If we are not faithful, He will still be faithful!
"If we died with him, we will also live with him.
If we accept suffering, we will also rule with him.
If we say we don't know him, he will say he doesn't know us.
If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful,
because he must be true to what he is."
(2 Timothy 2: 10 - 13)
Thoughts and expressions starting with an "if" remind us of conditions, conditional situations, the dependency on the other, the compulsory work towards a reward, a mistake towards destruction, a give and take moment, a mutually benefitting initiative, dependent variables, and many such humanly fragile commitments that look forward to the effect 'the other' could create. However, one thing that would surpass and go beyond the limitations of an "if" is God's love and grace.
Lord our God's magnificence is found not in the human 'ifs' but in the Godly 'even ifs'. As I was reading 2 Timothy 2, and when I came across verses 12 and 13, I was astonished at such a truth that Paul reminds us of, and I just said to myself that "God will not compromise on His standards of love and grace for human frailties!" It is a truth that may take years and moments of testimonies for it to digest in us that the Lord our God will indeed be still faithful, even when as human beings we compromise on our holy living.
Truly there are already millions of witnesses to testify this unmatchable love and grace that we find in the Lord. There are times when we had miserably failed to live up to the standards of Christian living. There are times when we had refused to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of God's work, we had refused to accept suffering for the mission's cause, we had feared and felt shy to stand and testify the name of Jesus, and through our human frailties, we had failed to be faithful to the call. But, much to our astonishment and awe, God has continued to be faithful in keeping His promises in our lives, and we are able to see His caring hands continuing to lead us through all the tough times in life.
Seldom do we realise how faithful God has still been faithful even when we had turned away from what was expected from us. Sometimes we digest the fact that God has continued to help and strengthen us, even when we had long forgotten to listen to His voice. It amazes us that even when we had gone in search of many other things on which we thought we could depend, God continued to smile, embrace us and has blessed us abundantly in each phase of our lives, making sure that we do not miss to enjoy this precious life. God has been ensuring that we live like trees that are planted near the river and bear fruit in the right season. He made sure that everything we did succeed (Psalm 01). And this reminds us, again, that "if we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he must be true to what he is" (2 Timothy 2: 13). What a wonderful spiritual standard that God has kept before us. This is something that is expected, as God's children, to be in the life of every Christian.
It is a challenge in this world to continue expressing our faith through words and actions. In a world situation like this, Paul's letter to Timothy, and these verses we have focused on, come in a wake-up call. We could hear these words, strong and powerful, reverberating in our ears and hearts. Where is our spiritual standard as God's children? Where is the spiritual bar that God has set before us? I encourage each one of you to choose life by the thought "even if the world around us falls for the mere pleasures and temptations of life, we will still be faithful to the great call, because we must be true to what we are as Christians." Let us seek God's help in following what He has set before us. God does not compromise in His standards as the Lord. And we are called to do so; not to compromise on our standards of love, faith and serving as the faithful generation of believers in Christ the Lord. '
May the power and blessings of God the Father, the love and grace of Christ Jesus the Son, the fellowship and guidance of the Spirit help us, as we continue to live a life of spiritual standards that will testify the love, grace and compassion of our Lord our God.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
"When it's all been said and done..." by Don Moen
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