Please turn to 2 Timothy 2.
Thou therefore, my child, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus.
And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, such as shall be able to teach others also.
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please Him Who enrolled him as a soldier.
And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned except he have contended lawfully.
The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits.
Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel:
Wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the Word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Faithful is the saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him:
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him:
If we shall deny Him, He also will deny us:
If we are faithless, He abideth faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, Who shall judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
Preach the Word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
And will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.
But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry.
For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved His appearing.
Last night we began to fellowship on this second letter to Timothy. Of course, we all know that this is the last of all the letters written by Paul, as we find in the Scriptures.
Most likely, he wrote this letter shortly before his martyrdom. Of course, we do not know the exact circumstances of how he died. But, being a Roman citizen, he was not to be tortured to death.
You know, if he had not been a Roman citizen, probably he would have been crucified or subjected to all kinds of torture. But being a Roman citizen, he was not supposed to be tortured to death. So, the common tradition concerning the death of Paul was that he was beheaded. That was the common tradition, and most likely it was correct.
He wrote this letter shortly before he was beheaded, and he wrote this letter to his beloved son, Timothy.
We mentioned last night that it was not just a letter expressing human affection between Paul and Timothy. Paul had great love for Timothy, and this was, of course, repaid by Timothy to Paul. As his last wish on earth, before he died, Paul would have liked to see Timothy once again.
But we believe that in this letter there was more than just an expression of human affection of the highest, purest kind. We believe that this letter has been preserved as Scripture for us today.
When Paul wrote this letter, the situation at that time had greatly changed. The Roman Empire began to exert all its force to wipe out the Christians. To be a Christian was considered to be a crime against the nation.
Because of this, Paul was taken into prison, waiting to be finally tried and sentenced. And many, many Christians had fallen away.
There was corruption within, and there was pressure without. Even Paul’s companion in the work of God, Demas, loved the world and left him at that time for Thessalonica. So you can see that the whole situation of the church had changed.
Whether the testimony of Jesus would be able to withstand the pressure of the hour and continue on, or whether it would simply be annihilated—well, something was in the balance.
The old warrior was passing away, and the thought was that the testimony of Jesus had to be handed on to younger ones. Timothy, among many others, would be one who would carry on the torch of the testimony of Jesus. For this reason, Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, to encourage him to go on.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, in a sense we are living at the end of the last days. Our situation today is not in any sense better than that which Paul encountered in his last days.
We see corruption within Christianity. We see falling away on all sides. Many who were faithful to the Lord in former days have fallen away.
We are living in abnormal times, and I think we need to know whether the Lord has some word for us for this abnormal day.
You know, when Paul wrote 1 Timothy, even though the situation of the church at that time was already declining, Ephesus was not as it had been before. Yet it was still the house of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
But wait a few years, and the situation was completely changed. You find that Paul no longer mentions the church as the church of the living God. Instead, in 2 Timothy, he calls it a great house.
We will probably get into that more tonight. But, anyway, you find that there was such a change. And when everything was changing, what should we do? We have to be faithful to the Lord.
I believe 2 Timothy was written with that in view, and how I do thank the Lord for that short letter.
Last night we fellowshiped on just one point as to how to meet the abnormal situations of our day.
The first thing was that we need to see the deposit. Paul said, “I know Whom I have believed, and am fully persuaded that He is able to guard that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”
In other words, when everything is changing and falling away, the one thing that will really sustain us is to know Whom we have believed, and that we have already committed ourselves as a deposit to Christ.
Because we have deposited ourselves in Christ, He is able to keep us safe and sound until that day—that is, the day of His return. This is where our security really is.
But at the same time, we mentioned that this deposit is of two sides. On the one side, we have deposited ourselves in Christ for Him to keep. But, on the other hand, He has deposited Himself in us for us to keep for the day of trial.
We need to remember that our Lord Jesus has deposited Himself in the church. He has given us the gospel—the things which we have heard, which we have seen, which we have experienced, and which we have received of Christ.
That constitutes a kind of divine deposit, and this is deposited in us for us to keep by the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us.
So we have a tremendous responsibility. On the one hand, we have such a great privilege that we can deposit ourselves in Christ and be found safe in Him. But, on the other hand, we have a great responsibility.
Especially when everything is being challenged and everything seems to be taken away, this is the time when our responsibility becomes the greatest. Knowing that Christ has been deposited in us, how we need to be faithful to that deposit.
