“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;” —2 Timothy 3:14
As a young child, I remember the man who served as our church treasurer, Brother Marvin Bakker. Brother Bakker seemed as big as a bear but was always kind and gentle toward me. I loved to hear him pray whenever we had church prayer meetings or he was called on to pray for the offering or to close out a church meeting. I always felt like I would see the throne room of God if I opened my eyes while he prayed. He was a special man to this little boy. At some point, he was diagnosed with cancer. I was too young to know all the details, but Brother Bakker ended up in the hospital. My Dad, his pastor, visited him frequently during his hospital stay. On my Dad's final visit to see Brother Bakker, the meeting ended like so many other occasions. Instead of saying “Goodbye” or “See you later,” Brother Bakker was known to say, “Carry on.” Those were the last words he spoke to my Dad. Leter, Dad shared these words with me, and they have stuck in my mind and heart over the years. The phrase “carry on” has been defined as: To continue or proceed. In this usage, the phrase can be used as an imperative (https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/carry+on). In 2 Timothy 3, the apostle Paul knew his life and ministry were at the end. He had passed along all he could to young Timothy. Now Paul called on Timothy to “carry on,” using the phrase “continue thou.” The Reality of the Times Paul did more than tell Timothy to “carry on.” He shared with Timothy two reasons why it was necessary to carry on. Both of these reasons revolve around persecution. Persecution Expected. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Persecution is a certainty because Satan has always hated the truth and has attempted to twist or deny the truth since the Garden of Eden. If Satan hates the truth, it should come as no surprise that his pawns hate the truth. Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you (John 15:18).” This persecution is very light in North America, but we can see the dark clouds of persecution heading our way. Believers in other parts of the world deal with harsh persecution The following is excerpted from a Christian Post, entitled Report Chronicles assaults on Christians in Manipur (https://www.christianpost.com/news/report-chronicles-assaults-on-christians-in-manipur.html): “On May 3, Mrs. Thangi Hmar’s home in the Meitei-majority Imphal area (north India) served as a sanctuary for 22 tribal Christians from four households, including two individuals who were critically ill. A mob of about 100 people led by the radical groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun arrived, threatening and looting before ordering them to leave. “Meanwhile, a woman, Thari Hmar, went missing. Her son, Sasang, returned to their home only to find her being brutally assaulted by the mob. As he sought to save his mother, he was shoved into a drain. The attack on her persisted until local women enabled a narrow escape. But their home was looted and burned, and their two dogs died. “On the same night, an under-secretary with the Manipur government, Mrs. Gouzavung, and her family sought refuge at a relative’s house. The next morning, they decided to head to a relief camp. En route, they were intercepted by a mob of 200 to 250 people. Despite showing her government ID, her pleas fell on deaf ears. “The mob set their car on fire and discovered their hiding place. Her son, Goulalsang, was brutally attacked on the road. Gouzavung’s brave attempt to shield her son was met with cheers from the crowd. Both tragically lost their lives in this cruel onslaught. Gouzavung’s daughter-in-law sustained severe injuries, while Kim, an aunt, her one-year-old grandson, and their cousin escaped via a car trunk.” After reading this short article, we cannot find legitimate grounds for complaining about persecution we have faced in North America. Regardless of the severity of the persecution, it has been promised to the people of Christ. This is one reason why God’s people must “carry on!” Perniciousness is Expanded. Paul continued by stating, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” The charismatic crowd exults in “revival sweeping our land,” but the stark reality is no widespread revival is coming. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul taught, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” In other words, we will see people turning away from Bible Christianity en masse rather than turning toward Christ en masse. The Last Days will be characterized by a falling away and by deception. Everywhere we look, we see people deceiving and being deceived. This is true among so-called Christians, who try to deceive Bible-believers into compromise with the world, with carnal believers, and with outright heretics. These deceivers are in love with the world (1 John 2:15) and their sin (Matthew 24:12). They depart from sound doctrine and latch on to doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1). In the face of the deceivers, God’s people must “carry on!” The Reality of the Testimony The apostle Paul continued to instruct Timothy in what he was to “carry on.” Timothy wasn’t required to learn some new skill, but to remain faithful to what had been offered to him. Timothy had not only learned tremendous truths, he had been assured of those truths. I believe that is missing today. Many young men are taught good things relating to Biblical truth and the ministry, only to have the rug pulled out from under them by a lack of assurance. This is clearly seen whenever a young man is taught to love his Bible, but be aware there “there are errors or discrepancies” to be found there. These young men learn to love their Bible, but they lack assurance on the validity of the Bible. This makes them prone to wander away from Bible doctrine and practice. We see this same issue regarding the church. Young men are taught to love the church just as Jesus loved the church, but we have so many men closing down their Sunday evening and midweek services. This, in spite of the instruction to meet “so much the more" as we approach the coming of the Lord. This happens because these men were taught the truth but were never assured of that truth. Over and over we see example of men of God falling away from where they once stood. Could it be that this falling away is not the result of a lack of teaching but a lack of assurance? Timothy had learned and been assured of Bible truth, but he also needed to pay attention to those from whom he had learned. Believers today must exercise great discernment regarding the men they listen to regarding the Bible and its practice. I am so thankful for the many faithful men of God who have poured of themselves into my life, to help me better understand my walk and service for the Lord. These men are not men of renown, but humble, faithful men who lived and laboured for the Lord in “insignificant” places. These men of God showed the importance of fellowship around the table — not emphasizing food, but simply sharing the Scripture and its application with a young man who had so much to learn! I am also thankful for faithful preachers who boldly proclaim the Word of God — especially those men who have shown consistent faithfulness over time. These men encourage me that I do not stand alone for the truths of God. These men show the importance of fellowship around the pulpit. The Scripture tells us that when we “carry on," we set a higher standard based on the Word of God. Jesus made this principle clear in Matthew 5:43-45. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” When we “carry on” we also hold a higher standard. In other words, we set the higher standard and refuse to change that standard for any reason. Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” The Reality of the Target There is a Biblical purpose for which we “carry on.” We do not do so out of tradition, routine, or habit, but because we love our Lord and long to be faithful to Him. There are also goals to achieve when we “carry on.” Paul laid out these goals in 2 Timothy 3:17: “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The first goal or target is a perfect relationship. This is not to say that we are sinless, but that we are mature and complete in our standing with the Lord Jesus. This maturity is needed for our relationship with the Lord Jesus, for the man of God to set a proper example before the flock, and to complete his methodology and message to the flock. The second goal is to remain perfectly ready. In other words, when we "carry on" we place ourselves in the position of being qualified and ready to serve the Lord at a moments notice. The qualification and preparation are essential to move the work of God forward in these Last Days. Faithfulness in the face of growing sin and opposition must be based upon what has been learned from God’s Word. We must also be assured of these things so we are not tempted to let anything slip. With all that has been said, we must determine to stay faithful to the Word of God, the Bible. Men of God must remain faithful to read, study, teach, and preach the Word of God. We must remain faithful regardless of what the next guy is doing! If you choose to “carry on” in a Biblical manner, I will rejoice with you and pray for your continuing faithfulness. If you choose not to “carry on,” I will hurt for the poor decisions you have made, and I will pray for you to return to a place of faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of all, let me encourage you to "carry on!”
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About Jerry JacksonJerry has been writing for many years now. He has written tracts for several churches, as well as his ministries in Papua New Guinea and in Canada. He has had the opportunity to have many of his articles published in several Independent Baptist periodicals over the years. His main goals are to teach truth and lift up the Saviour. Archives
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