2Timothy 1:12
Certainty
Everyone needs at least one sure thing in their life. Unfortunately, life is
very uncertain.
1. Jobs come and go.
2. Markets rise and fall.
3. Sad to say but even most families don’t seem very sure these days.
4. James tells us that even life itself has no promise of tomorrow.
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away.
Yet, the Apostle Paul has some certainty here. He is certain that everything
that has to do with Christ is sure.
In these verses, Paul is testifying of God’s faithfulness. May I say that God
is faithful. Everything He promises to do, He will do. Yet some Christians may
not feel the certainty that Paul felt because they do not have the walk with
Christ that Paul had.
This morning, I do not want to preach as much on God’s faithfulness as I want to
point out Paul’s Christian walk. In this verse, I see the three levels of
Christian walk that Paul had learned. Let me share them with you.
I. First, Paul believed. "…for I know whom I have believed…"
A. Believing has three stages:
1. There can be NO BELIEF.
a. I know some of you grow tired of hearing me say the same
things over and over.
b. Even so, without believing that Jesus is God, that He died
for the sins of mankind, and that He is the only hope of
eternal life, there can be no salvation.
c. Believing is essential because believing brings salvation.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved, and thy house.
d. Everyone has to take something by faith.
(1) Humanity doesn’t know everything.
(2) I have chosen to take by faith the existence of a
infinite Being who is good and loves us rather than to
take by faith that nothing can produce something and
that all we are and see is the result of infinite
number of impossible coincidences.
e. Think about it and tell me which of us is taking the greater
leap of faith.
2. There is HEAD BELIEF.
a. This is having a head knowledge of Jesus; that is, agreeing
with the basic facts about Jesus.
(1) Believing that Jesus is God.
(2) Believing that Jesus was sinless.
(3) Believing that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.
b. However, it is actually possible to believe in the facts about
Jesus Christ and still be lost!
3. There is SAVING BELIEF.
a. Saving belief is more than just a head acknowledgment of who
Jesus is.
b. Saving faith has an impact on your life.
(1) Saving faith is believing to the point of agreeing with
the Bible.
(2) It is believing to the point of trusting Jesus Christ as
Savior.
(3) It is believing to the point of relying on Biblical truth.
(4) It is believing to the point of a changed life.
B. Paul’s certainty in God came from a SAVING BELIEF in Him.
C. Even so, believing in Jesus to the point of salvation is just the
beginning of having a rock-sure certainty about Christ.
1. We know the story of the father whose son was possessed with a
demon.
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said
with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
a. Here a father believed enough to bring his son to Jesus.
b. Yet, he acknowledges that his belief is incomplete.
c. His initial faith was enough to begin a walk with Christ, but
he knew that he needed to go farther.
2. So it was with Paul’s faith. He was not content with just
believing.
His relationship with Jesus went farther.
II. Paul not only believed in Christ, he knew the Christ in whom he believed.
A. This is not just a play on words. Jesus said the same thing to His
disciples.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast
thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how
sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
1. This was the nearing the end of Jesus’ ministry.
2. These disciples had believed on Jesus for almost three years.
3. They had forsaken their nets, their tax tables, their shops—
everything to follow Jesus. That is a greater faith than most of
us have.
4. They had traveled like gypsies and vagabonds to serve Jesus.
5. They had publicly preached the name of Jesus.
6. They had cast out demons, healed the sick, given sight to the
blind.
7. Yet, Jesus chides them. "Do you not know me?"
8. WHAT WAS MISSING?
B. To know Jesus is more than just to believe in Jesus.
1. To know Jesus implies:
a. That you are familiar with Jesus.
b. That you have some understanding of Jesus.
c. That you can anticipate to some degree what is on Jesus’ mind.
d. That you are comfortable with Jesus.
2. When a young man first treats a young lady to dinner, he has some
uncertainty. Does she like Chinese or Mexican? seafood or fresh
water fish?
a. Eventually, he will become familiar enough to know what she
likes.
b. He may even be able to anticipate what she will want or do in
advance.
C. This kind of rapport between a sinful human and God would require:
1. Time - This kind of knowledge probably won’t be instantaneous.
2. A close fellowship together
3. A great sensitivity to God
4. Much change on the part of the human
D. Yet Paul declares to us that it is not only possible, but that he had
it.
1. Paul knew Jesus’ character, His desires, His thoughts.
2. Where did Paul get this kind of knowledge of Jesus? From those
years of abiding with Him through visions and revelation.
3. Where will you and I get that kind of knowledge of Jesus?
a. by abiding in His Word
b. by abiding in His presence
c. and by abiding amongst His spirit-filled people
E. The knowledge (familiarity) that Paul developed with his Lord gave
him two great abilities:
1. The ability to love Him.
a. I don’t think you could spend the time and make the sacrifices
required to get to know someone like this unless you loved
them.
b. Love does grow between people who spend time and share
experiences together.
2. The ability to completely trust in Him.
a. Paul was not just trusting in what Jesus said He would do.
b. Paul was trusting in HIM.
c. Christians who KNOW Jesus do not get the assurance of a sure
thing as much as they get a relationship with a SURE ONE.
F. Yet again, Paul had yet another plane of walk with Jesus.
III. He believed on Jesus, he knew the Jesus he believed on, but he also had
committed things to the Jesus he knew.
A. Commitment is far beyond familiarity.
1. Few relationships make it to the place of commitment.
2. Many couples are familiar with each other but never make a
commitment to each other.
3. Many Christians are familiar with their church but never make a
commitment to it.
4. It is possible to be familiar with Jesus but not be committed to
Him.
B. Commitment is one of the highest steps any two beings can make toward
each other.
1. Commitment is born out of trust and love which KNOWING produces.
a. 1Cor 13 tells us how powerful love is.
1Cor 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.
8 Charity never faileth….
b. These verses are describing the COMMITMENT OF LOVE.
c. Every enduring thing that the Bible says about love is true
because of the commitment love brings.
d. Someone has said that "Commitment is love with legs."
e. Of course the truth is that you can’t have love without
having commitment.
2. Commitment is seen in the love God showed mankind.
a. When God committed Himself to us, He determined to do
whatever was necessary to save us.
b. God’s love motivated Him to save us, but His commitment to
us is what caused Him to send His Son to die for us.
c. Jesus loved us since before the world was created, but His
commitment to us is what caused Him to die for us.
3. Let’s review:
a. Love and trust is born out of familiarity.
b. You can’t have love without commitment.
c. So a person who will not make a commitment has limited their
love.
d. Commitment is love without limits.
(1) That is why marriage, a committed marriage, is an
important step.
(2) That is why church membership is an important step.
C. Commitment is your level of determination to a relationship.
1. Commitment is a determination to trust—no matter what.
2. Commitment is a determination to stand with someone—no matter
what.
3. Commitment is a determination of investment—no matter what it
takes.
4. Commitment is a determination to continue—no matter what.
D. I doubt that you will ever feel the assurance of a relationship until
you are committed to it.
1. You will not feel any confidence in your relationship with your
mate until you are committed to it.
2. Paul probably had no confidence in God until he had committed
himself to Christ.
E. If you are having a hard time committing to Christ, let me remind you:
1. Jesus is more committed to us than we will ever be to Him.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
2. If you want to have confidence in God, complete the journey!
Here is the sum of what I am saying:
1. You and I can have the certainty of Jesus Christ in our life.
2. To have that certainty, we must take a progressive walk with Christ.
a. We must believe who He is.
b. We must get to know Him.
c. At which time, we must commit to Him as He has committed Himself to
us.
Is that too big a price? Read again to Paul’s confidence. You decide.
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