This Grace Was Given Us

All right, well we are going to go now into our time in the Word and our hope and our

prayer is that our hearts will be focused for the Lord's table as we come to remember

Christ and what He has done for us this morning.

So there are some clipboards at the back for kids.

Now's a great time to grab them if you want to do the activity sheets that are on there.

We are going to be looking at Paul's second letter to Timothy this morning.

If you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to 2 Timothy, but I'll also try to have

the words on the screen as much as possible for us.

Most of you probably know that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ.

He wasn't one of the 12 apostles, but later after the events of the Gospels, as we read

in the book of Acts, Jesus revealed Himself to this man whose name was Saul while he was

on the road to Damascus and his name was changed to Paul.

He came to faith in Jesus and Jesus appointed him to be an apostle, a spokesperson on his

behalf to the non-Jewish world.

And while Paul was on his journeys spreading the news about Jesus, he came across a young

man named Timothy.

And Timothy was from the region of Galatia, which is in modern-day Turkey.

Timothy became a disciple of Jesus and later became a partner in ministry with Paul.

And he helped Paul spread the news of Christ around the Mediterranean world.

At some point in their journeys together, Paul sends Timothy to the city of Ephesus, the ancient

city of Ephesus, and stations him there where it seems Timothy served as a pastor or a leader

in the church.

And so by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul came to write two letters to this man,

this young man, Timothy.

And both of those letters we have in our Bibles today.

And it's this second letter that we turn to today, 2 Timothy.

It's thought that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy sometime after Acts chapter 28.

Acts 28 · chapter mention

And if you know the book of Acts, Acts 28 ends with Paul in prison in Rome.

And tradition or history or both has it that Paul later came to be imprisoned a second time

in Rome and wrote this letter to Timothy sometime before his death.

This is a letter of encouragement that Paul writes to Timothy.

And this encouragement comes against the backdrop of suffering.

Paul has suffered much for the name of Christ.

And we're not going to look at all the passages that tell us what he suffered.

But it wasn't just scorn or ridicule.

At this point in the story, there is widespread persecution of the church of Jesus Christ.

And even violence, even putting the followers of Jesus to death.

It's a very difficult time.

And so Paul writes to encourage Timothy.

There's a sense perhaps here in this letter that Timothy is tempted to give in to fear

and to be silent.

To stop preaching the good news of Jesus.

And so Paul writes to encourage him to rekindle the gift of God that he has received.

To keep preaching, keep teaching, spreading the message of Jesus.

Paul writes to encourage him, do not be ashamed of this message of Jesus, this testimony about Jesus.

He writes to encourage him to willingly share in the sufferings that come with making the good news of Jesus known.

And it's here that Paul reminds Timothy of some of the goodness of that news.

He reminds Timothy that we have a gospel, a good news that's worth suffering for.

And so this is what we want to look at this morning as we prepare our hearts for the Lord's table.

Let me read you Paul's words to Timothy from 2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 6 to 12.

2 Timothy 1:6–12

Paul says to him,

He has saved us, he has saved us, 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.

But 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.

And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, says Paul.

That is why I am suffering as I am.

Yet this is no cause for shame.

Because I know whom I have believed.

And I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

These are sweet words.

Paul is essentially saying,

Timothy, don't forget.

We have a gospel, a good news that's worth suffering for.

Let's consider some of what he says here, especially in verses 9 and 10.

Paul reminds him in verse 9,

He has saved us.

We use that word saved a lot to refer to whether someone has come to believe in Jesus.

We'll ask the question,

Is that person saved?

Or we'll say,

That person was saved a few years ago.

And it might sound strange to outsiders,

But we use this word for a reason.

This is God's word.

For what he has done for us who believe in his son Jesus.

He has saved us.

Which of course begs the question,

Saved us from what?

The Bible's answer to this,

God's answer to this is that we are all sinners who stand guilty before God.

We are all deserving of punishment because of that.