It is not a time for us to neglect our responsibility. It is not a time for us to flee from our responsibility. It is not a time for us to compromise. It is the time that we need to be faithful to that which we have seen and heard of Christ.
But, of course, we mentioned last night: where is the power? The power is not in us; it is in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can keep that deposit until that day.
This is what you find happened to the apostle Paul. The apostle Paul was able to keep that deposit to the very end, not because of easy times or because there were no difficulties. He did not compromise, but he was faithful to the very end. So he encouraged Timothy to be faithful.
Now, this morning we would like to go on to another point. The next point we would like to consider together is this matter of suffering. The deposit is always connected with suffering.
God has deposited Christ in us, and this very deposit carries with it a kind of suffering. Here you find that the whole atmosphere of 2 Timothy is one of suffering.
With Paul it was very evident. Why? Because of that deposit, because of the testimony of the Lord, because of the gospel, Paul was put into prison and suffered as an evildoer.
He was considered by the Roman Empire to be a criminal, a wicked person. He was looked down upon by the people at that time as an evil one. He suffered for the most precious thing, but he said that he was not ashamed. He was not ashamed.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is what Paul says in Philippians: to know Him—that is, to know Christ—and to know the power of His resurrection.
Now, this is beautiful. I think we would all like to know Christ. We certainly would like to know the power of His resurrection. Oftentimes, we think that if we only know Him and the power of His resurrection, everything will be good.
We can live by the power of His resurrection. That will make us really spiritual. That will really bring us somewhere. That would be good.
But Paul said, “To know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.”
So, here you find that to know Christ and the power of His resurrection is always connected with the fellowship of His sufferings, conforming to His death. That is the other side.
Oftentimes, we think only of knowing Him and the power of His resurrection. Oftentimes, we feel, “Well, if only He would deposit Himself in us richly, how good that would be.” We want to know Him. We want to have more of Him. We want Him to deposit Himself in us abundantly. That is our spiritual pursuit.
But do we know that the more you have of Him, the more abundant His life is in you, the more suffering you are called into fellowship with? There is no escape from the fellowship of His sufferings.
Of course, the sufferings of Christ are manifold. There is one kind of suffering in which we have absolutely no share and no fellowship.
When Christ died on the cross as the atoning sacrifice, He was alone. We can have no fellowship with Him in that suffering, because He alone bore in His body all the sins of the world. He alone was the Substitute for us. He alone was crushed even by God on the cross.
When He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” He was all alone. In that sense, there was no fellowship. He alone bore that suffering, and we receive the benefit of that suffering of Christ. Because of that suffering, all our sins are forgiven.
But there are many other aspects of His sufferings into which we are called into fellowship.
When He was on earth, He suffered much for righteousness—for the sake of being right, for the sake of the will of the Father. Oh, how He suffered at the hands of men because He would not go along with the world, with the traditions of the fathers.
Because He had to obey the Father, because He had to do the things that were righteous in the sight of God, He suffered for that.
He suffered because of His intense sympathy, compassion, and love for the world. He could have lived His own life in a careless way, in a free and easy way, but because of His intense compassion upon the world, how He suffered.
He suffered for us, for His church. For His love for the church, He suffered in order to give birth to the church. So you find that in His sufferings there are many aspects into which we are called into fellowship.
As those who have the deposit, we have to suffer for that deposit. We have to suffer for the gospel. We have to suffer for righteousness’ sake. We have to suffer because we are one with Him in His compassion.
We have to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ for His body’s sake—that is, for the sake of the church. So, in this respect, you find that we are called into suffering.
Brothers and sisters, especially as we are living in such an abnormal time, do not think that anyone who wants to live godly can escape suffering.
Naturally speaking, we do not like to suffer. So far as our flesh is concerned, so far as the natural man is concerned, we like to live easily, happily, comfortably. We shrink from any kind of suffering. That is our natural reaction.
There is nothing wrong with that. I mean, that is natural. Who wants to suffer? Who wants to go into pain? Nobody wants it. That is natural.
In a sense, we feel that to suffer is a shameful thing, and that is natural too. When we see someone who lives smoothly and easily and prosperously, to us that always looks like a glorious life.
But if we see someone who is in suffering, pain, sorrow, and all kinds of difficulties, it appears to us as something shameful. That is natural.
But here you find Paul says, “I am not ashamed of my sufferings.” Why? Because he knows what he suffers for. I think it makes a great difference if we know what we suffer for.
Not all sufferings are glorious. Some sufferings are shameful. But there are sufferings that are glorious, if we know what they are for.
