Morning By Morning #301

Here is a trustworthy saying.

2 Timothy 2:11

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Paul made four of these “trustworthy saying[s].” The first is 1 Timothy 1:15: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The second is 1 Timothy 4:8 – 9: “Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.” The third is 2 Timothy 2:11 – 12: “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.” And the fourth is Titus 3:8: “This is a trustworthy saying…that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.”

And a connection between these four passages can be made. The first “trustworthy saying” lays the foundation of our eternal salvation through the free grace of God as revealed to us by the mission of the great Redeemer. The second passage affirms the double blessing we obtain through this salvation—the blessings of earthly and heavenly springs, or of time and eternity. The third shows one of the duties to which the chosen are called: it is ordained by God that we are to suffer for Christ with the promise that “if we endure, we will also reign with him.” The fourth and final passage sets forth the admonition of Christian service, calling us to diligence in maintaining good works.

Thus, we have the root of salvation in free grace; next, the privileges of that salvation in our present life and in that to come; and we have the two great teachings regarding our suffering with Christ and our serving with Him, both filled with the blessings of the Spirit. May we treasure these “trustworthy saying[s]” and may they guide our life, our comfort, and our instruction. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, proved their trustworthiness, and they are still trustworthy today. Not one word of God’s will ever fall to the ground. They are worthy of our acceptance, so may we fully accept them now and prove their trustworthiness.

May these four “trustworthy saying[s]” be written on the four corners of my house.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

When we consider the number of biblical prophecies already fulfilled, we shouldn’t need a reminder that God’s Word can be trusted. Yet mankind is forgetful, although we shouldn’t be, for the Lord says to us, “Who are you that…you forget the LORD your Maker” (Isa. 51:12 – 13).

Nevertheless, in light of our forgetfulness, may the following passages remind us of the trustworthiness of God’s Word:

“O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy” (2 Sam. 7:28). “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7). “O LORD,…the statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy” (Ps. 119:137–138).

And as we look to God’s promises yet to be fulfilled, remember the words of the angel to John: “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev. 22:6).