2 Timothy 4: 6-7 As
for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of
my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I
have remained faithful. …Paul is ready & able to go. World “Paul is a
failure & at lowest point.” Heaven – “Paul is successful, faithful, &
warrior. Paul – “I have security & certainness”
2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason I also suffer these things;
nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to
Him until that Day.
Categories of people:
·
Some people know but don’t believe (not saved
and need to trust Jesus)
·
Some people know what they believe and have
confidence (Complete in Christ)
·
Some people know what they believe and lack
confidence (they don’t know whom they believe) (Saved but not enjoying salvation)
Many have good theology and could pass a test in the
knowledge category – but fail in confidence.
So it is possible to know “what” and still be
fearful and insecure. (Knowledge alone fails to provide the intimate
personal security that is missing in our lives today.)
Here’s the difference:
·
Knowing what
– concerns the saving death of Christ – the cross, blood, forgiveness, &
home in heaven is the past & future tense of our Salvation.
·
Knowing Whom
– based on an intimate personal relationship with the Living Christ – the
saving Life of Christ – our present tense of Salvation.
2 Timothy 1:12
points to solving the Mystery of the Missing Security – He keeps what I
commit
·
Jesus guarantees to keep what I commit. This means
Jesus promises to assume the responsibility for that area of my life that I commit
to him. I need not worry any longer about that area of my life.
·
If I do not commit the area to Jesus, I choose
to hold the responsibility.
Consider now “AREA
3”
Life consists of three areas – Past, Future, and Present.
The mystery of security comes out in these areas.
Past: 1st
you respond to the Gospel:
You have committed the whole question of our past to
Jesus. How? Admitted your need, your weakness (inability to handle the situation
– sin & shame, guilt); committed to Christ by faith at Cross – He assumed
responsibility. We have (can have)
complete security – with sin & shame – that it is covered by the
blood. IF not – you can now! You can ask
the Lord Jesus to take your sin and cleans you, forgive you, and right you. He
still will do this because you are loved by him. Ask him and see for yourself.
Future: 2nd
your response to the Gospel:
Jesus guarantees our
future – John 14:1-3 “Let
not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house
are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also.
The heritage of every true believer – home in heaven; Now,
I don’t lose sleep wondering if I will get into heaven. Jesus keeps his
promises and I know he has made a place for me.
But, you do lose sleep don’t you? The mystery of the
missing security (for many) is not in the past or future – but today, tomorrow, next week
– There is fear, tension, and worry in your life.
You may be thinking, “I’ve given these problems today to Jesus and
nothing happened!” You unpack your sack, like show and tell, put them on
display – let Jesus look them over – then pack them up, pick them up, and plod
on with a weight of worry.
It doesn’t have to be this way! You know this!
HOW? Basically follow same pattern with past & future
·
There was nothing I could do over my sin – I
couldn’t help Jesus die on the cross – It had to be Jesus ONLY!
·
I could not (can’t) help Jesus prepare a
place in heaven. It has to be Jesus ONLY!
Present: Respond
for your Today to the Gospel:
Learning to take our problems & leave them:
·
Own it!
Admit you are stumped, admit not ashamed – “Lord Jesus, I cannot, but Lord you
can!”
·
Here’s
the Plan: He will take it & assume the responsibility for your
situation
·
Here’s
the promise: The doubts, fears, worries over the problems will return!
o Expect
these to return
o Prepare
for the return
o Act
on the return – remind yourself (and the Lord) that it is now committed to HIM
ONLY! If the doubt returns 100 times, then 100 times quiet, calm assuring pray thanking
HIM that all you committed to his care is kept by him.
There is the INITIAL act of
committing followed by the CONTINUAL act of committal
Committal is the act of burial.
I remember a story of a man who pulling
into his drive way spotted with horror that his dog had his neighbor’s prized
pet rabbit now dead in its mouth. The dog must have somehow taken the rabbit
from the cage and shook it to death. He panicked!
Grabbing the rabbit from the dog
he took it inside the house. Thinking of sparing his friend and himself
embarrassment he hatched a plan. Taking the dead dirty rabbit to the sink he
carefully washed the hopper clean. He took the rabbit and dried it with a hair
dryer. (Get it? A HARE dryer!) Then sneaking into his neighbor’s yard he
carefully with great stealth placed the rabbit back in the cage.
The following weekend while
outside his neighbor called him to the fence and shared the strangest and saddest
of stories. He shared the tragic news that his rabbit had died in its cage. The
guilt ridden man did his best acting job and shared compassion at the loss of a
wonderful pet. The neighbor said, “But the strangest and sickest part is that
someone dug the rabbit up, cleaned it and put it back into the cage!”
We do that with our problems. We
give them to Jesus and then go dig them up and put them in the cage again.
“God’s plan is so simple in its design, so logical in its
outworking, so positive in its success.” John Hunter
Do you really know
what you believe? (Hope is then your Eternal Security)
Do you really know
whom you believe? (Hope of present peace, present power, present security)
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