And the Bible tells us what the punishment or the penalty for our sins is.

Death.

And beyond that,

Hell.

And so there is need for us to be saved.

To be rescued from that.

And the good news,

The gospel of Jesus,

Is that God has done that for us.

He has made a way for us to be saved.

He has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins.

And our guilt taken away and atoned for.

And our final sentence changed from death and hell.

To life forever with God.

Heaven.

And this is a big deal.

Timothy, remember.

God has saved us.

Remember this good news.

We were in dire need.

He provided a way for us to be rescued from ultimate disaster.

Father.

And there's more.

Not only has he saved us,

Paul says,

He has saved us and called us to a holy life.

Quite literally here,

He has called us to a holy calling.

Now there's some differences among the translations here.

I put a couple of them up there on the screen for you.

Some say with a holy calling.

Some say to a holy calling.

Truth be told,

in the original language,

it could be either.

But the native speakers of the language 2,000 years ago,

they probably would have known exactly which it was,

just by the context.

We're kind of left to guess a little bit here today.

Is it that the calling itself is special,

distinct,

holy?

Or is it the life that the calling brings us into

that's special,

distinct,

and holy?

And I can't tell you the answer from this passage alone,

but we do know from other places in the New Testament

that both are true.

Both are truths that are taught

in the Scriptures by God.

Let's look at the first one.

First,

we are called with a holy calling,

with a special calling.

And I'll give two reasons.

First,

the calling is holy

because God is holy.

It's a special invitation,

call from God

because of who it comes from.

And second,

the calling

is special.

It is holy

because it is powerful

and effectual.

We'll look for a moment here

at Romans 8,

Romans 8:28–30

verse 28 to 30.

This is also Paul writing to the church at Rome.

He says,

And we know that in all things,

God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.

For those God 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 called.

Those he called,

he also justified.

Those he justified,

he also glorified.

There is an unbreakable chain of logic here.

All who are foreknown

are also predestined.

All who are predestined

are then called.

All who are called by God

respond with faith

and are justified.

They're made right with God.

And all who are justified

go on to be glorified

someday when Christ returns.

So it is a very special,

holy calling.

First, because it's from a special and holy God.

And second,

because it seems to be

a powerful and effectual calling

such that those who receive this calling,

they do respond.

They are saved.

In that sense,

it is special.

It is set apart

from the general invitation

that God gives to all.

So that covers

the first possibility

that God has called us

with a holy calling

and two reasons there.

But as I said,

the second possibility

is true as well.

God also tells us

in quite a few places

that we have been called

to a holy life.

To a different life

than we had before.

We've been hearing

a little bit about this

in the Gospel of John

as Jesus speaks

to his disciples.

In John 15,

John 15:19

verse 19,

he said to his disciples,

I have chosen you

out of the world

to be different than them,

to be set apart from them,

to be holy.

In other passages,

we see to live a holy life.

And Paul will go on

to urge Timothy

in this very letter

to live that distinct life,

that holy life,

filled with righteousness

and love and faith

and peace.

A life that matches

the Jesus

that we have believed in.

That in 2 Timothy 2,

2 Timothy 2:19–22

verse 19 to 22.

So God has saved us.

He has called us

both with a holy calling

and to a holy calling.

And, says Paul,

he has done this

not because of anything

we have done,

but because of his own

purpose

and grace.

This being saved,

this being called by God,

it's not something God

did to us

because we had been

such good people

or because we had done

enough good works.

No, says Paul.

He saved us

and called us

because of his own

purpose

and grace.

Do you hear this?

God has his own

purpose

for saving

and calling sinners

like you and me

to himself.

He has his own purpose,

his own reason.

It's not because

he's obligated

to save us

because of

how we've

somehow

met a certain requirement,

done enough

good works.

No, the purpose,

the reason God

saves and calls us

is not found

in us.

It's found

in him.

Paul says

he does it

according

to his own

grace.

