He has some…
Nevertheless the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work.
But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
But foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing that they gender strifes.
And the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth.
Yesterday evening, we mentioned something of the background of 2 Timothy. We know that Paul wrote this letter from the prison in Rome, knowing that the time of his departure from this world was at hand.
He wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith. Paul knew Timothy’s natural tendency, and he also knew the difficult hour through which the church was passing.
What burdened Paul was the testimony of the Lord. Throughout his life, Paul had battled for the testimony of Jesus. Now his own course was almost over, but the testimony of the Lord had to continue on the earth.
Therefore, he thought of Timothy, his son in the faith, and desired that he would rise up to receive this trust: to continue the testimony of our Lord on this earth.
Paul knew that, because of the difficulties, Timothy might be inclined to withdraw. His natural tendency was to give way. In such a circumstance, it would be easy for Timothy simply to withdraw.
If that were the case, the testimony of the Lord would be discontinued on the earth. Paul was not concerned for his own life. From an earlier time, he had said that he was not mindful of his life. What concerned him was one thing only: the testimony of our Lord.
Paul was concerned for Timothy, but even more, he was concerned that Timothy might continue the testimony of the Lord. Therefore, he wrote this letter to inspire Timothy’s heart, that he might rise up and continue this testimony.
What is the testimony of the Lord? The testimony of the Lord is to testify who our Lord is. It is not merely a teaching, an activity, a system, or a form. The testimony of the Lord is to testify who He is.
In the whole universe, this testimony is the greatest one. God Himself testifies to this. Our Lord testifies to this, and the apostles testify to this, because this testimony is in the heart of God.
The most important thing in the heart of God is who His Son is. Our God is a jealous God. Therefore, we cannot allow anything to influence or change this testimony.
This testimony has been the focus of battle throughout the ages, because the enemy of God does not want to see it established. This testimony means the end of the enemy.
Therefore, those who bear this testimony must suffer much. The church in that time was greatly tested because of this testimony.
By the grace of God, Paul was able to stand, although he was bound in the prison of Rome and knew that the time had come for him to leave the world. He remained faithful to the testimony until death.
When Paul looked around, he saw that all Asia had turned away from him. He saw that many children of God, because of the difficulty of the environment, were abandoning the testimony of the Lord.
Over the ages there have been many battles for this testimony. Yet, over the ages, God has raised up faithful people who maintained the testimony of the Lord on the earth.
Those who stand for the testimony of the Lord may have to give up their lives for it. In simple words, the testimony is this: Jesus is Lord.
God has established Him to be both Lord and Christ. God has put all things under His feet, and He shall be Lord of all. This is the center of the testimony.
Our Lord said, “I am the first and the last.” In the purpose of God, He is the beginning and the end. Everything is from Him, through Him, and unto Him. This is the entire purpose of God.
He is the living One. He is our life—eternal life, uncreated life, incorruptible life, life that cannot be overcome.
What is amazing is that this life became flesh. When this life came into the world, it entered into death, came out from death, and lives forevermore. It proved the greatness of the power of life.
He has the keys of death and Hades. His victory is total.
There is no other person on earth who can be our absolute Lord. Only our Lord is our absolute Lord. Therefore, we must give Him complete submission and obedience. This is the testimony of the Lord.
Oftentimes, we say from our mouths that Jesus is Lord. Yet perhaps we allow Him to be Lord in some matters, while in many other things we allow ourselves to be lord.
In other words, we ourselves are still the lord. If we remain this way, then we lose the testimony of the Lord.
You have to see that this testimony is the greatest issue in the whole universe. It does not concern us merely as individuals; it concerns the church.
When the children of God gather together, is Jesus truly Lord? Is there anyone taking His place? Is there anyone assuming a place that belongs to Him alone?
Jesus is Lord. Is this our testimony? If today, individually, He is truly my Lord, then He will truly be Lord in the church.
This will bring down the kingdom of our Lord. The nations of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will be Lord of the whole universe.
This testimony is extremely important. It was entrusted to the church. The very existence of the church is for the testimony.
The church has often failed and fallen away from the testimony of the Lord. Yet the testimony of the Lord must continue on. Therefore, Paul wanted Timothy to be strong.
At the beginning of 2 Timothy, Paul says, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Especially when others are failing, there must be those who rise up for the testimony of the Lord.
When others withdraw, it is easy for us to withdraw also. We may become ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, instead of taking it as our glory.
Dear brothers and sisters, how can we be strong? We must not withdraw. We must be strong and move forward.
He says, “Be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus.” According to ourselves, we can only be weak; we cannot be strong. We can only despair, give up, and feel ashamed of the testimony of Jesus.
Only the grace of Christ Jesus can make us strong. The grace is here, but we must strengthen ourselves in the grace of Christ Jesus.
