Bible Studies

Paul tells Timothy to be a Good Soldier of Christ Jesus Part 8

2 Timothy 2:11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: KJV

The thing the Apostle Paul wants to leave with Brother Timothy and we true believers now and of every era and generation is that because we have such a sure, solid, and satisfying eternity to look forward to spending in the presence of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, then we should be motivated even now to endure and suffer all things for Him and for the truth of His Holy Word. Paul has just told Timothy (2 Timothy 2:10) that all the elect will receive eternal glory in Christ Jesus our Lord, so this next statement confirms the certainty of that and also what our response as sojourners now should be to this reality as he declares with these words, "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him:" (2 Timothy 2:11) (KJV). The English phrase that begins this verse 'It is a faithful saying' is translated by the Greek word pistos which we have defined before and it means objectively trustworthy; subjectively trustful: - believing, faithful, sure, true. In other words, the Apostle Paul wants Brother Timothy and we true believers today and of every era and generation to be grounded solidly in the certainty of our eternal glory (we have, even right now) with our Lord Jesus Christ. You see heaven is not the goal or the prize or reward for the believer, Christ is and where ever He is, then this is heaven, remember what Paul said to the Philippian Church, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet I do not know what I shall choose. For I am pressed together by the two: having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." (Philippians 1:21-23) (Modern King James Version). Do you see it? Paul was not looking forward to heaven and walking on the streets of gold or any of the other many splendid things in the New Jerusalem, but it was seeing and being in the presence of the Savior that occupied the mind of the Apostle Paul, for he wanted to forever experience and know the warmth of His love as one would stand and raise their face toward the Sun as it beams down to the earth and warms the hold body.

Paul's next statement in this letter 'For if we be dead with Him', is Paul giving to Timothy and to us a two-fold meaning; First, our spiritual death was caused by Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden (original sin) and this caused every one of us to be dead to God at our physical birth, however, Christ death on the Cross for man's sin was a complete ransom or payment for our debt of sin to God the Father we could never pay, therefore, when we hear the Gospel or the Good news and believe, then we are born again spiritually (2nd birth) and now our sin debt is payed in full and their is not one sin that will be charged against us. Second, at the moment of our physical death our new man or new woman (2 Corinthians 5:17) goes immediately to be with our Lord Jesus Christ and when He comes to the earth the 2nd time, He will then place our new man or new woman in our new eternal glorified body, just as this same Apostle Paul declared to the Corinthian Church with these words, "There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly is truly different, and that of the earthly different; one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul,' the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was a life-giving Spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:40-45) (Modern King James Version)."

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say concerning we being dead with Christ, "For if we be dead with Him; with Christ, as all His people are, by virtue of union to Him; they are dead with Him, He and they being one, in a legal sense; when He died, they died with Him; being crucified with Him, as their head and representative, their old man, their sins, were also crucified with Him, being imputed to Him, and laid upon Him; and through the efficacy (power) of His death, they became dead to sin, both to its damning and governing power, and so are planted together in the likeness of His death; so that as He died unto sin once, and lives again to die no more, they die unto sin, and are alive to God, and shall live for ever. Moreover, this, agreeably to what follows, may be understood of the saints dying for Christ's sake, and the Gospel, whereby they are conformed unto Him, and feel the fellowship of His sufferings, and so may be said to be dead with Him." Note: "When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, at that very same moment every one of the elect died with Him and were buried with Him and then were resurrected with Him from death. This is what water baptism symbolizes for every believer, for it represents the new life each one of His elect sons and daughters have received from Him and is a representation of the resurrection of our frail, feeble, and flawed earthly body into a new eternal incorruptible glorified body incapable of sin and enabled/empowered to please our Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…