God Defended

20 Days

Day 19

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At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:16-18

Summary

Paul looked over his shoulder and no one came to stand by him. All had deserted him.

Can you imagine what that would have felt like? Facing the kings in the capital city of Rome and not having a friend in sight to be his character witness? Essentially thrown to the wolves and made to fend for himself?

When we hear this, our first response may be anger. How could his friends abandon him in this time of need? With this betrayal, you may be thinking that Paul might even pray for the downfall of those who left him or even seek out a way for revenge. But what does He do instead?

He forgives. He pictures Jesus nailed to a cross and asking His Father in heaven to forgive the people who put him there. Paul pictures Stephen, who, as he was being crushed by stones, forgave his own murderers. Paul refuses to die with hatred or bitterness against anyone because forgiveness has been modeled to him, just as it has for us.

Forgiveness is the Gospel at work in a human heart.

If we believe in a God big enough to guide our stories, we’ll have a well of grace to forgive even those who hurt us. We want to die with forgiving hearts like Paul, Stephen, and Jesus did.

No one stood by Paul in these moments but the Lord. Not only was God with him, but He strengthened him so that the message of the Gospel would be proclaimed and all Gentiles would hear. This was God’s calling on Paul’s life since the very moment he experienced God on the road to Damascus.

Paul most likely did not anticipate being in chains to preach the message of hope and faith as he was directed to, but he knew that though this was a dark day, this was not outside the sovereignty of King Jesus.

After all of this, Paul encourages Timothy that God will rescue him from everything and he gives all of the credit back to the Lord. He dies praising. He doesn’t see himself as a conquering hero, he seems himself as a sheep being carried by his shepherd. We want to live and die like Paul did—forigiving those who hurt us, preaching a message that saves, and praising God for saving us.

What's next?

How do you want to end your days? Are you going to go out with grudges and resentment, or are people going to remember all the ways you offered grace and forgiveness? Do you carry yourself in a way that causes you to stand out and make the Gospel plain?

In order to die the way you desire, you need to live that way now by putting into practice what you want to be known for.

Ask God to search your heart for the areas that need to heal, the people you need to forgive, and who you are going to share the Gospel with.

Scripture References

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

5I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

8So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

9He 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,

10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.

12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

15You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

17On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.

18May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

18Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

3Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

4No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

5Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.

6The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

7Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,

9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.

10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

5and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

11Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;

12if we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;

13if we are faithless,

he remains faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

14Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

17Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

18who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.

21Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

25Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Ben Stuart

Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.