ARE YOU A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST?
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2Ti 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2Ti 2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
One of the most important parts of who we are in Christ is when we begin to work with God in what He is doing; this is the time when we begin to not only understand and appreciate how God would have us to think like He does, do things His way, and work together with Him, but that we can also ‘labor’ with Him by preaching and teaching the gospel, and establishing faithful men so they can do the same unto faithful men as well. We as “sons” are “chosen” to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ” by God our Father, and our being “chosen” has the similar type of meaning as our being “called” of God our Father according to His purpose.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:12 For the which cause 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day.
2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
2Ti 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
God our Father is not ‘calling out’ or ‘choosing’ men individually today, but He has a plan and purpose for all of the members of the body of Christ with one common purpose; and that is to meet the Godly design that He has purposed with us when He saved us. Furthermore our being “chosen” as a “good soldier” is the expectation that God has for us as being sons, and it consists of each member of the body meeting our ‘godly potential,’ and it is something that He would have all the members of the body of Christ to be engaged in; and that is our ‘laboring’ together with Him just as He would have us to do. But oftentimes this is not the case at all. Instead of “charging some that they teach no other doctrine,” some would rather ‘clam up,’ when they hear these false doctrines. But, if someone was to mention politics, sports, daily issues in the news, television, or if someone was to say something against their character; then they would ‘go to war’ with them and have a lot to say concerning the knowledge that they have on the issues, and fight as a ‘good soldier’ concerning the earthly issues of this ungodly world.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2Ti 2:17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
2Ti 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
Oftentimes, when we that understand God’s two-fold plan and purpose for the heaven and earth say that we stand upon second Timothy 2:15, we miss the “not to be ashamed” part in the verse. We as “sons” have an expectation of the Father that we don’t ‘clam up,’ but preach the gospel to the unsaved, and also as a “workman” (one the works together with the Father in what He is doing) we are to use the doctrine to “convince the gainsayers”; that’s how we will gain the ‘approval’ of God. Moreover this is what Paul was giving Timothy to understand in chapter one when he knew that Timothy had done what Paul himself had done earlier in his ministry. Timothy had “the spirit of fear” when it came to proclaiming the gospel, he was afraid of the “afflictions” that would come along with ‘laboring’ in the gospel. And by being “ashamed” the “power of God” was not being put on display, but evil men were “waxing worse and worse” which caused more ungodliness, and false doctrines to be taken in as the ‘majority doctrine’ among the people (this is what took place in Asia, Paul said that the people that he had earlier preached to was now “turned away” from him by these “evil men”).
Act 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
Act 18:10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
Act 18:11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Earlier in Paul’s ministry he also had the “spirit of fear,” but he saw the bigger picture, Paul saw that he was able to put “the power of God” on display by not being “ashamed.” Therefore, by example Paul was able to instruct Timothy in one of the most important parts of godliness (working together with God by teaching the gospel, and establishing others so that they likewise can do the same); and it is important for the fact that it key in destroying what Satan is trying to accomplish, and he is put to an open shame as a fool when the word of truth is preached by us instead of having our inner man ‘filled’ with fear.
2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Therefore the only way we can be a “workman” is that we have to ‘labor’ with God in the ministry, and even though if we ourselves understand God’s word “rightly divided,” if we are too “ashamed” to proclaim it to the opposition, then we are not laboring together with God, but with the adversary (even though you don’t think you are) and what he is trying to accomplish.
1Ti 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Ti 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
Wherefore being “approved unto God” does not take place because you understand how God’s word of truth should be studied(rightly divided), it is done by doing what Paul exhorted Timothy and Titus to do within the three epistles given to them; and that is to use the “word of truth” as a weapon in battle as a “good soldier” against the proclaimers of the false doctrines of this world (whether it’s the little old lady at the store that says ‘have a blessed day’), because we know that they proudly proclaim the false doctrines that they have heard from their pastor, or they give us certain sayings that have nothing to do with the word of God in truth at all.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
And in essence, the only reason a son would have for not doing what is spoken about here would be because he is still a “simple” son (Proverbs 1:4); which is a Romans through Galatians saint, and that is one that has not progressed through the scriptural design that God has for him, and he is still a “babe” in Christ, and he hasn’t been fed with the “meat” of our doctrine yet. So as sons we need to ‘take a step back’ and evaluate ourselves, are we ones that cooperate and labor with Satan when a Jehovah’s Witness or anyone else (family, friends, etc.) tell you what they know about God’s word, and we just ‘clam up,’ or think ‘what’s the use, they won’t listen to what I have to say,’ or are you doing what God requires of you as a “good soldier” and using the scripture as a weapon the way God intended for “reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”? Finally, just as Paul found “salvation” from being “ashamed” through the scriptures, that is how we too get the cure for our being ashamed also. It is our being “strengthen” by the scriptures where we too will be able to “exhort and to convince the gainsayers,” we must remember what the Lord told Paul when said “be not afraid, but speak,” we are entrusted with “the power of God” as a soldier that “warreth,”and we are “chosen” of our Father to proclaim it regardless of what opposition we face.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2Ti 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Rod Jones