The Christian life is not for the faint of heart. Despite the false notion that Christianity is all about attaining health, wealth, prosperity, or becoming a better version of the you that you want to be, Christianity is actually a very difficult and painful life to live.

Anyone who thinks that it is going to be a walk in the park to follow a Savior who was crucified, has severely lost touch with not only reality but also the basic message of Christianity which calls us to be disciples who carry our crosses as we follow our self-sacrificing, cross-carrying Savior.

To make Christianity into a social club or another activity to attend every week is to rob yourself of the true blessings of an obedient and oftentimes painful lifestyle that is centered on the cross of Christ. No one who buys into a cheap bag of lies regarding a life of ease will continue following Jesus when the real rubber of Christian living hits the road; especially under painful persecution.

You and I cannot expect to live our lives for the King of kings in enemy occupied territory without facing some measure of persecution. You and I will not remain steadfast in our calling if we do not pursue a godly lifestyle and godly character. And a godly lifestyle and godly character that helps you to continue following Jesus amidst persecution, well that must be rooted in some kind of unshakeable truth.

This is what the apostle Paul is getting after in our text today; he desperately wants to help young Timothy to continue following Jesus. And more than anyone else, the apostle Paul has experienced just how painfully difficult it is to continue following Jesus when the going gets tough. He knows that his time here on earth is coming to an end in a painfully horrific way and before he is beheaded for his faith, he wants to encourage Timothy to continue following Jesus. How will Timothy continue following?2

Look at the text with me…

2 TIMOTHY 3:10 – 13…

10You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra – which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

#1: REMEMBER MY LIFESTYLE AND MY CHARACTER (V. 10)

I am sure that we all have a memory of someone that has invested in our lives, who possessed a godly lifestyle that was matched by their godly character; someone whose life we observed and want to emulate. Paul is that person for young Timothy. And when the going gets tough, Paul wants to Timothy to be strengthened by the example of a godly lifestyle that was matched by the godly character that Timothy had witnessed in the apostle Paul.

This is why Paul reminds Timothy to remember how closely “You… have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness” (3:10). When the prospect of following Jesus got hard, Paul hopes that Timothy will be strengthened by the reminder that Paul’s lifestyle was marked by his devotion to teach the gospel, marked by his rock-solid conduct when no one was looking, and marked by his purpose in life (which was the salvation of the lost through the message of the gospel).

But Paul’s godly lifestyle would have never been on display for young Timothy, had the apostle Paul not actively pursued godly character. Our lifestyles are only telling the stories of our character. And the apostle Paul wants Timothy to remember that in everything, Paul’s lifestyle overflowed from the deep reservoirs of godly character that was full of faith, patience, love, and steadfastness.

Paul was a man who trusted in God in every circumstance, he was painfully patient with those who opposed him, he loved even his enemies as he continued to preach the gospel to them, and he remained steadfast – filled with hope – as he looked forward to being martyred for his faith. Timothy can be strengthened and encouraged to continue following Jesus by remembering Paul’s godly lifestyle and his godly character.

#2: REMEMBER MY PERSECUTION AND MY SUFFERING (V. 11)

The topic of persecution and suffering is not a light and fluffy topic. But the reality is that Jesus promised us a life of persecution and suffering if we are going to follow him (John 15:20). Unbelieving spouses will be cold toward their believing spouses. Unbelieving children will say harsh things to parents who are believers. Unbelieving employers will make it hard on the employee who is a believer. Unbelieving friends may belittle you for taking a stand against something ungodly.

There are only two teams in the game of life: Satan’s team and God’s team. If you wear the jersey of God’s team, then the other team will always do what their captain does: seek to steal, kill, deceive, and destroy the players on God’s team.

Paul knows that our battle is not against flesh and blood opponents (Ephesians 6), but Satan does use those flesh and blood players on his team to inflict persecution and suffering on God’s children to throw them off their game. This is why Paul reminds Timothy, that if he is going to continue following Jesus then he needs to remember “my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra – which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me” (3:11).

Timothy would remember all too well the persecution and suffering that Paul had endured in Acts 13 – 14 and he certainly would be strengthened by the memory of how the Lord had rescued Paul; not to mention that the Lord would soon rescue Paul one last time as his head was severed from his earthly body and he simultaneously walked into Heaven clutching the “believer’s W” for all of eternity!

If Timothy is going to continue following Jesus when it seems like it is the fourth quarter and he was down by three scores, then he would need to remember not only Paul’s lifestyle and character but also his persecution and suffering because without persecution and suffering there could be no rescue and rescue for all of eternity is the main theme of what it means to continue following Jesus – we continue following Jesus because we look forward to his once and for all game winning rescue in the final seconds of the game!

#3: REMEMBER THE TRUTH (VV. 12 – 13)

The truth is the bedrock or foundation of continuing in this life of following Jesus who is the way and the truth and the life. When the wheels start to fall off the bus, when persecution and suffering comes knocking on the door, the only sure and steady thing that will anchor our souls to the hope of the gospel is the truth.

This is why the apostle Paul reminds Timothy of a specific truth that he needs to hang on to as he continues to follow Jesus. Paul does not give Timothy some light and fluffy truth about how things will get better soon, as if that could be called truth anyways. He wants Timothy to remember, when persecution and suffering comes knocking on the door, that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and imposters go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (3:13).

Simply put, Paul says, do not be alarmed, do not be shaken, do not be frightened, when persecution and suffering comes knocking on the door, because godly people will suffer while ungodly people, imposters, face the eternal consequences of going from bad to worse in constant deception. The outcome for godly people who suffer is, rescue! The outcome for ungodly imposters is eternal darkness.

This is the truth that will help Timothy continue to follow Jesus when all hell breaks loose on the landscape of ministry: godly people will suffer and be rescued but ungodly people will get worse and pay the price. Judgement will happen and so will eternal rescue, even when that rescue looks like an ax separating your head from earthly body and freeing you to run into Heaven, whole and unbroken for all of eternity!

CONCLUSION…

The Christian life ain’t easy. We must be prepared to continue following Jesus when carrying our crosses seems to be more than we can possibly bear. And the way we continue following Jesus is by remembering someone else’s godly lifestyle and godly character, by remembering how someone else endured persecution and suffering and experienced God’s redemption, and by remembering the truth that Godly people will suffer while evil people will ultimately pay the price.

Who is that person for you? Who is it that modeled a godly lifestyle and character for you? Who is it that endured persecution and suffering faithfully? Who is it that constantly reminds you of the hope that you have in the bloody cross, the empty tomb, and the promise of heaven? The image of that person will help you and I to continue following Jesus through thick and thin! – Amen!

1 Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references in this paper are to the English Standard Version Bible, The New Classic Reference Edition (ESV) (Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, 2001).

2 R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell, 1 – 2 Timothy and Titus, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2012), 248 – 255. (The big idea, the basic points, and some of my thoughts for this sermon were heavily influenced and borrowed from the commentary above. I would invite the reader/listener to get a copy and study along with me).