2Timothy 2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. NKJV
2Timothy 2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. NKJV
Ephesians 2 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. NKJV
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I love this be strong in grace. My friend, if you think that you can grit your teeth and go out and live the Christian life on your own, you re in for a great disappointment. If you feel that you can follow a few little rules or some clever gimmicks to make you a mature Christian, then you have fallen into a subtle trap of legalism.
Paul gives no rules, and the Word of God has no rules to tell the child of God how to live the Christian life. We are saved by grace, and now we are to live by the grace of God and be strong in that grace. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy/Titus/Philemon) (electronic ed., Vol. 50, p. 102). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
1Corinthians 15 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. NKJV
Calvary Chapel has a distinctive position on the subject of God's grace. We realize that without the grace of God none of us would have a chance. We need the grace of God in our lives. We need it daily. We experience it, and we're saved by it personally. But we also stand in grace. We have taken a very strong position on grace. We believe that the Bible does teach that God is gracious.
That's one of His chief characteristics in dealing with man. If He wasn't a God of grace, none of us would stand a chance! We all need the grace and the mercy of God. Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel Distinctives: The Foundational Principles of the Calvary Chapel Movement
Hebrews 13 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace NKJV
2Timothy 2 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. NKJV
Hebrews 5 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. NKJV
2Timothy 2 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. NKJV
Ephesians 6 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. NKJV
2Corinthioans 10 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. NKJV
2Timothy 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. NKJV
Matthew 13 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. NKJV
Luke 9 57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go. 58 And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.
59 Then He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house. 62 But Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. NKJV
In Paul s day, Roman soldiers were not parttime warriors. They were not busy buying real estate or making business plans as they passed through conquered territory. From sunup until they rested at night, every activity involved honing the skills of warfare, ensuring the security of their unit, and gathering the supplies to keep them ready and fit. Nothing was ignored or left to chance.
Life and victory depended upon the soldiers readiness and commitment to the task. Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, pp. 281 282). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2Timothy 2 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. NKJV
An athlete can t cut the corner of a racetrack. Neither can a baseball player run by second base without touching it; he has to touch all the bases to score. A child of God has to do that, too. If you re going to win, you can t take any shortcuts. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy/Titus/Philemon) (electronic ed., Vol. 50, pp. 106 107). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
The only exercise some Christians get is: Jumping to conclusions, Running down their friends, Sidestepping responsibility, And pushing their luck. Anonymous
2Timothy 2 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. NKJV
Proverbs 24 30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; 31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest 34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. NIV
Each person committed to the life of faith will deal with difficult circumstances, issues of temptation and sin, spiritual struggles, adverse opinions, misunderstandings, exhaustion, and an array of pests which can ruin personal and ministry growth. Once again, commitment must find its home in the heart. Then it will work itself out in enduring service. Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 283). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2Timothy 2 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. 8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. NKJV
2Timothy 2 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. NKJV
2Corinthians 4 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. NKJV
2Corinthains 11 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. NKJV
2Timothy 2 11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. NKJV
2Timothy 2 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. NKJV