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The Book of Second Timothy:
Message Thirteen
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
It takes
courage to be a Christian. The Christian faith isn't
a religion of helpless husbands, weak wives,
spineless spinsters, backward bachelors, and useless
youth. For the Bible says, "Be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus."
"Oh,"
but you say, "the odds are against me. I stumble
and stray, I'm tempted and I tumble, I pray for power
but I'm still powerless." Well, that might be
your trouble. You're not a walking storage battery,
and the Lord isn't a station attendant who keeps on
putting new power-batteries into His people. It's not
a matter of power, but of a Person.
When the
apostle Paul said, "Be strong in the grace that
is in Christ Jesus," he was saying, "Be
strong with the strength Christ Jesus gives
you." He not only saves, but He strengthens; He
not only indoctrinates, but He indwells.
There was a
minister who had a terrible temper. His teaching drew
people to his church, but his temper drove them away.
Many times he'd run to his study and sob, "O
God, I lost my temper again." One day after a
disgraceful outburst of temper he cried, "O God,
teach me the secret of victory over sin." And He
did - through a dream. He found himself in the
church, and its floor was covered with dirt and dust.
He looked out of the window and he saw the Lord
coming to his study. "Oh," he thought,
"my Lord's coming and my house is filthy. I must
clean it." He took a broom and started to sweep,
but it did no good. It just stirred up the dust. As
he heard the Lord knock, and say, "Let Me
in!" he went slowly to the door, lifted the
latch and opened the door, saying, "Come
in." The Lord looked upon the room and said,
"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you . . .
from all your filthiness, and from all your idols,
will I cleanse you." With these words from
Ezekiel 36:25 ringing in ears, the minister awoke.
While eating breakfast, he told his wife and his son
his dream. The son was having a struggle with sin,
and he said to himself, "What's good for my
father is good for me. I'll trust God to save me in
the same way." And he was saved. What was the
mistake the minister was making? He was trying to
sweep his own heart. Haven't you been trying to do
that? Stop trying, and start trusting. The indwelling
Savior will impart His strength. As you surrender to
Him, He'll strengthen you. Then you'll be strong with
the strength He gives you.
Here's why you
must be strong. The Bible says, "For you must
teach others the things which you and many witnesses
have heard." There are two ways to teach. You're
to teach by life as well as by lips. My mother taught
me more about prayer by her example than she ever did
by her exhortation. And it was Lord Chesterfield who
said, after returning from a visit with a Christlike
clergyman, "If I had stayed another day in his
presence, I'm afraid I would have become a Christian,
his spirit was so pure, so attractive and
beautiful." But with the example there must be
the expression. One has rightly said, "It's a
law of the mind, that which isn't expressed dies. All
expression deepens impression. Impression minus
expression equals depression. Our churches are filled
with spiritual depression because there's so little
spiritual expression."
While it's a
delight to partake of the Christian faith, it's a
duty to pass it on. For the Bible says, "Teach
these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in
turn, pass them on to others." "But,"
you may say, "I'm not an ordained minister. How
can I pass them on?" You don't have to be an
ordained minister. One day a 16-year-old boy started
out to meet some friends when a storm arose. Seeing a
church, he ran into it for shelter. There were only
eight people there. It was such an awful stormy night
that the minister didn't show up. But there was a
blacksmith in the little congregation. He stood to
his feet, turned to the Old Testament and read,
"Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of
the earth." Then he added, "Well, a man
needn't go to college to learn to look. Anyone can
look. You may be a fool and yet you can look. You'll
never find comfort in yourself. Look to Christ. Young
man, you look very miserable. You always will be
miserable if you don't obey the text; but if you obey
it now, this moment you may be saved." That boy
looked at once to the Lord and was saved. His name?
Charles Spurgeon, the prince of all preachers. During
his pastorate in London, 20,000 people joined the
church, 14,460 by baptism. Have you, my friend,
received the faith? Then pass it on!
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
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to the next message in this Sower Scripture Study on
the book of Second Timothy.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
