The Place to Be #86

 II Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

Paul has repeatedly made the case that he is not ashamed: of the Gospel, nor of his being in prison. The two went hand in hand.  He wanted Timothy, and the church at Ephesus, to have the same perspective. The Gospel is all about Christ, risen and victorious, Who could not be held by the chains of death.  Therefore, the chains of Paul were inconsequential. Since Christ was not bound, the Gospel(here the word of God) was not bound.  Paul was therefore willing to do anything (even prison) to reach people with the Gospel. Paul then gives a strong statement for the assurance of salvation in Christ, which seems to be consistent all the way through until the last verse.  If we are faithless, he remains faithful. God will save even when we let Him down.  It would be inconsistent with His character to do otherwise.  God will be faithful! Will we?