2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1:12

I AM AFRAID I CANNOT HOLD OUT 2 Timothy 1:12. “I AM afraid I cannot hold out” is an expression which often passes the lips of men who are convicted of sin and convinced of the duty of confessing and accepting Christ.Of the excuses of which we have often spoken, I doubt if any one of them is more honestly offered than this.People of most modest self-estimate, thinking upon the high requirements of the Christian life and considering also their own fallibility and weakness, fall into the fear expressed by this excuse, I believe there are very many people who would at once publicly confess Christ and join themselves to His Church could they only be persuaded that they need not fall and bring reproach to the profession made.I trust, therefore, to make this text the medium of such persuasion, that the Spirit may bring many of these hesitating ones to say with Paul, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day”.Dr. Louis Banks tells of an infidel who was present in a highly literary circle when a lady of national reputation for literary ability expressed her firm belief in the Bible. Instantly the infidel turned to her with an air of astonishment and said, “You believe the Bible?”“Most certainly I do,” was the reply.“Why do you believe it?” he asked.“Because I am acquainted with the Author.”Her personal acquaintance with God made faith in His Word an easy thing. And if only I can bring you to a better acquaintance with Jesus Christ, the Author of salvation, assurance touching your ability to stand in Him will certainly be the result.Now this text suggests some things!CHRIST IS ABLE TO HOLD YOU UP Such is Christ’s claim! In that wonderful tenth chapter of John where He pretends to other abilities He says,“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. “My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. “I and My Father are one”. If Jesus Christ is Divine, if all the powers which belong to God are His possession as well, why should they, whose salvation He has undertaken, be afraid?I have much admired the idea of that small boy who said to his father, “Papa, is Satan bigger than I am?” to which his father replied, “Yes, my child, Satan is bigger than you.”“Is he bigger than you are, papa?”“Yes, my child, Satan is larger than I am.” “Well then, is he stronger than Jesus Christ?” “No, my child, Christ is abundantly able to conquer him.”“Then,” said the small boy, “I’ll not be afraid of him.”He realized what I want you to see, that Christ was not only his Friend but was willing to undertake his defense against the eternal enemy, and able to accomplish it.He has demonstrated His pretentions of power. When He says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, it is no idle invitation.Every civilized land is full of creditable witnesses of the power of Christ to save. His redeemed are a host, and He keeps millions of them from falling, in spite of the combined effort of the world, the flesh, and the devil to effect their misstep and accomplish their destruction.It was because the Apostle Paul had found Him sufficient for these things that he said, “I know whom I have believed”. And Paul had put His keeping power to a test and had proven it.The same power in which Paul was kept is proffered to every man, for Christ is no more a respecter of persons in His saving work, than He is in His keeping work. He both saves and sustains all them that put their trust in Him. I wish I could bring every unconverted person here to believe that.

The old man, seeing that truth, might yet accept the Son of God; the strong man, the woman of middle age might be persuaded to start now on the straight and narrow way that leadeth unto life; and, the child, naturally timid in his own powers, might see all that was proffered to salvation and preservation.Mr. A.

W. Hawkes tells the story of a certain picture which used to hang on the wall in a hospital ward. It was not a great work of merit, nor was it highly prized by the people of the institution, but it had its lesson and made its own impression.To the background of the picture was a rough stone wall. The sky in the picture was leaden. In the foreground a pale, sad-eyed, weary looking girl had fallen on a stone bench and in her arms she had a sick boy, around whose forehead and above whose sunken eyes was a white band. Just in front of these two, stood Christ, the patient, long-suffering, loving Son of God.

His hands were not yet pierced and one of them rested on the head of the sick boy, and His eyes were full of unspeakable tenderness as He looked into the upturned eyes of the sick child; and it seemed as you looked at the picture as if the little fellow were drinking in the Saviour’s love, and was being revived by the consciousness of it.One day they brought to the bed hard by the wall a boy who was tossing in fever and wildly delirious, a little fellow carried in from the slums. He had never known anything but drunken parents, curses and hardships, and was about to end his life on a pallet of straw in a damp cellar when a policeman discovered him.

