If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he can not deny himself.
Even when people are faithless, unbelieving, or unfaithful, Christ and God remain faithful, because he cannot deny himself or act against his own nature, character, and word. This assurance stands in a faithful saying where suffering with Christ leads to reigning with him, while denying him brings being denied by him. If a person puts trust in God, he abides faithful toward that one, for trust rests on his unfailing faithfulness and not on the believer's perfection, so he regards even the weakest trusting one as his child with tender pity and does not forsake them. All his promises are on condition of obedience, and when those conditions are fully met he fulfills what he has pledged, for he stays true to himself and does not disappoint his believing ones. Power in duty comes not from what a person does but from what an abiding Christ can accomplish, so everyone serving God must put trust in him as all-sufficient and keep hold of him at the post of duty.
Words and Context
Even when people are faithless, unbelieving, or unfaithful in believing, Christ and God remain faithful, for he cannot deny himself and cannot act against his own nature, character, and word. He stays true to himself even when men do not believe. This assurance does not set aside human responsibility, for it stands in a faithful saying in which suffering and enduring with Christ leads to reigning with him, while denying him brings being denied by him.
The verse belongs to Paul's fatherly charge to Timothy, his son in the gospel trained from childhood in the Scriptures. Timothy is charged to be strong in the grace in Christ Jesus, to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and to commit what he heard to faithful men who can teach others also. Believers are to put hearers in remembrance of these truths. They are not to strive about words to no profit and to the subverting of hearers, but to avoid foolish and unlearned questions that produce strife and to shun empty talk that leads to ungodliness.
They are to study to show themselves approved unto God as workmen rightly dividing the word of truth and handling God's word faithfully. The Lord's servant is not to strive but to be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing opposers so God may give them repentance to acknowledging the truth and recovery from the snare of the devil. The call is to endure for the sake of salvation and to live with faith that displays Christ's grace.
Assurance and Faithful Living
All promises of God rest on the condition of obedience, and when those conditions are fully met by His people He fulfills what He has pledged. He stays true to Himself and does not disappoint His believing ones, for as the Holy One of Israel He is unchangeable. If a person puts trust in God, He abides faithful toward that one. That trust rests on His unfailing faithfulness and not on the believer's perfection, for He regards even the weakest and feeblest trusting one as His child with most tender pity, continues to love, and will not forsake them. Making mistakes and having a life darkened with errors does not mean the heavenly Father has stopped loving or has forsaken the sinner, for Jesus loves still and His eye is upon the one who trusts Him.
Power in duty comes not from what a person does but from what an abiding Christ can accomplish, since even when workers fail in faith Christ abides faithful because He cannot deny Himself. Everyone engaged in serving God must therefore put trust in God as all-sufficient, keep hold of God, and stand at the post of duty. In perplexity the worker is to trust and lean upon the living God instead of going to any human source, and no murmuring and fretting over other men's work is to be heard. Suffering with Christ leads to reigning with Him while denying Him leads to being denied by Him, calling workers to put others in remembrance not to strive about words to the subverting of hearers but to study to show themselves approved unto God as workmen rightly dividing the word of truth. Christ abides faithful to save souls worth saving and offers the cup full of the preciousness of God, the Holy Spirit, instead of the wine of Babylon, the doctrines of error.
Minds and thoughts are to be brought into captivity to the will of Christ and to the will of heaven, with Christ putting His own superscription upon those under His control. By beholding Christ people are changed from glory to glory, from character to character, showing the worth of humanity under the controlling influence of God. To know this faithfulness each person must fall upon the Rock and be broken, or the power of Christ will not be felt, and must stand to the front speaking the words God gives. His faithfulness, since He cannot act contrary to His own nature even when people are unfaithful, gives reason not to lose heart amid criticism or delays. Each person is to begin the work He has given rather than waiting to see the whole way ahead. It also guides answering those who seek to introduce novel, strange ideas based on human imagination: they should wait for what is essential to be made known, because salvation does not depend on such side issues.
