Two Worlds

2 Timothy 2:3-5, “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if one competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.”

So much of learning and walking with Christ feels like living in two polar opposite worlds. The physical world of everyday life, and the world of a spiritual soldier suffering hardship in some unseen competition or battle.  Just even trying to understand this can make one’s head swim.

But reality for the person is Christ is that this is completely true, and the longer we walk with Him the more defined and different these two worlds become, and the more pronounced the war between these two worlds become.

In Christ, in submission to His authority and command, life is not about relieving suffering or satisfying a need, but rather obedience under His command through, over, or around the suffering depending on His desires and will for our life. In Christ we do not suffer for suffering sake, but we learn to suffer when those hardships are shared with His experience, or in His design for our life to awaken us to some beautiful spiritual truth or to eternally refine our character. In Christ we are constantly required to ignore the everyday affairs of life in faith. We have to have faith that life is cared for by the Father, and that we must continue to allow Jesus to be revealed in us and through us.

Hear me on this. A minister is not a minister if his GOAL is to make you feel better, or help you overcome a circumstance. A minister is someone who helps you to see Christ in your sufferings or circumstance. And in seeing Christ then we spiritually have peace and joy in spite of circumstances. My friend and coach Jim Spivey helps me, but the help is vision to see what God is doing. And not just vision, but also to articulate what God is doing. Equally I have seen Christ in my physical/monetary needs being met through peoples gifts. Likewise a minister is likely failing if all he/she can do is point out our failings. Sin is not the rule that keeps us from the prize. Not accepting Christ and His mercy and grace keeps us from the prize.

The Rule is Christ. I challenge you to read the whole Chapter of 2 Timothy 2. For example verses 11-13 which says, “… For if we died with Him, we also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” If we will connect to Christ’s world, which is the Kingdom of God we will live, and even if we are faithless, even if we do fail in sin… He remains faithful. The war is not sin v. holiness. The prize is not won my being blameless. The war is to stay focused on Christ and Christ alone. The prize is won in not being entangled in everyday affairs, but in having faith for God to work it all out. In the end, even when we fail, even when we focus on life on earth over spiritual life with Christ… He and He alone is faithful and He will win the war freeing our soul from death and the wages of sin.