God is a good,

gracious,

generous God.

he is truly

benevolent

and it's out

of his own

goodness,

his generosity,

his giving nature

that he has

purposed

to save us

and to call us

to himself.

Perhaps another way

to say it

is this,

that God

has decided

to save us

and call us

reflects much

more on

him

and who

he is

than on

us

and who

we are

and have

been.

That's

humbling,

isn't it?

In fact,

this is why

the good news

of Jesus

is so wonderful

because truthfully

we are

unworthy

of God

because of

our sins,

because of

our corruption,

our rebellion

against him.

We don't deserve

to be in a

favorable relationship

with him.

But he is

the kind of

good and

gracious

God,

compassionate,

merciful God

that he offers

this saving,

this salvation

as a gift,

a free gift.

And that is

wonderful news

because according

to God's word,

I mean,

we could never

do enough

good to earn

it,

to get that

right standing

with God.

That's why

we need

to be

saved.

We need

to be

rescued.

So God

has saved

us.

He has

called us

both with a

holy calling

and to a

holy calling.

And,

says Paul,

he has

done this

not because

of works

we have

done,

but because

of his

own purpose

and grace.

And he

goes on,

this grace

was given

us in

Christ

Jesus

before the

beginning

of time.

I'll be

honest,

I actually

don't like

that translation.

Quite

literally,

the text

reads,

grace that

was given

us in

Christ Jesus

before times

of eternity.

But that

doesn't come

through so

well into

our English

language.

So I

understand

what the

translation that

was just on

screen is

trying to

get at.

Let me be

philosophical for

a moment

here.

This is not

the scriptures

talking,

this is me

talking.

In my

understanding,

time does

not have a

beginning in

the first

place.

Time is no

thing in

itself.

What is

time?

Isn't it

just how we

measure the

sequence and

succession and

duration of

happenings of

things that

occur?

Think about

this, if the

earth didn't

rotate, if it

didn't orbit

the sun, there

would still be

sequence and

succession of

events upon

the earth.

Never mind

that life would

probably cease to

exist because we

need the sun and

all that regular

stuff.

We just find

different ways to

measure it.

But I'm getting

all philosophical

now.

This is why I

prefer other

translations.

The King James

got it right

400 years ago,

I think, when it

says, before the

world began.

That's what he

means, isn't it?

Before the world

began.

Or another good

translation, the

New American

Standard Bible,

this grace which

was granted to

us in Christ

Jesus from all

eternity, from

that time before

our world was

created, before

time as we know

it began and

that chain of

events in our

world started to

unfold.

Are you getting a

sense of what

Paul is saying

here?

This is a

profound thing

and it's something

that God wants

you to know and

to understand.

God's grace, his

gift of salvation

for sinners like

you and me was

given, meaning it

was decided, it

was planned, it

was purposed long

ago.

Before the world

even came into

being from all

eternity in that

vast infinite

sequence of

happenings before

God had created

the heavens and

the earth, he

knew what would

happen on it.

He knew what

path we would

choose.

He knew that we

would become

corrupt and fall

away and become

guilty and already

he had decided back

then that he would

do something to

save and rescue

us.

Which means that if

you're a Christian

today, if you are a

born again believer in

Jesus, a child of

God, listen to this,

you have been loved

from all

eternity

by this God

who created you.

You were loved so

deeply

before the universe

as we know it

even came to be.

There was a purpose

and a plan in place

to save you.

A decision

that was made

to call you to be

a special child of

God.

And again, it's not

because of how good

we have been or any

things we have done

or how awesome or how

wonderful we would

someday be.

No, it's because of

how good and

gracious God has

always been.

I love the words of

the psalmists and

David.

Give thanks to the

Lord for he is

good.

His what?

His mercy, his

loving kindness, his

love endures forever.

It's an everlasting

love.

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 world

began but 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.

There's a distinct

moment in the story

of our world when

God's eternal love

and grace touches

down to earth and

the plan to save us

comes into motion and

Paul tells us this has

now happened with the

appearing of Jesus

our Savior.

