2 Timothy

[0:00] thee Saint James Thank you.

[1:07] Thank you.

[1:37] And a part of verse 12. I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and have persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

[2:09] Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.

[2:21] To those who are persecuted, for Christ's sake.

[2:56] To those who are imprisoned. To those who are isolated. And to those who indeed are despised and looked down upon.

[3:12] Yes.

[3:43] To those who are God had not turned or deviated at all from the truth.

[4:51] And would encourage Timothy not to be downcast, but to be uplifted by these things that had fallen out unto him.

[5:08] And if there's ever a keynote that runs through this epistle, it is that of being ashamed.

[5:21] How he exhort Timothy in the eighth verse. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me, his prisoner.

[5:37] Now, our friends. How many will say they are not ashamed of the Lord. Lord. But let them see one of the Lord's people downtrodden and imprisoned.

[5:51] And they look so well to themselves. And would rather turn away than have the label of affliction placed upon them.

[6:09] And so the apostle here, in writing to Timothy, he assures him of his own position in the truth.

[6:23] And as he speaks of his own imprisonment, he says, nevertheless, I am not ashamed.

[6:35] This man is in prison. But he is not in prison for a crime. But what is he in prison for?

[6:47] There are three things that I desire to bring before you with regards to Paul this evening.

[7:01] One is this, that Paul, he was in prison for what he verily knew.

[7:14] He was in prison for what he believed. And therefore, first, he desire to speak of what he believed, what he knew, and what he trusted in the, and had committed unto the Lord.

[7:36] He says here, for I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.

[7:48] What a vital thing to know that we have someone that we can truly believe in.

[8:01] And this, indeed, brought the dear man of God into prison. For it was those very friends that he believed in that I brought him there.

[8:17] And, can you say, can you say you are ashamed of those things that you believe in? The apostle Paul, the apostle Paul, very, and made before Timothy here.

[8:34] He said, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed. He said, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.

[9:11] He said, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed. And, perhaps, it has become fashionable to say we do not believe, or that we fear that we do not believe.

[9:26] Then, I am not going to bring this matter forth as such. But, the word of God clearly tells us that the living child of God, he does believe in God.

[9:46] And, if we are ashamed of him, in this world, it makes manifest that within us there is not that living faith.

[10:02] The Lord Jesus Christ, in speaking, he says, whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy angels.

[10:39] What a solemn thing, then, it is to be an unbeliever and to be ashamed of Jesus.

[10:52] But, everyone that is born into this world, they are not born believers, but rather unbelievers.

[11:08] They are born in sin and shaped by iniquity. And, putting it clearly, they are spiritually dead.

[11:22] And, therefore, for anyone who becomes a believer, he must then be born again.

[11:33] There must be that work and that power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Apostle Paul, he could say, I know whom I have believed.

[11:50] Because, he knew indeed, at one time, he did not believe. And, very much the reverse.

[12:00] He was very much opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ. And, therefore, he, in his infinite mercy, put forth his hand and said, thus far and no furthermore, he cut him down on that road to Damascus.

[12:25] Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Then, the Apostle Paul could say, I know whom I have believed.

[12:39] The Apostle Paul, on that Damascus road, he was ashamed there of himself and not of Christ.

[12:51] What a mercy it is. If the Lord had come into your life. If you could say, no more than this.

[13:04] I am now ashamed of myself. I am not ashamed of Christ. My great concern is now, is Jesus Christ ashamed of me.

[13:24] I am poor and needy. He is rich. He is holy. He is perfect.

[13:36] He is pure. Absolutely pure. Therefore, there is no reason, whatsoever, why I should be ashamed of him.

[13:51] Friends, what a mercy it is. If the Lord had taught us, oh, our own reticely sinful nature, and thus to give us eyes and hearts and ears, oh, for Jesus Christ, the sinner's friend.

[14:12] He said, I am not ashamed. I know whom I have believed. Friends, he is not ashamed because he knows.

[14:24] And thus, the Lord, in his mercy, brought him to know. You see, we might know a certain amount of a certain place or person by reading of them.

[14:42] And yet, if you were brought into company with them, you would have to say afterwards, well, they're not anything like the person that I thought they were brought.

