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I) [2 Tim 2:11]:
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.' "
A) IF ONE DIES WITH CHRIST, I.E., BECOMES A BELIEVER, ONE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY WITH HIM
"For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him" =
If, by faith, we become sharers in the death of Christ, then we will also share in His eternal life.
(v. 1) "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
(v. 2) By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
(v. 3) Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
(v. 4) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
(v. 5) if we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
(v. 6) for we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
(v. 7) because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
(v. 8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."
(v. 1) "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things that are on earth.
[If then you were raised up with Christ at the point of trusting in Him for eternal life]
(v. 2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
(v. 3) For you have died [with Christ, (cp Ro 6:8)] and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
[If we died with Christ we were saved unto eternal life..... If we died with Christ which is by faith alone in Christ alone, (Jn 3:16; 5:24; Eph 2:8-9), then we will live with Him forever, (Ro 6:1-10). When we received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in us which occurs at the point of salvation, (Eph 1:13-14), it then becomes our identification with the death of Jesus Christ and its benefits, not the least of which is that "we we also live with Him", (Ro 6:8b)]
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.' "
(v. 12) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;
If we disown him, he will also disown us' "
A) IF WE BELIEVERS ENDURE, I.E., LIVE FAITHFUL LIVES WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM
"If we endure" = live faithful lives.
If we, i.e., believers, who are secure in our eternal life, (Eph 1:13-14), endure the difficulties and testing and live a faithful, productive life - full of divine good production, then we believers will not only have eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven because of our one time expression of faith in Him; but we will also reign, i.e., co-rule, with Him and receive unimaginably glorious rewards.
(v. 16) "The Spirit Himself with our spirit that we are God's children" [i.e., born again believers]
(v. 17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory."
Now if we are children, i.e., believers, then we are heirs of God unto eternal life in heaven. And if we are faithful then we are co-heirs, i.e., co-inheritors of rulership with Christ; that is 'if indeed we share in His sufferings' by taking up our own cross, (Mt 16:24-27), 'in order that we may also share in His glory.' "
So it is those believers who endure by remaining faithful, by abiding in Christ, by producing fruit, who will suffer their own peculiar suffering during their lifetime for the sake of Christ who will reign with Christ. Those believers who do not abide in Christ will not inherit much in heaven when they get there:
II cont.) [2 Tim 2:11-12 cont.]:
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.' "
(v. 12) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;
If we disown him, he will also disown us' "
B) IF BELIEVERS DISOWN CHRIST'S OWNERSHIP OF US, HE WILL DISOWN OUR INHERITANCE OF REIGNING WITH HIM
If we disown Him, He will also disown [disinherit] us"=
If we believers disown, i.e., disavow Christ's ownership of us by acting in thought, word and deed in disobedience and unfaithfulness, (cp 1 Cor 6:19-20), then Christ will disown our ownership, i.e., our inheritance of eternal rewards and co-rulership with Him, (cp Col 1:10-12; 3:23-24; Eph 5:5; Gal 5:21).
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.' "
(v. 12) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;
If we disown him, he will also disown us
(v. 13) If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.' "
"If we are faithless, He will remain faithful" =
If we believers are faithless, He, Jesus Christ will remain faithful to His promise that "if we died with Him, we will also live with Him forever (v. 11).
III cont.) [2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.' "
(v. 12) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;
If we disown him, he will also disown us
(v. 13) If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.' "
"If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself" =
If we believers are faithless toward our Lord, He will nevertheless remain faithful to His promise of eternal life to all who have trusted in Him no matter what, (Jn 3:16: Eph 1:14), because He cannot disown, i.e., disinherit Himself - His Body - the Body of believers to whom He promised eternal life:
"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."
Our Lord cannot deny eternal life to those who have become part of His body forever - the body of Christ - the body of believers whom He indwells forever, the church. The believer's unfaithfulness cannot cause God to deny His own work of salvation]
(32) "Every one therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father Who is in heaven.
(33) But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in heaven."
i) Losing One's Life/Eternal Rewards
[Charles C. Bing states, ("The Cost of Discipleship" from the Grace Evangelical Society Journal, vol 6, Spring '93, p. 43]:
"The idea of being ashamed of Christ or denying Christ is clarified in some contexts more than in others.... Perhaps the greatest clarification comes from...Matt 10:32-33... There Jesus is giving instructions to the Twelve before sending them out to preach the Gospel (Matt 10:5ff). He warns of rejection and persecution (vv 16-25) and encourages them not to fear (vv. 26-31). Verses 32-33 are also followed by similar warnings about rejection (vv. 34-36). In vv. 32-33 Jesus is both encouraging and warning in the face of the fear off persecution. He wants the disciples to know that anyone who identifies with Him will be rewarded, while anyone who shrinks from this will be denied by Christ before the Father (explained below). Matthew's context seems a close parallel to that which is signified by Mark's phrase 'in this adulterous and sinful generation' (Mark 8:38).
