Yours to die or live !

21.04.2021

Wednesday April 21, 2021

2 Timothy 4:10 - For Demas has forsaken me, because he is too attached to the present world ; he left for Thessaloniki. (BFC).

It's not easy to chronologize the Bible. However, we can think that 2 Timothy is the last letter written by Paul before his execution (he would have died beheaded in Rome). If I am speaking of this, it is because Demas of which our verse speaks was about six or seven years earlier a fellow worker of the apostle (Compare Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24). Which prompts me to think : why did he give up ?

A fellow worker of the apostle Paul was to be a “strong fellow,” manifesting a sincere conversion and a deep zeal for the Lord. He must have experienced extraordinary things in the ministry for God. When he abandoned Paul, it was most likely to save his life because he was equally at risk of capital punishment. When Paul says he is too attached to the present world, he does not mean that he has returned to the world, denying the faith, but that his life on earth seemed more important to him than the heavenly life that awaits all children. of God faithful. Could we blame him ?

When persecution comes, and it does, will we be able to stand firm ? Will we go all the way or will we seek compromise ? In fact, we will only be able to answer this question when we are faced with this crucial choice. I know that we could be tempted to make big declarations as this song tells us : "Until the end I want to follow You... Yours to die and live...". My beloved, only the grace of God on us will allow us to pass this test.

We don't know what happened to Demas, and maybe we'll find him up there. Yes forgiveness and grace is also for those who fail! Maybe you abandoned the Lord because it seemed too difficult for you. Come back to Him, He does not reject you, on the contrary He is ready to compensate for your weakness.

Good reflection.

Source (Ezekiel 37 Ministry)