Believers are Secure in Christ

2 Timothy 2:11-13 ESV

 11. The saying is trustworthy, for:

 If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

12. if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

13. if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

 for he cannot deny himself.

Many of our Christian hymns from yesteryear provide deep doctrinal truth in their lyrics. You may think of hymns such as ‘The Old Rugged Cross,’ ‘Calvary Covers It All,’ ‘Blessed Assurance,’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ as ones possessing such truths. Most of these old favorite hymns were taken directly from Scripture which indeed explains the powerful doctrinal truths found in them. A very old Christian hymn in the first century was derived from Paul’s second letter to Timothy found in 2 Timothy chapter 2. Although we don’t know the name of the hymn, we do have the lyrics, and they speak of the doctrinal truth that all true believers are secure in Christ.

Paul’s words of encouragement to Timothy in this section of his letter is to note that Timothy as a soldier for Christ and all believers are secure. Their salvation is secure in Christ Jesus. ‘If we have died with him’ signifies our union with Christ in His death. “We will also live with him’ assures us will be raised up from the dead with Him. ‘If we endure, we will also reign with him’ speaks of our current life and our future life in eternity. In this life Christians will suffer for their faith, but when we endure and persevere here, we will reign with Christ in our glorified bodies in eternity. Sadly, this phrase, ‘if we deny him, he will also deny us,’ is the reality of all those who profess to know Jesus but have never accepted Him as Lord and savior. They have denied Him in their lives. The Lord will say on that day, “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt.10:33 esv)

The last line of this ancient hymn, or perhaps this was the first chorus in Christian music, is our assurance of salvation. ‘If we are faithless, he remains faithful-for he cannot deny himself.’ God’s character is what we rest on. He remains faithful to us even through the countless times we are unfaithful to Him. God cannot be anything but Himself, faithful. Our salvation does not rest on us being faithful, but on what Christ has done for us. We are to be faithful in our Christian Walk, but our assurance of eternal life depends only on God for He remains faithful, and may we all praise God for that, either in a chorus or an old familiar hymn.