Jesus himself is the

grace of God that

has now been revealed

to humanity.

This is the good news.

This is the gospel.

God's salvation has

arrived.

This gift that's free

has come and it comes

through the Messiah,

the Christ,

Jesus.

Jesus.

He's the Savior.

He's the one who

will accomplish our

rescue.

And this is why we

treasure Jesus so

much.

It's not just the

story of some wise

rabbi who lived

2,000 years ago and

did some things.

It's the story of

God's eternal grace

and goodness breaking

into our world through

the coming of a very

special son.

man, the son of

man, the son of

God.

And here is what the

Savior has done,

says Paul.

Look at this.

Verse 10.

He has destroyed

death and has

brought life and

immortality to

light.

Quite literally, he

has abolished

death.

He has rendered it

powerless.

death.

That great

inevitable fate of

every single person

who has ever walked

the earth.

Death.

That unbeatable

demise that overtakes

all of us.

Jesus has destroyed

it.

He has abolished

it.

He's broken its

power.

And, says Paul,

he has brought two

things to light.

Now, this is

metaphorical language

here, but it is

beautiful.

The sense of it is

that there were two

things that were

lost to us in the

darkness, meaning

that we could no

longer find them.

They were out of

reach, out of

sight.

And both of these

things really are

closely related.

One of them is

life.

We have a measure

of life, but

eventually we all

die.

Human life in its

fullness was not

meant to be like

that.

That's not how we

were made in the

beginning.

It was meant to

go on.

We were not

created originally

with defects

whereby our

bodies age and

our parts begin to

wear out and

fail and then

die.

That came after

we rebelled as

the consequence

for sin.

And so life,

like we used to

have it, was

lost to us.

It was lost in

the darkness.

beyond our

ability to find

it.

And the second

thing that Jesus

has brought to

light is

immortality.

There was once

a time when

we were

immortal.

That doesn't

mean eternal.

Eternal means

that always has

been, always

will be.

Immortal just

means you will

never die.

We still had a

beginning.

We are not

God, but

immortal.

We used to be

immortal.

There was a

time when we

would not die.

But as I said

before, when we

sinned against

God, our

immortality was

lost.

Death came.

It was the

punishment we

deserved.

And no matter

how hard we

tried, we

could not find

immortality again.

It was lost

to us.

And so what

has Jesus

done?

Paul says he

has shone the

light on life

and on

immortality.

He has helped

us to see how

we can have

those things

again.

He has helped

us to find what

was lost to us.

Or in the words

of Jesus, so

often used,

he has shown

us how to

get eternal

life.

There is, by

the grace of

God and by

the kindness

of God, a

way to live

forever.

And Jesus

has made the

way by

abolishing death

and he shows

the way through

his words.

We're going to

look at some

of them.

All of them

from the

gospel of

John.

John chapter

John 4:13–14

4 verses

13 to 14

says this.

This is Jesus

talking.

He says,

everyone who

drinks this

water, meaning

the water in

the well, will

be thirsty

again.

But whoever

drinks the

water I give

them will

never thirst.

Indeed, the

water I give

them will

become in

them a

spring of

water welling

up to

eternal life.

Or John

John 5:24

chapter 5

verses 24

and 25.

Jesus said

this,

very truly I

tell you,

whoever hears

my words and

believes him

who sent me,

has eternal

life and

will not be

judged but

has crossed

over from

death to

life.

Very truly I

tell you, a

time is coming

and has now

come when the

dead will hear

the voice of

the Son of

God and

those who

hear will

live.

On another

occasion, John

John 6:33

chapter 6

verses 33,

Jesus said

this,

for the bread

of God is

the bread that

comes down from

heaven and

gives life

to the world.

Verse 35,

then Jesus

declared,

I am the

bread of

life.

Whoever

comes to

me will

never go

hungry and

whoever believes

in me will

never be

thirsty.

