“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.”
My Granddaddy Cooper had a saying when someone disagreed with something that he said: “By jingoes, I know what I know.” This is kind of like what Paul was relating to Timothy and through the scriptures to us. Paul had suffered a great deal, and at the time of this writing was in prison and was about to be beheaded for his faith, and he wanted Timothy to know that he was not ashamed of what he had suffered, and was still suffering, for the sake of Jesus. This was to encourage Timothy in his own suffering and to encourage us in our suffering. Paul could suffer graciously because of what, or whom, he knew – Jesus Christ. There are people who say that one can’t really know whether or not they are Christians. I think Paul would really disagree with that. He wrote: “I know whom I have believed…” This was serious business because Paul was about to die for this belief in Christ. One does not quibble when one is about to die for belief in Christ, because it would be too easy to recant and disavow one’s belief in Him. Paul was willing to die because he knew what he knew. He knew that on the road to Damascus many years ago, he had encountered the living Christ, who turned his life around. Paul didn’t just know about Jesus; he personally knew Jesus. This is the problem that a lot of people have. They know about Jesus and think of Him in a positive light, but they do not know Him personally. They have not surrendered their lives to Him. There is a great deal of difference between knowing about Jesus and personally knowing Him. How could Paul write with such certainty about his security in Jesus Christ? I have already alluded to Paul’s experience with Jesus on the Damascus Road. He was going to Damascus to further persecute Christians. He was absolutely opposed to Jesus and to His church. He wanted to stamp it out, but when Paul got up from the ground on the Damascus Road and went into the city, he met Ananias who further taught him about Jesus. From that day on, Paul’s whole life changed. He gave up all of his education as a Jewish lawyer. He gave up all of his Jewish pedigree of which he had been so proud. He wrote about this pedigree and all of his accomplishments before becoming a Christian and concluded: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” He didn’t just believe about Jesus; he believed in Jesus. What do you “know that you know” about Jesus? Have you sought Jesus’ forgiveness and sincerely asked Him, by faith, to come into your life? You can know that you know Him in a personal relationship. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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