart from iniquity. There's another word, depart. So Sean and depart. And then he says in umm verse 21, if any man, therefore, if a man, therefore purge.
Himself or purify himself from these, he shall be a vessel in honor. And then in verse 22 flee also youthful lust. And then the last one is in verse 23, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender stripes. So it requires discernment when we engage in spiritual matters as to those things that are profitable and those that are not. And if there are those that hold the doctrine that is not according to the truth of God.
And we discerned that they're really not going to be convinced one way or another better not to be engaged in that kind of activity and so.
If, if we do, then there's going to be an airing and the overgrowth, overthrow of the faith of some. You and I can be deceived. We're not stronger than the enemy and we can be deceived. Every single one of us wouldn't take much and we could be deceived. And here they were deceived about the resurrection. Well, they perhaps didn't have the teaching clear, but the resurrection takes part in three stages.
The first group of resurrection is Lord Jesus. That that resurrection is passed already. The Lord Jesus is a risen man. He's in the glory. But there's another resurrection apart. The 2nd installment of the resurrection is going to be at the rapture. You can read about it in First Thessalonians chapter 4. The church is going to be taken up and all those Old Testament Saints were going to be raptured. The last installment as as it were, of the resurrection takes place.
In Revelation, uh, chapter 20, I believe that it's, uh, presented those that are martyred during the tribulation period, during the beginning of sorrows and at the, during the tribulation period, at the end of the tribulation, at the beginning of the Millennium, they're going to be resurrected. And so that's the end of the first resurrection. Let's read it so that we get the terminology right.
Chapter 20 of Revelation and verse 5.
Uh.
The rest of the bed live not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him 1000 years. So the first resurrection is complete after the.
Tribulation period.
And those that are resurrected will reign and live with the Lord. And so these ones, there was false teaching in connection with the resurrection at the beginning of the church period. We need to be careful not to get mixed up in doctrines that are prevalent in the camp. We know that covenant theology is becoming more prominent. The error that the church first fell into.
00:55:26
And they perhaps around 8300.
And umm, without going into a lot of detail about it, the aspect of it was told yesterday that umm, you know, some teach that, uh, Israel's place is taken by the church and has an inheritance in the earth. And that's not the truth of God at all. Your inheritance in mind is reserved for us in heaven. And we're a heavenly people. We belong to heaven. We don't belong to this earth. The church is a living Organism, a heavenly living organization.
All is exhorted to this is really a mandate of the apostle Paul, his son in the faith, Timothy.
And the the subject is the House of God. It's not here the body of Christ, but it's the House of God that is prominent in these epistles. It brings me for us our behavior, not the unity of the body.
The public witness in this world of the Christian testimony as the the basic thought in the in the epistles of Timothy. And I was thinking of that very soon. First Timothy 46 Since I put the brethren in remembrance of these things, I also have to be a good minister of Jesus Christ. In other words, Paul is saying, I want you to have a fruitful ministry and if you put the brethren in remembrance of these things, you're going to be a good minister of Jesus Christ.
Nuri stuff in the words of faith and of good doctrine. Alright Nourish office has the idea of being spiritually fed and it's not only the the Old Testament scriptures, but it's the whole truth of God that we now have revealed to us Paul's doctrine New Testament scriptures. Murray struck in the words of faith and of good doctrine where unto God has detained so there was diligence necessarily.
We turn over to 2nd the Timothy 3 and 14. We see that Timothy had profited from the exportation of the apostle Paul. He had been diligent in his study of the Word of God. He had given attendance to these things. Continue, Val. And the things which thou hast learned. Not only did he learn them, shall we say in his head, but he had been assured of them. He had made them his own. He had walked in them. Not only was it some intellectual.
Apprehension he had walked in the truth. It's not what we know that controls our lives. It's what we enjoy and what we walk in. We're in $2.00 detained, uh, knowing of whom thou hast learned them well, the source of the teaching the Timothy received was the apostle Paul. But now we're coming down in the chapter. Time is the the game stuff here and we're coming down to some very important scriptures.
In the 19th and 20th versus, we should spend a little time there because these are umm.
Brusenski puts it the Magna Carta of the of the New Testament that this is.
Our exportation in view of the condition that prevails in criticism, and I think we should.
Spend a little time on these verses 19 to 21 you have association.
And you have disassociation, everyone. That name is the name of Christ. Depart from iniquity.
That is, doctrines that are contrary to the Word of God. Wherever they're found, we are called upon to separate from doctrine. Now, if a person holds that doctrine, though it is painful to have to separate from another believer, We don't want to do that. But if they hold doctrine that is subversive of the truth.