Not only Paul realized that. If you read 1 Peter, you find that Peter says the same thing. In 1 Peter 4:14-16:
If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters:
But if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
Here you find Peter says, if you are reproached in the name of Christ, it is just because of the name of Christ—nothing else. Because you name the name of Christ, because you belong to Christ, and for that reason you are reproached.
He says, “Blessed are you. Happy are you.” Why? Because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon you.
Isn’t it strange? When a person is being reproached, we would say that the spirit of shame is upon him. He feels shameful if he is reproached. But here you find that the reaction of a Christian is different.
When a Christian is reproached for the name of Christ, he is happy for it. Why? Because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon him.
You find this in the book of Acts. You remember, the apostles were taken into prison, and the angel opened the prison doors and let them out. They went to the temple and proclaimed the name of Christ.
The council took them again and asked them why they did it, since they had forbidden them to speak in the name of Christ. Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men.”
They did not know what to do with them, so they beat them and let them go. When they went to their own company, they glorified the Lord that they were counted worthy to be reproached for that Name.
So, if you are reproached for the name of Christ—not for any other reason—the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God will rest upon you. On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.
Let none of you suffer as a murderer, thief, evildoer, or meddler in other people’s matters. In other words, if we suffer because we have done something evil, there is no glory there. It is shameful.
But if we suffer because we are Christians, let us not be ashamed, but glorify God. There is a difference. If we suffer because of our sin, our wickedness, our evil, there is shame there. But if we suffer for the gospel, for Christ, because we are Christians, the Spirit of glory rests upon us.
We need to know what we suffer for. If we know what we suffer for, then we will not be ashamed. We will not be ashamed.
Of course, we should not develop a kind of persecution complex. It is very easy for us to develop a negative, unhealthy persecution complex, as if, “Well, we are being persecuted.” That is very negative and unhealthy.
Yet we need to have a mind to suffer, and that is important.
We may not be called into physical suffering, like many today who are already called into that kind of suffering. We do not know whether, in the future, there will be physical persecution and suffering for the sake of being Christians. We do not know.
But one thing is important: we must have the mind to suffer. Here you find that in 1 Peter he mentions again this matter of the mind to suffer.
In 1 Peter 4:1:
Christ therefore having suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.
As Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind. In other words, we need to have the mind to suffer.
If you do not have the will to suffer, if you do not have the mind to suffer, when suffering comes it becomes very difficult because you do not expect it. You think it is strange. You think that you should not suffer.
But if you have the mind to suffer, then when suffering comes, it is expected. It is nothing strange. It makes sufferings much easier to bear.
So, brothers and sisters, as we are living in such abnormal times, I think we need to develop a suffering mind. It is the mind of Christ.
In Philippians, Paul says, “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” What is this mind? This mind is humility. Christ, Who was equal with God, emptied Himself, became a man, humbled Himself, and was obedient to the Father even unto death—yea, the death of the cross. That is humility.
We need to have the mind of Christ, which is humility, in us. But in 1 Peter 4, the mind of Christ is also the mind of suffering.
We need not only to have humility in us, but we need to have the will, the mind, to suffer. We are ready. We are prepared to suffer for Christ’s sake, for being Christians. This is our armor; this is our weapon.
How can we fight the good fight of faith? We need that mind to suffer. It will make our sufferings much easier to bear. Otherwise, you find suffering becomes very difficult.
Why must we suffer? Because we have this deposit. We suffer not for ourselves; we suffer for Christ’s sake, for the sake of the elect, Paul says. In other words, for the sake that others may be completed in Christ, to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. How important that is.
Of course, when you read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, you find the instance of Polycarp. Polycarp was, at that time, the bishop—the overseer—in the church in Smyrna.
Being a very old man, he was well known not only among the Christians but also by the world: a respected, honored old man. But when the persecution broke out, the Christians persuaded him to flee for his life because he was so important to them. They wanted him to live for their sake.
Being persuaded, he left the city and hid himself in a hut, in a cottage somewhere in a village. But, unfortunately, someone betrayed him.
The soldiers came to seize him. He received news beforehand and could have escaped, but he did not feel that he should do that. So he waited.
When the soldiers arrived, he welcomed them. He told them that he was ready to go with them, but asked whether they would give him one hour that he might give himself to prayer.
The soldiers saw this old man and said that they were sorry they had to do it. So he asked the people to treat the soldiers with food, and at the same time he gave himself to prayer. He poured out his heart before the Lord, praying for His church and praying for the testimony of God.