[14:55] There's quite entirely different personality. And so, friends, it is in the gospel that Jesus Christ becomes the sinner's friend and he is no more his enemy.

[15:14] Where Jesus Christ comes and brings the poor sinner and to put his soul trusting him. The apostle Paul, he said, I know whom I have believed.

[15:30] And you know, the apostle, he ever preached unto the Gentiles so consistently those things he had handled and tasted and filled.

[15:42] That faith that he had in the Lord Jesus Christ was ever seen. And when we find him writing to the Corinthians, he speaks so simply and so sure when he says, I am determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

[16:09] You are convinced. You may indeed look for something else. You might look indeed for the man who is able to speak with great flowing words.

[16:25] You may look for someone to indeed captivate your ears and imagination and thus tell a story that will carry you away in the Judaism that I have nothing of such a gospel to preach unto you and they're telling to know nothing else among you that save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

[16:53] Friends, this is what Paul had done. Through the Lord quickening him into divine life, he had put his trust in him.

[17:05] he said, I am not ashamed. Friends, I ask you tonight, are you ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ?

[17:17] You indeed, whom he hath come in his almighty power and thus turned your whole life around.

[17:29] He who has come and learnt the gospel as it was preached by Paul and the accusation against him. This is the man that had turned the world upside down.

[17:44] Everything is contrary in the way of man's life and the thoughts of man to what they were before this man came with the gospel.

[17:56] and isn't it so when Jesus Christ enters into a poor sinner's life? He said, I know whom I have believed.

[18:08] This is what he had done and therefore he was not ashamed of it. And why should we ever be ashamed of those things that Jesus had done in us and for us too.

[18:26] Again, when he's writing to the church at Philippi, why he speaks of his past and of his life what he had for him.

[18:41] He speaks of those things that were so much told him in Bygonde but he looks at them now.

[18:54] Yes, all his former religion has done and dropped that which is exhausted but he said, I am not ashamed of him who cannot be exhausted.

[19:13] Sinner, he'll come to that place tonight where we burden and heavy laden. He said, yes, in fact, I feel exhausted.

[19:29] I feel I've come to the end of all things. Fred, why? He said, why? Because the more I strive against his power I still stumble yet the more that is great.

[19:51] I am not ashamed you part of water. I know who am I helping. Jesus, who has said, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

[20:11] Friends, should we be ashamed and that the Lord in his infinite mercy takes the load, the guilt, the sin, the shame from us, takes it upon himself as he is nailed unto the cross, as he need all that shame or that disgrace that is due to us is torn upon him.

[20:51] I know who might have for thee friend, no small mercy if the Lord has given us that faith that we view Jesus Christ and him only as our sins burden bearing.

[21:15] He was not ashamed of this, that whereas he was guilty, sinful to the very core, and under the Lord of God, he was condemned forevermore.

[21:37] Our friends, who is there among us tonight that could say that such was our state by nature, such was our life, such was the place in which we were born, that when it would come to the judgment day, there could be no sin laid upon us.

[22:02] friends, when the word of God is said, the man that sin is shall surely die. Our friends, it is a great mercy if the Lord has led your heart, your mind to him in such a way where you can look to no other as to the blood of the demon and say Lord, it is in me and in me alone I believe.

[22:39] What do you believe? It is a believing and led the spirit to believe the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, all sin.

[22:59] The apostle Paul could never be ashamed of him who died on Calvary, who came to him when he was a total stranger and thus made known to him his wondrous love and mercy and under the sense and pardon and forgiveness that he gave him he could believe in him.

[23:26] Friends, it is a solemnly, to feel condemned, it is a wonderful thing to be justified in Jesus Christ, that is to believe in him and that all that he has given, all that he has done is able to meet your case and need before God the Father and therefore he can truly say and teach as he has known and felt there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus I know whom I have believed.

[24:17] I want to come to this second point with regard to knowing him knowing him in a very close sense of a war.

[24:29] this is what he had done he had known the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends it is very clear that the Lord knows his own shape.

[24:45] Yes he may be clear to us in his words he says all that the Father has given me shall come unto me.

[24:57] Yes he says I know my shape they hear my voice and they follow me. Now he says I am not ashamed then to follow in the voice of the shepherd of the sheep.

[25:14] I know whom I have believed. Have you ever heard the dear Lord's voice ever in this life?

[25:28] One might ask the question how do I know it is the Lord's voice? I believe this.

[25:40] We might have only heard it once. I asked the question if you heard it again would you recognize it?

[25:55] Was that little voice like the voice of Sidon to the children of Israel? When they heard it they entreated Moses that they should not hear it anymore.

[26:13] You say no there's one thing I want I want to hear his voice again. And you know I have heard some souls scorned by others because they have prayed or made known that they want to hear the Lord's voice again.

[26:37] And they said well if they were true believers they wouldn't indeed cast such mistrust upon what they had already deceived.

[26:49] that is not so. There's not a mistrust on what they had deceived. But they say I know whom I have believed.

[27:01] I have heard his voice. And indeed it left the power of love behind it. It left the influence of love behind it.

[27:12] And what is that? Why that influence of love that was manifested in the spouse because she could not be content with anything that Solomon had to offer her in his courts.

[27:31] No. She sought one only and that was him who had loved her. Ah yes. And when she was asked by her contemporaries what is thy beloved more than any other beloved.

[27:54] Why she gives that description and to them it wouldn't have been anything at all to interest them. In fact if you read it through you say why it is quite a model to the human mind.

[28:14] but then after she had given her final word with regards to the matter she said this this is my beloved and this is my friend she knew who she had believed and whatever others saw in her or made of her description of him this one thing she was convinced of that this is her beloved and this is her friend your gospel Paul could say I know whom I have believed and therefore I say this to your encouragement if of Jesus a shed of all is love in your heart then indeed that love will ever be known that love indeed will ever abide it will ever provide how often a

[29:19] Lord comes but no truly into one's life that they might believe when I say that the Lord has loved his people with an everlasting love but what I need is as the Lord manifests his love to them it is in his sovereign power and power alone we cannot come and take Christ in our arms just at will like that he is a sovereign and as we spade this afternoon with regards to Mary you find that she didn't recognise our Lord and did the other disciples after he was risen unless he revealed himself to them and friend if the

[30:22] Lord has revealed himself to you if only but for a short space of time do you not have this sweet faith of it this sweet assurance that I'm not ashamed of it I know whom I have believed it was Jesus that spoke and Jesus that worked it was Jesus that spread out his hand I know whom I have believed wondrous love that made known to poor and needy sinners by the Lord we come again to this point how is it that the Lord reveals his love to his people he comes through his word he comes in need without power and authority to the heart it may be in the preaching it may be in the singing of his hymns it may be in the reading of his word but then he comes and what is the effect of his comment why has he spoken to the children of

[31:44] Israel of old that when he turned their captivity he would take away the stony heart and give that heart of flesh what a mercy it is to know whom you have believed to feel the hardness of your heart removed and let him melt under the effects of his love that he should put forth his hand and speak to you touch you and say to you thus far and no father how many of your soul through their own folly and sin have behind themselves in the why of the prodigal you have gone in the why of sin at your own choice but the why of salvation is the why of his grace this is the great people how the apostle knew he would never have chosen

[32:54] Christ if Christ had never chosen him and isn't it true you had never made Christ your choice his ways your choice had he not chosen you I know whom I have believed because it is through his infinite wisdom and purposes of his grace that he sought me out and thus brought me unto himself according to his wisdom and understanding I know whom I have believed how better or how better equipped Peter was when he came out of the fiery furnace where he brought that place to wieve bitterly at the questioning of the

[33:59] Lord if he had asked Peter before do you know who you believe I wonder what is the answer one thing was manifest in Peter he had great belief in himself but friend when the Lord said to Peter love is only he said Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love me what a change in that here man when the Lord had worked in him did his father go down down the steps that Peter pursued how he was lifted up in himself until he was so degraded that he denied his Lord with thousand curses he said surely if one if one had stood so low as that he could never be recovered then that's not so he knew he had believed in this way the

[35:23] Lord had spoken to him in such ways as Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have thee to sit thee as weak but I have prayed for thee that thy faith failed me I know I have believed friends and knowledge that our faith is through Jesus Christ through his power and his power alone our faith is not that which is mustered up by carnal enthusiasm it is not that which we can give ourselves but it's that which the Lord just graciously give and maintain I know whom I have believed the apostle

