Entrusted - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Paul writes these words to Timothy towards the end of his life. Just a quick read of 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, leaves me with such an appreciation for what it means to have fought the good fight, to have finished the race, and to have kept the faith through it all. 

But the apostle Paul isn't my only example...I have personally known others within my own church family that I could confidently claim that they too will be awarded their crown of righteousness. 

It is my desire that those within my circle of influence would be able to say the same of me as the sun sets on my life. 

There is definitely so much more I could say about this...but today, I feel as though I just need to abide in it. Let my thoughts marinade in this truth. Let the choices I make today and in the next week be filtered through this hope. To be encouraged with this promise.

Entrusted - 2 Timothy 3:14-15

As I meditated and memorized these verses, I began to feel a kinship with Timothy. Both he and I have been taught the gospel since infancy. 

As far back as I can possibly remember, I have been taught about my Heavenly Father and His Son and the sacrifice that was made on my behalf and the hope of an established eternal Kingdom.

I have been taught this Truth by both of my parents and sacrificing adults throughout my childhood. I have been held accountable and encouraged in my personal walk of Faith by my Christ-following peers as an adult. 

I'm sure that I have been prayed for more times than I can conceivably comprehend. 

This life that I live, in the faith, is not one that I have managed on my own. It is because I have been surrounded and held up by trusted fellow believers since the day that I was born. 

When I consider this fact of my life, I am blown away! There aren't enough words to express my gratitude and appreciation to all who have invested in my faith during my 43 years of existence. 

I take to heart Paul's encouragement to Timothy, to continue on in what I have learned. It's as though Paul is also writing to me during this season of my life. 

Maybe I've bee watching too many spy movies lately, but I feel as though I'm awaiting my next mission from God. And while I wait, I am unsure of what to do with myself. So this admonishment to continue in what I have learned provides just enough guidance for me. 

I read, meditate, and memorize Scripture. 

I pray.

I serve.

I abide. 

Doing these things will thoroughly equip me for every good work (v. 17) that is to come in the future. 

God is good all the time. All the time, God is good. 

Romans 3.23

Continuing on my quest to memorize 100 verses recommended by Robert J. Morgan in his book, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, I'm now working on what is referred to as the Roman Road, a set of verses that provides a framework for sharing the Good News. 

This simple verse pretty much sums up our need for receiving Jesus as our Savior. There's no getting around the phrase, "for ALL have sinned". No matter how nice and kind and generous and compassionate we are, we are all sinners.

This concept, I don't think, is too difficult to accept. Sure, I easily acknowledge that I will never be perfect like God who is the essence of purity and holiness. And when I have had conversations with others about this, they agree that they're sinners too. After all, it's impossible to be perfect. 

And so many people want to have a comfortable agreement with God that living a "good" life will be "good enough" to spend eternity in the Kingdom. But the cold, hard truth is that it's not good enough.

But verse 24 gives us some much needed hope. It says, "and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus". 

Translation: We are marked for good and made legitimate for free, at no cost to us, other than our belief that the debt Jesus paid on the cross was sufficient to set us right before God. 

This is the part that messes with people's heads, I think, because how can just believing this message be what God wants from us? How does that take all the wrongs in my life and make them forgiven? Having faith in Jesus can't be enough, can it?

It is. 

Over and over again in the New Testament we are instructed that faith in Jesus is all that is required to be washed clean of the sin that has accrued in our hearts and minds. 

This is what makes the Good News, so very wonderfully good enough.