To the word of God, what is the exploitation?
Is is to depart from iniquity. We must separate from the doctrine the evil that we find in Christendom today and associate with those who by the grace of God are, are, are.
01:00:10
Vessels of honor that have that.
Given the Lord his rightful place, because that association with evil will be fired.
It's a call to individual faithfulness in the day of ruin for each other, individual faithfulness. And so he speaks of if in verse 21, if a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor. So we spoke a little earlier in verse 15 of the workmen. And so the laborer umm in the House of God, he desires to rightly divide the word of truth doesn't get himself embroiled.
In controversy in connection with words to no profit and doctrines that are opposed to the person and the work of Christ. And here now he needs to walk to purge himself from these a vessel.
And to honor sanctified, sanctified really just, uh, in this aspect needs to be, uh, set apart for God, set apart by God for a holy purpose. And so we meet and we are meet for the masters use and prepared. The Lord will use us unto every good work. And so there's umm, individual exercise that's necessary if a man purge himself. Snip. Nice just to think of how.
Umm, we can in the day that we live in and all the confusion and Christianity take up with the Word of God and get this instruction that we need to be individually faithful to the truth that we know in the Word of God and faithful to Christ, the person of the Lord Jesus and every one of us, If a man therefore purge himself, every one of us is responsible for going on in a day of ruins and faithfulness to Christ.
In First Corinthians 5.
We have there pergi.
But there it's a wicked person that's to be purged, put out of the assembly and installed with the desire that they might be restored. But the assembly becomes aware of the evil and is willing to deal with it. And Paul, he had to bring before the Corinthians some of their glaring mistakes and false teachings and so on. And you know, there was.
Uh, I believe about.
Expectation and a willingness to admit there and to put out the wicked person.
But I believe here we signed, we have some wicked teaching.
And apparently there is not.
The exercise or the conviction to deal with this error and it's allowed amongst the group and.
If it's brought to the attention of the group and they refuse to deal with the air, then it's responsibility of a Christian who has integrity to separate from that error. And so in this case, the upright one is purging himself out.
I think there's an important thing to remember here though, too. You know, back in the early Middle Ages, there were those men that recognized the need to separate from what was evil. So what did they do? They built a little community out in the middle of the woods somewhere and put a wall up. And they wouldn't have anything to do with the outside world. But they forgot that a lot of the problems start from within the heart.
And so there's a warning here in this particular chapter in the.
22nd verse it says to those who depart and purge themselves from those things flee also youthful lusts. We've got to judge our own hearts or we're going to find ourselves falling into the same trap that others have fallen into. And so it says follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord of the pure heart. I think it's important to see that warning. Paul kind of touched on that with the Ephesian elders be when he gave them the exhortation right before leaving. He said there's going to come some from without.
And then there's some among you that are gonna rise up, so you know it. It's always necessary to remember that we can worry about things coming in, but we also need to worry about bringing things in ourselves from our own minds and our own thoughts and inclinations, and then rising up amongst ourselves to get recognition or have preeminence in the assembly.
01:05:24
It's wonderful to talk about, uh, evil doctrines and things that go along with the scripture, but perhaps it might be, uh, interesting if we could get a few examples of what those might be for some of us. Umm.
Nice to talk about them in a general form, but maybe without getting in too many details, is there one or two doctrines that we could put forth that would show this, umm, aspect of of error and and that just for some of those who aren't as well learned in scripture is some of the brothers?
Well, there's been one mentioned already, of course, which is covenant theology. But yeah, there could be others as well. And I have to ask the question, what is the most paramount?
Umm umm, evil teaching amongst all the, uh, evil teachings that are in Christendom.
Was commonly taught in Christendom today, uh, I don't know what percentage, but it's widespread that Christ could have sinned. He didn't, but he was capable for him to do so. That is the blasphemous doctrine and that is hell. And in other words, they are saying that Christ had a, he had an old nature. How could he respond to a temptation? All the temptations of the Lord were from without. But if he could have sinned, then he must have had.
An evil nature. The Prince of this world cometh and have nothing in me. But then there's the denial of eternal security, which is rampant in certain groups. There are the excesses of Pentecostalism. Umm.
Women participating and uh.
Outright disobedience to the word of God, because there's the whole clerical system, that whole.
All organization of man, that is where the Spirit of God is not given his rightful place. Uh, there's, there's ecclesiastical evil where we've often been reminded of those three things. There is doctrinal evil and sometimes it's concerning the person of Christ.
In any way where his divinity or his perfect humanity is is attacked or denied. That's that's gravely serious error. There are, uh, there is moral evil. Umm.
