Rooted Medic

Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Lord. Every day I desire to know Him more deeply and to follow Him more closely. I enjoy studying the Bible, and desire to inspire others to edify and disciple one another for the glory of God.

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“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God has called us = invited us to a holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9), out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). He gives us everything we need to live the way He’s called us to live, including the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13).

God is like an employer who supplies a full uniform and all the tools, all the vehicles, a company credit card, and even a cabinet full of snacks so that we have everything we need to show up and do the work. We don’t have to purchase our own uniform or bring our own tools to do the work He has invited us to be part of.

We must, however, don the uniform = clothe ourselves with the garments He has given us (salvation, righteousness, humility, compassion, kindness, meekness, patience, love) = take off the filthy rags of the sinful human nature and put on Christ (Isaiah 61:10, Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 5:5, Colossians 3:12-14).

And then we show up for our shift and use the tools He has generously equipped us with, such as

faith (Ephesians 2:8)

Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)

victory over sin (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7)

armor (Ephesians 6:10-18)

wisdom (James 1:5)

strength (Philippians 4:13)

promises (2 Peter 1:4)

God is a rich and generous father who invites His kids to come work with Him, and supplies everything freely by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And He invites us to be transformed, by these things, into holiness so that we can be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:16).

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“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬

Peter is praying that grace and peace will grow and abound with compounding interest in the lives of Believers.

Grace is favor and blessings from God, not because we have earned or deserve it, but simply because He is inclined to freely give Himself away to bless and be near people. God is not stingy with His favor towards us. He’s a good Dad who likes to give good gifts to His kids. His grace abounds and is multiplied more and more, supplying every need from the riches of His glory (Philippians 4:19). He also blesses us abundantly so that we can in turn bless others and glorify the name of Jesus (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Peace is a result of Holy Spirit dwelling inside and transforming the life of a born-again Believer (Galatians 5:22). It’s a state of tranquility in a soul assured of salvation through Christ. A Believer is justified through faith (Romans 5:1) and free from condemnation (Romans 8:1), fearing nothing from God (1 John 4:15-18). This peace overflows into contentment with the life God has given (Philippians 4:6-7) and moves us to live at peace with others (Romans 12:18, 1 John 4:11).

Peace and Grace are products of knowing Christ. Not just knowing about Christ, but experiencing Him personally. When you ask, and receive…seek, and find…knock, and have the door opened. When you begin following, and have your steps directed. When you obey what Jesus commanded, and experience the power of Holy Spirit come alive and enable that obedience beyond what human nature is capable of. When you feel the presence of God. When you’re comforted in affliction. When your understanding of God’s Kingdom is adjusted and tuned into alignment with His Spirit. When you surrender to Holy Spirit, and He begins to transform you.

Knowing Christ produces grace and peace in our lives.

Grace and peace in our lives help us experience and know Christ more.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” ~ ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV

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“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬

Peter identifies himself as a “servant” and “apostle” of Jesus Christ.

Servant = doulos = a slave, someone who belongs to another, without any ownership rights of their own, living under the authority of their owner

Apostle = apostolos = a delegate, a commissioned messenger, one sent forth with orders. The authority of the message originates with the sender, not the one sent.

Several of the NT writers identified as slaves of Christ, speaking and acting in accordance with what Jesus had commanded them to do rather than doing what they felt like on their own. This includes Paul (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1, Galatians 1:10), James (James 1:1), Jude (Jude 1:1), and John (Revelation 1:1).

Being a slave of Christ was not limited to the Apostles or early church leaders. The first group of Believers in Jerusalem acknowledged they were slaves of God while praying for boldness to preach God’s Word (Acts 4:29). And in Romans 6, Paul explains that apart from Christ we are slaves of sin, but faith in Christ liberates us from sin so that we can become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:15-23).

Peter is writing to Gentile Believers, who “have obtained a faith of equal standing” with the Jewish Believers.

