“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him:” (2Timothy 2:11)
Paul wrote these faithful sayings in his writing to Timothy and Titus. They form foundational Truths of the Gospel for the believer. The first occurs in 1 Timothy 1:15. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1Timothy 1:15) This was the purpose and mission for which Jesus came. To rescue mankind because we are incapable of saving ourselves. Enslaved in the kingdom of darkness and full of sin, how could God accept any sacrifice so polluted. Even in the Old Testament in the sacrifice of a perfect innocent creature, sin was only covered for a year. We speak of the sacrifice of Jesus without understanding the depth of the work because we don’t realize how glorious heaven is and what it means to live in eternity. Yet the great love of Jesus moved Him to go to the cross and take our sin, our punishment, our death and the wrath of God for us. Even during His suffering for His gift to us, He endured the scorn and contempt of man which continues even to today.
Another faithful saying occurs in 1 Timothy 4:7-9. “But refuse profane and old wives' fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.” (1Timothy 4:7-9) This foundational Truth speaks of the blessing of living in godliness. It’s profitable for every intent. It contains the promise of God’s supernatural life in the now and in the hereafter. God’s children, especially in countries that know ease, have no idea of the supernatural life in Jesus. The way of the world is where they live. But God is faithful. He places us in impossible situations that we may learn His supernatural life, His promises and His love.
In 2 Timothy 2:11 Paul again states a faithful saying laying another foundational Truth. “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” (2Timothy 2:11-13) This Truth is a hard one for many Christians. They believe that a life with Christ is one of comfort. Although a life with Christ is one of rest in that Christ has blessed us with spiritual blessings and promises and we are depended on Him and rest in His life in us, it is not one of ease. It’s the self-sacrificing life of Jesus living in us. We hate to hear the words sacrifice and that we are dead in Christ. We don’t want to be dead. We want what we want in this life, comfort and blessing. In our lives with Christ, we get the blessing part, but we are to live our lives as a sacrifice to God’s Will, not our will. But how about the Scriptures of having the abundant life? It’s a promise yes. Jesus gives us even more than we need so we can bless others. He gives us abundantly all that we need for living life victoriously here on earth. But as for comfort, we are “dead” in Christ. Dead to anything worldly, it’s demands, problems and struggles. We live in Christ and for Christ. It’s difficult to wrap our minds around it because we have lived in this world for so long and have been trained to obey what we sense with our natural senses all our lives. It’s hard to ignore the natural. But as we depend on the Holy Spirit, He teaches us to live the sacrificial life of Jesus.
The last faithful saying is in Titus: “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” (Titus 3:8) We are to carefully practice good works or deeds. We are to be vigilant and alert to practice good deeds. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, there will be opportunities all around us to do good deeds. The Lord may have you speak a word, provide something, be it a service or something tangible or to offer up a prayer for a spiritual blessing. This is carefully practicing good works.
These faithful sayings of Paul are the way he lived his life. By these sayings he writes to us that they are true and worthy to be considered for our lives.
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