The point is that we must rise up and partake of this grace, so that we may keep the testimony of the Lord.
Let me say it again: according to ourselves, we will be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus. Only in grace can we glory in the testimony of our Lord.
The grace is here, but it requires us to rise up and partake of it. If you partake of this grace, the grace becomes strength within you, enabling you to rise up and be faithful.
If you do not receive this grace, then although the grace is here, you cannot be supported by it. This is our problem.
According to ourselves, we cannot stand. We need His grace.
Remember Paul’s own experience. Paul was one who truly recognized the grace of God and learned this secret.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul had a thorn in the flesh. Three times he asked the Lord to take away the thorn, because it caused him to be weak. He wanted to be strong.
But the Lord said:
My grace is sufficient for thee: for My power is made perfect in weakness.
Therefore Paul said that he would glory in his weaknesses, because the grace of the Lord is perfected in weakness.
Dear brothers and sisters, do we know today that we are weak? Sometimes we are ashamed of our weakness in the testimony. We are ashamed of our own weakness because we do not truly know it.
If we truly know our weakness, then we will glory in it, because when we glory in our weakness, that is the time we receive grace.
Every one of us needs the grace of the Lord. Let us not look at ourselves, at others, or at the environment. Let us look upon the Lord, who has sufficient grace. Then, within us, we can stand up for Him.
Paul says:
And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
When one is strong in the grace of the Lord, he can teach the testimony of the Lord and entrust it to faithful men who are competent to instruct others.
The way of the testimony is not something that can be carried by only one man. On this way, we need to testify with other faithful men.
Remember the story of Elijah. The whole of Israel had departed, yet Elijah, the prophet of God, stood before God and was sent to challenge the nation on Mount Carmel.
He said:
If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.
After the test, all Israel said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”
But because of one word from Jezebel, Elijah fled. He told God, “I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life.”
But God told him that He had seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal.
Dear brothers and sisters, the testimony of the Lord has not been discontinued. Oftentimes, we think that we are the only ones left, but the Lord has others.
Therefore, it is not you alone who keep the testimony of the Lord. When you rise up, you must also entrust this testimony to faithful men who can teach others.
Timothy had received many teachings from Paul, not secretly, but before many witnesses. Paul did not receive his gospel from men, nor was he taught it by men; it was revealed to him by the Lord.
All that Timothy received—the teaching entrusted through Paul—constituted the testimony of the Lord. Now Timothy was to entrust it to faithful men.
Faithfulness is a very important matter. If a man is not faithful, it is easy for him to dilute the testimony of the Lord, to compromise it, or to consider himself.
To be faithful is to be faithful to our Lord—not to any person outside the Lord, not to a section of doctrine, and not to a system.
It is easy for us to be faithful to a man, a teacher, or a system. This is natural and easy for us. But it seems extremely difficult to be faithful to the Lord.
I remember when I was young, I heard a brother share about a sister who had become faithful to a system to such an extent that she was more faithful to the system than to the Lord.
This seems to be a common problem with all of us. But we must remember that we are to be faithful to the Lord and to the testimony of the Lord.
If we are faithful in this way, then He can entrust His testimony to us. He cannot entrust the testimony to an unfaithful man, because what is entrusted may be altered and lost.
The Lord wants a group of faithful people—faithful to our Lord and faithful to the testimony of the Lord. He has given this testimony to us not for selfish possession, but that we may instruct others and that all may share in it.
For this testimony, we must suffer hardship as good soldiers 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.
This testimony is a battle. As far as the testimony is concerned, we are like soldiers. A soldier engaged in battle cannot be entangled with the affairs of life.
If other things occupy our minds, we cannot be focused in the battle, and we cannot please the One who enlisted us as soldiers.
Do you know that today you are on the battlefield and are fighting for the testimony of the Lord? The battle is fierce. How can our hearts be entangled by worldly affairs and worldly thoughts?
We must concentrate on the testimony of the Lord. Certainly, we live in this world. We have families, businesses, and many responsibilities. But we must not allow these things to occupy first place.
We must not be weighed down by these things. In Luke 21, our Lord warned us not to be weighed down by the cares and anxieties of this world, lest He come and we are unable to respond to Him.
Have we put all that we have into our Lord and into the testimony of the Lord? Let us not allow other things to draw us away.
Paul gives another example: we are in a race. The background is the Olympic games of Greece.
If one wishes to receive the crown, he must train severely before participating in the contest. He must be disciplined in what he eats, what he does, and in every aspect of his life.
Even then, he must compete according to the rules in order to receive the crown. In this race, we must exercise godliness.
Today, God’s children are too loose. We need the discipline of the Holy Spirit. We need to be exercised seriously before God. Then we may receive the crown.
