Day 688: Is Christianity escapism? - 2 Timothy 3 vs 10 - 13

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra - which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:10-13 English Standard Version

It's not unusual to hear opponents of the gospel say that Christianity is just a means of escape from any troubles or fears that life may bring. But that is far from reality. What does Paul say those who seek to follow Christ, and who try to live as He lived, must expect? (vs 12)

Notice, he isn't talking about people who casually identify as Christians because they were christened as such, he's speaking of people who really desire to live lives that are godly. They know that God is holy – there is nothing unclean about Him – and they want to be holy too. They reject the self-love, love of money, and pride of the ungodly people Paul mentioned in vs 2-4 of this chapter. He spoke there too of people who were swollen with conceit, lacked self control and loved sinful pleasures and pastimes rather than God. Such people often hate the holy lifestyle of Christians and attack them with words or weapons.

Paul used his own life as an example of this in vs 11. Some years after his conversion, he had set off with a fellow Christian named Barnabas to take the gospel message to others. They preached about the death and resurrection of Jesus in a city called Antioch and it led to many Jews and gentiles becoming Christians. But this so angered the leaders of the Jewish community that they stirred up a mob to run Paul and Barnabas out of town. So they went to a town called Iconium where a similar thing happened. The mob there wanted to stone them to death and they had to flee to a town called Lystra. (This is all told in Chapters 13-14 of the book called Acts)

At Lystra Paul was used by God to heal a man who'd been crippled from birth and had never walked. The people were so amazed they thought Paul and Barnabas were gods come down to earth. Paul immediately told them of the true God, and of Jesus Christ. But Jews from the places that had previously run him and Barnabas out of town came to Lystra and stirred up a mob again. This time Paul was actually stoned and left for dead. But he wasn't. He survived and went with Barnabas to another town to keep on preaching about Jesus. Yet, despite these things, what was the testimony Paul passed on to Timothy? (vs 10)

He wasn't boasting in that verse, he was holding up to Timothy the sort of things that all who desire to live godly lives will need to do in a world where persecution is sure to come. Just as in vs 2-4 he had listed attitudes and behaviour we see in the lifestyles of ungodly people, so now he lists what a godly person will look like. Do you see any links between the things he mentions?

Godliness begins with the teaching of things that are true. But it doesn't just stay in the head, it leads to a believer's conduct, the way they behave in life. It will definitely affect the goals they have. They no longer seek their own glory and praise but hope people will see something of Jesus in them. Faith in God and showing His sort of love becomes important to them. And what helps them get through the opposition they meet up with is patience and endurance. They press on and don't give up when the road gets hard. They are not looking for an escape from life's problems, they know that being a Christian might well add to life's struggles. What was Paul's ultimate testimony about the persecutions he had faced? (vs 11)

The Lord rescued him from all the incidents he met up with in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. That is our hope too. It doesn't mean Christians will never die from persecution. But time and time again God does rescue them. And even if they do die, they will be in the presence of Christ. If Christianity is an escape – it's from sin, and from the power of death. And that's not a bad thing.