Saturday, December 14, 2024

PT-2 "Remember Your Calling" (2 Timothy 1:8b-10)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/14/2024 9:06 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                            Focus:  PT-2 “Remember Your Calling”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                               Reference: 2 Timothy 1:8b-10

 

            Message of the verses:  according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”

 

            Now the truth is that God’s power does not always manifest itself in our lives in obvious ways, and an example of this is when Paul prayed three times about a problem that he had after he had made a visit to heaven.  Allow me to quote from 2 Corinthians chapter twelve as this will give us the entire story.  “1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago — whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows — such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man — whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows —  4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

            MacArthur writes “Without hesitation or disappointment, Paul replied ‘Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.’”

 

            I have to say that this story that Paul writes about to the Corinthians has always been a favorite part of Scripture for me and I have heard different Pastors say that they believe this happened when Paul was on his second missionary trip and was stoned for the cause of Christ and though to be dead.  I’m not sure if that is when this happened to Paul or not, but I am sure that it happened to Paul and as I think about this in relations to what I am studying here in 2 Timothy it makes sense to me that Paul was truly looking forward to going back to heaven and this time staying there.  His death would be much more rapid than that of His Lord, but that means that he would arrive in heaven quickly. 

            MacArthur writes “Our loving heavenly Father is both willing and ‘able to keep [us] from stumbling, and to make [us] stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy’ (Jude 24). In light of that truth Paul prayed for believers at Ephesus, where he hand ministered faithfully for a number of years ‘[My God] grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God’ (Eph. 3:16-19).”

 

            Now I can say that I am comforted by the next paragraph that MacArthur has in his commentary, which I will also quote and with that will end this SD for this morning.

 

            “God’s sovereignly designed salvation, and He sovereignly initiates, sustains, and completes salvation.  He has forgiven us, justified us, and delivered us from sin and Satan, from death and hell.  In every sense and in every tense—past, present, and future—God is our Savior.”

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have been lifted up through the Word of God this morning and I am thankful for that truth that God is in complete control as He always is and so it is important for me to continue to trust the Lord to keep me from some issues that I have been dealing with for some time now, but by His grace and mercy is bringing me out of what was happening to me.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Remember and never forget that God is in charge of my life and that He loves me so much that He sent His One and only Son to take my place on the cross.

 

12/14/2024 9:43 AM

 

 

           

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