Title: Faith: Knowledge, Persuasion, and Commitment
Text: 2 Tim 1: 12
Date: May 17, 2012
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Our Savior Jesus Christ abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Christ sent Paul to declare that good news.
2 Timothy 1: 12: For the which cause I also suffer these things:
The depravity of the natural heart is awful. God the Son conquered death for his people. He arose from the dead to the right hand of the Father bringing life and immortality. He sent his preacher to declare the truth that Christ has accomplished this for a particular people scattered throughout the world. Yet men hated Paul for telling them the good news.
The Gentiles hated him because the gospel exposes the wisdom of man—philosophy, idol gods—as gullible, deceptive, buffoonery. The Wisdom of God revealed in the gospel shows the wisdom of men to be ignorance. The Jews were infuriated with Paul because the gospel declared Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to believers and that his people are sanctified in Christ through the new birth--making their righteousnesses and their washings to make themselves holier absolutely worthless.
2 Timothy 1: 13:…nevertheless I am not ashamed:
Paul was not ashamed of suffering for the sake of Christ and his gospel. Nor did it make Paul ashamed OF the gospel—he said that in verse 8: Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Nor did Paul expect to be ashamed in the future for trusting Christ—he had the Spirit of Christ who said,
Isaiah 50: 7: For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
How does a sinner have that kind of assurance? It is called the full assurance of faith.
Title: Faith: Knowledge, Persuasion, and Committal.
Proposition: Knowledge of Christ, persuasion that Christ is able and committal of all to Christ are three aspects of faith by which the believer has assurance that Christ will keep us forever.
Divisions: 1) Knowledge of Christ---V12:…I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed; 2) Persuasion, confidence that Christ is able to keep us)—v12:…and am persuaded that he is able; 3) Committal to Christ—v12:…he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
I. FAITH CONSISTS OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST—v12:--I KNOW WHOM I have believed…
It is impossible to believe on Christ if you have not been taught the truth about Christ.
Romans 10: 13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
God the Father teaches us truth of Christ
John 6: 45: It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Psalm 33: 4: For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
God the Spirit of truth teaches us the truth of Christ
John 16: 13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
God the Son, Christ Jesus, who is the truth teaches us. He said, “I am the Truth—no man cometh to the Father but by me.” Paul said in Ephesians 4: 20 you have “learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him, and been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus."
The triune God who cannot lie receives the glory for sending the truth. Plain and simple: IF THE WORD PREACHED IS NOT TRUE ABOUT WHO CHRIST IS, WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED and WHY, WHERE HE IS NOW, WHAT HE IS DOING NOW, WHAT HE SHALL DO—IF IT IS NOT TRUE ABOUT CHRIST IT SIMPLY IS NOT THE TRUTH.
The gospel of truth is necessary.
Without truth there is no regeneration; for it is by "the word of truth" that we are born again (James 1:18); “And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:25).
Without truth there is no faith. All the graces of the Spirit come forth into living exercise through the truth. The very thing which distinguishes faith from delusion is true faith believes God’s truth, and delusion credits Satan's lies.
2 Thessalonians 2: 10:…they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Without truth there is no justification; God-given faith believes the truth that God justified his people through the the blood of Christ, not by anything we have done.
Without the truth there is no sanctification; "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
Without truth no growth in grace. It is impossible to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” without a true knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Speaking "the truth in love we grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
Without the truth there is no salvation; for "God hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
Without truth there is no entrance into heaven…Rev 21:27: And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life….22:15: For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.)
It is impossible to believe someone you do not know and impossible to know someone unless you have been told the truth about them.
Psalm 145: 18: The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
So what is it to know Christ in truth? Knowing Christ in truth is knowing who he is: Jesus Christ is God the Son, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And he is Man, God come in human flesh.
John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….10: He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Jesus Christ is God Omnipotent, God Immutable, God who cannot lie—Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.
Matthew 1: 21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us
Knowing Christ is knowing what he accomplished in the earth and why?
God the Father first trusted Christ to declare the name of God, the fullness of God: God’s holiness, his mercy and grace, longsuffering, goodness and truth, God who is just.
The Father trusted Christ to save a people chosen in him: the elect, the sheep, those chosen and precious, those beloved, God’s holy nation, his peculiar people
The Father trusted Christ to magnify and make his law honorable by fulfilling it in perfect obedience to the glory of God for those he represented
The Father trusted Christ to lay down his life, to be made sin for those given him to declare God just and the justifier to make his children the righteousness of God in him.
EVERYTHING GOD THE FATHER TRUSTED HIM TO DO CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED TO THE FULL SATISFACTION OF HOLY GOD. He fulfilled and satisfied the law, put away the sin of his people by the sacrifice of himself, made full atonement, propitiated God, and perfected forever those who are sanctified.
Knowing Christ knowing where he is now, what he is doing and shall do. He is risen from the dead to the right hand of the Father. We have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins.
Christ Jesus is Ephesians 1: 21: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
As Head of the church his body, he is sending forth pastors after his own heart who declare the truth about him—and through his gospel Christ is filling all things.)”
By the truth of his gospel, through the Holy Spirit, he is calling out his sheep, washing them by his word and keeping them safe and secure by his all-powerful hand of love and grace.
Hebrews 4: 14: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
He is coming again and he shall present his church to himself spotless and without blemish and not one shall be lost. --“he shall not fail till he hath set judgment in the earth”
But there is more to faith than having the correct facts. When the Spirit of God gives faith, when we are known of God, then this knowledge is knowing intimately the love of Christ for us—“which passeth knowledge.” Then we begin to be “filled with all the fulness of God.” (Eph 3:19). His love for us passes any knowledge we have of him—we know in part—but his love for us in the little measure we know it, makes the believer rest in his fullness. We believe he will not forsake us but will provide and bring us to glory with him.
II. FAITH IS BEING PERSUADED THAT CHRIST IS ABLE—v12: I know whom I have believed and AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE.
Of Abraham it is written
Romans 4: 20: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21: And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
God promised in Isaac his seed would be called, yet by faith he offered him up as God commanded, Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
When the Lord said to the disciples “Will you also go away?” Peter’s response was “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God” (John 6:67-69). Through faith we know Christ, believe he has redeemed us, is risen “and continueth forever,” that he has “an unchangeable priesthood.” Wherefore, we are persuaded that, “he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”-for us.
Romans 8: 38: For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. (Acts 26: 28). But this persuasion is more than “deciding to be a Christian” it is knowing Christ so that you cannot resist him!
III. WHEN BY FAITH WE KNOW CHRIST AND ARE PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US, FAITH COMMITTS ALL TO CHRIST—V12:..to keep that which I HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM against that day.
It is impossible to resist putting your trust in him when the Spirit of God makes us to know him.
Psalm 9: 10: And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
This commitment involves two things: 1) Repentance—renouncing all dependence upon our own efforts to save us; 2) Full surrender to Christ to serve as the Lord’s freeman, forever. It is not an act but a total surrender to Christ for the rest of our lives.
· Turned from thinking we are righteous to trusting that Christ is our righteousness
· Turned from looking back to something we did in religion once—to trusting Christ only
· Turned from having one foot in the world and one foot in the church to being rooted and grounded in Christ
Illustration: The Tornado Shelter.
Illustration: The Safe.
Committing all to Christ is to be so persuaded he is able that you lock away the most valuable thing you have—our eternal soul with all eternal interests—the greatest deposit ever made—all put into the hands of Christ for safe-keeping. No safer Safe. No thieves can break through and steal; no moth can corrupt.
· The keeping of my faith is in the hands of Christ.
· The keeping of my soul from apostasy is in the hands of Christ.
· The keeping of my soul from worldliness and all temptation is in the hands of Christ.
· The keeping of my soul to save me from all deaths is in the hands of Christ.
· The keeping of my soul to be all my righteousness in the great day of judgment is in the hands of Christ.
· “If he slay me, yet will I trust him.”
But where there has been no genuine committal of all things to Christ, there is no true saving faith.
Paul once said, “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more.” But after Christ granted him repentance, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Despisers who he thought were his dearest friends betrayed him because of the gospel. But faith is more precious than gold—more pure than gold—the hotter the fire the more simply and purely faith commits all to Christ. The fire of opposition only makes us commit all to Christ more.
Believe Christ and commit to Christ for the rest of your days and for the first time, and for the rest of your days, you will know the assurance and peace of being kept by Christ forever.
2 Timothy 1: 12: For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Amen!