“Obtained” suggests an allotted portion was received according to what was given. Paul also speaks of Believers receiving a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) which is given as a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). Faith is not earned by works (Ephesians 2:9). It’s given simply because God wanted us to have it. And when we receive this free gift, we stand justified before God (Romans 5:1, Romans 3:24, Philippians 3:9, Galatians 2:16). We have no righteousness of our own (Romans 3:10), but by faith, we are justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1).

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“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” ~ 2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬

“The Lord be with your spirit” is a closing prayer of blessing and provision, as well as a prayer to remain rooted in Christ and joined to Holy Spirit in unity. If the Lord is to be with my spirit, I must first be born again and filled with His Spirit, and secondly I must be walking in alignment with His Spirit. And if I am, then I will also be unified with other Believers who are born again and walking in alignment with Holy Spirit.

This also reminds me of Paul’s words in Ephesians regarding unity in the Spirit of the Lord.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” ~ Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Many things we divide over were never meant to divide us. Believers are children of God, heirs with Christ, part of the same spiritual family, components of the same body of Christ. Our differences become our strengths to accomplish different things, just as a foot and a hand are different and used for wildly different things.

Paul’s closing prayer is also an encouragement to remember that even when life gets hard and I feel weak, the Lord is with me. The Lord is my strength and my song. He is my rock. He is empowering me to live for no other reason than His delight. Unity with Christ is not based on my performance, but upon my willingness to surrender to Him and let Him change my heart, my perspectives, my direction in life, my motivations, my desires, my whole life.

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“But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” ~ 2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Despite the reality that “no one came to stand by me” (vs 16), Paul doesn’t focus on how people let him down. He doesn’t wallow in self-pity (which I would probably find myself doing tbh). Instead, Paul recognizes the reality of the goodness of God! The Lord promises to never leave us or abandon us; He will be with us always, in all circumstances, directing our steps towards Himself (Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 23:4; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). The joy of the Lord is our strength and our salvation; it is His mighty hand that strengthens and enables us to step into a new day and carry out the work He has assigned us to be part of (Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 12:2; Psalm 28:7; Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 4:13).

While Satan undoubtedly hoped that Paul’s suffering alone would weaken him and prevent him from preaching, God strengthened Paul and empowered him all the more to carry out the work of evangelism. Paul’s life was on God’s time schedule. And Paul had full confidence in God’s plans.

How easy it can be to get focused on my plans, and get frustrated when things don’t work out as they “should have” according to me. And yet…what if I simply let go and trusted God to be in full control, willing and working as He sees fit?? What if I endure every uncomfortable situation as “suffering for the Lord”, and every blessing as “the Lord delivered me from every evil deed” (ESV) or “delivered me from every attack” (NLT)?

The Lord is faithful and trustworthy. I can rest in Him, knowing He holds tomorrow in His hands and He directs my steps in order to accomplish what pleases Him for the glory of His Name.

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“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!” ~ 2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Isolation and loneliness is a trial Paul endured. In 4:10-12 and 4:19-20, Paul listed people who deserted him or moved on to continue the ministry work. Whether or not their leaving was honorable, Paul still felt the weight of being alone during difficult times. I am sure Satan tempted Paul with bitterness, sorrow, self-pity, resentment, etc. in attempt to hinder Paul’s ministry from prison. But Paul refuses to play those games; he doesn’t hold anything against them.

It’s okay to acknowledge hardships and events that set up difficult circumstances. It’s okay to acknowledge needs and wants (eg I’m lonely, I desire companionship).

But it’s not okay to blame God or others for suffering. It’s not okay to let thoughts spiral into a festering ooze of bitterness and resentment. Whatever role someone played in our hurt, we must forgive them. We must not even wish for God to hold it against them. Whatever God allowed, we must trust His ways to be higher and better than our own.

Joseph demonstrated this well. Despite suffering unjustly, he credited God with orchestrating salvation through his suffering.

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“For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” ~ 2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭10a‬ ‭ESV

‬‬Beware the temptation to desert the work of the Lord and the ministry God has entrusted you because you love the things of this life more.

