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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends, it’s the weekend!!
If you had the chance to give a friend a challenge to make their life really count, to make a real difference in our world, what would you say or write to them? And what if you knew it was the last time they would ever hear from you, before you died?
Let’s look together at the farewell challenge the Apostle Paul wrote to his good friend and partner Timothy, in Paul’s final letter that we find in our Bible, 2 Timothy 4. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction…”. (2 Tim. 4:1,2) Wow, that’s a mouthful isn’t it? Let’s dig into it more deeply.
Did you notice that Paul sees himself as giving this final challenge to Timothy, with God the Father and Christ Jesus the Son of God, as eyewitnesses?! What difference would that make, if every time we opened our mouths, especially when given the chance to speak significant words, we recognized God was watching and listening, and we’d be held accountable for what we said?!
But it’s true, isn’t it? Hebrews 4:13, confirms it: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.“ I’d suggest we all underline that verse in our Bibles! Do you see the word EVERYTHING, there?!
When Paul reminds Timothy that God will “…judge the living and the dead…” this is a very important, fundamental concept of accountability and responsibility to God for our lives, and we find it in many places in the Bible. We see it here in Hebrews 4:13, but I also see it in Revelation 20:13 which speaks of that future accounting with God, “…and each person was judged according to what he had done.”
And Paul had written to the Christians in Corinth, remember? “…we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) That’s pretty clear isn’t it?
God is both judge and jury of all humanity, and God does not grade ‘on a curve’, as we used to say. We’ll not be compared to each other according to some relative standard. No, we will each and all be judged according to God’s perfect standard of Holiness… Jesus! Now think about that a moment. It can be overwhelming can’t it?
None of us comes anywhere close to Jesus’ perfection. It’s an impossible standard! But then think about this: the Holy Spirit, living in a Christian from the moment of their authentic salvation, has the responsibility to keep working in us, to make us more and more like Jesus. The question is are we helping or hindering this work of God in us? You see, my friends, our responsibility is to partner with the Holy Spirit by learning more and more about God and how He wants us to live as a follower of Jesus. And by turning away from those things which defile us or draw us away from God.
Here’s an Old Testament verse that helps me with this. David wrote: “Teach me Your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name.” That’s Psalm 86:11 and I think if you’ll really ponder that, it will prove to be a key to becoming more and more like Jesus!!
What are the things that distract or even divide our hearts? How hungry are we to know God and His ways? How committed are we to living with our lives fully aligned with God’s truth? And do we profoundly respect, do we stand in awe, in fact do we fear with a Holy reverence, the Almighty God? Those things change how a person lives… anywhere in the world, any generation. Do you agree? Is it you and me?
Now, Paul offers his challenge to Timothy “…in view of His (Jesus) appearing and His kingdom.” So not only does Paul wants us to remember always that God our heavenly Father and Jesus our Savior are eyewitnesses of everything we say and do, and not only will we be held accountable to Holy God for everything in our lives, but also it will help us if we remember we live each day in ANTICIPATION of Jesus’ return to earth to gather up all His people. (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) So, are we my friends? What does it look like practically in your life and mine to live in anticipation of Jesus’ return?
And one more thing, Paul reminds Timothy of the kingdom of God, of which all true Christians are citizens and to which Jesus referred many times. Here, I’ll give you one thing Jesus said about this kingdom of God, from each of the Gospels: In Matthew 6:10, as Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray He said “…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In Mark 1:15 Jesus said “The kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus had told Nicodemus “I tell you the truth no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3) And in Luke 7:28 Luke reports that when Jesus was speaking of John the Baptist on one occasion, He said “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Of course there are many more verses which speak of the Kingdom of God, in fact, over 100 of them in the four Gospels! YES there is a kingdom over which King Jesus rules in Sovereignty. There are citizens of this kingdom, those people Jesus has redeemed by His blood, and the Father has adopted into His family. This kingdom has citizens in two geographical places… here on earth and in heaven. There is only ONE way to become a citizen of this kingdom of God and that’s by experiencing being ‘born again’ spiritually by God, as you trust fully Jesus for salvation from sin condemnation! So this means that every living person, at this very moment, is either a member of God’s kingdom or they aren’t! What do you think about that, my friends?
Do you remember Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6) And when Peter and John were called to give account of why they were filling Jerusalem with their teaching about the risen Jesus Christ and claiming the only way to God was through Jesus, and how it was a crippled man was healed, they said: “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed… Salvation is found is no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12).
I sense the Holy Spirit saying to me, ‘let’s stop right here and reflect. Each of us, all of us.’
What does it mean to you today, to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom along with all the holy angels, and all the Christians of the past who are already in heaven with Jesus, and all the authentic Christians around the world today, nearly 1 Billion of us, in almost every part of our world?
And what does it mean to you that the risen, victorious Jesus Christ is our KING, reigning in supremacy over everything, everywhere and He has defeated sin, Satan, death, and evil? And finally that our eternity is secure and safe with Jesus? Are you absolutely sure I’m describing you? I think it’s time we talk to Jesus, all of us, where-ever you are in the world, right now. . .
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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