Wally has referred to, uh, First Corinthians five. That is not practiced in Christendom today. The judgment of moral evil is not always practiced and in assem, uh, often it is ignored. That's why our testimony is one of the reasons. Our testimony is small as gathered to the Lord's name, because we do, we do judge that which is evil in our midst. Otherwise the assembly would be corrupted by the evil they allow.
Then there's a third category, ecclesiastical evil, which I touched upon there. There are many ecclesiastical errors. Now the question is, if I associate myself with a company that that is practicing those things, am I effective? I am am IA defiled by that association, association with evil defiles, whether I imbibe the evil or not. Then on the positive side.
Uh, separation, uh, has been, uh, dwelt upon here, but separation is not isolation.
That's two different things. We are to separate from what is contrary to the word that we are to associate with those we call on the Lord of the pure heart. Thank God we can meet here with the beloved Saints of God who by grace alone are gathered on the spiritual ground. We have double shipped wonderful time of fellowship together.
Flowing out of the apostles doctrine, however, and so we are not called to walk that pathway alone, though we're getting weaker.
Continue on in those.
Those little assemblies where there's only a handful of Brother Robert has been visiting many of them and told me most, most of them are below 5. It's not easy to go on in those situations. The Lord will reward abundantly to continue on faithful to His word in that coming day and in this day in your own soul this day too. I was wondering, John, can you define what it means here when it says a pure heart?
01:10:17
This is not.
Meaning of perfect group of leaders is it? No, I have difficulty with that problem. You can can help us.
Go ahead. I just think of a first John is a possibility John deals with that question and to answer Bill possibly in first John 4.
And the first you have two books together. The first book of study is trying to set things in order and maintain the order and give it direction, but it fails to the second book to.
For the individual, So in first John 4.
First verse John says, you know where John is leaning in Lord's bosom. The lovers believe not every spirit but try the spirits for the day of God, because many false spirits have gone up into the world. And so he gives us direction in the first first book. But now he writes a second book to assist her because apparently she never got that message.
And So what was happening with her? Well, she was receiving door to door people and knocking on her doors. They were coming in and she was receiving them, but she wasn't trying the spirits. There's something about this that came in of the name of Christ, name of God. And so he brings out the person of the Lord Jesus and God himself as being a critical thing in the second book. And it says look at verse seven. First of all, for many deceivers.
Are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresses and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not gone either. By the doctrine of Christ we have both the Father and the Son. If any, come on to you and bring not this doctrine.
Receiver loan to your house iravidium God's feet we have built in God's feet. In particular of the devil deeds Jersey I think one of the fundamental attacks on the the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ in the very nature of God, probably one of the worst given by someone who knew the Lord best for me and on this bosom.
For the Wally, I would just suggest a definition of a pure heart. A pure heart knows what the Word of God teaches, understands what the Word of God teaches, understands what the truth is, understands what righteousness is. That's the first thing in this list and accepts it and walks in it.
An unpure heart knows what the truth is and refuses to walk in it. Regardless of what the Lord has said, they have the will of engaged you and I want to have a pure heart. If the word of God says give us a warning, we ought to accept that warning and we ought to accept the truth and desire to walk in righteousness. A pure heart. There are others that desire to walk in purity of heart and in a righteous path in an unrighteous world. I heard it explained one time as a pure motives.
The desire for the Lord's glory, having Him as an object. And you know, not every Christian understands everything. I know I don't. But it's great to have an attitude where I'm willing to learn and to act on it. When I find out what is the word of thought now, I think of what Job says. Well, here in Job 34 and verse.
32 I think this is a good attitude.
That which I see not each Tao me. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
So here we have a spirit where one is willing to learn, and not only to learn, but to do.
Done iniquity, I'll do it no more. I think that's a pure heart.
There's an expression in the Old Testament they that feared the Lord.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and just give you Malachi 316 They that feared the Lord spade off in one to another, and the Lord hearkened them earth.
And I heard it in a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thoughts me.
01:15:11
We think 241 Savior through the desert, lead us. Without thee we cannot go 241.
Savior through the desert.
I'll be thinking I'm.
Crying girl can't stand straight thinking.
That's why I'm here. And whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's my breath.
And share us all our journey.
Full time.
Is there any way you can change anything? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, blah, blah, blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, blah, blah, blah. That's something Germany life.
Render life like presidency.
Hey, I have a great day. Bye.
Well, I don't know what you say.
About right?
Now.
My heart and blood and blood, and they come by, come and see me. So far, so far. The glory created in the glory of the Lord, of the Lord of glory.