At the hospital they kindly nursed him until he began to improve and the doctor said he would live. One morning a sweet nurse came in and, running up the blind, letting the sun fall on his face said, “Shall I not read to you?” “No, don’t read, but tell me about that picture! Who is the kind Man standing there?” And the young woman said, “He is the Christ,” and then lifting her heart to God in prayer she continued to explain who Christ was, and how He was able to save. “Do you believe in Him?” asked the boy.“Yes,” said the nurse, “I do. I have had a great many trials in life, but since I trusted Him He has kept me calm and brought me blessing.”“Does He love boys?” he inquired.“Yes, He loves everybody.”“Loves poor boys like me?”“Yes, everybody.”Some days after that when the nurse was talking upon this theme, to which he was always calling her back, the boy said, “I believe on Him,” and the two faces were bathed in tears of joy as they looked on the picture that had preached the sermon and brought the salvation.And the Christ who saved him sustained him. And what He did for that poor fellow, whose birth was without blessing, and all of whose days had been spent in an atmosphere of sin, He is able to do for you, and He proffers you all His power. Say with the Apostle, “He is able”.CHRIST HAS TO HOLD YOU UP “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand”. His Word is your sufficient warrant. Oh, for the faith that fixes itself not in feeling, but in what Jesus said. A great many times Christ did things at which other people marveled, being astonished. But there was one man who said something that astonished Jesus Christ, and made Him marvel, and that was the centurion who came to Christ, when He was in Capernaum and said, “Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented”, and Jesus answered, “I will come and heal him”. But the centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed”. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them which followed, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel”.Would that we could take the Word of Christ as sufficient when that Word is suited to our need.

That centurion had the sort of faith that effected speedy blessing, and also the sort that will sustain one in the time of storm. And Jesus Christ has said to every man who trusts Him, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. Wherefore should we fear? His Word voices His good will.We have sung at times, “He is able! He is able!” but we have also added, “He is willing, doubt no more!”If there is one hymn, the sentiment of which is a joy to me, it is this:“I hear Thy welcome voice, That calls me, Lord, to Thee, For cleansing in Thy precious Blood, That flowed on Calvary. “Though coming weak and vile, Thou dost my strength assure; Thou dost my vileness fully cleanse, ’Till spotless all, and pure. “ ’Tis Jesus calls me on To perfect faith and love, To perfect hope and peace and trust, For earth and Heaven above. “All hail! atoning Blood! All hail! redeeming Grace! All hail! the gift of Christ, our Lord, Our Strength and Righteousness. “I am coming, Lord! Coming now to Thee! Wash me, cleanse me in Thy Blood That flowed on Calvary!” Christ does call. Christ does stand ready to save, and Christ is the strength in which we shall stand.His promises are proof against danger. The time has come in warfare when there are no breastworks that will withstand shot and shell; before the modern gun rocky fortresses give way, wood structures splinter, and even the very mud is removed out of its place by the passing ball, or the bursting shell. But the man who takes refuge behind the promise of God has a sure defense and so long as he remains there, he cannot be hurt.It is reported that during the battle of Manasses, an officer passing over the field saw, crouching behind a haystack, a man shaking with fear. Coming up to the spot, he asked, “What sort of a place is that for you, sir?” when he was greeted with the eager answer, “Why, do you really think the bullets can come through?”Surely they will come through, but the man who has put himself behind the promises of the everlasting God is beyond the reach and power of the enemy. No matter how many others are slain, he is secure so long as he stands there, for when the heavens and the earth pass away not one jot or tittle of God’s Word shall fail.It is said there used to be an old battered safe standing on Broadway, New York, on which was this sign, “It stood the test.

The contents were all saved.” It had passed through one of the hottest fires New York City had ever seen, but the old safe had kept its treasure in spite of the flames, and delivered every scrap of paper to its rightful owner unharmed.And so, beloved, Jesus Christ is such a safe to all the souls that put their trust in Him. No matter what the flames are, whether of temptation, peril or persecution, if you trust in Him and shield yourself behind His Word, all must be well.TURN FROM SELF- TO A SAVIOUR’S Think less on yourself. Introspection most often results in despair. The great trouble with people who listen to the Gospel, from time to time, is that they never look beyond themselves. They are convicted of sin and that conviction instead of being a step toward salvation is used of Satan to take them away from the same. He says to them, “See what a sinner you are, how absolutely leprous. If Jesus should accept you, you are so weak, you could never walk alone and there is not any likelihood that He will accept you in the face of your known sins!”A man to whom Mr. Moody was once talking said, “I want to be a Christian, but I cannot believe.”“Believe what?” said Mr. Moody.“Well, I cannot believe.”“Believe Whom?”“Well, I cannot believe in myself.”“Thank the Lord,” said Mr.

Moody, “for if you did, it would not save you.”Why not let Satan have out his heart in this matter? Why not let him tell us that we are sinners? But let us answer, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Why not stand submissively by, when he charges us with moral leprosy and admit it all? But God invites us to “come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins he as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they he red like crimson, they shall he as wool”.That Methodist minister who led Charles Spurgeon to Jesus Christ was Scriptural when he said, “Young man, look and live.” But he did not mean to look within his heart, to look around about him, but to look up and off to that God who said, “Look unto Me, and he ye saved, all the ends of the earth”.We can trust nothing from the flesh in this matter. The man who says he is “afraid he cannot hold out” is right.

The man who starts upon the Christian profession purposing to keep himself by will-power is playing a fool.You recall how Professor Drummond tells a story of a coachman employed by a lady who entertained Drummond. The poor fellow had been given to drink, but had signed a pledge and had fallen from it.

The lady said to the Professor, “Now this man will drive you to the station. Say a word to him, if you can. He is a good sort of a fellow and really wants to reform, but he is weak.” On the way to the train the Professor was trying to adroitly introduce the subject, when suddenly the horses were frightened and tried to run away. The carriage swayed about and it looked as if an accident might be the result, but eventually the man got the team into hand and quieting them proceeded to the station. When the Professor stepped out, the coachman said, “That was a close shave. Our trap might have been smashed into matchwood and you would not have given any more addresses.”“Well, how was it that it did not happen?” “Only because I knew how to manage the horses,” was the coachman’s reply.“But, suppose you couldn’t have managed them, and there had been a stronger man sitting at your side, what would you have done?”“Why,” said the coachman, “I should have put the lines into his hands.”“Wise reply,” said Professor Drummond, “and now, as I understand that your appetite for drink often gets away with you, I recommend that you turn over the reins of your life into the hands of Christ who is abundantly able to bring all your passions under, and make them obey His will.” He went his way but the words accomplished their work and the coachman was a sober man.

Turn from self-weakness to a Saviour’s strength.Commit every interest to Jesus Christ. If you can trust Him for your salvation, you ought to trust Him for your sustenance.

His upholding arm is not weakened that it cannot save. The right hand of His power is sufficient for every time of temptation, and every place of danger.I never hear given this excuse, “I cannot hold out,” without remembering Mr. Moody’s illustration. He tells how in Chicago one night, when a rain was falling upon the street and turning instantly into ice, he was on his way to church, and Emma, then a little girl, was walking beside him. He said to her, “Emma, let me hold your hand.” “No, papa, I will walk alone.” But presently her feet went from beneath her and she fell to the sidewalk. When Mr.

Moody had lifted her up, he said, “Now, Emma, let me hold your hand,” to which she replied, “No, papa, I will take hold of your finger.” Mr. Moody, seeing that the argument did not suffice, put out his little finger upon which Emma laid hold.

But when her feet slipped again, her tiny fingers were not sufficient for the strain and she fell a second time. When she arose, Moody said, “Now, Emma, let me take your hand,” to which she answered, “No papa, I will take hold of your whole hand this time and then I can stand.” Moody put out his hand and Emma attempted to take hold of it, but could accomplish only a part. Presently she was down on the street again, and quite severely hurt. When Mr. Moody lifted her to her feet she said, between her sobs, “Now, papa, you take my hand,” and Moody said, “We went merrily on our way and when Emma’s feet slipped, I sustained her and she never fell again.” And I want to tell you to-night that if you attempt to walk to Heaven alone, there are downfalls before you. If you think to lay hold upon His hand, that will not suffice. Let Him hold you and you are safe.