And down a

little further

in verse 40,

for my

Father's will,

said Jesus,

is that everyone

who looks to

the Son and

believes in

him shall

have eternal

life and I

will raise

them up at

the last

day.

And down a

little further,

the same

passage,

verse 47,

very truly,

said Jesus,

I tell you,

the one who

believes has

eternal life.

I am the

bread of

life,

said Jesus.

Your ancestors

ate the

manna in the

wilderness,

yet they died.

But here is

the bread that

comes down from

heaven which

anyone may

eat and not

die.

He said,

I am the

living bread

that has come

down from

heaven.

Whoever eats

this bread

will live

forever.

This bread

is my flesh

which I will

give for the

life of the

world.

What was Jesus

doing as he

said all those

things?

He was, in the

words of Paul,

bringing light

to life and

immortality,

showing the

way for us to

receive that.

And it comes

through faith in

Jesus.

There is a way

to cheat death,

to beat death.

And Jesus is

saying that he

is that way.

Should we

believe Jesus?

What happened

three days after

he died?

He rose up

from the grave.

He came back

to life.

God's grace.

And this is

Jesus' own words,

John 5, 21.

For just as the

Father raises the

dead and gives

them life, even

so the Son

gives life

to whom he

is pleased

to give it.

This is the

gospel.

This is the

good news of

Jesus.

We can be

saved.

We have been

called with a

special calling

to a special

life.

God's grace.

It's a gift of

God's grace.

Not because of

anything that we

have done, but

according to his

own purpose and

his own goodness.

He planned and

decided to send

Jesus into the

world before he

had even made

it.

And now that

gift of grace

has come and

Jesus has broken

the power of

death and shown

us the way to

eternal life.

life.

And so if you

haven't already

done this, I

want to urge you

today to repent,

to turn to

God, and I

want to encourage

you to believe

this good news.

At the very

center of this

good news, this

plan of salvation

was something that

needed to be done

for us to be

saved.

Our sins

needed to be

atoned for.

A transaction

needed to be

made.

It was Jesus'

perfect, sinless

life for ours.

As we just read

back in John 6,

50 to 51,

I am the living

bread, said Jesus,

that came down

from heaven.

Whoever eats this

bread will live

forever.

This bread is my

flesh, which I

will give for the

life of the world.

His life had to be

offered.

His flesh, his

body given as a

sacrifice for

ours.

It was a great

exchange.

This is what

happened when

Jesus suffered

and died on

the cross.

The grace of God

came to its

fullest expression.

The power of

death over us

was broken

because Jesus

took on himself

the punishment

that we

deserve.

Freeing us

from that

consequence and

opening the

way for us

to enjoy

life and

immortality

with God

forever.

That's what we

remember and

celebrate when we

come to this

table.

The bread

that we partake

of represents

Jesus' body

which was given

for us to have

life.

life and

the cup

represents the

blood of

Jesus which

was poured

out to

atone for

our sins.

And so I

want to

encourage us

now to take

a few

minutes to

just pray

silently.

Talk to

God in the

quiet of your

heart.

Talk to

him about

your own

sins.

God in the

faith.

Ask for

God to

forgive you.

If you

haven't put

your faith

in Jesus,

do it.

If you

have or

if you do

this morning,

then I

want to

invite you

to partake

of this

table,

of the

bread and

the cup

when it's

served as

we remember

our Savior.

So let's

do that now.

Let's just

pray quietly

and reflect.

And after

a few

minutes of

that,

I'll have

Rod and

Dave come

and serve

us the

bread and

the cup.

If you

don't want

to participate,

feel free to

just put your

hand up and

signal that

you don't

wish to.

And when

we do pass

it out,

we'll wait

until everyone

has been

served.

And then

we'll eat

and drink

all together

at the

end.

and

even

shall

be

punished

for

то

,

here

to

pure

and

second

we'll

keep

hard

on

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.