10/09/2022 - TO MY BELOVED SON

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To Timothy, a beloved son: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  2 Timothy 1:2

Paul took on the loving treatment shown by the Lord to all those who accept Jesus as Savior, calling Timothy a son. This does us so much good. As children of God, we can hold our heads high without submitting to evil. After all, the Scriptures contain countless messages addressed to those who do the divine will, to those who still do not know the Word, and to those well advanced in faith.

Whoever comes to trust in the holy Name of the Lord automatically becomes an heir of God and co-heir with Jesus, and can enjoy all the resources of the Father (Romans 8.17). From that moment on, the person feels that they will be heard even before they pray, and by faith they see the answer to their requests. The greatest blessing will come at the end of times, when Christ comes to take us out of this crazy and evil world, in order to take us to Heaven (John 14.2,3). Only those who persevere in doing good will ascend with Him (Matthew 24.13).

It’s amazing how the Lord treats the converted, forgiving their sins! He does not keep any wrongdoing from their past in His memory. When someone accepts Jesus as Savior, their transgressions no longer exist for God, who promises not to remember them, saying: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 8.12).

Paul himself was a Pharisee who persecuted the Church of Christ and tried in every way to destroy it (Acts 26:9-11). However, when he met the Master on the road to Damascus, he changed his demeanor and was saved by Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary (v. 12). From persecutor he became persecuted for the same reason: the zeal of a Pharisee who knows neither the Lord nor His love. He saw how much he mistreated those who became his brothers in the true faith.

As a man transformed by divine power, Paul began to preach the Kingdom of God and suffered greatly at the hands of the former “brethren”. However, even though he paid a very high price to live his faith in the Son of God, he never denied his faith in the Savior. Life here is very short, but sadly we meet people who refuse to forsake sin and enter the “ark” of salvation. At Christ’s return, they will repent tremendously, but it will be too late!

The apostle understood the existence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Knowing that the mission of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus, he greeted Timothy, his son in faith, with the grace, mercy, and peace of God the Father, from Christ Jesus our Lord. The Most High is made up of three persons, but one God. This is a mystery to us, but once in Heaven we will understand everything, because, with glorified bodies, we will see Him as He is (1 John 3.2). Believe it!

The three Persons of the Holy Trinity form one God. As we have seen, it’s not possible to understand this with the human mind, but by faith. The important thing is that we have the testimony of the Lord that we are from Him, and this gives us tremendous joy. Let the Holy Spirit guide your life by the Word, and you will realize how much the Father has loved you. Remain steadfast until the end!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares