The Presence and the Power of the Lord

2 Timothy 4:16-18
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, August 07, 2016
Copyright © 2016, P. G. Mathew
Language [Japanese]

In 2 Timothy 4:16–18, we find Paul alone, having faced the Roman court and now about to be beheaded. Yet children of God are never alone. The presence and power of Jesus is always with us to comfort us, guide us, and empower us to do the will of God as revealed in the holy Scriptures.

As children of our heavenly Father, we are to love one another and help one another sacrificially as Jesus loved us and paid the highest price of his precious blood to redeem us sinners. John writes, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16). He also says, “And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21).

Yet even when God’s redeemed people fail to help us and love us in our troubles, Jesus will never fail us. He is with us always, both in life and in death, by his presence and power. As Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). If Jesus saved us, we are saved forever.

God’s love for us in Jesus is everlasting, from eternity past to eternity future. So as God’s people, we need not be afraid. Even in the midst of fiery trials, such as those that Peter wrote about in his first epistle, we believe in Jesus. Thus, we can be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory in view of our receiving the salvation of our souls. And in view of this great salvation, we who are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of God’s own possession will declare God’s glory in worship and in witness to a lost world. So we burst into doxology: Glory be to the triune God forever and ever! Amen.

Paul’s First Defense

Paul begins, “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me” (v. 16). At this time, all God’s people had abandoned him. It is a mystery but it was real. In this verse, Paul was speaking of his preliminary investigation by Nero’s court in his present trial, which followed his re-arrest. Such an investigation is called prima actio. Roman law permitted an advocate and witnesses for the defense.

In Nero’s time, Christians were usually charged with the following crimes:

They were charged with crimes against the state
They were charged with crimes against Caesar. As Christians, we worship Kurios Iêsous (“Lord Jesus”). But these early Christians were not supposed to have another Lord outside of or in addition to Kurios Nero (“Lord Nero”).
They were charged with atheism for not worshiping the pagan gods of the Romans.
They were charged with cannibalism, because the people of that time misunderstood what Christians were doing in the Lord’s Supper when they said that by faith they were eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Lord, as he commanded.
They were charged with a crime against civilized society because they lived as those who were separate from that society.
They were charged with the crime of opposing certain pleasures of sin that were legal.

In this preliminary investigation of Paul’s case, not one of his friends and fellow believers from Italy, Asia, or elsewhere came to help him either as a defense witness or as an advocate. In fact, he says that everyone abandoned him, as Demas did. They left him to suffer alone. They failed to love the apostle sacrificially. Perhaps they were all afraid of also being arrested and imprisoned. Thus, they sinned against the apostle. This contradicted what Jesus had taught, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). We must love one another.

These friends of Paul were filled with fear, not with the Holy Spirit and Scripture. Thus, they were not willing to pay the cost of discipleship by death, if needs be. Scripture says, “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). These disciples were not practicing perfect love. Christian love will die for the loved ones. This is the way of Jesus.

Jesus had also been forsaken by all. In Mark’s gospel we read, “Then everyone abandoned him and fled” (Mark 14:50). This included Peter and the other disciples. But Jesus also experienced something that will never happen to us: he was forsaken by his Father: “At the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’—which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34).

Why was Jesus was forsaken by his Father? Because he had taken upon himself the sins of his elect and was suffering God’s wrath that was due us. Jesus experienced our death and our hell on the cross. And when he cried out in triumph, “It is finished,” the task of accomplishing our redemption was complete.

Christ accomplished our redemption by his atoning sacrifice. So Paul tells us, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. . . . God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:19, 21).

I hope we will understand clearly the implications of the cross. Because Jesus suffered on our behalf, true believers in Christ will never be alone. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even though we are forsaken by fellow believers, we will never be abandoned by our triune God. God has given us the Holy Spirit as our advocate, and he will dwell in us forever.

In verse 16, Paul prays for the believers who abandoned him out of fear: “May it not be held against them.” In other words, “May their sin not be counted against them when Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead.” Jesus prayed similarly for his enemies, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Stephen also prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). We are to do the same thing, in accordance to 1 Corinthians 13:5: “[Love] keeps no record of wrongs.” Jesus himself instructed us, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25).

The Presence of the Lord

All our friends may abandon us, but the Lord will be with us. The three Hebrew children, who loved God and refused to worship an idol in violation of the Lord’s commandments, were thrown in the fiery, blazing furnace made hotter seven times. To the surprise of the king, not only were they not killed, but they were also seen fellowshipping with an angel, who I believe was the pre-incarnate Son of God. The Lord was with them (Dan. 3).

The Lord was with him

In the same way, though Paul was abandoned by all during his preliminary trial before Nero, the Lord stood with him and comforted him. This was not the first time the Lord stood with Paul. We read, “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city’” (Acts 18:9–10). We also read, “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’” (Acts 23:11). Jesus himself promised all his disciples, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20b).

God’s power strengthened him

Not only did the Lord stand with Paul, but he also strengthened Paul by his power. Jesus spoke of this power to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Why do we not witness? It is because we are weak, and we do not want the Holy Spirit’s power to strengthen us, so that we might open our mouths and bear witness to Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world. But Paul says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). We need God’s power to work within us. Paul also says, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:29). He also writes, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). The Lord who is with us will also strengthen us.

The Lord Jesus will pour power into his weak saints to make them strong to do God’s will for God’s glory. Jesus spoke about this:

They will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life (Luke 21:12–19).

“Not a hair of your head will perish” means that Christ will save us totally, both body and soul. May God help us to open our mouths and bear witness to Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit!

God gladly gives power to his weak people. The risen Christ said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Of such empowered people the Hebrews writer tells us, “[They] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; [their] weakness was turned to strength” (Heb. 11:34).

Are we bearing witness to Christ? If our only interest is to make more money and have a bigger house, we will keep our mouths closed. But if we do so, we will be failing to do what God is giving us power to do, which is to bear witness to Jesus Christ. By God’s power, David defeated the nine-foot tall giant, Goliath, an enemy of superior power. David did so in the name of the God of Israel. The Lord who is with us will also strengthen us to do what he wants us to do.

God’s purpose will be fulfilled

Paul writes, “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it” (v. 17). God uses us to fulfill his purpose of preaching the gospel. As we said, not only is he with us, but he also will empower us to bear witness to Jesus.

That was the purpose for which the Lord called this murderous exterminator of the Christian faith, who became a battle-scarred veteran of the cross. The Lord himself told Ananias about Paul, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15–16). Paul himself said, “Of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher” (2 Tim. 1:11). He performed this job until his work was finished. So Paul said, “Through me the preaching of the gospel was fulfilled.”

Though he was alone, Paul boldly preached to all the Gentiles who gathered in Nero’s courtroom. I believe that he preached to these cultured pagans just as he preached to Festus and King Agrippa II and their rich and powerful pagan friends (Acts 25–26). The Holy Spirit gave him power, wisdom, the word, and boldness. He preached to them about Jesus Christ crucified, buried, risen, and reigning. He told them all to repent and believe on Jesus to be saved. So we read, “Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains’” (Acts 26:28–29).

Do we have that boldness? Or do we remain weak, just trying to make one more dollar? We think that the more money we have, the more blessed we are, but that is not true.

Paul preached the gospel in the Roman courtroom so that all the Gentiles could hear it. Those who believed would be saved; those who rejected the gospel would be condemned. Preaching the gospel is always effectual, either in saving or condemning. Paul wrote about that: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Cor. 2:14–16). Preaching of the gospel effects life eternal or death eternal.

Despite Paul’s testimony, King Agrippa did not believe nor did Emperor Nero. But they heard the gospel from the apostle in chains. (PGM) Many are called, but few are chosen to be saved. Our job is to witness; Jesus alone saves.

Let me ask you again: Do you witness to Jesus? That is our calling. Jesus himself said, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). We are not in prison now; we are free. May God help us to use our freedom to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord delivered him

Then Paul writes, “And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth” (v. 17). Paul experienced temporary deliverance from death, just as Daniel also was delivered from the lions’ den.

By his death, Jesus defeated the roaring lion of the devil for us. Now we can resist the devil and he will flee from us because Christ defeated him. No one can kill God’s people until the Sovereign Lord permits, and he permits only when our service for him is done. Dear saints of God, take comfort in this truth. So even if all forsake us, our Lord will never leave us. The words of Moses are true for us: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). Let us believe God’s truth and rejoice.

Jesus Builds His Indestructible Church

Paul continues, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18). Jesus himself is building his glorious church. Having defeated all his enemies by his death and resurrection, he has received from his Father all authority in heaven and on earth. All his enemies have been made subject to him (Eph. 1:20b–23).

Christ is building his church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The Lord of the church shall prevail in hell as Joshua prevailed in Jericho, whose gates, bars, and walls crumbled before the Lord of Joshua.

Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish” (John 10:28). The angel told Joseph, “His name is Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Jesus died and Jesus lives. And because he lives forever, we shall also live forever in him.

The Lord will rescue us from every evil attack of the devil and his agents. Thus we can say that we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved. Jesus loves us, and he will save us. Paul wrote, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Rom. 5:9–10). He also said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). To the Corinthian believers he wrote, “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (2 Cor. 1:9–10).

Jesus will deliver us from every evil attack, not just one or two or a few. Jesus also will save us through our own martyrdom, if it is his will. So Paul writes, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37–39).

Consider Paul’s words to the Philippian church: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Phil. 1:21–23). Think about it. Our entire life is changed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes, “And he will save me into Christ’s heavenly kingdom” (v. 18). At death, our spirits will be made perfect and be carried to heaven by holy angels to enjoy fellowship with God in paradise. They do not go to purgatory because there is no such place. So Jesus answered the confessing thief, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

There is a place called paradise, where God is and where his angels are, and where people are who went ahead of us, whose spirits are made perfect. The Hebrews writer spoke about it: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Heb. 12:22–24). What does Christ’s sprinkled blood speak? It speaks salvation.

When we die, we will go from this world of sin and death and all kinds of evil to heaven, a place of holiness, where there is no sin. It is the place of Christ’s kingdom, the place of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is the place of joyful worship and praise to our triune God.

Paul had great assurance of salvation. Peter, who was later crucified, exhorted us to make our calling and election sure (2 Pet. 2:10). And elsewhere, Paul said the same thing: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor. 13:5). He also said, “If we endure, we shall also reign with him” (2 Tim. 2:12a).

Before Stephen was martyred, he was given a vision of heaven, where his spirit was going. Paul was there, agreeing with Stephen’s execution. But consider what Stephen said and did: “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep [in Jesus]” (Acts 7:55–60).

So Paul says, “And the Lord will save us and bring us safely into his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18). Jesus Christ is our Savior, and he will save us.

Glory to the Lord Jesus

At the end of this passage, Paul cries out in doxology, in praise to Jesus. Generally, doxology is spoken to the Father, such as in Philippians 4:20, where Paul writes, “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” But elsewhere we read doxology being given to the Lord Jesus (Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 3:18). Here also in 2 Timothy 4:18, Paul is praising our Lord Jesus, using the words, “to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

“Glory” stands for the luminous manifestation of Jesus, who is God/man. We read about this glory elsewhere: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). Jesus is God. John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). It is him we worship, him we praise, and him we suffer for. The Hebrews writer says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory” (Heb. 1:3).

Not only do we glorify our Lord by praise, but we also glorify him by obedience. Peter says God’s people “have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:2, italics added). If you do not obey Jesus Christ, you are not saved, you are not chosen by the Father, you are not sanctified by the Spirit.

Jesus glorified his Father by total obedience. He prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). Jesus learned obedience by the things he suffered and became the author of salvation for everyone who obeys (Heb. 5:8–9). If you do not obey him, you are not a Christian.

So it is important to sing God’s praises, and it is equally important to obey Jesus Christ our Lord. Without glorifying our Lord through obedience, just singing his praises is sheer hypocrisy. And Jesus sends antinomians to eternal hell. He said, “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:23).[1]

Even facing martyrdom, Paul was giving glory to his Savior, so great was his assurance of the Lord’s great salvation!

Application

Let us then consider these points by way of application:

We must not be surprised when our fellow believers abandon us when we need their help most.
We must know for certain that, in all situations, God is working for our good to make us holy and blameless.
The Lord will never abandon us.
The Lord will be with us always in life, in death, and beyond.
The Lord is with us to comfort us.
The Lord is with us as our advocate.
The Lord is with us to strengthen the weak. As we pray and ask him to make us strong, he will do so.
The Lord is with us so that we can do the work he gave us to do and finish it for God’s glory.
The Lord will deliver us from all evil attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The Lord will finally bring us safely into his heavenly kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For this great salvation of the Lord, we must praise him, saying, “Glory be to the Lord forever and ever. Amen.”
We must make our calling and election sure. So if you are outside of Jesus Christ, the only Savior, I say to you, “Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your family.”

May God help us to apply this word to our lives, that we may be blessed, even this day.

[1] Jesus calls them ergazomenoi tên anomian, “workers of lawlessness,” antinomians.