2Timothy 1:8-18 A CALL TO COURAGE The call to be faithful to our Lord and His word that resonates in our days is similar to Paul's call to Timothy. We cannot expect things to get better as far as avoiding opposition to the Gospel and the Bible. The world system is deteriorating, as is everything. It is one of the laws of thermodynamics, and it doesn't stop with material things. A decline in righteousness is an expected result of the decline of morality. The decline of morality comes as a result of the decline of faith. The decline of faith comes when the scriptures are ignored, and man's opinion is given equal credence to the divine revelation of truth. Paul encouraged Timothy to be faithful and not fear the present situation in which he was found, of increasing persecution against the Christians. Godliness and worldliness cannot cross-pollinate. One said something to the effect that saying one is a worldly Christian is like saying there is a heavenly devil.
We will never avoid difficulties in life as those who follow Christ. That is to be expected. But we do need to remember that God gives us the strength we need when it is our turn to go through the hard times. He is faithful to us, and we need to be faithful to Him. Publicly sharing our faith in Christ will bring the need for courage. The call to courage is to not be ashamed or embarrassed to be known as a child of God. Be loyal to Him as one is loyal to a loving parent. Be confident that God will not allow you to be put into any situation that you are not able to deal with when you obey Him. It is important that we be strong in the Lord, not in our own strength. Paul was encouraging Timothy by preparing him for what was ahead. They were both representatives of "our Lord." The same challenge comes to us to not be ashamed or timid because of who we are and who we serve. We do not deserve any of the blessings of salvation, but God has offered it to "whosoever" anyway. The impact of the Gospel on us changes us because He has saved us, called us to serve Him, and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us.