Christians should be motivated

Motivation is very important. As Christians we should be the most motivated people. Napoleon understood the importance of the right motivation. He said, “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” Winston Churchill understood the power of motivation. He said, “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last a thousand years, men will say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

In 2 Timothy the apostle Paul was about to die. Nero was on the throne. Paul was securely locked in the Mamertine Prison. Paul was not depressed. He was not defeated. He was certainly not discouraged. In 2 Timothy 2:7-13 four facts motivated the great apostle.

First, we have the greatest leader. Verse 8 reads, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel…” Many years ago I served under General Norman Schwarzkopf in Operation Desert Storm. He was a great leader but Jesus is the greatest leader.

Christ means Messiah or Anointed One. Jesus rose from the dead. At the beginning of His ministry His enemies asked, “By what authority do you do these things?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:18-19). The temple was His body. Jesus based the authority for His ministry on His future resurrection!

He is also a descendant of David. God made a covenant with David. God promised David an eternal throne. Jesus Christ died for our sins. He is coming back in the future as a great King.

Second, we have the greatest weapon. Verse 9 says, “…for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the Word of God is not imprisoned.” The early church faced great persecution. The catacombs were large tunnels under the city of Rome. The Romans would not go down there but sent slaves to dig and bury their dead. Ancient Christians worshiped in the catacombs in relative freedom. Often they wrote on the walls, “The Word of God is not chained.”

The apostle Peter described the Bible as “imperishable seed.” He also said that the Bible is “living” and “enduring” (1 Peter 1:23). The Bible is a supernatural Book. It is inspired or breathed out by God. Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

Third, we have the greatest calling. In verse 10 Paul said, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” We spread the good news- the gospel- that Jesus died for us and rose again everywhere. When a person believes, this changes their eternal destiny. The death of Jesus satisfied the wrath of God. We deserve punishment for our sins. God must punish sin. Jesus died in our place. Our response must be repentance and faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus.

Fourth, we have the greatest reward. In verses 11 to 13 Paul quoted an ancient hymn. He said, “It is a trustworthy statement: for if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him….” God promises to reward His servants for their work. Dying to self (receiving the gift of salvation) brings eternal life. Endurance or perseverance is evidence of true faith. We will reign with Him in the future!

Paul continues, “If we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (verse 13). A pattern of denying Jesus indicates someone is not a follower of Jesus. A Christian may stumble and fall. Peter denied Jesus three times. The pattern of his life, though, was one of following Jesus. Tradition says that Peter and his wife were both crucified for their faith. Peter stood at the foot of his wife’s cross and repeated, “Remember the Lord. Remember the Lord.” Peter said that he was unworthy to die as Jesus died. They then crucified Peter upside down.

These are not easy days. We see the gathering storm of persecution on the horizon. This is not the time to lose the heart. This is not the time to quit. We must be motivated! We follow the greatest Leader- the Lord Jesus. We have the greatest weapon- the Word of God. We have the greatest calling- leading people to eternal life. We have the greatest reward- our future is bright.

Ethan Hansen is a pastor at Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake.