Remember Jesus Christ - 2 Tim. 2:8
Many problems are caused by a failure to remember what Christ’s presence, power and perspective. Failure to remember all the riches we have in Christ can lead to many mistaken perceptions that produce fear, anger or faulty reactions toward problems.
Illustration: Quote: Abraham Lincoln once said when asked if he thought he would succeed or fail in his the civil war conflict said, "Without God I cannot succeed. With God I cannot fail."
Illustration:It was said of Helen of Troy, that when she lost her memory of who she was when she fell into captivity that she became a common woman of the street. But when she remembered her identity as a Queen, her entire view of life elevated her to a life worthy of heritage. Many Christians live a commoners when they should be living as sons and daughters of the King embued with all the rich resources, power and confidence of royalty.
Paul, the apostle, told Timothy to remember Jesus Christ because he wanted him to persevere through all kinds of hardships. Let us examine some of the key aspects of that are eseential to remember about Christ or we might become weary in well doing and faint before we reap a great harvest.
1. Remembering Jesus Christ gives us a greater perspective of the power we possess in our resurrected Savior. Christ’s overcoming power enables us to not be overcome by evil, but helps us overcome evil with good. People who remember Christ will be assured by Christ’s promise, "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) We can be confident that we can do everything God asks us to do with the help of Christ who gives us the strength and power. (Phil. 4:13)
Illustration:Well over three hundred verses are concerned with the subject of Jesus’ resurrection in the New Testament. We are told that this event is a sign for unbelievers (Matthew 12:38-40); cf. John 20:24-29) as well as the answer for the believer’s doubt (Luke 24:38-43). It serves as the guarantee that Jesus’ teachings are true (Acts 2:22-24; 1 Corrinthians 15:12-20) and is the center of the gospel itself (Romans 4:24-25, 10:9; 1 Corrinthians 15:1-4). Further, the resurrection is the impetus for evangelism (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 10:39-43), the key indication of the believer’s daily power to live the Christian life (Rom. 6:4-14, 8:9-11; Phil. 3:10) and the reason for the total commitment of our lives (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 15:57-58). The resurrection even addresses the fear of death (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:54-58; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15) and is related to the second coming of Jesus (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7). Lastly, this event is a model of the Christian’s resurrection from the dead (Acts 4:2; 1 Cor. 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and provides a foretaste of heaven for the believer (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Peter 1:3-5). For a popular treatment that addresses these and other aspects, see Gary R. Habermas, The Centrality of the Resurrection.
Gary R. Habermas & J.P. Moreland, Immortality - The Other Side of Death, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992, p. 245.
2. Remembering Jesus Christ helps us fear God more than people or circumstances. When we know that we will one day give an account to God we must remember that Christ will judge the living and dead. When we know that we have to report to Christ we do not have to worry about pleasing people. Paul wrote, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therfore, judge nothing before the appointed time." (I Cor. 4:3,4) Premature judgment of ourselves is faulty because it is often unable to see the entire picture impartially as Jesus does. Faulty criticisms from people tend to be limited by their own conditioning and personalities and perspectives. Only the judgment of Jesus Christ is completely objective and not tainted by the subjective feelings of daily discouragements, circumstances or the cycles of life.
Illustration:Why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus? The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return:
One waited to see if the cure was real.
One waited to see if it would last.
One said he would see Jesus later.
One decided that he had never had leprosy.
One said he would have gotten well anyway.
One gave the glory to the priests.
One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."
One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."
One said, "I was already much improved."
Charles L. Brown, Content The Newsletter, June, 1990, p. 3.
3. Remembering Jesus Christ allows us to suffer with dignity, purpose and a greater sense of identification with our Lord. Paul wrote, "This is my gospel for which I am suffering even on the point of being chained like a criminal." (2 Tim. 2:9) Paul endured terrible suffering as an innocent man, but he knew that God can work all things together for good as we love Him and fit into His plans. Paul reconfigured his perception about his imprisonment so he was able to see triumph come out of a seeming tragedy. Allow the Lord to use whatever hardship, adversity or discouraging situation for His greater good. Just as God allowed Joseph to be thrown into prison so He may allow circumstances to get worse so that He can work a greater good through you.