After he had finished praying, he said, “Now I am ready to go with you.” They took him to the council, and the council pitied him because he was such an old man.
The council said, “You do not really need to deny Christ.” They tried to make it easier for him. “You do not need to deny Christ. Just say something—make an easy way out for yourself. Sacrifice something to Caesar, because Caesar is their object of worship. Why risk your life?”
And he said, “I have served the Lord eighty-six years, and He has never done me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and deny Him? I cannot do that.”
Finally, he was burned. We are told that when they built the fire around him, the fire was just around him and did not burn him. Finally, a soldier pierced him with a sword, and his blood quenched the fire. That is how he died.
Brothers and sisters, in the history of the church, many, many were willing to die. They had a mind to die for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of Christ.
Perhaps I can also mention Brother Watchman Nee. We do not know exactly how he died, but I had a letter written by his sister-in-law four days after he died.
His sister-in-law was the one who went to gather his ashes. On June 6, 1972, she wrote in that letter that Brother Nee had passed away and that he was faithful to the Lord. At the end of the letter she wrote, “F. T. S.”—faithful to the saints.
We did not know what had happened at that time, but later the news came out that, after he had been in prison for twenty years, he was supposed to be released. But before they released him, they still wanted him to write a confession.
He refused. He refused for the sake of the brothers and sisters. He wanted to strengthen their faith. Because of that, he was sent to a labor camp, and there he died. Most probably, that was the circumstance.
So, brothers and sisters, we are living in this abnormal day. Unless we have the mind to suffer, when suffering comes upon us we will be unprepared.
It is not just a matter of suffering; it is a matter of the mind. If we have the mind to suffer, then when suffering comes, it will not be that unbearable. We will find that we are not ashamed of the suffering. It is for the sake of Christ.
I can mention another instance that came to my notice recently. A friend of mine went back to China to visit his family. His family were all Christians.
Their son was a medical doctor, practicing medicine. Of course, under that government, when this elderly couple went back, they wanted to see how their family stood for Christ. That was their concern.
They went back. Outwardly there was no hope, but they were assured by their family. Their family said, “We have not denied the Lord. We are still Christians. Even though we do not talk about it—we are not able to talk about it—we are still for Him. We have not denied the Lord.”
As proof, they showed their parents their identification cards. On the identification cards, they were still labeled as Christians.
It is the security and perseverance of the faith. Brothers and sisters, oftentimes we wonder whether we can persevere, and I think it is good for us to consider that.
I think it is dangerous if we all feel confident. Some people think that they love the Lord so much that, if they should die for the Lord, certainly they would die with Him. Look at Peter.
“Oh, if everybody falls away, not me—not me. I am willing to die with You. I am going to die with You.” Look what happened.
Brothers and sisters, as we see the clouds gathering, as we see the storm coming, as we see the whole thing approaching, as we see that in some parts of the world to be a Christian is considered a crime, do you think we can escape that?
Suppose it should come to us today. Are we able to stand? Are you confident?
Oh, if you are confident, you will fall. If anyone thinks that he stands, let him take heed lest he fall.
But thank God, even though there is no confidence in ourselves, yet we do have a place that is secure. We have a deposit. The robber cannot get into it. Nobody can get into it.
Our life, our whole relationship with God—do you think we can keep it? Oh, we are foolish if we try to keep it ourselves.
But if we deposit it in Christ, He is able to keep that which we have deposited with Him until that day, that we may stand before Him without shame. This is our security; this is our hope.
But, dear brothers and sisters, the bank cannot keep any deposit if you have not deposited it. If you put the money in your home and it is stolen, you cannot go to the bank and make a claim.
If you are labeled as Christians, you have many inconveniences. That is happening in China now. So, dear brothers and sisters, I do feel that the time is coming—and it has come—when simply being a Christian will probably one day be a crime. Certainly, when Antichrist shall appear, to be a Christian will be a crime.
Thank God, if we know beforehand that suffering is connected with the deposit, we have such a marvelous deposit and such a precious deposit. If we suffer for that, it is worthwhile. It is not something to be ashamed of.
But when Paul suffered, lots of believers were ashamed of Paul. “All that are in Asia turned away from me,” he said. They wanted to have nothing to do with him because Paul was considered a criminal.
Who wanted to befriend a criminal? To befriend a criminal would be enough for one to be suspected as being of the same kind. Therefore, you find in 2 Timothy that Paul mentioned that all in Asia had deserted him. No one was standing with him. They were ashamed of his bonds.
