Gospel Charge of Truth and Suffering

2 Timothy 4:1-5    
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

What was Timothy charged to do?  To exercise the gifts and calling of the gospel.  We also are charged with bearing witness to these words of life which are of Christ’s person and work for sinners such as you and I.  Since we know there will be a judgment at the end of time for all, and that this sentence for each of us will be final and irrevocable, we must be pointing all to the release of the absolute sentence found only in Christ who is our righteousness and advocate to release us.  This is why we listen as Timothy and preach this word whenever we can, always being prepared to speak of Him and the hope offered that out of the many God may save some.  We must convince by scripture, correct the sinning brethren, and suffer long at the task in teaching sound truths given by God and not man’s philosophy.  Many even now refuse to hear these truths and find other teachers who say only what they desire to hear, especially when accountability to God and exclusivity to Christ and the Bible are heard by them.  Because these turn from the truth of God’s word, they listen to stories as if we are, were, or could become gods ourselves.  This is why we need to be people immersed in the book to know sound teaching, why we suffer in presenting truth to an apostate world, and why we do not give up in serving Christ and others  gospel.