Even when people are faithless, unbelieving, or unfaithful, Christ and God remain faithful, because he cannot deny himself or act against his own nature, character, and word. This assurance stands in a faithful saying where suffering with Christ leads to reigning with him, while denying him brings being denied by him. If a person puts trust in God, he abides faithful toward that one, for trust rests on his unfailing faithfulness and not on the believer's perfection, so he regards even the weakest trusting one as his child with tender pity and does not forsake them. All his promises are on condition of obedience, and when those conditions are fully met he fulfills what he has pledged, for he stays true to himself and does not disappoint his believing ones. Power in duty comes not from what a person does but from what an abiding Christ can accomplish, so everyone serving God must put trust in him as all-sufficient and keep hold of him at the post of duty.
Words and Context
Even when people are faithless, unbelieving, or unfaithful in believing, Christ and God remain faithful, for he cannot deny himself and cannot act against his own nature, character, and word. He stays true to himself even when men do not believe. This assurance does not set aside human responsibility, for it stands in a faithful saying in which suffering and enduring with Christ leads to reigning with him, while denying him brings being denied by him.
The verse belongs to Paul's fatherly charge to Timothy, his son in the gospel trained from childhood in the Scriptures. Timothy is charged to be strong in the grace in Christ Jesus, to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and to commit what he heard to faithful men who can teach others also. Believers are to put hearers in remembrance of these truths. They are not to strive about words to no profit and to the subverting of hearers, but to avoid foolish and unlearned questions that produce strife and to shun empty talk that leads to ungodliness.
They are to study to show themselves approved unto God as workmen rightly dividing the word of truth and handling God's word faithfully. The Lord's servant is not to strive but to be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing opposers so God may give them repentance to acknowledging the truth and recovery from the snare of the devil. The call is to endure for the sake of salvation and to live with faith that displays Christ's grace.
Assurance and Faithful Living
All promises of God rest on the condition of obedience, and when those conditions are fully met by His people He fulfills what He has pledged. He stays true to Himself and does not disappoint His believing ones, for as the Holy One of Israel He is unchangeable. If a person puts trust in God, He abides faithful toward that one. That trust rests on His unfailing faithfulness and not on the believer's perfection, for He regards even the weakest and feeblest trusting one as His child with most tender pity, continues to love, and will not forsake them. Making mistakes and having a life darkened with errors does not mean the heavenly Father has stopped loving or has forsaken the sinner, for Jesus loves still and His eye is upon the one who trusts Him.
Power in duty comes not from what a person does but from what an abiding Christ can accomplish, since even when workers fail in faith Christ abides faithful because He cannot deny Himself. Everyone engaged in serving God must therefore put trust in God as all-sufficient, keep hold of God, and stand at the post of duty. In perplexity the worker is to trust and lean upon the living God instead of going to any human source, and no murmuring and fretting over other men's work is to be heard. Suffering with Christ leads to reigning with Him while denying Him leads to being denied by Him, calling workers to put others in remembrance not to strive about words to the subverting of hearers but to study to show themselves approved unto God as workmen rightly dividing the word of truth. Christ abides faithful to save souls worth saving and offers the cup full of the preciousness of God, the Holy Spirit, instead of the wine of Babylon, the doctrines of error.
Minds and thoughts are to be brought into captivity to the will of Christ and to the will of heaven, with Christ putting His own superscription upon those under His control. By beholding Christ people are changed from glory to glory, from character to character, showing the worth of humanity under the controlling influence of God. To know this faithfulness each person must fall upon the Rock and be broken, or the power of Christ will not be felt, and must stand to the front speaking the words God gives. His faithfulness, since He cannot act contrary to His own nature even when people are unfaithful, gives reason not to lose heart amid criticism or delays. Each person is to begin the work He has given rather than waiting to see the whole way ahead. It also guides answering those who seek to introduce novel, strange ideas based on human imagination: they should wait for what is essential to be made known, because salvation does not depend on such side issues.