Only Onesiphorus, when he came to Rome, found Paul. He was not afraid to be with him.
So, dear brothers and sisters, the time will come when many Christians will be ashamed of Christ. They might not deny Christ, but they will be ashamed to confess Christ.
But this is the time that we should remember: if we have the mind to suffer, that will help us.
Again, suffering is not the end. God does not want us simply to suffer. Suffering is a process; the end is glory.
Never make suffering an end. You can develop a suffering complex and make suffering the end. That is just too bad, because suffering is only a process.
We have to suffer. Why? Because after we have suffered, then we shall enter into glory.
You remember, after the resurrection of our Lord, on the day of His resurrection, two disciples were on the way to Emmaus. The Lord came and talked with them. They just could not understand why Jesus had to die.
They said, “All our hope was in Him. Now He has died. Now that is the end.” The Lord said, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe.” Then the Lord began to explain the Scriptures to them, telling them how Christ must suffer and then enter into His glory.
So you find that suffering is always connected with glory. If suffering ends in nothing, then you suffer in vain. If we sin and suffer, it ends in nothing. That is in vain.
But if we suffer for the cause of Christ, if we suffer because of the deposit, then you find there is glory at the end.
Paul mentions this in 2 Timothy. He says:
Faithful is the saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him:
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.
There is glory in view. If we suffer with Him today, we can reign with Him at His appearing. You find that this is connected with suffering: His appearing and His kingdom.
In the early history of the church, when Christians were persecuted, hunted, and pursued, we are told that when they met each other, they greeted each other with, “The Lord is coming.”
Today we greet each other with “Good morning,” or someone may say, “Praise the Lord.” But in the early days, during the time of persecution, when Christians met each other, they greeted each other with, “The Lord is coming.”
That was their strength. When they suffered, they thought of the imminent return of the Lord. The imminent return of the Lord gave them strength, hope, and endurance. That is why they could endure all these persecutions: they knew the Lord was coming.
Here you find Paul has this testimony. In 2 Timothy 4, he said:
For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved His appearing.
Paul said, “I am already being poured out.” This is not the first time he mentioned being poured out. Do you remember another place where he mentioned it? Philippians 2:17:
Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
A libation is a drink offering. In the Old Testament, when you offered a sacrifice—a sheep, an ox, or a ram—upon the altar, with the sacrifice you also offered an oblation, flour, and a drink offering. You poured wine upon the sacrifice. That is the libation, the drink offering.
Paul said, “I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrifice and service of your faith.” In other words, here is the church in Philippi. They have faith in the Lord, and they offer themselves to God as a sacrifice.
Paul said, “I am poured out on your sacrifice as a drink offering.” In other words, “I am helping you to make your sacrifice more acceptable to God.”
The drink offering always speaks of joy, pleasure, and rejoicing. In other words, “I will help you to make your offering, your sacrifice, a willing sacrifice—a sacrifice full of rejoicing.” God loves a cheerful giver, so God will receive your sacrifice with joy.
Paul was willing to pour out himself just to help the church become more acceptable to God. This is the same thing as filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ for His body’s sake.
Now Paul said, “I am already being poured out.” I have poured and poured and poured. Now I am at the end of the story. I have poured out myself completely. That is the life of Paul.
Paul’s whole life was a pouring-out life. He did not consider himself so important. He considered himself as just helping others. “You are the sacrifice,” he says to all the churches for which he labored. “They are the sacrifices, and I am but the drink offering.”
He was just happy to make them more acceptable to God. His whole life was a pouring-out life, just like our Lord Jesus—pour out, pour out. He withheld nothing.
He poured out Himself, and truly he was at his end. So when he wrote 2 Timothy, he said, “I am already being poured out.” Everything was gone. There was nothing left. The time of my departure has come.
Dear brothers and sisters, we do thank the Lord that there is a revival of interest in the second coming of Christ today. Among Christians, everywhere you go, you find Christians interested in the second coming. Many new books have been written on the subject, and people are interested.
Just yesterday, a young man came to my home and asked me, “Is it true that the Jews are rebuilding the temple?” It is now reported that the Jews are rebuilding the temple, though not on the old temple site.
There are different opinions, saying that the old temple site was not the real site. They say that they have now found the real site and are going to build a temple, and so on and so forth. So you find people interested in the second coming of the Lord.
Thank God for this renewed interest in the second coming. But the question is: What is the Lord’s appearing and His kingdom to you?
