A Chosen Instrument of Mine

Reading:  Acts 9:1-22
    
    We have no record of Paul’s last moments.  Most scholars believe that he was martyred, perhaps by Nero.  Surely this did not catch him by surprise; he often speaks in his letters of the potentiality and likelihood of his martyrdom (Phil 1:20-25, 2:17; Col 1:24; 2 Cor 4:10-11, 16-5:9).  It is a vivid reminder that these letters are not mere words to Paul, but an expression of a fully devoted heart.  Just as he declares himself fully willing to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”(Phil 3:10) and that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”(Col 1:24), so he seems to have done.  The events of Paul’s life put a final validating stamp on all his teaching and letters.  This man was fully sincere.

    At the end of a year in Paul’s letters, it seems fitting to return to Paul’s initial encounter with Jesus.  It is hard to overstate how disorienting it would be for him to realize that he is hearing the voice of the dead man whose followers he has been persecuting.  “And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank”(Acts 9:9).  When Ananias comes to him with a message from Jesus, it is ominous:  “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.  For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name”(Acts 9:15-16).  Jesus has a mission for Paul:  to preach to the Gentiles (likely not Paul’s favorite group).  As a result of this mission and his newfound faith, he will “(suffer) the loss of all things”(Phil 3:8).  Yet he will fully fulfill Jesus’ will for him.  He will carry Jesus’ name.  He will reach the Gentiles.  And he will suffer—patiently, faithfully, repeatedly—for his connection to Jesus.

    There is great dignity in a life fully lived for Jesus.  Paul was not perfect, but he faithfully served his master to the point of death.  Paul reminds us that our past does not have to define us because God can rewrite our story.  Paul reminds us that our personal comfort is not God’s priority (and shouldn’t be ours).  Paul reminds us that true faith in Jesus may go to the grave confident that we will “attain to the resurrection from the dead”(Phil 3:11).

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One Thing to Think About:  What have I learned from this year in Paul’s letters?

One Thing to Pray For:  The steadfast, earnest, passionate faith Paul has shown me
 

People

Reading:  2 Timothy 4:9-22
    
    These are the last words Paul writes.  They are littered with references to people.  Paul is imprisoned and likely to stand again before Caesar.  He wants Timothy there with him:  “Do your best to come to me soon”(2 Tim 4:9).  He is lonely and perhaps discouraged because some have left him.  “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.  Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.  Luke alone is with me.  Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry”(2 Tim 4:10-11).  In his last moments, Paul wants these men he has worked with and known so well to be physically present with him.

    Perhaps this is why it hurts Paul so deeply when some forsake him.  “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.  Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.  At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.  May it not be charged against them!”(2 Tim 4:14-16).  He is thinking about Demas and Alexander (and Phygelus and Hermogenes, 2 Tim 1:15) who have harmed him.  It stings him that “all who are in Asia turned away from me”(2 Tim 1:15).  But he also takes courage from the fact that even alone, he is not alone:  “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.  So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth”(2 Tim 4:17).  All alone, his life in Caesar’s hands, Paul had Jesus beside him.  This is his comfort.

    What can we take from these last words?  People matter.  People have the power to hurt us or help us, to dishearten and encourage.  Even when people cannot solve our problems, we still want them nearby in times of need.  We have the power to do tremendous good or harm by the way we treat others, including affecting their desire to serve Jesus.  Will we be the kind of people that others remember with regret, anger, and disappointment—or those who are close by, encouraging, suffering together, and blessing others?

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One Thing to Think About:  What people can I turn to in times of need?

One Thing to Pray For:  The love to strengthen others in times of hardship
 

Not Only to Me

Reading:  2 Timothy 4:1-8
    
    This section is Paul’s rousing encouragement to Timothy to keep his head up and continue his work.  “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word”(2 Tim 4:1-2).  God and Jesus are witnesses to the charge Timothy has received.  He has the gift, the opportunity, and the expectation; now he must act.  There is also a pressing need for Timothy to preach with perseverance:  “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching”(2 Tim 4:3).  Rather than being disgusted with a world that loses its appetite for the gospel, Paul urges Timothy to keep preaching.  We cannot always change the environment in which we live, but we can faithfully serve God by doing what we know is right wherever we find ourselves.  

