“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1
Dear Ones:
Strength is a great essential in the spiritual conflict in which the believer finds himself. It is a strength which is from heaven, communicated to us by the Holy Spirit, and lived by an attitude of heart. When one looks at the life and calling of Joshua, the successor to Moses, we find the Lord giving him no choice but to choose to BE STRONG. Indeed, the Lord specifically tells him: “Have not I commanded thee? ‘Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God IS with thee wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Why is strength, and the appropriation of it, so very essential in this spiritual conflict? The answer is found in the fact that there is an opposing strength, or power, which would destroy mankind, dishonoring and distorting the testimony of God. There is seen so clearly in Isaiah 59:19. “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Here is the revelation of two competing forces, or “strengths,” to possess the same ground. For the believer, the question becomes: “What is the measure of one’s strength, by the Spirit?” The great characteristic of spiritual strength, that which comes from God, is that it is an OVERCOMING strength. This is why this truth is so very important to grasp, as seen in the apostle John’s writings: “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Also, over and over again, in the book of the Revelation, we find the Lord Jesus saying: “To him that overcomes…” This coincides with Paul’s declaration: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37) In light of such a revelation, “How is the believer to live in the strength and power of the Lord?” Though this question speaks of the perfect “overcoming” power of God in Christ, it must be said that this same power belongs to the believer. The experience of it will depend upon his faith. How then is faith to appropriate Christ’s strength?
When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he knew that he would soon be in the presence of the Lord. In light of his soon absence, the wording concerning his instructions to Timothy is so very important. He writes: “Be strong in the GRACE that is IN CHRIST JESUS.” Note that there are two very important, bedrock truths here that are essential to knowing the strength of Christ. The first has to do with grace, that attitude of God towards the believer whereby He is willing to give His strength, not because of some merited favor, but in response to the cry of the heart, and the faith that will receive it. The second truth has to do with the matter of the believer’s union with Christ, that oneness with Him which can never be severed. At all times the believer is in this union, the strength of Christ being available to him. Thus, there is the call to Timothy to take his position of faith in the grace of God, God being willing and waiting to answer the call of his heart for strength. He must also be strong in the FACT of his union with Christ, realizing that “there is NO difficulty inward or outward which Christ is not willing to meet in him today.” Practically speaking, how is the believer to appropriate the strength of Christ for every need, and at all times?
Essential to believing God for strength is a vision of it. We see this in Ephesians 1:19, in Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus, that they might know, “…what is the exceeding greatness of the power towards us who believe.” Then there is the prayer for strength, “…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.” (3:16) Faith receives Christ’s given strength.
Dear Father, Grant us the vision of Thy strength, and faith to receive it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad