a holy life, & other things

Paul wrote this to Timothy from prison in Rome.

Paul knew is was going to be put to death soon.

He considered Timothy to be his son.

He clearly is not mincing words or beating around the bush, or trying to be subtle.

Right off the bat, Paul makes a powerful statement about God & His work among us through Jesus.



2 Timothy 1

9 For God saved us 

and called us to live a holy life. 

He did this, not because we deserved it, 

but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time;

to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior.

 He broke the power of death 

and illuminated the way to life 

and immortality through the Good News.



"called us to live a holy life."

Do ya ever get the feeling that there seems that the holy life thing is downplayed or not even mentioned these days.

There seems to be a lot of grace & mercy talked about, but does it seem that a wholesale, huge life change isn't part of the equation.

I mean, living a holy life takes some guts these days (when did it not?!).


It feels like we spend a lot of time talking about our warm & fuzzy relationship with our "daddy God", 

not absorbing the fact that we are hooked up with a person who is blindingly holy, 

infinitely powerful, 

possesses knowledge about everything, 

the very essence of love,

the creator & ruler of all creation, universes, & everything that goes with it,

& if we stood up close & personal in His presence we'd probably spontaneously incinerate.


Paul also mentions this whole thing with Jesus coming to earth was part of plan, from the beginning.

And He didn't do it because we're all such a great catch - He did it because it's who He is.


There's an awful lot in these 2 verses. 

Read them again.

Store their content away for later reference.