Renungan, 14 November 2022

Nov 14^th, 2022

Delivered by Rev Maruhum Simangunsong,MTh

Sermon, 2 Timothy 2: 13

 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot (deny) disown himself.

Choose to Remain Faithful

Brothers and sisters in Christ!

Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy consists of personal advice to Timothy, as a younger colleague and assistant. Timothy is advised and encouraged to keep on witnessing faithfully to Jesus Christ, to hold to the true teaching of the Good News and the Old Testament, and to do his duty as teacher and evangelist, all in the face of suffering and opposition. Timothy is especially warned about the dangers of becoming involved in “foolish and ignorant arguments”.

In all this, Timothy is reminded of the example of the writer’s own life and purpose his faith, patience, love, endurance, suffering in persecution.

While Paul shared much with Timothy in this final letter of exhortation, he did not fail to challenge Timothy regarding the fundamentals of the faith. He wanted Timothy to remember the basics, being faithful to proclaim the Gospel. While other aspects of ministry were important and essential, none exceeded the need for proclaiming the Gospel.

Timothy as a young pastor was reminded to be aware that he might be felt down in faith, by those who rejected the Good News, some as the false teachers.

The faithlessness implies more than mere unbelief. The word faithlessness (ἀπιστοῦμεν); meaning  believe not, tidak percaya dan tidak setia (Mark 16:11; Luke 24:11; Romans 3:3, etc.). Believe in Jesus as a Christ is an important massage. But those believers who struggle, or are “faithless,” are still held by God. Those who live as a faithless or weak in faith belong to God.

Be faithful. As the Bible taught us, regarding God’s faithfulness to Israel and to His people, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness”(Jer 31:3). God loves Israel, He is God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. The faithfulness of God is demonstrated by sacrificing His one and only Son Jesus, for those who come to Him. What does it mean that God is faithful? God is faithful to His people. And how about you? Faithful as being trustworthy A faithful man is a person in who you can put your trust. God is trustworthy, you can trust Him; who calling you to follow Him. And we have decided to follow Him, as the lyrics of the song that we used to sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus::3 x, no turning back;;2 x”

Brothers and sisters,

We need to choose and to decide. 

John C Maxwell says: “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” While we choose, we have opportunities to select or to pick of some options.  Everyone chooses the direction of their life. Life is a matter of choices.  We are what we chose to be. If someone becomes bad and doing something wrong it depends to what he/she had chosen before. If you choose to be god student, you will be a good student.

Perhaps Paul on doubt regarding the faith of Timothy, he used the opening statement with the word of “if”, meaning it is possible like this or like that. Paul Tillich wrote:  Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith”.  Abraham doubted whether God was really going o make good on his promise to give him and Sarah a son.

Paul reminded Timothy as a young generation, who involved doing of mission, to see the Christ above of all;

“If we died with him, we also live with Him,

If we endure, we will also reign with Him

If we disown Him,

He will also disown us” (2 Tim 2:11-12)

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

We are children of God, all  believers suffered with Christ when he suffered; they suffered in him the whole penalty of the law, all the righteousness, and they are partakers of the benefit of his sufferings, as peace, pardon, righteousness, redemption and everlasting salvation (Rom 8:17).  All believers are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

We have this lifetime to choose to own Him or disown Him, to be faithful or faithless. Even though people tend to unstable, unfaithful, but God does not.  God tested our faith through the difficulties, problems, suffering or joyous.  We are really living in His Hand, we belong to Christ. We live for Christ that is why we always share with Him in prayer, because we belong to Him.

As a Christian, sometimes we are weak, fail and stumble. We are faithless like Peter when he denied Jesus our Lord.  This week is the last week of Trinity Sunday, two weeks ahead we enter the first Sunday of Advent, according to the Church Year calendar. Time goes fast, you become already growing, and see how difficult to prepare ourselves to carry the mission ahead. the Bible says; “He will remain faithful, for He cannot deny himself” if He is in us, He will hold us safe until the end. God knows my heart, He knows my desires, the better option to choose remain to be faithful. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the poin of death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev 2: 10), amen.