“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim. 2:1 (read 1-26)
What is it to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus? How can one be strong in grace?
If we read the verses following Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, we see that being strong in grace is none other than holding fast to the true gospel of Jesus Christ – that salvation is by God’s grace and mercy for the sake of Messiah Jesus and His innocent sufferings, death and His glorious resurrection.
It is as Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
To Timothy, Paul writes: “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 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.”
The apostle Paul was in prison because He believed and taught that we are saved by God’s grace alone for Christ’s sake (Eph. 2:1-10). He was unwilling to yield this truth to those who taught that salvation is by the keeping of the law – being circumcised, observing the sabbath and other holy days, eating only certain foods and the like.
Paul exhorted Timothy not to get side tracked and entangled in this world and its beliefs and teachings. Rather, he was to hold to Christ Jesus and the truths revealed in God’s Word. He was to diligently study the Scriptures and rightly divide and explain them to his hearers. He was to use God’s law to warn sinners of their need to repent, and he was to use the gospel to assure penitent sinners of God’s grace and mercy toward them for the sake of Jesus Christ and His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of all that both he and his hearers might be saved through God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Timothy was to continue in grace that he might share that grace with his hearers.
Keep us strong in Your grace, O Lord. Grant that we hold fast to Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death for the sins of the world as our only hope and place our full trust and confidence in Your grace and mercy toward us for Christ’s sake. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Devotion By Randy Moll. Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.