Important Last Words
Since spring 2020, it has been my privilege to serve North Highlands church of Christ in Russellville as preacher and minister, and it has also been an honor to contribute a bi-monthly column to Franklin Living.
At the beginning of October, I left North Highlands and returned to work with the leadership team at Heritage Christian University in Florence, an institution of higher learning that has been a huge part of my life since 1997. As such, this will be my final magazine column.
Please know that every expression of appreciation and encouragement offered by you, the readers, has meant the world to me. Thank you for that! In this final article, I simply want to encourage you to actively live out your faith. Our world is uptight, sinful and constantly changing, yet the most important things never change.
Think about it: God’s love for us never changes (Psalm 136:26). Nor does his purpose for us as the most prized part of his creation. He wants to save us (2 Peter 3:9), and he has tasked all who surrender to him in obedience with sharing the good news of salvation(Matthew 28:19-20). Yet no matter what changes, no matter what life may throw at us, our faith must always be firm and unwavering.
Why? Remaining faithful to God is what allows us to confidently lean into and count on all that he has promised to those who are in Christ.
We would do well to learn from and follow some of the final exhortations Paul shared with the young minister Timothy. Near the end of his days on earth, Paul reminded Timothy of the kind of faith that would serve him well as he labored in the Lord’s kingdom. Thankfully, Paul’s instructions to Timothy can bless us too – if we will follow them.
In 2 Timothy 1, after recognizing the genuine nature of Timothy’s faith, Paul reminds him that his faith must be both active and bold – that he mustn’t be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord or of Paul, who is in prison because of doing God’s work. Timothy’s faith must be strong even if it means suffering for the sake of the good news himself (vs. 5-8).
Further, Paul reminds Timothy to never lose focus on the grace and salvation offered by God because it is the reason that faith can be bold and unashamed even in the face of suffering (vs. 9-12). Finally, Paul reminds Timothy of the importance of doctrinal purity (vs. 13) and of guarding the treasure that had been entrusted to him (vs. 14).
Even though few of us will devote our lives to full-time ministry, this inspired call to being faithful should motivate every follower of Jesus. Be sure your faith is something you have made your own – not just something you inherited from someone else. Study the word for yourself to be sure that that doctrine you have embraced aligns with Scripture.
Finally, be sure you have surrendered to Jesus on his terms. Again, his terms of surrender and obedience are found in Scripture. While obeying him earns us nothing, his saving grace is never promised to those who haven’t surrendered in obedience to him.
None of us can be perfect, but the good news is that Jesus has made it possible for all of us to be both forgiven and faithful. Do you possess the kind of genuine faith that Paul is calling Timothy to? If not, I would plead with you to make that your top priority today!
Philip Goad has been serving as the minister at North Highlands Church of Christ in Russellville since March 2020.