Loving the things in this life can be subtle and appear “innocent”.

What if this looks like scrolling through FB instead of reading your Bible?

Or going camping instead of attending church?

Or playing video games instead of praying?

May Holy Spirit expose every love that isn’t God! May repentance birth in every place where I have forgotten my love belongs to Jesus above all else.

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“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” ~ 2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The drink offering (also known as a liquid offering) was usually wine that was poured at the base of the altar in conjunction with other burnt offerings and sacrifices. Together, they signified “God’s food” and “God’s drink” as if serving a freshly prepared meal to God.

Paul likens his life to a container of wine that is poured out in service to God. Paul had held nothing back; his entire life was being poured out in service to God, to the very last drop. And he knew his end was near; the last drop would soon pour out. And yet he had no regrets. He had lived wholly dedicated and surrendered to God. He had fought well in the Spiritual War between Darkness and Light. He had run the race set before him, and was soon to cross the finish line without giving up or falling out. And his faith in Jesus Christ had been kept, that is stewarded well. He received faith as a gift. He didn’t lose his faith; it didn’t suffer loss or injury; it didn’t fall apart or rot; it wasn’t buried in the ground. Paul had managed, maintained, and invested with return!

As a child of God who had lived wholly dedicated and surrendered to the cause of Christ, Paul knew he would receive “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ESV) as will every Believer.

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“But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” ~2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are 4 powerful statements here.

1.) Always be sober-minded.

A sober, clear mind is primarily the result of Holy Spirit at work in my life.

Without Holy Spirit’s influence, I will be governed by a deceitfully wicked heart, out of which flows all sorts of big, messy emotions that can easily twist me up in lust, anger, depression, foolishness, etc in accordance with the priorities and desires of my flesh and the world around me. On my own, my mind will be intoxicated with every whim and desire that feels good and seems right, “but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25, Isaiah 53:6).

By contrast, Holy Spirit produces things like peace, patience, gentleness, self control, wisdom, and understanding. A sober mind is the result of Godly wisdom in light of God’s Truth.

2.) Endure suffering.

The NLT says “Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord.” Suffering is such an integral part of following Jesus. If I am not suffering—either from crucifying my flesh daily (Luke 9:23, Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:24, Galatians 2:20) or from being persecuted for the cause of Christ (2 Timothy 3:12, Matthew 5:10, 1 Peter 4:12-14, Luke 6:22, John 15:20)—then I should stop and evaluate if I am actually following Jesus.

3.) Do the work of an evangelist.

This refers to the vocation of a full-time evangelist, which is what Timothy was. Not every Believer is called to be a vocational evangelist, but every Believer has been commissioned to be a witness of Jesus Christ and herald the message of the Gospel through our words, actions, and lifestyles. When people interact with me, do they recognize Jesus in me? They should. Do I praise God for His blessings in my life, or do I assign credit to my own efforts, luck, fortune, my boss, etc?

4.) Fulfill your ministry.

The word ministry here refers to active service done with a willing, voluntary attitude; Spirit-empowered service guided by faith for the benefit of others and the glory of Christ. God designed us to serve in His Kingdom through things like

good works (Ephesians 2:10)

gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10)

vocations (Colossians 3:23)

praise and worship (Psalm 100:2-4, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 13:15, Revelation 19:5)

giving thanks and showing gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Hebrews 12:28, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 136:1, 2 Corinthians 4:15)

holiness and sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Peter 2:9)

surrendering every aspect of life to be used by God for the glory of God (Colossians 3:17,23; James 4:15, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Whatever task or ministry God has assigned us, we should do it wholeheartedly and carry out to the fullest extent of the assignment according to our capacity. “Well done” is not based on how my performance compares with my neighbor or my rival. “Well done” is based on how intimately I know Jesus, and how fully I surrendered my life to His service.

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Spend time with God every day.

This is the most important thing I’ve done in the last 7 weeks. And it’s been absolutely life-changing!