Illustration:If we consider the greatness and the glory of the life we shall have when we have risen from the dead, it would not be difficult at all for us to bear the concerns of this world. If I believe the Word, I shall on the Last Day, after the sentence has been pronounced, not only gladly have suffered ordinary temptations, insults, and imprisonment, but I shall also say: "O, that I did not throw myself under the feet of all the godless for the sake of the great glory which I now see revealed and which has come to me through the merit of Christ!"
Martin Luther.
4. Remembering Jesus Christ help Paul recognize how God worked throughout history to fulfill His purposes through the Lord Jesus. It is important to see that Christ descended from David as a royal king sent to redeem people from their sins. God’s plans are wrapped up in HIS Story - He became for us wisdom from God, our righteousness, sanctification and redemption. The Lord Jesus perfectly orchestrates all things from history for the culmination of God’s greater kingdom priority purposes. We do not have to fret about how the Lord is working out His purposes through current events in the world. We are confident that His ways are perfect and all of His ways are peace. We can rejoice in the Lord knowing that He knows the end from the beginning. He is soon to return to claim His own as He is the head of the church working out His plans despite what speculators might think will happen in these turbulent days. We can reflect that there are over 330 Old Testament prophecies about Christ that came true exactly as it was told. Thank God for the fact that precisely what has been promised we come to pass as Paul wrote, "For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes (answer) in Christ." (2 Cor. 1:20) Every promise that God has given us assures that we are going to see carried out to its completion as we trust and obey His will.
Illustration: A wealthy man gave 90% of his entire worth to support the building of a Bible college in Africa. When his business collasped his friends came to him and said, "Don’t you wish you had some of that money back to start over with your business." The wise business man thought for a moment and said," No, because the only thing I really still possess, I gave away." He was counting on Jesus promise of Matt 6;19-21 where Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Let us act on the promises of God instead of failing to appropriate them as so often happens with most.
Illustration: While teaching in a seminary in Nigeria I had a student who did not understand my American English for two weeks. One day he stood up in chapel and thanked God for giving him the ability to decipher my white man’s English. James Nyako said, "For two weeks the only thing I understood the lecturer say was Jesus. That is a great legacy for all of us to leave. The only thing we really want people to remember about us is Jesus. Every other thing is ultimately of less consequence except how we allow the Lord Jesus to shine and speak through us. Paul said, "Remember Jesus Christ."
5. Remembering Jesus Christ helps us to fill our minds with what is good, honorable, true, worthy of reverence, profitable, just, pure, lovely, lovable, kind, winsome, gracious, virtuous, excellent and worthy of praise. (Phil. 4:8) Our natural tendency is to worry about the negative instead of fixing our thoughts on the positive. When we learn to replace the negative - self-destructive patterns of thoughts in our mind we can fill up our mind, emotions and will with considerations about how Christ’s life can flow through us with all of its power, faith, love and hope. Failure to fill our minds with what is good is a receipe for disaster. Paul wrote, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." (Rom. 8:6-8)
Illustration:"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller quoted in: Barbara Rowes, The book of Quotes, Dutton.
6. Remembering Jesus Christ reminds us of all the provisions we enjoy in the Spirit. Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, against such things there is no law." (Gal. 5:22,23) When we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, He pours out of our life a pleasing manner that attracts other people to us. It is fun to be around people who are loving, joyful and full of kindness.
Illustration: Dick Enberg, a famous sports broadcaster, said at the Indiana University commencement. "There are two words that express kindness better than any other. Thank you. By using these words in my forty years of work I have never had one person refuse to accept them or fail to respond positively. Paul wrote, "BE kind to one another, rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." (I Thes. 5:15-18)
Conclusion: Evy, the famous Christian singer, once sang, "Oh, be grateful for the good things that you’ve got. The good things that you’ve got are for many just a dream. So be thankful for the good things that you’ve got." Let us consciously thank God for what we have in Jesus Christ. Let us recount all of the spiritual blessings we enjoy in the Savior. (Eph. 1:3) Let us tell others about how remember Jesus Christ will enrich their lives and give them the perseverance, perspective and power they need to accomplish all that God wants them to enjoy.
