2 Timothy 2:25b-26

“Escape”

(2 Timothy 2:25b-26, August 28, 2011)

25 … God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

25 … God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

The majesty of God is over heaven and earth. If we come into His house, it is by His grace, and according to His requirements. He has set His Son as King over the whole house. To kiss the Son of God and to rest upon Him is to turn the wrath of God away. See the end of Psalm 2 in the Trinity Psalter.

But Judas kissed the Son of God... There is something more required here than a mere kiss. The Son's righteousness must be credited to us. We know that Abraham believed God, and it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. We know the invitation of God from the Old Testament prophet: “All who call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” It is mysterious enough to think about even one person being admitted into the presence of the Almighty. What if one seems to be in, and then seems to be out?

First, we mourn such a fact. At least in the church on earth we must face up to this painful truth; that a person can wander, and even fall. God, hold them up somehow! Tell me that there is hope for such a lost sheep. But then there is also the wolf in sheep's clothing that I don't want to know about... We mourn, and then we look for the return of the true disciple. If someone is to come home again to the Lord's house, God must grant him repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Hymenaeus and Philetus were promoting false doctrine. They were contending that everything that anyone could have of the resurrection was here now. This was wrong, it was harmful, it was polluting to the church, it was gangrene, and these men had to be relieved of their duties for a time. But the church looks for a better end to the life story of servants who are presently wandering.

26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

We want to believe that their time away from the Lord is temporary. To contemplate worse than that pains our hearts. We want to see these men sober up. The devil is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. We must wake up and come to our senses again. We need to cling to the matters of first importance and remember the true Christian hope presented to us in the Scriptures. We must keep in mind that Jesus Christ has died for us and is risen from the dead. He is our saving Lord. He is joy for all ages.

For the exiles of Israel, there was always a way to come home. See Deuteronomy 30. Can there be anything less than that in the New Testament church for the son who makes the mistake of asking for his inheritance early, and then squanders it all on prostitutes? It is frightening to think of people we love being captured by an enemy, filled with something that messes up their minds, until they are enslaved in the service of an evil master. Yet Christ died for the ungodly, and He is able to use even the faint memory of the teaching of His servants to gently restore the captive saint. Even the thought right now comes into the chosen child's heart: “Why am I eating with pigs? There is plenty of food in my Father's house.” Come home, wandering child. Come and eat at the Lord's table.