Nothing Compares

One of my favorite sections of Scripture is the Pastoral Epistles. I find in these three letters, great strength, practical advice, and powerful truth to keep me through difficult times in ministry. The letters of Paul to Timothy, most specifically, are my greatest resource for pastoral encouragement and motivation. Every verse seems to ooze with comfort, hope, and wisdom and none more so than the text before us.

This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
If we endure,
we shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

Here, Paul gives a series of one-to-one comparisons that leave the reader challenged to be loyal to the cause of Christ and to faithful ministry.

If we died with Him, we shall live with Him. Paul clearly has the picture in mind of the believer who has died with Christ in baptism and as a result, been resurrected to a new and glorious life of victory.

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. Here Paul is instructing the believer that trials and persecution will come, but if we endure, a great prize awaits us.

In addition, negatively, if we deny Him, or when persecution comes our way, or we are ashamed of Him, He will as Jesus said, deny us.

Each of these has a one-to-one, direct correlation. Dying is met with life, enduring with victory, and human denial with divine denial. However, one comparison is left, and it is much different.

If we are faithless, the divine response does not correlate. Instead, He remains faithful! He cannot deny Himself, that is His own nature, and that nature, despite our weaknesses, doubts, questions, and failures, cannot and will not change. He remains faithful.

What hope it gives us! Nothing compares to Him! Our failure is no match for His grace, our weakness cowers in the presence of His power, and our faithlessness is overcome and overwhelmed by the God, whose faithfulness reaches to the heavens!