Page 78 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

If you’re going to choose hardship or suffering, at least choose to suffer for a worthy cause. At death
we lose everything we have. But what could be more worthy than the eternal kingdom of our Lord
and Savior?

4. The strength to suffer comes from the power of God.
2 Corinthians 12:9. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Why do you think the cross is offense?
Should we soften our message in order to win people to Christ?

2 Timothy 1:9. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything
we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in
Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

We are called to live a holy life.
What does “living a holy life” look like – and how is it different from the way non-
Christians live their lives.

If someone claims to be saved but continues living in sin, he or
she had better examine themselves to see if they are truly
saved at all. It dishonors the name of God when someone
claims to be saved, especially someone in public ministry, when
he or she lives in sin. While no one can be totally free from sin
in this life, those whom God has saved will sin less as they grow
in holiness in thought, word, and deed.
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Romans 8:28-30. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose. For those God
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foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also
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called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

2 Timothy 1:13-14. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching,
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with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to
you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Each of us is investing our life in something. It may be a career. It may be building a solid marriage and
raising our children to love the Lord. But we all are given a certain number of days. We spend them
doing something. The sum total of how we spend our days amounts to the investment of our lives.

But, it’s amazing (at least in America) that while people are careful about investing their money, they
are not nearly as careful about how they invest their life.
In V14 Paul tells Timothy that he should guard the good deposit that was entrusted to him.
Everything that we are and have, has been entrusted to us, from God, for our safekeeping. Some
things entrusted to us are temporary things. But the gift of eternal life is just that – eternal! We only
have one life. Why would we want to reject faith in Jesus for anything less?
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