The third example is the farmer. If a farmer is to receive the fruit, he must labor hard. He cannot sleep and neglect the field; he must labor.
Our Lord Himself was like this when He was on earth. He was of the seed of David, raised from the dead according to Paul’s gospel. Our Lord came to earth as a man, died for the testimony of God, and was raised again. This is the gospel that we preach.
Paul gives a summary when 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:
if we shall deny Him, He also will deny us:
if we are faithless, He abideth faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
Paul uses the expression “Faithful is the saying” four times in the pastoral letters. These faithful sayings are central to the gospel.
In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul writes:
Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
In 1 Timothy 4, Paul speaks of godliness, which is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is and of that which is to come.
In 2 Timothy 2:11–13, he speaks of dying with Christ, living with Him, enduring with Him, and reigning with Him. These are foundations of the gospel because they constitute our testimony.
Many people had fallen away from the testimony. Many were speaking things that were not according to the truth. What did Paul say in such a situation?
Nevertheless the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.
Although all things around us may be shaken, the truth of God is not shaken. Heresies may corrupt the faith of many, but the firm foundation of God stands.
This is close to Matthew 7:21–23, where people say, “Lord, Lord,” but the Lord says, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”
The Lord knows those who are His. This refers to the children of God. But those who name the name of the Lord must obey the will of the Lord.
A person may call Him “Lord, Lord,” preach in His name, cast out demons in His name, and do many works in His name. Yet if he does not obey the will of the Lord, the Lord says, “I never knew you.”
Therefore, everyone who names the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity. What is iniquity? It is unrighteousness.
To be unrighteous means that one is not in the will of God. We may think it is enough merely not to sin, but before God, to do something outside His will is unrighteousness.
Even if a person does great works, heals the sick, casts out demons, and preaches in the Lord’s name, if he does not do these things in the will of the Lord, it is unrighteousness.
Whoever names the name of the Lord must depart from unrighteousness. In other words, we must walk in the will of the Lord. The will of the Lord measures everything.
Paul continues:
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.
Second Timothy is very different from 1 Timothy. When Paul wrote 1 Timothy, he had been released from prison and came to Ephesus. The church at Ephesus had once been full of first love.
At that time, Paul instructed Timothy to charge certain people not to teach strange doctrines, nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, because such things only produced questionings and did not build up love.
There were many strange teachings, especially among those who sought to bring Judaism into the church. They talked about endless genealogies, baseless fables, and questions that produced no spiritual benefit.
When people listen to such things, you can imagine the condition of the church. The elders of the first generation had passed away, and the second generation was rising up. Some may have argued for positions of eldership.
There were weaknesses and many problems in the church. Yet God still acknowledged it as the church—the house of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Paul wanted Timothy and all the brothers and sisters to know how to behave in the church. Although its condition was not beautiful, God still desired to restore it so that it might become the testimony of the Lord.
But when Paul came to write 2 Timothy, the condition was completely different. It was not merely that certain people spoke strange teachings. People had itching ears and wanted to hear words that satisfied their desires.
Many teachers rose up to speak things that satisfied those desires. At this point, the church had become a great house.
How did the house of God become a great house of men? We remember that our Lord cleansed the temple at the beginning of His ministry.
He said:
Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise.
Then, near the end of His ministry, He entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple again. He said:
My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.
The temple was still there, but its spiritual reality had been lost. The purpose of God was no longer being fulfilled. The outward form continued, but there was no inward reality.
For three and a half years, our Lord sought to restore the condition. But toward the end, things became worse. It was not merely a house of merchandise; it had become a den of robbers.
Then He said:
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
In 2 Timothy, God no longer speaks of the church as the house of the living God. He speaks of it as a great house. Outwardly it may be great, but inwardly it is mixed.
In the great house there are vessels of gold and silver, but also vessels of wood and earth. Gold represents the nature of God.
A gold vessel is one that is according to the life and nature of God. Silver represents the redemption of Christ. Thus, a silver vessel is one built upon the redemption of Christ.
Wood represents the natural nature of man. Earthen vessels represent that which is of the earth and of the world. Such vessels are according to man rather than according to God.
In Romans 9, vessels unto honor refer to those who have received mercy and are prepared unto glory. Vessels unto dishonor refer to those who do not believe and are prepared for destruction.
But in 2 Timothy, the question is not whether one has believed or not believed. Here the distinction is among believers. Some believers are saved, yet their living on earth is according to their natural life and the ways of the world.
Such a believer is like a wooden or earthen vessel—a vessel unto dishonor. But those who allow the life and nature of the Lord to become their character, and whose work is according to the redemption of Christ, are vessels unto honor.
All of us were originally vessels unto dishonor. We are filled with ourselves, with the flesh, and with the world. We are not better than other brothers and sisters.
