Warfare to Victory
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops 2 Timothy 2:3-7
Paul uses three pictures to illustrate ‘Endure hardship …’
(1) like a soldier
Timothy must give himself to wholehearted devotion to his commanding officer, the Lord Jesus, even though it means suffering. The emphasis is not: have nothing to do with civilian affairs. The emphasis is: don’t look back (Luke 9:61,62). Don’t look for an easier path. You’re a soldier and you’re completely committed to following your Commander. That will always mean hardship.
(2) like an athlete
The athlete ‘competes according to the rules.’ The ‘rules’ must mean either: the rules of the contest (don’t cut corners; don’t compromise; don’t try to get ahead by doing anything underhand in your ministry or lifestyle), or: the Christian life always means hardship and suffering. This is an inbuilt certainty, a rule that governs everything. The good news is that a victor’s crown awaits you when this life is done (2 Timothy 4:8)
(3) like a farmer
The farmer who works the land receives his reward at harvest time. For the Christian ‘harvest time’ lies ahead at the Judgement Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). But our reward then won’t come without suffering now. We may not see the full fruit of our labour for Jesus now, but if we persist in our hard work, we will see it on that day.
So, ‘enduring hardship’ is part of what it means to be a Christian. Beyond warfare is victory; beyond athletic effort is a prize; and beyond the hard work of present day ministry is a future reward.
To listen to this message, download in MP3 here.