Staying Strong in Stormy Times
Part 2
“Still Standing When the Dust Settles”
2 Timothy 3:10-16 “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
After predicting the proliferation of false Christians in the last days, as well as listing their godless character traits, Paul turns to Timothy and says, “BUT YOU…”
That was them, but they’re not you! Now let’s talk about you!
He will encourage him in the next few verses not to let these things shake him. And he first uses himself as an example of God’s faithfulness:
“You have carefully followed…”
The Greek word for “carefully followed” means “follow after closely in order to resemble.” It is to pattern your life after the example of another.
Timothy had carefully tracked Paul’s teaching,
lifestyle,
the purpose that drove him,
his strong and steady faith,
the way he loved others,
his perseverance in the toughest of times,
and the terrible persecutions he had endured while never giving up.
In all of these troubles God had delivered Paul, and Timothy witnessed it!
So Paul reminds him–He delivered me and he will likewise deliver you.
APPLICATION: You never know what your walk can mean to someone that needs to see your faith lived out.
Someone wrote, “There are people who are watching you, who are inspired by your journey, and will be grateful if you do not give up.”
So even though it’s a guarantee in vs 12 that if you “live godly in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution,” don’t fear it or let it deter you!
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Now, why is Paul telling Timothy these things?
In short, the false followers he mentions in the first half of the chapter–the tares among the wheat–are going to hurt him and every true believer, so be preemptively prepared and not surprised.
They were part of the reason for Paul’s suffering, and they will be for yours as well.
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One way false followers hurt is by disappointment, disillusionment, and discouragement. It hurts when someone you thought was genuine shows otherwise.
It is discouraging when a well known professing Christian walks away. Paul had already warned Timothy in his first letter:
1 Tim. 4:1 “But the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some in the church will turn away from Christ and become eager followers of teachers with devil-inspired ideas.”
So here again he’s saying, Timothy, when this happens don’t let it shake your faith. It’s going to happen from some of the people you trusted and believed in.
This is certainly true now!
In our day we’ve witnessed many well known worship song writers, pastors, Christian authors, and other highly visible, professing Christians renounce their faith and even turn to attack the church.
What to do? While this is certainly disappointing and to some, disillusioning, Paul says “Don’t let this shake you.”
In verse 13 he predicts the inevitable:
“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
“Grow worse and worse” is from a word meaning “to drive forward” (as if by beating), like a pioneer hacking and axing his way through a dense forest.
In other words, these false Christians and their false teachers will doggedly and forcefully push forward and advance their deceptive teachings while they themselves become even more deceived.
So it’s not going to stop! says Paul.
It’s part of the last days spiritual landscape that will only increase. People who are false will never stop coming along. Avoid them, says Paul. They are dangerous. And at the same time, don’t let them shake your faith!
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Next we come to the second, BUT YOU!
How are we to continue forward in faith with these difficult days ahead? Look at verses 14-17.
The first thing Paul mentions is the word CONTINUE:
“Continue in the teachings you have learned and been assured of (3:14).”
The word for “continue” means “to abide,” like Jesus said in John 15:5,7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…you will bring forth much fruit.”
We’re to keep right on abiding in and living out those things we’ve “been assured of,” the things God has confirmed to our heart, the truth of His word.
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Then next Paul uses the word KNOWING:
“Knowing from whom you have learned them…” vs 14
Jumping back to 2 Tim 1:5, we find out who exactly Paul is talking about.
“When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”
So Timothy’s grandmother and mother had raised him in God’s word!
And what was the effect?
“…and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Vs 15
But I think there’s more than these two women involved. Had not God himself assured Timothy of the truth of what they taught him?
Grandma and mom had done the teaching, but God himself had done the assuring!
So Paul turns all of us to the Word for how we’re to navigate these difficult times.
Listen to what Paul says in verse 15–“The sacred writings are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus!”
When Timothy was a child there were was no NT.
So “the sacred writings” Paul refers to is the OT.
The OT prophets and writings all spoke of the Messiah that was to come, and they were fully able to make Timothy wise for salvation through Jesus Christ!
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So…do not be shaken by those who are false.
Do not give up on your faith because of the false faith of others.
Continue in what you have learned.
Continue in the teachings from the sacred writings.
Every book in the Old Testament is able to make you wise for salvation and bring you to faith in Jesus.
Look at verses 16-17. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…literally breathed out by God.”
By the time Paul wrote this, 14 out of 27 NT books had been written.
So he includes them and those that were still to come as well.
Every word from every book has come out of God’s mouth as men of God, moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote them down.
2 Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
And Paul gives us the high value of reading God’s word. It is beneficial for teaching, rebuke, correction, and for training in righteousness.
We read it to be taught, to be rebuked, to be corrected, and to be trained in righteousness.
The word TEACHES us undiluted, heaven-sent truth.
The word EXPOSES our sins.
The word CORRECTS our direction.
The word TRAINS us in right living.
WHY? So that we can be complete, equipped for every good work.
Paul told Timothy earlier in chapter 2:
2 Tim 2:20-21 “In a wealthy home there are dishes made of gold and silver as well as some made from wood and clay. The expensive dishes are used for guests, and the cheap ones are used in the kitchen or to put garbage in. 21 If you stay away from sin you will be like one of these dishes made of purest gold—the very best in the house—so that Christ himself can use you for his highest purposes.”
The way this preparation happens is by going to the scriptures!
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How are we to be strong in the faith during the last days?
How can we maintain our faith during difficult times?
By grounding our life in and spending time with God’s word.
There is no other answer.
Living in the last days we need God’s word flowing through our hearts like oxygen in our lungs so that we can be found faithful, approved by God, and fit for His use!