[36:24] Paul he never altered because Jesus never altered and surely every true child of God his faith it doesn't alter in the very substance of it because thanks is in Jesus Christ and in Him alone Jesus has made it manifest but he changes not ah can you say this I know whom I have believed everything else around me has altered men have altered friends have altered they have deserted me they have scattered they have fled but friends he could say I am not ashamed no I know whom I have believed he could say this I am now ready to be offered what a wonderful thing and place that is to come can you say this

[37:32] I know that through things I shall be brought here at last I am not ashamed how about that you commit to his trust I know whom I have believed poor poor poor sinner you who feel that love of Christ in your soul you fear to pursue and yet surrounded on every side with mountains of fear and that of dread can you say you are ashamed because of the forces of circumstance can you say that I could have to turn back and have no more to do in this matter or in this exercise no what an evil thing it is for us to walk in his ways and in his command the apostle in the third chapter he says this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy and so and yet though these things should come to pass and these people should be in the minority then can you say you are ashamed the apostle thought said no

[39:42] I am not ashamed I do not move from those things that I have declared those things I have preached the apostle Paul he taught in his wine when they came to when they inquired him the way of salvation he pointed only to the Lord Jesus Christ wine is true and death this is the way of salvation nothing else could surprise and satisfy the Lord of God that he had demanded how willingly did the Son of God lay down his life for his sheep and there if the Lord has taught you that your sins have been put away as though his death are you ashamed to own him and make it clear before all men are you ashamed to bear that name as being a

[41:02] Christian are you ashamed of that doctrine and that teaching of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that unpopular doctrine that unacceptable doctrine that doctrine that says except you take up your cross daily and follow me what is that what is it to take up your cross daily and follow him why one who bears his cross was one to denote that he was worthy of death but to take up your cross and follow him is to follow him even to Galgotha even to that place of the sky there where justice was met out and where the rock of

[42:08] God fell upon the holy son of God and therefore setting forth this daily that that which was due to fall upon me though I was guilty though I was worthy has fallen upon him daily friends shall we be ashamed of him can you say you're ashamed of him that not just saved your life here alone but shamed of him who saved you exiledly are you ashamed of those who you live with daily naturally do you say I will not be seen in company with them and neither will I even do that which they desire me to you say well of course I do because I love them we have those natural ties in flesh and blood we have that mutual understanding and affection one for another friends where do you hold to spend eternity do

[43:24] I not hear you answer and say why I hope to spend it in heaven I ask the question why is it just because of sheer fear of hell is is it just a dread lest you should meet the due ward of your sin how many how many need are wrapped up in remorse just just on this ground but repentance is far removed from them what is the difference between remorse and repentance one is of the spirit of the grace of

[44:45] God in the heart and the other is the spirit of fear naturally and a knowledge of God in the mind remorse will drive you from Christ in this world and if that drives you from Christ in this world how can we ever expect to have Christ in the world to come but if repentance is in exercise in your soul here below that will drive you to Christ ah yes can you be driven to Christ by the exercise of godly repentance and be ashamed of him ah indeed not why I put it another way what would heaven be without

[45:45] Christ I know that's a foolish way of putting it you say why it wouldn't be heaven it wouldn't be heaven ah what a blessing thing that is if you look it in this way been taught it in this way why Jesus is my heaven he is my Lord Jesus indeed I am not ashamed of and if there was no if it wasn't for Jesus Christ the son of God to be no hope for me in this time state or eternally I must be forever last therefore why should we ever be ashamed of heaven therefore man why to be ashamed of his teaching why to be ashamed of his doctrine why should we be ashamed here below of his way of life his way of life

[46:51] I say are you walking in the way your master tried do you live the path of prayer do you live the path of thanks do you live the path of compassion and mercy do you live the path of forgiveness and love do you live that path of single mindedness to look to Jesus Christ and to him alone for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ I wonder how many would have been ashamed of him who came to fall in prison there yes him who had run away from his master him who indeed was ill favoured with by demons yet you see

[47:57] I I did I I did he did i that he I he and he to me here he Thank you.