2 Timothy 1:8-12 The sign of a glorious ministry is not in its appearance but in its power to transform lives

2 Timothy 1:8-12 The sign of a glorious ministry is not in its appearance but in its power to transform lives

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Background

Paul entreats Timothy to join him in suffering for the gospel. Being aware of his lowly state, Paul reminds Timothy of the exceeding glory that will ensue if they remain faithful to the holy calling. Indeed, all who stay true to the gospel will suffer persecutions. Today’s devotion teaches: The sign of a glorious ministry is not in its appearance but in its power to transform lives.

Observation

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner…

Paul admonished Timothy to reject the notions of shame cast by the opposers of the truth. The opposers had alleged that both Jesus and Paul were losers and scums of society. They were persecuted and imprisoned, whose testimonies spoke of their supposed incompetence and falsehood. The world paints a deceptive picture that whatever that is true and worthy should be welcomed and endorsed by the masses. The fact is: both Jesus and Paul experienced mass desertions, had scant followings, and their message is unpopular, going against the grain of human desire and pragmatism. They preach repentance as the only way to eternal life while the opposers purport a gospel of false conversion based on fulfilling religious sacraments (circumcision, baptism, and verbal confessions etc) and laws.

But join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.

Paul believes the spirit of the gospel will always be in opposition with the spirit of the world. Thus, suffering becomes inevitable for preachers of the true gospel. Hence, Paul urged Timothy not to be ashamed of his lowly state but join him in suffering for the the gospel. Indeed, anyone who preaches the true gospel will be persecuted by the world even though the gospel possesses divine power to heal the sick, regenerate the inner man and to rule over creation. That said, the power of God does not touch and heal everyone, but only those whose hearts are open. Divine power is used primarily to draw attention to the divinity of the gospel message, so that hearers may repent and enter the kingdom. Therefore, divine power does not necessarily cause all sinners to be saved, it merely segregates the penitent and the impenitent.

Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling.

Paul elaborates on the potency of the power of God that translates believers from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (saved us). In the light of God’s purpose, believers are also given a holy calling of righteousness, authority and glory. The believer’s holy calling if fulfilled vindicates and glorifies him albeit much persecutions and suffering. Paul said,

And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:30

Indeed, there is no shame for those who remain true to God’s holy calling, for He will see to their eventual glorification.

…not according to our works, but according to His own (each person’s) purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity

Pertaining to the holy calling, God calls each person for a distinct purpose and grants him special grace to fulfill it. This, God does according to His perfect assessment of each person’s nature and capacity. That said, no man can appoint himself to participate in God’s divine plans no matter how noble his intentions may be or how capable he is (not according to our works). But he is to wait patiently while submitting himself under Christ’s directives. It is important that all recognise the Lordship of Christ the King who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.

for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher…

Paul makes known his divine appointment as preacher, apostle and teacher of the gospel. It is by reason of this appointment that Paul suffered desertion, tortures and imprisonment. For his opposers had gone to great extents to hurt or even to kill him. Paul saw his suffering due to his divine appointment as a deposit towards his eventual glorification. Therefore, Paul was not ashamed because by fulfilling his appointment as apostle, he will attain eternal glory.

Truth

The sign of a glorious ministry is not in its appearance but in its power to transform lives.

Paul urged Timothy not to be ashamed of his lowly state or of the cross of Christ but be mindful of the transforming power of God, which is true glory. The glory of a minister or ministry is not in the external appearance or in membership size but in the ability to transform sinners into saints. In the case of Jesus and Paul, both spoke the truth, but were rejected and condemned as the scum of the earth… Hardly a model anyone would want to emulate. The world today has not changed very much; churches are peddling half truths supposing by means of baptism, members are guaranteed salvation. The leaders of these churches entice people lured by the prospects of material blessings and salvation but without commitment towards God. Thus, many are blindsided by the appearance of glory, flamboyance, and reckless presumptions in defiance of all things mainstream.

While the world looks for the power to remove the consequences of their sins, and to satisfy their fleshly desires, but the power of God is nothing like that. The omnipotent power of Christ destroys the sinful passions of the flesh; the source of all darkness and suffering. And all who are cleansed by Christ’s power are freed to embark on a journey towards perfection and a blessed life. Indeed, the power of God makes wise the simple, empowers murderers to love and anoints the weak to do great exploits. When Christ returns as Judge, He resurrects the faithful transforming their perishable bodies into imperishable, which is the glory of God. It is through this power that the sufferers of the gospel are vindicated. Paul taught,

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 1 Corinthians 15:42-43

It is worth noting that Christ, even with all His power had scant following, because he repeatedly declined the people’s request to perform signs. The 5000 followed Christ because He multiplied the bread and fed them. But when Christ refused to repeat the miracle choosing to give them the heavenly bread instead, they left. The miracles of raising the dead, healing and turning water into wine can easily excite and draw crowds. However, the omnipotent power of God lies in the transformation of hearts towards righteousness. It is through this transformation that secures for man an imperishable body on the last day. All other miracles that Jesus performed are meant to lead people to experience the omnipotent power of regeneration.

Believers must not assess the glory of a person or an organisation by its visible attributes but by its invisible attributes. Indeed, true and eternal glory cannot be perceived with our eyes, but through life stories of love, transformation and sacrifice. Paul said,

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

The way to eternal glory is to stay true to our calling.

Paul is confident that his deposit of sacrificial service will bear fruit towards his glorification at Christ’s return. Indeed, Paul’s glorification is conditional on his faithfulness to his appointment as apostle. Nevertheless, Paul is widely considered a failure during his time. But never would Paul in his wildest imagination expect his letters to be compiled as part of the biblical canon. And he is now considered as one of the most important figures in the history of Christendom. The secret to Paul’s success lies in his faithfulness to the call despite imprisonment, multiple desertions and extreme persecutions.

Many in hopes of achieving glory and prominence thresh out their own paths. They built churches which God did not instruct them to. They conjured visions of their own and travelled to countries which God had not called them to. They entered into ministries and gave themselves titles which God had not ordained them to. Eternal glory cannot be attained by the will and works of man but by the will and power of God. Nevertheless, eternal glory is granted to those who through protracted struggles and insurmountable challenges accomplish the call. Paul’s beginnings were small and insignificant, but he stayed true to the call and attained eternal glory. Indeed, God does not exalt those who are intelligent and gifted, but those who will remain faithful even at the cost of their lives.

Application

Do you have a tendency to busy yourself in things that have little value to society? As a result, you lack direction while experiencing many recurrent problems. It is time to evaluate your vision and make changes to it. Shut down programmes and projects that have an appearance of glamour and liveliness but has little impact to the world. Do not be bothered by what others think of you or your organisation. Keep things lean and simple. Free up space while building towards the holy call.

Dear Lord, I will not be ashamed of my lowly state but will remain true to my present direction. Even though I am still unclear about my divine call, I will be faithful to the daily tasks entrusted to me. Cause me to impact and change lives in all that I do. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.