Do not Be Ashamed .2 Timothy 1:8-9.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
Dear Pilgrims and Sojourners,
Paul continues to encourage Timothy to be bold. The temptation to save one’s own skin is real and can come to the best of us, so Paul reminds Timothy that he should not be anonymous or incognito. We all need to stand up and be counted.
Suffering (v. 9). Sharing in suffering for the gospel may well be the result of standing for the Lord and with his servants. Paul was staring execution in the face – not the best company for anyone who wants to stay alive. But Christ suffered and died for us. The least we can do is stand for him. The phrase “by the power of God” could mean that God enables us to courageously suffer for the testimony of Christ, or that the gospel itself is the demonstration of the power of God. Both possibilities are in agreement with the general teaching of scripture and we may not be able to say which one Paul intended.
Salvation (v. 9). The reason we ought to be willing to suffer for Christ is that he saved us. Exceptional. This salvation is incorporated into a “holy calling” that came to us by grace and not works. The word holy here could be paraphrased as exceptional, set apart for His use and glory. Eternal. We often speak of eternity as the future, but it is also past. God decreed our salvation in “Christ Jesus before the ages began.” Before he created us and the universe, God decreed our salvation!
Your Loving Pastor Chris.