It is true that He is coming back. It is true that He is going to establish His kingdom on this earth. But what is that to you? Do you love His appearing? You are interested, but do you love His appearing?
What if He should appear today? What will happen to you? When you see Him face to face, will you be ashamed? Or will He be ashamed of you?
To be interested in His appearing is one thing, but to be prepared for His appearing is another matter. How are we to prepare for His appearing?
Paul said, “I am already being poured out.” A poured-out life is the way to meet the Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters, if we hold back ourselves, if we want to enjoy our day, if we are not willing to pour out for the sake of Christ and for the sake of His church, we are withholding ourselves as a drink offering.
Then, when our Lord returns, there will be something of which to be ashamed.
Measure our life, as someone says, not by drinking but by pouring. Life’s value is not in receiving but in giving. It is not in gain but in loss. How much are we willing to be poured out as a drink offering?
Are we withholding ourselves, or do we pour out ourselves as a drink offering for the pleasure of God and for the pleasure of His people?
Paul said, “I am already being poured out. There is nothing more. The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have run the course. I have kept the faith.”
To fight the good fight is toward the enemy. To run the course is toward ourselves: we run, we finish our course. To keep the faith is toward the Lord.
So Paul said, “I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. And now there is a crown of righteousness waiting for me—not only for me, but for all who love His appearing.”
Brothers and sisters, this is where the kingdom is related to us. In one sense, of course, when Christ shall appear, He will bring His kingdom upon this earth in the future.
Spiritually speaking, we are already in the kingdom. We are in the kingdom, and we are His kingdom. We follow Him.
But so far as history is concerned, one day, when our Lord appears, He will bring His kingdom upon this earth. What is the kingdom to us?
We often speak of the millennial kingdom, but when we talk about the millennium, we think mostly of what will happen to the Jews. We do not really know what will happen to us who are His people today.
What is the relationship of His kingdom to us? Remember, the kingdom is a time when the Lord will reward. That is what the kingdom is to us.
Paul said, “There is a crown of righteousness waiting for me,” because I have followed the Lord, because I have kept the faith, because by His grace I have run and finished my course. I poured out myself for Him. I have kept the deposit.
Therefore, the righteous Judge, Who will judge the living and the dead, will give me the crown.
It was not until Paul came to the end of his life that he was assured that he would enter the kingdom. He would receive the crown of righteousness. He would reign with Christ for a thousand years.
The kingdom is a reward. Eternity is a gift, but the kingdom is a reward.
All who believe in the Lord Jesus will reign with Christ in eternity—in the New Jerusalem, in the new heaven and the new earth. That is a gift, grace.
But the kingdom that comes before eternity—a thousand years—is a reward to believers. If we are faithful to the Lord, if we are willing to pour out, if we keep the deposit, then we will be rewarded with the kingdom.
If we endure with Him, we shall reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
It does not mean that His denying us means that we are unsaved or that we lose eternity. No. You find that the context is that He will deny us at the time of the kingdom.
That is to say, when you appear before Him, He will say, “I do not know you. I do not approve of you.” Just like the wicked servant, “I do not approve. I do not know you.”
He will deny us—that is to say, we will lose the kingdom. To put it in another phraseology, we will be cast into outer darkness. That does not mean we lose eternal life. No. The gift of God knows no repentance. It means that we lose the reward.
So, dear brothers and sisters, especially as we are living in this abnormal day, when the pressure is becoming greater and greater, what is our hope? His appearing.
At the same time, because of that hope, we are encouraged to keep on, to pray.
In 2 Timothy, you find these two thoughts are related: suffering and the kingdom. Not in any sense that suffering has merit in itself. No. Our suffering is connected with the deposit.
Because, by the grace of God, you are faithful, it is by His grace that you are to be rewarded.
Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord use these words to encourage us as we are living in this kind of time. Shall we pray?
Our heavenly Father, how we praise and thank Thee because Thou hast told us beforehand that, if we desire to be faithful, if we desire to live godly before Thee, we must suffer.
Lord, we praise and thank Thee that Thy servant Paul was not ashamed of his sufferings, because he knew for Whom he suffered and what he suffered for.
Lord, we ask Thee to arm us with the same mind, that we may be able to be faithful by Thy grace to the very end.
Oh, how we praise and thank Thee, knowing that Thy return is imminent. It will not be too long.
Lord, keep us faithful to the very end, that when Thou shalt appear, we may receive the crown of righteousness.
Oh, Lord, do encourage our hearts as we see falling away on all sides. Lord, keep us faithful, because we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.