The consequence facing someone who is ashamed of or denies Christ is more enigmatic. Does Christ's reciprocal shame and denial of that person at His coming denote a denial of salvation? In correlating Matt 10:32-33 with 16:27, it is clear that the issue is some kind of recompense for one's works."
"For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done."
[Bing, cont.]
"Matthew takes care to state that at His coming, Christ 'will reward (apoodosei) each according to his works" (16:27). That Jesus makes works the basis of the recompense demands that salvation not be the issue."
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it it the gift of God -
(v. 9) not by works, so that no one can boast."]
[Bing, cont.]:
"Also, the verb 'apoodosei' carries the idea of 'recompense' with no inherent sense of whether it is good or bad, so it could speak of positive reward or negative judgment. In Mark and Luke a negative recompense is suggested."
"If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."
"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
[Bing, cont.]:
"Those who were too ashamed to identify with Christ will experience Christ's shame. The effect of Christ's shame is not specified, but one could surmise that for a redeemed and now fully-enlightened believer, this would at least produce agonizing regret...[cp Mt 22:1-14; 25:14-30]... In the parallel passage, Matt 10:32-33, the idea of recompense is good (v32) or bad (v33) accordingly. Christ's confession (or lack of it) in heaven would not relate to the judgment of our salvation, but to an acknowledgment (or lack of it) before the Father of the disciples' unity or fellowship with Christ which is recompensed in an unspecified but appropriate way. (However, one might compare 2 Tim 2:12, where reigning with Christ is the specific reward.)
B cont.) IF WE BELIEVERS ARE FAITHLESS, JESUS CHRIST WILL NEVERTHELESS REMAIN FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISE TO US OF ETERNAL LIFE BECAUSE HE CANNOT DISOWN BELIEVERS WHO ARE PART OF HIS BODY NOW, cont.
2 cont.) [Compare Mt 32:33, 37-39 cont.]:
(v. 37) "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
(v. 38) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."
"take up his cross and follow Me" =
[Bing, cont.]:
"Because following another person is a process, a progression, and requires time, this condition cannot speak of entrance into salvation. This would promote salvation by the imitation of Christ or by adherence to His example which would be a salvation of works. It is best taken as a term that describes a continuously committed lifestyle."
ii) 'NOT WORTHY OF ME' REFERS TO BELIEVERS NOT BEING FAITHFUL. IT DOES NOT MEAN ONE IS NOT SAVED
"is not worthy of Me" =
Not being worthy in this passage does not constitute a condition of being unsaved. The context of this passage speaks of eternally secure believers, (Ref. Mt 10:1-5). Only believers can take up their cross in the first place. Unbelievers cannot please God by taking up any cross:
"Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
Individuals first must be saved before they can do anything to please God! So being unworthy of Christ in the context of Mt 10:38 speaks of a believer who chooses not to follow Jesus as one of His disciples; who chooses not to make the necessary sacrifices and does not endure the God ordained hardships, i.e., does not take up his cross.
2 cont.) [Compare Mt 32:33, 37-39 cont.]:
(v. 37) "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
(v. 38) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
(v. 39) He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it."
"He who has found his life shall lose it" =
Losing one's life = turning the control of one's life over to the sovereign will of God. By living according to the will of God, (which is contained in His Word), one is rewarded on earth with an inner happiness and confidence that God will carry them every step of the way through life, into heaven and on into eternity, especially in light of the confidence a faithful believer has in going to heaven and receiving indescribably wonderful rewards. One who has lost his life by voluntarily submitting oneself to the sovereignty of God has found the real purpose of his life for which he was created:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
This new found purpose brings
love, joy and peace to a child of God's earthly life when he is aligned
with the purpose of the great Almighty God of the universe Who provides
that love, joy and peace. The peace and inner happiness is based on Who
God is and His indescribably wonderful promises.
(v. 17) "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
(v. 12) because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men."
[Bing, cont., pp. 42-43]:
"...When Jesus says 'whoever loses his life for My sake,' the sense is certainly not eternal destruction, for He says this one will then 'find it,' which is something good. Conversely, it fits well that what one may lose when he tries to save his life (preserve himself from the hardships of self-denial and cross-bearing) is life in the essential qualitative sense (i.e., experiencing God's life in this life, John 17:3), not the eternal soul. The paradox Jesus used has great meaning. What He appears to be saying is this: 'Whoever desires to preserve himself from the hardships of God's will of self-denial and cross-bearing will in fact forfeit the essential quality (- true spiritual value) of the present life he is trying to preserve. On the other hand, whoever forfeits himself to God's will of self-denial and hardships will discover the greater essential quality (spiritual value) of the present life he was willing to forfeit.' This interpretation would therefore not describe eternal salvation, but a higher quality of experience with God in this life, with implications for the eschatological life [future & eternal life]..."