No Condemnation

In my youth I used to worry about what I would do if someone threatened to kill, or worse, torture me unless I denied Christ. I was certain that I would fail Jesus and say whatever it took to save my skin.

This was such a big concern to me that early in my life I ruled out the idea of becoming a missionary. The way I saw it, the risk of real persecution was much greater over in the jungles of Africa—where I thought all true missionaries went to serve.

It was my clear understanding that this weakness made me a second-class Christian, but I decided that was a price I simply had to pay. It was better than losing my salvation and ending up in hell.

Scripture like this came to my mind:

2 Timothy 2:11-13 (KJV)
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer (or endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

I did not read this carefully enough. All I could see was that He would deny me. But the scripture actually says that if I died with Him I will live with Him. It goes on to say that if I am faithless (if we believe not), He will remain faithful.

The word deny here is arneomai to deny, say no

I was missing that those who deny Him in this passage are those who say no to His gift of grace. We are not those who say no to His grace. We said yes and we were reborn. It is talking about unbelievers This is why the last sentence says that even if such a person does not believe (or is faithless) He remains faithful. His great love and His offer of grace remains available should they change their mind.

My concerns were grounded in lies from the enemy and a lot of bad theology.

Grace and peace to you.
--Larry Eiss