But the Lord says that if a man purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor. What God desires is an honorable vessel, because an honorable vessel can contain the testimony of the Lord.
Every one of us can be a vessel unto honor, and every one can be a vessel unto dishonor. The question is this: will you purify yourself?
This choice is ours. We must rise up. We must not remain passive and simply accept being a vessel unto dishonor. We must desire to be cleansed from these things.
The original meaning is to separate oneself from them. What are these things? Wood and earth are dishonorable. Our natural self is dishonorable. Our flesh is dishonorable.
How can we purify ourselves? Our Lord said that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
For the testimony of the Lord, are we willing to purify ourselves? Are we willing to deny ourselves, or do we want to preserve ourselves?
The self is the hardest thing to get rid of. Perhaps the most difficult thing from which to be separated is our own opinion. When our own opinion is dealt with, then the self can be dealt with.
This duty is before every one of us. The grace of God is there. If we truly desire to be used by Him, we will separate ourselves from the self and will not live in ourselves or in the world.
Then we can keep the testimony of the Lord.
Paul says:
But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
At that time, Timothy was already more than thirty years old. Some say he was between thirty-five and thirty-seven years old. According to human standards, he was not young. Yet in Paul’s eyes, he was still a youth.
To flee youthful lusts does not merely mean to flee fleshly lusts. It includes the characteristic passions of youth.
Young men are often proud of themselves. They like to contend and argue. They like to say, “I am right, and you are wrong.”
Young people are easily excited. They may be hot one moment and cold the next. They are easily influenced by men, easily follow others, and easily fall.
Perhaps we are no longer young in age. We may be fifty, sixty, or even older. Yet we may not have come away from youthful lusts.
In spiritual matters, there are things from which we must flee. If we do not flee from them, we shall fall into temptation.
But fleeing is only the negative side. There is also a positive side: pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
The Lord has a word for us in the present condition. The testimony of the Lord must be kept. But how are we to keep it in a great house, where there are both vessels of gold and silver and vessels of wood and earth?
I believe the Lord is telling us that this is not the time to pay attention to outward things. It is not the time to ask whether an outward form is accurate, whether a name is right or wrong, or whether an organization is right or wrong.
The Lord is doing a work of recovery. He wants to recover the inward reality.
At the beginning, the church was not an organization, a name, or an outward system. What was seen was the Lord Himself.
Organization, when it came, was the result of life. It was not something constituted outwardly. At the beginning there was vision, life, and Spirit.
But then we may try to preserve things with our own hands. What remains becomes only an outward shell, with nothing inward.
In this work of recovery, I believe the Lord does not pay attention to outward things. He wants to recover spiritual reality.
If you want to be a vessel unto honor, you cannot do it alone. You must seek those who have a pure heart.
The hearts of men are often not pure or single. The Scripture says:
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Why do we have so many problems? Because our hearts are not pure. What we see is man, other people, and outward things. This is the problem of all problems.
If we can see God, all problems are solved.
We need to come back to the Lord and pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
What God desires today is faithfulness and a pure heart. If we have a pure heart, we shall see God. If we are truly pure in heart, we can always see our Lord.
Then we can pursue and pray with those who have pure hearts. To pray is to acknowledge that we have no confidence in ourselves and that we must look up to our Lord.
What are we to pursue? Not doctrine, but righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
These are the characteristics of our Lord. Our Lord is righteous; all that He does is righteous and according to the will of God. He has faith in God and the faithfulness of God. He is full of the love of God, and He is at peace within Himself.
These are inward characteristics. They have nothing to do with outward forms. Today, what are we pursuing?
We must pursue the Lord Himself with those who have pure hearts. This is our way from now on. Praise and thank our God—He has shown us His way.
We are not to despise those who have not separated themselves. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle toward all, apt to teach, patient, and in meekness correcting those who oppose themselves.
Perhaps God may grant them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth. Let us not despise our brothers and sisters. Let us come to them with gentleness. Let us not argue.
We must learn patience before God and endure misunderstandings. We desire to restore our brothers and sisters in the love of the Lord.
We hope that we may all rise up for the testimony of our Lord. Amen.
Lord, we rest before You.
We ask You to examine our hearts through Your Spirit. We acknowledge that we do not know ourselves.
Lord, we ask that You shine upon us with Your own light, so that we may prostrate ourselves before You.
Lord, we know that we are not qualified to be vessels unto honor—not merely for our own future, but for Your testimony.
Lord, we ask that You would have mercy upon us, so that we may be strong because of Your grace.
Enable us to separate ourselves from all that is dishonorable, that we may be vessels useful to You.
Together with our brothers and sisters, may we pursue You with a pure heart.
Lord, we thank You because You are our way. You are all to us, and it is sufficient to have You.
In the name of our Lord, amen.