With or Without

 With or Without

2 Timothy 2: ¹¹ This is a true saying:

“If we have died with him,
    we shall also live with him.
¹² If we continue to endure,
    we shall also rule with him.
If we deny him,
    he also will deny us.
¹³ If we are not faithful,
    he remains faithful,
    because he cannot be false to himself.”

 

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Hearing a motivational speech at work made me excited. The speaker ended the speech with “Are you with me?” Of course I said in my mind “Yes!” because the speech was riveting. Afterwards I worked a little longer that day and days following.

 

• I was fully bought in.
• I changed my habits because I was motivated.
• I “believed” in the company because I was part of something “big.”

 

Paul continues his letter to Timothy by providing contrasting truths. On one hand if believers in CHRIST give up their life for CHRIST, then a promise of life is given. In contrast, if people deny CHRIST, HE will deny them.

 

My Observations

• GOD’s words seem harsh but provide choice which shows how much HE loves me.
• I can choose to believe there is a loving GOD who died for me and was raised from the dead.
• Endurance in CHRIST provides me with a connection to GOD that is powerful.

 

Self-protection gets in the way of having a wonderful relationship with GOD. I mean, when I want “everything” to go “my” way, I try to make GOD be something that HE is not. I then seek for other gods to replace HIM because my heart is too hard to allow HIM to guide it. BUT GOD is the ultimate softener of hearts.

 

GOD can reach the most calloused souls and bring him or her around to really seek HIM on their own. HE does not need people to brow beat others into heaven, rather HE wants me to have a desire that all humans be saved. Those without CHRIST may not understand this and will look at the desire as strange. I am glad GOD has given me the ability to endure.

 

Challenge

• What endurance is the writer speaking of?
• Have you ever questioned your relationship with JESUS?
• Will you know in your heart that JESUS loved you enough to die for you and is alive and remains faithful to you even when you are not faithful to HIM?

Disassociation

Luke 22: ⁵⁴ Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵ And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶ A servant-girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with him.’

⁵⁷ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don’t know him,’ he said.

⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’

‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied.

⁵⁹ About an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.’

⁶⁰ Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the cock crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ ⁶² And he went outside and wept bitterly.

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Wanting to be part of the organization, I went along with the idea of shoplifting some pants. I had no money and this certain pants was a requirement. I was used as a distraction while the others loaded up on our “uniform.” Later, while walking back to our apartment, I was stopped and questioned. “Were you with them?” “No” I replied in a bold faced lie.

• There were times when I lied to save my hide.
• There were times when I disassociated myself from others in order to stay out of “trouble.”
• There were times when I went with the immediate thought, never considering what would happen next.

Bold impetuous Peter, who showed strong faith, denied any association with JESUS. He did this three times only feet away from HIM where JESUS could see and hear him. Peter was reminded of JESUS’s prediction when the rooster crowed. He had officially renounced any association with GOD.

• JESUS wants me to tell people that I am associated with HIM.
• JESUS wants me to shine my light before all humans in order to bring people to HIM.
• JESUS wants me to put HIS life ahead of mine in order to bring those around me to HIM.

Protecting my association with GOD is important to HIM. HE said “For whoever is ashamed of ME and MY words, of him the SON of Man will be ashamed when HE comes in HIS own glory, and in HIS FATHER’s, and of the holy angels.”

It takes practice to not go along with the crowd and to say “yes” to what GOD wants me to do. Usually it means not sinning this time and to help someone in need. Instead of a vacation, maybe GOD wants me to go serve for a change. The world would call me crazy, but GOD loves my attempt to relate to HIM.

• Are there areas of your life in which you have disassociated yourself from GOD?
• Do you go along with the complaining, lustful, power hungry crowd?
• Would GOD say you are telling people about HIM regularly?