Knowing God - 2 Timothy 2:11-13

(from Pastor)

The saying is sure:

If we have died with [Christ], we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he will also deny us; 

if we are faithless, he remains faithful

— for he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

The first petition reflects a common Biblical theme. In Matthew 16, Jesus said, "those who want to save theirlife will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." When we unite our lives with Jesus and die to ourselves, then we shall "live with him" -- now and eternally.

The second petition reflects that this journey of life can be hard and this journey of faith can involve persecution. The crown won't come here, in this life, but in the end, those who are faithful will "reign with him."

The third petition we don't like to think about. But something happens in the fourth petition. Going into this reading, I would have said that "denying Christ" and "faithlessness" were the same thing. Perhaps they are not.

It seems to me that denial is intentional while faithlessness (doubt) is unintentional. We'd like for it to not be this way, but our faith often rides a roller coaster along with our circumstances. And thanks be to God, a down day will not exclude us from the kingdom. God remains faithful even when we waver. He loves us, forgives us, woos us.

In Christ's Love,

a roller coaster guy

who will not deny

(God help me)

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I love words. I love figuring the little nuances that make words different.  Denial. Faithlessness.  What do they really mean?


denial:  A refusal to comply with or satisfy a request, A refusal to grant the truth of a statement or allegation; a contradiction, A refusal to accept or believe something, such as a doctrine or belief, The act of disowning or disavowing; repudiation.


faithlessness:  Not true to duty or obligation; disloyal, Having no religious faith, Unworthy of faith or trust; unreliable.


I recently heard that denial means 'don't even know I am lying.'  By denying Christ - we are lying and saying he doesn't exist.  I believe he does. And cares.  But faithlessness is completely different.  When life throws so much at you that you can't see straight. when the past swarms back in your face and knocks you flat. then you doubt where God is. faith is rocked. doubt does set in. Satan loves this. We have the knowledge that God will remain faithful in our storms.