    But Paul’s final encouragement is personal.  “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”(2 Tim 4:6-7).  Paul knows he is soon to die.  He has done his work through good times and bad.  Timothy not only has an example to emulate, but shoes to fill.  Both of them work toward the same reward:  “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing”(2 Tim 4:8).  God will give Paul the crown he has waited and worked toward, but he will give it “not only to me.”  This is a reward all Christians will receive.

     The promise of eternal life is not only for the super-spiritual.  We don’t have to be apostles with a tremendous legacy to have God’s favor.  God will give this crown “not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”  Everyone who has “loved his appearing” has, by God’s grace, been counted worthy.  Our duty is to fight the good fight as it presents itself in our day and time—to finish our race—to keep the faith.

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One Thing to Think About:  Do I love his appearing?  Am I eagerly anticipating his return? 

One Thing to Pray For:  Wisdom to live now in preparation for the end of my life
 

Wise for Salvation

Reading:  2 Timothy 3:10-17
    
    Timothy can expect times of difficulty and persecution.  Paul reminds him that he has seen this before.  “You, however, have followed...my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.  Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived”(2 Tim 3:10, 11-13).  God’s people are persecuted while evil people seem to worsen.  Paul’s life demonstrates this repeatedly.  But Paul insists that this is the pattern that all Christians should expect.  It can be especially perplexing when we see God’s people persecuted and evil people worsening (2 Tim 3:13).  Yet God wants us to handle this seeming contradiction with mature faith, as Paul does. 

    Meanwhile, Paul wants Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”(2 Tim 3:14-15).  Our response to a hostile world is to dig into the word of God.  Paul refers here to the Old Testament, which Timothy is familiar with from his mother’s and grandmother’s teaching.  Those writings can make one “wise for salvation,” teaching us to expect God’s Messiah, showing us what matters to him, and driving us toward deeper love and knowledge of God.  Like all of God’s words, they remain relevant and applicable.  They prepare God’s people for every good work (2 Tim 3:17) and are worth studying and teaching.  

    Scripture is an anchor in the tumultuous sea of life.  It hooks us into God’s perspective and will for his world, reminding us of our place and direction.  With this background, we are ready to accept God’s salvation through Jesus and his teachings for how life should be lived.  We are “wise for salvation.”

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One Thing to Think About:  How have I observed persecution of Christians? 

One Thing to Pray For:  A heart to cling to Scripture
 

Troublesome Times

Reading:  2 Timothy 3:1-9
    
    To steel Timothy for coming troubles, Paul warns him that “in the last days there will come times of difficulty”(2 Tim 3:1).  Times will be difficult because people will be horrible people:  “lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy”(2 Tim 3:2).  The list goes on; each generation can see itself in the description.  When people abandon God, their behaviors inevitably harm others and make it difficult for those who love him.  We become entirely self-centered (“proud, arrogant”, v. 2“swollen with conceit”, v. 4), unconcerned with the impact of our behavior on anyone else.  We give license to the most perverse desires we have, becoming brutal and desperate for pleasure.  Hearts grow hard.  

    Two descriptions stick out to me.  Some are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power”(2 Tim 3:4-5).  Godliness should have a power behind it, prompting us to make change to serve God rather than our own desires.  He warns of some who hypocritically appear to be righteous without the proof in their lives.  The tragedy here is that they know what could help them (godliness), but they refuse to accept it.  He then describes some who are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth”(2 Tim 3:7).  Learning is not an end in itself.  There has to come a time when we know so that we can live by what we know.  It is no surprise that Paul is describing people who are less than spiritual (2 Tim 3:6), despite their constant pursuit of knowledge. 

    It is not hard to apply these descriptions to our time.  The challenge for modern Christians is to be certain that we are not influenced by the lack of morality we see around us, choosing to live holy lives that lead others to Jesus.  While watching out for hypocrites, we also must be certain that we never become them by sincerely listening to God and humbly admitting our failings.

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One Thing to Think About:  What is the difference between proper learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth? 

One Thing to Pray For:  Courage to face troublesome times and love those around me