Seven marks

Seven marks of an effective Christian.  2 Timothy 2

Good Day.

What does a good Christian life look like?  Looking at this second chapter of Second Timothy, Paul highlights seven adjectives to describe the life of an effective follower of Jesus:  good steward, soldier, athlete, farmer, workman, vessel and servant.  We will consider the first three today~

Let’s be good stewards of the great news of Jesus Christ, willing always to pass it on to others, this great gift God has entrusted to us!

->Paul wrote, “Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”¹

There are times when our Christian lives require we have the toughness of a soldier:

->Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am sufferin[‘uklk?g and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.²

 This is a trustworthy saying:  If we die with him,
we will also live with him.  If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.  If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.

And then Paul makes the analogy of the life of a Christian to that of an athlete in verse five:  ->Anyone who runs in a race must follow the rules to get the crown.³

During his day, it was the Isthmian games, which were held every two years outside the city of Corinth, as well as the Olympics, held every four, in and around Athens.  Paul saw how the Christian life and experience was impacted by looking at our lives from the analogy of the intense training of an athlete.  He had written to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”⁴

Thousands flocked from the Mediterranean area to watch foot races, broad jumping, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing and more.  To picture the boxing (different from today), the boxer wrapped his knuckles with leather straps, including lead, irons and even spikes.  Fights often lasted four hours, until one boxer was knocked out, or the other boxer signaled defeat.  The Greeks were very serious about competition, even though it was brutal; the Isthmian games were not for the faint of heart, requiring lengthy, rigorous training and restrictive diets that increased the athletes’ competitive edge. 

Here’s the thing--our bodies will wear out, and physical competitions will come to an end.  Our need for physical fitness will cease. On the other hand, knowing our souls will live forever, Paul challenges believers  ‘to follow the rules to get the crown, and to fight the good fight’, crossing the finish line of this life with chests straining for victory, launching ourselves fully into the presence of our Lord.  Can you see yourself??  After all, winning athletes always visualize themselves crossing the finish line.

In thinking of our individual spiritual walks, I can see that most importantly, I ought think of training like an athlete for the long haul, so that I will not flame out—especially when the endurance and strength of a soldier are required, but never losing sight that God has the gospel to me, as his steward, to share with others.⁵

^{1 – 2 Timothy 2.1-2,NLT}    

^{2 – 2 Timothy 2.3-4, 8-13, NLT}  

^{3 – 2 Timothy 2.5, NLV}

^{4 – 1 Corinthians 9.24-27}                                                                                                                    

^{5 – Warren Wiersbe named the seven marks of a Christian in his NT commentary}